Core Yoga Exercise

Yoga for Core Power

A Kundalini Yoga class with my teacher, Ravi Singh, was almost never complete unless we had done our core power yoga exercises.  Over the course of my training I realized the many benefits of developing this center and later, once I began teaching yoga myself, I too ensured to include some abdominal exercises in every class.

The physical and aesthetic benefits of developing your core power and abs is relatively obvious.  You get more energy, develop a flat, toned stomach and having a strong core helps you avoid injuries as well as assists you with other yoga poses.  But there is another more subtle reason for focusing on your core strengthen, especially early in your practice, and that is because working on this area gives you great willpower.  It builds your character.  This inner strength then helps you commit to a steady, long-term yoga and meditation practice, from which then all the other marvelous benefits of yoga are realized.

The importance of character should not be underestimated in life.  As many of us undoubtedly know, life will constantly challenge us and sometimes knock us down.  From these positions, we have to rise again to meet the challenge of the moment, and for this you will need to have resolve and tenacity.  A strong core, lends itself to having such determination.  So not just does it help you walk the path, but in the event you are dislodged from the path by the storms of life, it helps you get back on it.

From a chakra point of view, working on the core is equivalent to working on your Navel Chakra or Manipura Chakra.  You can read more about the chakra model and understand core power yoga exercises from this point of view by visiting the following articles:

Seven Chakra Kundalini Yoga Model
How to Analyze and Balance Your Chakras

Best Core Yoga Pose:

So now that we know understand the importance of developing our core strength and core power, which yoga exercise should we start with to get that going?  And the answer to that question, from Kundalini Yoga, is Yoga Stretch Pose.  This pose is ideal for beginning to develop your abdominal region and balancing your Navel Chakra.  It works fast, it is simple to do, it has good modifications for beginners and is very effective.

I previously detailed this exercise in the article, Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose for Yoga Abdominal Power, and you read that article for more details on this excellent yoga pose.

In this article today I will provide a video for Stretch Pose, so if you have neglected to learn this key exercise, here is your chance once again to do so :-).  I assure you, you will not regret incorporating Stretch Pose into your routine and your body will love you for it.

Given how good Stretch Pose, it should be no surprise that it is part of many yoga routines here on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga.  In particular it is the heart and soul of the Yoga Ab Exercises and Workout to Shape Stomach set, which you can use if you are really looking to get your stomach and abs in shape in a hurry.

This video, like the other yoga exercises I am now creating videos for, will become part of our ongoing Free Yoga Exercise Videos series.

Modifications to Stretch Pose:

As I mentioned above, there are some easy modifications for Stretch Pose, and these modifications will work just as well for developing your core as the full version.  They are just ways to simplify the exercise to match your level, so feel free to use them as you develop your capacity.  The most common modifications are to do one leg at a time, or to do the exercise with knees bent.

For Yoga and Meditation Certification Students:

For students enrolled in the Online Yoga Teacher’s Training and Certification Program and Online Meditation Certification Program, this yoga pose is part of both the trainings.  In the Yoga Training Manual it is chapter 24, and in the Meditation Training Manual, it is part of the Basic Yoga Poses Set, which is chapter 19.

As you can see, my teacher ensured we did core yoga work in each class, I have done the same and I suggest you continue the tradition.  The students really appreciate doing these exercises and the benefits to them are enormous.

Core Power Yoga Stretch Pose Video Contents:

• The video gives a full demonstration of Stretch Pose and it’s modified version as well.
• It teaches the correct hand positions to help take pressure off the lower back when doing this exercise.
• It discusses the core and abdominal benefits of this pose, along with other details about the technique.
• Please note if you have trouble viewing the video from here, I have provided the YouTube link as well which you can use.

Yoga Stretch Pose for Core Power

DIRECT YOUTUBE LINK –> BEST YOGA CORE POWER EXERCISE