Healing Yoga Poses for the Heartbroken – Part I

Irrespective of the reasons for a relationship breakdown, splitting up does hurt. These yoga poses are aimed at transforming losses into gains, offer space & time for reflecting, healing the heart and offering a sleek, strong and attractive body.

Salamba Shavasan Pose

This pose helps in opening up the torso and when done on the ground proffer calmness & serenity while the ground support and coverlets promote a cosseted feeling. The unwinding nature of this pose is ideal for insomniacs and the restless at heart. One would require duo towels or coverlets and rolling one quiet firmly and then folding the other one to resemble a cushion.

• Lie flat on the ground and place the rolled coverlet horizontal-wise underneath the scapulas (shoulder blade or the brassiere line).
• Now resting the head over another coverlet and ensuring the heart placement is above that of the head.
• Shutting eyes and staying in this pose while doing deep inhalations-exhalations for around five minutes.

Prasarita Padottanaasana

A great pose for stretching the pelvic, leg and shoulder regions. The broad posture would help elicit a sense of feeling strong within and well-grounded. The deep stretching in the trunk, back and shoulder region has an opening and releasing action on the heart making one sense more openness to love.

• Standing with feet placement hip width apart & parallel to one another.
• Clasping hands at the back of the body, straightening arms, inhaling and during exhalation folding forwards.
• Stretching the clutched hands backwards and releasing the neck & head.
• Staying in this pose for around ten breaths and then returning to an erect stance and repeating yet again.

Vrksasana

Also known as the tree pose it aids in stretching and strengthening the pelvic and leg region, lengthening upper body and opening the hip region. Channelling one’s energy in positive constructive directions is the key objective of this pose and reducing the sense of vulnerability often felt after a break-up.

• Standing by placing feet at a distance hip width away. Now with right leg kept strong the base of the left foot is to be placed against the inner part of the right thigh.
• Hugging the leg muscles strongly onto the bones and pushing the left foot and right thigh in concert.
• Bringing the hands in a praying pose.

Modified Vrksasana

Another modification to the tree pose is illustrated herewith.

• Root down via the right leg, extending arms upwards in the direction of the roof and placed shoulder width away and palms to face one another.
• In a gentle manner leaning the trunk backwards for slightly bending the back.
• Holding for three to ten breaths and repeating on the other side.

Adapted Nataraja asana

• Standing with feet placed hip width away and try to balance on the right leg, bending the left knee and grabbing outer part of the left foot using the left hand. Keep the hips parallel and pressing the left foot in to the left hand and stretching the right arm towards the roof.
• While bending the left leg root downwards via the right leg and shifting the trunk to a slight extent forwards as one lifts the left leg some inches high.
• Holding for three to five breaths and then lowering and repeating on the other side.

Feral Pose

• Being seated on the ground while bending knees and feet placed around twelve inches apart from oneself.
• Placing the left hand at the side of the left hip and finger tips to point away from oneself.
• This pose helps in opening the shoulder, back and hip regions and helps to mentally invigorate oneself.

Modified Feral Pose

• Rooting downwards via the legs as one raises the hips in the direction of the roof.
• Stretching the right arm upwards to the roof and backwards behind yourself.
• Pros could get the right hand to the ground and form a ferris-wheel. Holding for duo seconds and then returning to beginning pose and repeating on the other side.

Shavaasana Pose

• Concluding the session by setting aside ten minutes for lying down in the corpse or shavaasana pose.
• Letting all pent up tensions and emotions disperse away from the body.

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