6 Best Yoga Exercises for Energy and Focus

It goes without saying that humans crave energy. We often need a little kick to get jumpstarted, and yoga can be exactly what you're looking for.

Sure, yoga is calming in its essence, but that doesn't mean you can't use it to energize yourself. Whether you're at a desk, working, trying to knock off your morning drowsiness, or simply need a midday pick-me-up, yoga exercises are perfect for energy and focus.

Yoga Exercises for Energy and Focus

Here's a look at six such exercises:

1) Downward Facing Dog

It's one of the most popular yoga exercises and can work wonders for you, especially if you're in need of energy.

It opens up your back and legs, and stretches out your arms, which can give your muscles some space to move around and get your blood flowing.

Here's how you do this exercise:

Start by getting into a push-up position.
However, instead of going down, keep your legs up, and pike your hips as well. Hold this position for a few seconds.

2) Upward Facing Dog

This is a direct continuation of the downward facing dog. The upward facing dog is a great exercise for the lower body and emphasizes the stretch on your lower back.

To start this exercise:

Continue from a downward-facing dog, and swoon down.
Sweep off the floor with your chest, and keep your lower body fixed on the ground.
Stretch as far as you can with your upper body, and try to focus on opening up your lower back and glutes. That will help you get the most efficient stretch.

This exercise is great on its own but is even better when paired with the downward facing dog, as they complement each other so well.

3) Cat-cow Pose

The cat-cow pose is another incredible body-opener you will thank yourself for later.

It's an excellent way to warm up or cool down after yoga practice, as it opens up tight hamstrings and strengthens core muscles that help support during other poses (and daily life).

It also gently stretches the chest cavity without straining the lower back — two things we need no matter what else we're doing.

Here's how to do the pose:

Kneel on your hands and knees with your wrists below your shoulders, knees below your hips.
On an inhale, tuck your toes under, and lift through the crown of the head while pressing your elbows into the ground.
Tip back onto all fours as you round your spine up towards the ceiling, looking at a spot in front of you, if possible, to keep from rounding too far forward (i.e., making a cat-like hump).
Once you've inhaled, stay on all fours, and arch your back. Exhale one fully arched, resembling a cow.
Be sure not to compress yourself by hunching over; rather, keep both sides of the body equally long with each vertebra stacked neatly onto one another.
Repeat several times for a minute or more.

#4 Bridge Pose

The bridge pose is a great way to open up the glute muscles and even relax a stiff back. The best part about this pose is that you can do this anywhere, bed included.

Here's how you can do a bridge pose

Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Lift your hips upward, and support them with your feet while keeping the knees apart.
If you can’t keep your toes on the floor, move them back till you can.
You should feel a nice stretch through the back of your legs, glutes, and hip flexors (the muscles that cross over from each side of your lower body).

#5 Child's Pose

This is the perfect pose to take when you're feeling tired and drained. It opens up your lower back, stretches out your arms, and inadvertently opens your lats as well.

Here's how you do it:

Begin by sitting on your knees, with your feet in front of you and hands resting lightly on the floor.
Inhale deep as you stretch your arms out straight in front of you.
Exhale; fold forward, and hold.
Hold this position for five minutes or more, if possible, (you can also do it while watching TV). Rest here for as long as needed — you will feel refreshed afterwards.

#6 Corpse Pose

The corpse pose is a resting pose, which helps relax the body and mind. It's also known as shavasana, which means corpse in Sanskrit.

For this pose, lie straight on your back and bring your arms out to your sides. Breathe slowly and relax. This is the final pose in yoga practice. It should be done at the end of a yoga session.

The benefits of the corpse pose include:

Relaxation of muscles and nerves alleviating stiffness, fatigue, and tension
Improves blood circulation through the skin by bringing warmth to it
Helps relieve headaches caused due to anxiety or stress

Takeaway

Embrace this time of year as an opportunity to increase your energy and focus. With the right exercises, you can train your body and mind to be more alert throughout the day. You don't need to spend hours in a gym or go on a strict diet—just take some time each day to practice these six yoga poses that will have you feeling great at work, school or home.