Yoga is an ancient way of healing all mental and physical ailments. If you do daily exercises of yoga poses then you can achieve greater flexibility, increase core strength, improves mind & body awareness, and many other physical benefits. We got an opportunity to talk with leading yoga teachers from all around the world and we learned that Yoga can also help fighters to improve their core strength & flexibility.
Why Yoga is Essential for Fighters?
To understand the relation between yoga and fighting, I would write some words which both the fighters and yogis share.
The fighters use the word “Technique”, while yogis use the word “Asana(the posture)”
The word “Combination” in fighting means ‘an arrangement of techniques which are performed smoothly in correct sequence.’ The yogis use the word “Vinayasa”
The fighters use the word “Breathing, while the yogis use the word “Pranayama”
So we see, there is a complete analogy between Yoga and Fighting.
Health Benefits of Yoga for Fighters:
1) Flexibility:
This is the first benefit of doing yoga for the fighters. Having a flexible body is necessary whether you have to defend yourself or knock down your opponent. It also helps to avoid damage to the muscles and joints.
2) Strength:
During the fight, you have to bend and take the weight of the whole body on arms and hands. This requires strength in the muscles, which can be increased by yoga practices.
3) Balance:
During the fight, you have to maintain the balance of the bodyweight on hands or legs. If you have control over the body weight, you will not fall back during the fight. It becomes easy to knock down your opponents.
4) Mind-Body Awareness:
With the proper breathing practice, you get more control over your emotions like anxiety, excitement, and fear and have more focus on the fight. With the awareness of mind & body, you can subsidize your fear and gain self-confidence, which surely helps you to win the fights.
Yoga Poses for fighters:
There are certain yoga poses, which you may incorporate in your daily practices. Here I have included a few of them that can help you in your daily routine:
#1: Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)-
Benefits:
- Cobra pose is used to strengthen the spine,
- Also helpful to stretch the shoulders, abdomen, lungs, and chest.
- It also helps to relieve fatigue.
- It also increases body heat, thus destroying the diseases.
- It helps to stimulate abdominal organs of the body.
- Helpful to cure asthma to some extent.
Cautions:
- You should not practice this posture if you have a back injury or severe headache.
- Also not recommended during pregnancy.
- Avoid this posture, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
#2: Boxer Lunge II Pose
Benefits:
- This pose helps you to maintain coordination between the upper body & lower body.
- It helps to regain the alignment while stretching your hips, psoas & hamstrings.
- This posture gives strength to the core and legs.
Cautions:
- If you have some knee problems, don’t push this posture.
- If you are pregnant, then you must avoid twisting your back too much.
#3: The Warrior III Yoga Pose (Virabhadrasana)-
Benefits:
- Greatly improves body posture & balance
- This posture strengthens the muscles of the back, legs, ankles & shoulders
- Also useful to tone the abdomen
Cautions:
- Avoid this posture, if you have been suffering from high blood pressure
#4: Reclining Hero Pose (Supta Virasana)
Benefits:
- This pose is helpful to stretch the ankles, knees, psoas, thighs, abdomen
- Also strengthens the arches
- Helps to relieve the tiredness in the legs
- Greatly improves digestive system
- Also relieves the menstrual pain to some extent
Cautions:
- With a knee problem or during menstruation with excessive bleeding, you are advised not to practice this posture.
- You shouldn’t try this pose unless you can sit comfortably on the floor between your feet.
Conclusion:
Now you know that practicing certain yoga poses helps you a lot to win the fights. Just discuss with your Yoga teachers and start practicing yoga to start getting its benefits in your professional career.
Note: For detailed instructions on these yoga asanas (postures), you can refer to our blog.
Image Courtesy: Wikimedia
