Benefits of Heart Opening Poses

You’ve probably heard one of your yoga teachers mention “heart opening” poses in class. Typically, flows throughout class will build up to deeper heart opening postures, and students will be led into these “peak poses” in the latter half of class (many of these are also backbends).

While you may be familiar with some heart opening poses, did you know that they can offer a number of benefits? 

Improve Posture

Many heart opening poses utilize muscles along the backline of your body. Because of this, consistently doing these kinds of postures can lead to the strengthening of back and shoulder muscles. A lot of these poses also encourage extreme chest opening. The strengthening of your back and shoulder muscles paired with the opening of your chest cavity can help to counteract a rounded back or collapsed shoulders.  

Clear the Heart Chakra

The Heart Chakra, located at the center of the chest, is thought to be tied to love, balance, intimacy, and compassion, among other things. A blocked Heart Chakra can present itself in a person in many ways: antisocial, withdrawn, cold, critical, judgmental, intolerant of self or others, loneliness, isolation, depression, fear of intimacy, fear of relationships, lack of empathy, or narcissism. All of this said, practicing heart opening poses is a great way to work on unblocking this chakra, making more room in your life for love and compassion. 

Want more information on the Heart Chakra? Check this post out!

Increase Energy

As we mentioned above, many heart opening poses are also backbends. Poses that stretch the back (even if it’s minorly) stimulate blood flow throughout the body. These kinds of postures also help to awaken the body’s nervous system. The combination of increasing blood flow and energizing the nervous system oftentimes leads to a noticeable and natural boost in a person’s physical energy.

Heart opening poses can be both physically and mentally challenging, but they offer a plethora of benefits. The next time you find yourself in a particularly tricky heart opening posture, remind yourself that the pose can help to improve your wellbeing. If you’re looking for some great heart opening poses to try, give this post a read.