Yoga is here to stay this year – and with all of its benefits too!
There’s, of course, no “quick fix” or “overnight” success when it comes to changing your body in a month. However, yoga can reprogram your body and system in less than a month. Studies have shown that yoga regenerates the B-cells in your pancreas, increasing glucose metabolism and insulin receptors – isn’t that amazing?
Yoga has the power to revolutionize your physical, spiritual, and emotional health, and practicing it regularly can improve your body’s physique. If you’re looking for a mind-body practice that has the ability to reset, strengthen, and regenerate your body yoga is your new BFF.
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15 yoga poses that’ll change your body in less than a month
In this blog post, you will learn the best 15 yoga poses that’ll change your body in less than a month – for good! Yoga, when practiced on a regular basis, can be very beneficial for all areas of our lives.
1. Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
Ustrasana, also known as Camel Pose, is the ideal pose to relieve the tension the body may have and receive a good stretch for stress reduction. The backward stretch that you experience as you touch your ankles in this pose helps in toning the abdominal muscles.
Remember it’s all about staying relaxed while doing this stretch. Focus on your breathing and on identifying what feels good to your body.
How to:
Sit in Vajrasana, meaning on your knees, then lift your body from your knees, ensuring your entire body weight is supported by them for correct posture. Align your heels perpendicularly with the ground. Exhale deeply and arch your back. Place your hands behind your body, attempting to hold your ankles one by one.
Maintain good posture for 20 to 30 seconds initially, progressing to 60 seconds, breathing normally. Exhale and gradually relax. Return to Vajrasana.
2. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
This pose is personally one of my favorite ones! After doing an ab workout this pose is very helpful for my mental state when I need to decompress. Dhanurasana, or Bow Pose, has the ability to tone and stretch your tummy muscles. It’s good for keeping healthy joints and body posture.
During this exercise, be mindful of your breathing. It may get tricky as you are pressing quite hard on your stomach. Focus on breathing slowly and steadily.
How To:
Start by lying down on the mat, keeping your legs together. Position your hands on either side of your body with palms facing the floor. As you exhale deeply, bring your knees upwards.
Lift your head and arch your back, simultaneously reaching your hands backward to try and hold your ankles. Let your abdomen support your body weight. Inhale deeply and attempt to raise your knees higher. Maintain the posture for 15 to 30 seconds initially, gradually extending it to 60 to 90 seconds for longer hold times.
3. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Stretch your tummy, back, and train your triceps at the same time with this exercise. This is also one of the best exercises to practice after a long workout; it soothes any tension in your muscles and may relieve lower back pain.
Make sure to keep breathing while doing this exercise and be mindful of the weight of your head. Try to slowly reach your head back.
How To:
Begin by lying down on the mat, facing downwards, with legs slightly apart and toes touching the floor. Keep your hands on either side of your body, palms facing down.
Place your palms beneath your shoulders. Inhale deeply and lift your chest and head off the floor. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds while breathing normally.
4. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge)
Challenge your strength and flexibility with Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, or Bridge Pose. For an advanced level, open your inner thighs back and forth, this may help with strengthening deeper muscles in your body.
Make sure you are activating your whole body on Bridge Pose. It’s not just about lifting your body upwards, it’s about activating your whole body and pushing your pelvis to the ceiling.
How To:
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart, ensuring your heels are close to your buttocks. Place your hands on either side of your body, palms facing down.
Inhale deeply and press through your hands and feet as you lift your hips towards the ceiling. Engage your core muscles and thighs to create a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
Hold the bridge position for 15 to 30 seconds, breathing normally.
5. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Talk about a good leg stretch! A pro tip: when you do this pose, try to keep your back as straight as possible instead of hunching down with your back. This will help you have a better posture and stretch your back in a linear motion.
Imagine that your chest wants to melt into your feet, instead of the ground. Keep your legs straight, and for a deeper stretch, flex your feet.
How To:
Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you. Ensure your spine is tall, and your legs are active with toes pointing towards the ceiling.
Inhale deeply, lengthening your spine, and as you exhale, hinge at your hips, leaning forward from your waist. Reach your hands toward your feet, keeping your back straight.
Hold the seated forward bend for 15 to 30 seconds.
6. Warrior 1
Warrior 1, is one of the best poses to actively stretch and strengthen your body. Remember, it’s not just about following what your instructor is doing and finishing a yoga class, it’s about engaging your muscles, activating your body, and deeply feeling each pose.
For beginners, this may be a balance challenge – you’ve got this! I love to tell my students to visualize their legs as hard as rocks or as stable as trees. This visualization works! Try it yourself.
How To:
Start by standing at the top of your mat in Mountain Pose. Step one foot (it be your left or right foot) back, keeping the front foot pointing forward and the back foot at a 45-degree angle. Ensure your feet are hip-width apart.
Inhale deeply and raise your arms overhead, bringing your palms together. Engage your core muscles and bend your front knee, making sure it aligns with your ankle. The back leg remains straight and strong.
Square your hips towards the front of the mat, keeping the back leg active. Lift your chest and gaze up towards your hands. Hold Warrior 1 for 15 to 30 seconds.
7. Warrior 2
On Warrior 2 you want to focus on deeply bending your front foot and stretching your arms as wide as possible. Keep a centered balance for a better grip and pose.
Breath! You’ve got this! This exercise is all about embracing your inner warrior and patiently working with your body.
How To:
Stand tall at the top of your mat. Take a step back with one foot, keeping the front foot pointed forward and the back foot at a right angle, making a wide stance. Your feet should be about hip-width apart.
Extend your arms parallel to the floor, reaching in opposite directions. Relax your shoulders, and look over the front fingertips. Bend your front knee, making sure it aligns with your ankle while keeping the back leg straight.
Hold Warrior 2 for 15 to 30 seconds initially, working up to 60 seconds for a long period of time.
8. Tree Pose
Let’s challenge your balance a bit more! Tree Pose is about redirecting your balance on one leg and staying there. It pushes your body to activate inner muscles and strengthens your legs.
If you want to take Tree Pose to the next level, try closing your eyes while doing this pose.
How To:
Stand tall with your feet together in Mountain Pose. Shift your weight onto one foot and bring the sole of the other foot to the inner thigh or calf of the standing leg, avoiding the knee.
Find your balance, and once steady, bring your palms together in front of your chest or extend your arms overhead like branches reaching for the sky.
Focus your gaze on a fixed point to help with balance. Hold Tree Pose for 15 to 30 seconds initially.
9. Upward Plank
This pose is an all-in-one. From strengthening your arms, legs, and core, to stretching your back and improving your spinal flexibility.
If you have already mastered an Upward Plank, try lifting one leg for 15 seconds and switching it with your other leg. Trust me, it’s going to burn, but it’s great for core strength.
Keep your whole body activated, engaging your muscles and breathing steadily throughout the pose.
How To:
Start by sitting on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Place your hands behind your hips, fingers pointing towards your feet, and press into your palms.
Inhale deeply, lift your hips towards the ceiling and straighten your arms. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.
Engage your core and lift your chest, allowing your head to gently fall back. Hold the Upward Plank position for 15 to 30 seconds.
10. Santolanasana (Plank)
If you’re looking for a weight-loss type of change, this is your pose. We all know that a 30-second plank seems like the longest seconds of our lives – that’s the whole point.
You want to deeply engage your core muscles so that you are able to feel every single moment of it. Embrace the deep breathing.
Remember to keep your glutes down and core engaged! There’s no secret advice for mastering a plank, just consistency, practice, and patience.
How To:
Begin in a tabletop position with your wrists directly under your shoulders. Step your feet back, one at a time, until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
Engage your core, keeping your body in a straight line without sagging your hips or arching your back. Hold the Plank position for 15 to 30 seconds initially, working up to 60 seconds.
11. Pavanamuktasana (Wind Relieving Pose)
If you want a chance to relax, this is it. Wind Relieving Pose is all about relaxing after a hot yoga workout. In this exercise, you want to let your body loose, close your eyes, and breathe.
I like to always include this pose in the middle and last sequence of my classes. I like my students to feel like they have an opportunity to take a breath and keep going strong during the class. Even though yoga may seem “easy,” the body engages different muscles from a regular workout that activates various pressure points throughout the body.
How To:
Lie down on your back with your legs extended.
Bring one knee towards your chest, securing your hands around it, and hug it close. Keep the other leg extended on the ground.
Hold the Wind Relieving Pose for 15 to 30 seconds.
12. Naukasana (Boat Pose)
Abs! Abs! Abs! There’s always a good reason to engage that core, right? Boat Pose tones your belly and makes you feel stronger. In this pose, you want to keep your back a bit bent and your tummy tucked in.
“Practice makes perfect – you’re almost there! Hold 30 seconds more.” – me, every time we do Boat Pose in class.
How To:
Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Place your hands slightly behind your hips, fingers pointing towards your feet.
Lean back slightly, engage your core muscles, and lift your feet off the ground. Straighten your legs so that your body forms a V shape. Keep your chest lifted, and balance on your sitting bones.
Extend your arms forward, parallel to the ground, or reach for your shins, depending on your flexibility and comfort. Keep your back straight, and avoid rounding your spine.
Hold the Boat Pose for 15 to 30 seconds.
13. Padahastasana (Standing Forward Bend)
The Standing Forward Bend pose, Uttanasana, stretches the hamstrings, lengthens the spine, and promotes relaxation, while also providing benefits for digestion and relieving mild backache.
How To:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, keeping your knees slightly bent for flexibility.
Inhale deeply and lengthen your spine. As you exhale, hinge your hips and bend forward from your waist.
Let your upper body hang down towards the floor. You can allow your hands to reach for the ground or hold onto your shins, ankles, or the back of your legs, depending on your flexibility.
Hold the Standing Forward Bend for 15 to 30 seconds.
14. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Mountain Pose is the best way to start a yoga class. It helps you redirect your attention to class and even improves blood circulation. You might think this is a pose you already do on your day-to-day standstill. But, let me tell you there’s a difference with this pose in a yoga class.
In yoga class, Mountain Pose helps us mentally land on class. I tell my students that what makes this pose unique is that it gives them the opportunity to close their eyes and consciously choose to take and experience this class. To let their worries out of the studio and choose to engage and improve.
How To:
Stand tall with your feet together, arms by your sides, and weight evenly distributed on both feet.
Inhale deeply, lifting your arms overhead with palms facing each other or brought together.
Engage your thighs, lift your chest, and slightly tilt your pelvis to create a neutral spine.
For those who do this pose for the first time, hold the Mountain post for 15 to 30 seconds.
15. Uttanpadasana (Raised Foot Pose)
This is the best post-yoga pose. However, if you suffer from heart-related aliments, lower back, or neck pain – you should instead try a variation of this pose. You shouldn’t be scared of asking yourself which yoga poses you can do or not do.
Remember that our body is always speaking to us and that if any exercise doesn’t feel right to us – we should stop and ask our instructor for assistance.
How To:
Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you. Place your hands on the floor beside your hips, fingers pointing towards your feet.
Engage your core and lift both legs off the ground, raising them as high as you can while keeping them straight. Your body should form a V shape, balancing on your sitting bones.
Keep your chest lifted and your back straight. You can either keep your hands on the floor for support or reach towards your toes, depending on your flexibility.
Hold the Raised Foot Pose for 15 to 30 seconds.
Words From a Yoga Instructor
If you want to change your body in less than a month, start by changing your attitude, mindset, and habits. It all starts from within. Remember, having a healthy mind results in having a healthy life. Yoga has many benefits, and as you can see, each pose has a deeper meaning in our bodies.
If you’re a beginner I recommend you to join a studio that feels like a safe space where you can practice and let your body play with yoga poses. If you’re a yogi master, all I can say is to keep practicing and improving your quality of life – life is too short, so make the best of it at every moment.
No matter the type of yoga pose you committ to, you’ve got this and get excited knowing that you can potentially reduce your stress levels while incorporating something so good in your exercise routine.
