Core Strength in Yoga

Personal practice notes: This week I have been mostly... practicing horrible core strength flows

Connect with your inner strength by practicing my Core Flow!

Why work on Core Strength in Yoga?

Yoga isn't just a physical practice. It isn't the same as pilates or calisthenics. But one of the aims of yoga may well be to strengthen and improve the physical body, in order to promote wellness through the other more subtle bodies, or to create a 'strong container' for our more esoteric pursuits in personal and spiritual development.

Many people come to yoga looking for a physical practice to promote flexibility and strength. And they often find it.

I began practicing physical yoga in earnest just under ten years ago because I needed something I would stick with in order to rehab from what I now know was a much more serious injury than it appeared at the time. I got so into practicing yoga and became very strong as a result (well, after a few years I was eventually able to take up powerlifting too), I also experienced the massive mental health benefits of yoga, so I became a yoga teacher. The physical practice was a key part. The stress management and anxiety management resulting from focused yoga practice duly followed. And developing core strength has never stopped being a thing.

What does Core Strength do in our yoga practice?

Core strength does a lot for us in yoga. For starters, it's very helpful to assist in sitting on the floor in a meditation posture for a period of time. Without a seat and without a chair back, it's our core strength that is entirely responsible for holding our torso upright. If you find sitting in this way difficult or tiring (let's face it, many of us do) then developing further core strength will help you no end.

If you want to get fancy about your yoga asana practice (and there's no requirement to do so!) greater core strength opens the door to more and more complicated postures, from plank to side plank to headstand, from crow pose to forearm stand. With a decent level of strength, these become fun to mess around with even without the need to perfect them. In my opinion, messing about with physical yoga practice is one of the best ways to approach the goal of yoga- uniting with yourself in the moment.

Core strength is about the back (especially the lower back) as well as the abdominals so having better core strength can assist in both back and forward bending postures such as cobra (bhujangasana) and uttanasana (forward fold). Being stronger can actually help to be more flexible here too; as crucially with more strength comes better control so our bodies often feel safer to release a bigger range of movement- both consciously and subconsciously.

How do we work with Core Strength in Yoga?

Core strength can start with something simple like tailbone tucks whilst laying down in constructive rest (soles of the feet on the floor) and then moving into something a little more active like bridge pose. Personally I really like the moving bridge practice where we slowly raise the hips up and down from the floor with control, activating into the core (back and abdominals) all way through. Working with the breath and moving mindfully helps to connect better with the body doing the work, which already infers more strength.

This conscious activation can be transferred to other movements and postures, such as pressing up to downwards dog, extending from all fours into bird-dog or taking a plank pose.

Isometric holds such as boat pose (navasana) work with core strength all the way through the deep core (which is why you may feel the burn in your upper thighs as much as your waist) and we often repeat these several times (it's traditional to do 3 boat poses in row... fortunately these can be made up of any of the various options!).

More dynamic core strength work in yoga asana may involve various flows (like my side plank flow) or sequences like moving between crow and tripod headstand or simply lifting and lowering our legs through headstand. The possibilities are pretty much endless once we start really engaging with a strong core.

What are the benefits of working on Core Strength in Yoga?

Yoga can offer a very mindful approach to working on core strength. Other exercise forms may prioritise "hard work", number of reps or how long we can hold a position for. Yoga tends to offer options - so you're OK wherever you start from strength or fitness wise- and gives the opportunity to feel into and explore the hold or movement, with less pressure on time or achievement. This means you may simply be able to do what you can do, hopefully enjoy it, and do it again another time (without being put off!).

One of the main benefits of working on core strength in yoga practice is less back pain. Really! As mentioned at the top of this article, being able to sit well is an important function of a strong core, and the more we sit in chairs and at desks the more we lose this. Through yoga practice we really connect with what the core feels like in a good, healthy and strong position and then actively strengthen it to be able to do this more, hence less back pain now and in the future. You may even be able to sit comfortably, unsupported, in meditation for several hours- if that's something you wish to do!

It goes without saying really but the other obvious benefit of working on core strength in yoga is that well, we can use it to do more yoga. The stronger your core, the more you have access to exotic poses including balancing upside down for extended periods and doing fancy transitions between poses. These are by no means the main event in most people's yoga practice and may appear more like gymnastics than body-mind-spirit practice but if a headstand or handstand is on your bucket list, a strong core through yoga practice is a really important part of getting there.

Personal practice- personal reasons for Core Strength in Yoga

For me, working on my core strength in yoga still feels really important to compensate and adapt for my physical injuries and issues. I don't want to develop further injuries but I also completely refuse to accept that I can't do stuff because I'm injured (sometimes to my detriment- but usually to my benefit!). Core strength is such an important part of overall strength in everyday life as well as in yoga asana practice.

Practice with me for the physical and mental health benefits by going to liquidyoga.co.uk/book-now - I offer personalised online and in person 1-1 yoga sessions as well as open group classes in Leeds. Rest assured you don't need to be able to do the core flow to sign up, it's usually much less intense!

Book Here