3 Delicious Heart Openers You Should Get to Know and Love

What do a wheel, a camel, and a bow have in common? They are each an incredibly beautiful and highly beneficial yoga pose!
 
These three yoga poses belong in the “Heart Opener” category of asana types.
 
What is a heart opener, you ask? Heart openers are backbends.
 
Heart openers are any yoga poses that lead with the heart (literally and symbolically). You are literally leading with your heart while you’re in the pose. Symbolically, these poses open your heart chakra, which physically creates an increase in energy.
 
Backbends allow you to tap into your emotions, gaining clarity and control over your feelings. They build full-body strength, and increase self-confidence and trust.
 

Here Are 3 Heart Opener Asanas We Love:

1. Wheel Pose or Urdhva Dhanurasana

This hearth opener builds strength in the low back, glutes, shoulders, and arms while stretching the hip and wrist flexors. It is also believed to help with things like asthma, depression, and infertility. Learn how to practice this pose
 

 

2. Camel Pose or Ustrasana

This heart opener stretches many hard-to-reach areas of the body including the neck, chest, abdomen, thighs, hips, groin, and ankles. It also strengthens the spine, glutes, and triceps. Learn how to practice this pose
 

 
 

3. Bow Pose or Dhanurasana

This heart opener helps with lower back pain. It strengthens the spine and glutes while expanding the front body and massaging internal organs. Learn how to practice this pose
 

 

Heart Openers – What’s Not to Love?!

We love heart openers! And you should too. They’re a great part of our yoga practice and bring a lot of benefits both mind and body. But as with all yoga poses, take these backbend poses slowly. If you don’t feel ready to find the full expression, don’t be afraid to modify, use props, or back off.
 
Honoring your body and learning to move from your heart (precisely what we’re opening with these poses!!) is the entire point of our practice. Notice your impulse to go deeper or find the final expression, and instead focus on being here and feeling the pose in the moment. Rejoice in what your body is capable of, and find a backbend practice that makes your heart sing.
 
Craving a heart opener practice after reading this article?! We’ve got you covered with this 20-Minute Backbend Yoga Flow class
 
What is your favorite heart opener pose? Let us know in the comments below 🙂

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