
Wheel pose is an advanced heart opener that requires a great deal of flexibility and strength. Read More: Lying Down Yoga Poses For When You Need To Unwind 5. Hold the pose for 3-5 breaths before coming back to an upright position on an inhale.You can also place your hands on the soles of your feet if you can’t quite reach your heels. As you exhale, lean back, reaching your hands toward your feet.As you inhale, begin to lift your chest and gaze skyward.Start in a kneeling position with your thighs parallel to each other and your knees hip-width apart.If you have any neck pain, be sure to practice this pose with caution and refrain from turning your head to look up at your hands ( 2 ). Continue to flow between these two poses, moving with your breath for 5-10 breaths.Ĭamel pose is a beautiful heart opener that also can help to stretch your entire front body.As you exhale, tuck your chin to your chest and round your back toward the sky, pushing your back toward your heels.As you inhale, drop your belly toward the ground and lift your gaze skyward, opening up your chest.Start in a tabletop position with your palms flat on the ground and your knees hip-width apart.The flowing movement between cat and cow can help to increase your flexibility while also massaging your spine ( 2 ). This simple pose is often performed as a warm-up, but it’s also an excellent heart opener. Keep your shoulders blades back and down as you lift your chest toward the sky.ģ. As you inhale, begin to press up into an upward dog position.Start in a prone position with your palms flat on the ground and your legs extended behind you.Upward dog is another great pose for opening up your chest and shoulders while also strengthening your arms and back ( 2 ). Hold the pose for 3-5 breaths before releasing back to the ground on an exhale.Ģ.Keep your hips and legs firmly rooted to the mat. As you inhale, begin to lift your chest off of the ground.Lie on your stomach with your legs straight, feet pointed away and your palms placed flat on the ground next to your shoulders.Let’s explore what some of the best heart opening yoga poses are and how they can help you invite more love and energy into your life…Ĭobra pose is a wonderful heart opener that can also help to strengthen your back and improve your posture ( 2 ). But perhaps most importantly, these poses can help you feel more open, loving, and connected. They also can increase your flexibility and range of motion. Heart openers help to improve your posture by lengthening the muscles in your chest and shoulders.

For those who are looking for a way to boost their energy and mood, try practicing some heart opening yoga poses. Spending hours hunched over a computer or smartphone can leave you feeling drained, both physically and emotionally. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
#Heart opening flow yoga full version#
Otherwise, challenge yourself with the full version or just go without your hands! Camel Pose: Try to take it easy on this one if you are a beginner and do the supported version.Lizard variation: Another combined hip-and-heart-opening pose.Flip-Dog or Wild Thing Pose: An all-time favourite for activating the heart chakra and simply feeling good.

Three-legged Dog variation: This one opens the hips too double whammy!.Tiger Pose: Some balance is needed here, so activate your core to keep your mid-body stable.Seated Cat-Cow: Heart openers do not necessarily have to be deep backbends.The poses we do in this class will progress from the easy heart openers which almost anyone can perform if you have a healthy back, to full backbends (which is easy for some but really difficult for others). Rather, take time to keep coming back to the mat – consistent practice will pay itself off one day.ĭon’t believe me? I was unable to do a standing backbend without dumping into my lower back until 3 years of almost daily practice).

So please go through this class with the understanding if a pose is not available to you today, you should not force yourself to get into it. When back-bending for the purpose of opening the heart, we focus on bending from the middle and upper parts of the spine instead of the lower back.īecause the middle and upper spine tends to be less flexible, some heart-opening poses may be challenging to perform in the beginning. There are many types of heart openers, many of which are also back-bending poses.
