What better way to invite positivity, set intentions and realize your goals for the New Year than through your yoga practice? The New Year is the perfect time to reflect, strengthen and manifest what you would like to add or change in your life, and having a clear mind to assess and prioritize your desires is the first step toward having the New Year you want.
Yoga heals the physical body by creating more strength and flexibility so you can move through life with ease. Yoga also uses your body as a tool to uncover areas deep within the self that need to be healed.
We can use our yoga practice and certain yoga poses to heal and inspire ourselves physically and mentally – which may be the key to help us find our desired path of positivity and success for the New Year.
Here are 5 Yoga Poses Perfect for Ushering in the New Year:
1. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Resembling a king cobra ready to strike, Cobra Pose is a great posture to invite a more gentle backbend and great heart opener into your practice.
Physical Benefits:
- Opens the shoulders, neck and throat
- Improves strength and flexibility in the thoracic spine
- Helps regulate blood pressure and improve circulation
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Energetic Benefits:
- Helps you feel more alert
- Opens both the throat and heart chakras, for more open and seamless communication
- Increases intuition
How this yoga pose helps bring in the New Year:
Cobra Pose helps you feel strong, open, and grounded. This pose gives you confidence by helping you access your true feelings, voice, and intuition so you can step into your full power.
2. Seated Forward Fold with Bound Half Lotus (Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana)
This Seated Forward Fold variation is found early in the Ashtanga Primary Series and is an excellent yoga pose to invite a calm mind and improve circulation. If the Half Lotus variation with a bind is not in your practice, try elevating your hips on a blanket or practice a seated Forward Fold with Tree Pose leg variation instead. 
Physical Benefits:
- Opens hips and knees
- Stretches the hamstrings and spine
- Tones abdominal organs and stimulates circulation to the pelvis
- The digestive system is also stimulated by the heel of the Half Lotus pressing into the lower abdomen
- The added bind massages and tones the kidneys with each breath
Energetic Benefits:
- Releases stagnant energy within the abdomen
- Can rejuvenate and energize the yogi
- The bind completes the energetic loop so you feel whole and balanced
How this pose helps bring in the New Year:
This pose takes time, persistence and patience – a great combination and reminder for beginning the New Year. The added movement of energy from this pose can give you just the motivation you need to succeed.
3. Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose was named after Matsya, the first student of yoga. Shiva was deep into his discourse of yoga to Parvati when Matsya (a fish) swam close to listen. As Matsya listened with perfect attention, he became enlightened. It’s said that Matsya came back to earth as half fish (the folded legs as the fish tail) and half human (the upright spine). 
Physical Benefits:
- Excellent for digestion
- Brings a fresh supply of blood to the internal organs
- Strengthens the spine
Energetic Benefits:
How this yoga pose brings in the New Year:
This pose is to honor your teachers, both who came to you directly and indirectly and to remind us to always be a student. We are invited to move forward into our lives with gratitude and reverence for what is behind us.
4. Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III)
The shape of this pose is similar to striking a sword to slay. It is named after Virabhadrasana, who Shiva created to slay Shiva’s enemy that killed his beloved. After Virabhadrasana beheaded the enemy, Shiva did not find relief from his enemy’s death but instead found great sorrow. Shiva then healed his slain enemy and returned home. 
Physical Benefits:
- Strengthens and tones the legs, ankles, shoulders, back and core
- Increases stamina
- Improves balance
Energetic Benefits:
- Improves concentration and single-pointed awareness
- Promotes the connection to conscious breathing
- Energizes and invigorates
How this yoga pose brings in the New Year:
Harnessing the power and determination from this pose will help you create and achieve your goals for this upcoming year. Practicing Warrior 3 will remind you that with focus and courage, you can overcome weakness and rise above. Virabhadrasana is also a reminder of the sorrow a vengeful heart can bring.
5. Supported Headstand with Lotus (Salamba Sirsasana Padmasana)
Headstand is known as the King of Asanas for its many benefits and as a foundational pose in some yoga disciplines. Although this pose is challenging, it is important to bring into your practice when you are ready. Again, if the Lotus variation is not part of your practice, feel free to modify. 
Physical Benefits:
- Speeds up blood circulation
- Ensures the brain receives sufficient and well-oxygenated blood
- Improves skin complexion and relieves anxiety
Energetic Benefits:
- Promotes a calm mind and an overall sense of steadiness
- Moves prana throughout the body
- Lotus Pose seals and redistributes energy throughout the body
How this yoga pose helps bring in the New Year:
Adding Headstands into your practice is a great way to work through and conquer fear. Through a consistent practice, you will learn to trust yourself, your abilities, and your power – a great way to approach the New Year!
Find Focus in the New Year by Practicing These Poses Often
Beginning the New Year with a solid sense of self-awareness will keep your goals and resolutions clear and in focus. When practicing yoga, be more concerned with your state of consciousness while in each pose rather than “performing” the pose as the end goal.
Focus on the breath and turn your awareness inward to the temple of your own heart – you’ll be so pleased with the depth of love that you will meet.
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