We all lead busy lifestyles and hectic schedules and are often running around trying to balance our family life, career, professional growth, and deadlines. We often neglect our mental health and the importance of having a relaxed and peaceful mind. This yoga to increase concentration can certainly help! Given that we are always multi-tasking and running around with endless to-do lists, it is essential that we give ourselves some time off to concentrate, be calm, and enjoy the present.
Concentration and staying focused in the present moment is immensely helpful in treating several mental disorders. Thankfully, we are glad that there are yoga asanas for improving concentration that can help us all in this task. Find out more about how best yoga exercises can help for the same here!
How Does Yoga Help in Concentration?
Yoga for mind concentration is immensely helpful for adults and children of any age group. The multitude of health benefits of yoga and meditation are many. Several studies mention and prove that meditation and breathing in yoga can particularly help to focus and have a calm mind, along with improving one’s cognitive abilities such as concentration, memory, and learning power.
In addition, it is also proved that yoga regularly can help improve one’s focus towards present life and tasks ahead, speed, and accuracy with memory handling in a better way. The yoga also helps greatly to improve one’s oxygen intake and in turn, significantly improves the mental functioning.
Yoga Asanas For Concentration:
Here comes the main part, which is asanas for concentration! Let us know here.
1. Tree Pose:
The tree pose is also otherwise called as Vriksasana. This is quite a popular pose, which is of great help to improve balance and posture of the body and helps in turn, to concentrate and seek relief from hectic schedules. One requires a lot of attention to stabilize and settle themselves in the yoga concentration exercises, and standing on one leg improves concentration.
How to Do:
- Stand erect
- Concentrate and focus by gazing at one point
- Keep hands on your hips
- Lift right leg off the floor and stand on one leg
- Make sure your knees are pointing outward
- Raise your hands
- Inhale and exhale deeply
- Switch with the other leg
2. Head Stand:
Also known as sirsasana, here comes the headstand, which is quite popular and helps to test one’s concentration abilities. You have to steadily stand on the head in this pose and hence focus only on the pose attentively while doing this asana. Further, this yoga asanas to increase concentration is also known to work immensely to benefit overall, reducing any giddiness.
How to Do:
- Lie flat on the floor
- Stay relaxed
- Place both forearms near your head or on the ground as you wish
- Rest your crown area on the mat
- Now begin by slowly raising the knees upward
- Inhale and exhale at the same time deeply and in a focused manner
- Raise both legs up with toes pointing up
- Make sure the entire body is in a straight line
- Stay in that pose for at least three to five minutes.
- Get into the original position and relax.
3. Hand to Big Toe Pose:
This is a lesser-known yoga pose, which is also called as padangusthasana. This is a complex pose, which requires immense balancing and concentration, although it may seem easy, it requires flexibility and body strength, and hence, in turn, goes a long way to improve one’s concentration and power of thought while doing this yoga. It is among the best yoga for mind concentration.
How to Do:
- Stand straight on the ground
- Hold your leg by the big toe and lift your leg as you inhale and exhale
- Do not forget to concentrate on the task you are doing right now
- Do it slowly and gradually and in a straight manner
- Use your middle finger, index, and thumb to hold the big toe
- Release and repeat again.
- Do not do this is you have a knee injury or have undergone surgery.
[Read: Top Breathing Exercises for Better Sleep]
4. Warrior Pose:
Warrior pose has many variants, and here is one common and most known one. This is called Virabhadrasana and works great to focus and gaze only at the task on hand. It requires stabilizing one’s body and works on mental Drishti immensely. This is a traditional way to reduce stress and relieve mental stress, as well. It is among the best yoga asanas for concentration.
How to Do:
- Stand straight holding your body erect
- Lean forward slowly and keeping your right leg a step ahead of you
- Bend your knee while doing this
- Keep the other leg at the back
- Face the front side and look ahead
- Now breath in and breath out in relaxation
- Do not forget to concentrate
- Lift both your hands above and look up as if you are doing a namaskar
- Focus on what you are doing
- If you are suffering from diarrhea or spinal cord disorders, please avoid this pose.
5. Eagle Pose:
The garudasana pose is known popularly as the Eagle pose in yoga. This is an effective yoga to increase concentration and memory power and to help balance the entire body through the twist and bend in the pose and concentrate only on the movement. The hectic life and to-do lists are to be kept aside while working on this pose, as one has to concentrate on the balance of the body, remember the twist, and work towards strengthening one’s mind and body.
How to Do:
- Stand erect on the ground
- Raise the right leg gradually
- Cross it over the left thigh area. Be careful while doing this one.
- Now, one has to balance the body on the left leg
- Raise elbows to shoulder level length slowly
- Criss-cross right elbow over the left one
- Make sure the palms are closer to each other
- Breathe in and out deeply and with concentration
- Keep it for 20 seconds as you are comfortable
- Relax and do it again
- Finally, complete by lying down in the corpse pose.
- Do not perform this yoga asana if you are pregnant.
6. Half-Moon Pose:
The half-moon pose is also known as Ardha chandrasana. This name is given, thus, because the body posture looks like a half-moon while working on this pose. Here, one-leg balance is emphasized, and this strengthens the leg and the ankle, adding to the stability. It directs one’s body and soul to concentrate on the present moment.
How to Do:
- Stand straight
- Step your right foot forward hip-width apart
- Bend your right knee placing your right hand on the floor
- Shift your weight into the right foot stacking right shoulder over the right hand
- Pause to get balance, now lift and extend the left leg bringing the left arm up
- Do not turn your chest to the floor, instead of open the chest by firming the abdominals, the lower side of the ribcage up
- Stretch your upper leg to full length
- To come out of this pose, lower left hand to left hip, and bend right knee and lower the left foot.
[Read: Yoga for Eye Health]
7. Side Plank:
The side plank is also known as Vasisthasana. Here the pose is to remain on the ground only with the help of two points of contact with the body. It is not easy at all and requires a lot of focus and dedication on the pose. This brings stability in body and soul and allows one to concentrate on the present. It is great yoga to increase concentration and memory.
How to Do:
- First, stand in a plank pose on the ground
- Now slowly turn towards the right arm and shift weight towards the same
- Roll towards the right side of the foot and slowly stack the left foot on it
- Lift your hips and reach the left arm up
- Relax after 30 seconds
- Do not perform this if you have a hand injury
8. Crow Pose:
The crow pose is also known as Bakasana. This is quite a challenging yoga pose, given the arm balance, which is required heavily forcing concentration and meditation in performing this one. Attention to all details is required while performing this asana and requires some practice to excel in the same. It is also a popular yoga to improve concentration.
How to Do:
- Start with the fold pose and bend the knees
- Feet should touch the floor including the palms, and you should be bending down
- Bring both palms to shoulder width
- Bend arms and at the same time raise the balls of feet
- Engage in your core and lean your body weight forward
- Feet now should lift above the floor
- Stay in this pose for 20 seconds
9. Pranayama:
Also known as breathing exercise in yoga, this yoga pose and exercise is quite popular and known to all. Here the inner body and energy are brought to work in the right direction, thus relaxing all kinds of stress. It brings in relief and works towards a calm and healthy mind. This pranayama for concentration yoga helps immensely to forget the surroundings and any pressure mentally and focus or concentrate on the present.
How to Do:
- Sit down on the floor in a relaxed manner
- Make sure you forget all your worries and concentrate on the present
- Place both your palms on your thighs
- Close your eyes
- Inhale and exhale deeply and focus!
[Read: Does Super Brain Yoga Really Work?]
Given are some of the best of yoga to increase concentration, hope you try them out to have a relaxed and calm mind. One must regularly perform yoga to have good and healthy mental and physical life. It is proved that it can help and work towards bringing in the harmony of both mind and body. Try them out and please tell us how it helped you!
These are some of the popular yogas to improve concentration and mindfulness for oneself. However, if you are suffering from anxiety and emotional upheavals, or concerns, it is always better to seek the help and consult the right doctor for better medical treatment. Do not rely on yourself and remedies for serious concerns.
Frequency Asked Questions And Answers:
Q1. Should I Do This Yoga For Concentration Regularly?
Ans: One should always perform the given yoga exercises regularly for effective results. They help in not just fitness but also help to stay away from mental health issues and work on a balance in life.
Q2. Can The Yoga Mentioned Above For Concentration Help Also Sharpen The Brain Without Anxiety?
Ans: Yoga mentioned above can work immensely for all age groups. They have proved to help with mental health and stress (1) and works towards helping in sharpening the brain, as well as relieving stress.
Q3. Which Foods Help To Improve Concentration?
Ans: The foods, which help immensely for mind and concentration includes those that have Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids, and Vitamin D3.
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