10 Yoga Poses to Improve Concentration
Incorporating a variety of yoga poses in your daily routine can help improve physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Yoga can be used to improve concentration and memory which can have lasting effects on productivity and the quality of your output. If you’re looking to sharpen your mind before you start a new semester of classes or are just looking to all around improve your concentration, then try adding a few of these poses to your morning or evening routine.
1. Mountain Pose
Mountain pose is a strong cornerstone of any yoga practice. It is incredibly grounding and helps to bring the mind into a place of self-awareness. It is one of several yoga poses that helps to refresh and rejuvenate the mind and body.
Regularly practicing Mountain Pose can improve posture, relieve tension throughout the body, and increase breath steadiness.
It is a great posture to prepare the mind for balancing postures that will aid in improving memory function.
2. Camel Pose
Camel Pose is completely invigorating and energy invoking. It is a great all-around yoga pose as it helps to balance the chakras and gives a great stretch to the entirety of the body. Settling into this nurturing backbend can help release mental fatigue and enhance concentration. It aids in quieting the mind and increasing creative thinking.
This is one of the best yoga poses to practice before a job interview or exam as it will help keep you calm, energized, and compassionate towards yourself and others.
3. Eagle Pose
This is a fabulous pose to challenge beginners and seasoned yogis. Eagle Pose often feels awkward and constricting but it offers so many rewarding benefits that outweigh the discomfort. The Eagle Pose forces us to find stability while releasing combative energy that would otherwise cause us to lose balance. It is a test in releasing resistance and helps to focus our mind on the present moment.
4. Tree Pose
Tree Pose is one of the best yoga poses for building confidence and relieving an anxious mind. The connection of the earth pushing energy throughout our entire body floods our entire system with a sense of strength and wellbeing. It is a power pose for improving self-esteem and his renewed vigor stimulates the mind to help improve focus.
It is truly a pose that reflects the powerful connection between our bodies and the physical world. When working together, we’re able to accomplish more and revel in that unified power.
5. Crow Pose
Crow Pose may be difficult for beginners but there are several modifications that can help make this a feasible pose for anyone. It is especially helpful in building strength through the chest, back, and arms.
Crow Pose requires the use of our mental stamina as it can be an incredibly hard posture to hold. Our face lunging forward forces us to stay keenly focused and aware of our breath and bodies.
The endurance this pose builds helps improve focus and concentration.
6. Forearm Stand Pose
The Forearm Stand Pose helps us to increase our overall balance. Because of the mental focus, it takes to hold the pose, it also aids in clearing the mind and leaving us with a sense of calm.
Sometimes it is helpful to practice poses with some risks as it forces us to stay in a determined headspace.
The mind is a muscle needing to be worked to stay optimally functional. Balancing postures are an especially useful way of increasing our mental stamina.
7. Shoulder Stand Pose
This is one of my personal favorite yoga poses. It increases blood flow to the head and chest, flooding it with fresh nutrients to help stimulate the brain. It helps to soothe and engage our crown chakra as well as challenging our physical bodies to keep balance.
Because this pose helps move our gaze inward, it helps to ease the mind from any worry or stress we may be dealing with.
When paired with rhythmic breath it can also ease any tension headaches, allowing us to focus on the task at hand.
8. Lotus Pose
Lotus Pose is often used for meditative practice because of its ability to help us find and connect to our center. It is one of many yoga poses that helps us to focus on our breath which as a result improves our focus and concentration.
It is a great pose to improve posture and attentiveness and can be practiced regularly throughout the day. Lotus Pose is an especially powerful pose for alleviating mental stress and fatigue. It can also be particularly helpful for aiding Insomnia which sometimes is the cause for our hazy minds.
Finding Lotus Pose for even just a few breathes a day can greatly improve our mental clarity and awareness.
9. Head To Knee Pose
This forward fold perfectly combines physical and mental flexibility. It can do wonders for elongating the spine as well as bringing our awareness inward. It is an inversion that can help combat depression and release tension and anxiety leaving us with a clearer mind. Many athletes practice this pose to keep the body limber and to help keep them mentally calm and fit before competitions.
It is a deliciously restorative pose that can be incredibly beneficial after a tiresome or stressful day.
10. Fish Pose
Fish Pose is another heart-opening posture that increases our love for ourselves and the world around us. Practicing this pose regularly can increase melatonin production in the body and can help us find restful and satisfying sleep.
When combined with breath it can be one of the most powerful yoga poses for eliminating nervous tension and energy.
The combination of improved sleep and ease of depressive symptoms makes this an incredibly beneficial pose for improving clarity and concentration.
