Here is another challenging Vinyasa flow to improve balance and develop strength. In this version, your foot can be placed above or below the knee during Flamingo Pose. Do not place your foot on the knee. Additionally, the hands and arms can be placed in any position during Warrior III. Try this series and let us know what you think. All the Best and Namaste! br br Benefits of Balance Poses in Yoga br br What is most compelling about balance poses in yoga is what they teach us about how our bodies and minds work and blend together to achieve a goal. When easing ourselves into a balance pose, we have to reserve our focus for the part of our bodies that is touching the ground. Here, maintaining a steady and easy, unforced, breath are important, as well as anchoring the gaze at something eye-level, such as a picture frame or even an imaginary point on a wall. br br What we begin to feel at the moment that part of our bodies lifts off the ground, whether a foot, a hand, or the entire body, is an awareness of the relationship between our bodies and the ground that holds us up. One way balance poses benefit us is by strengthening this relationship. In this way we also become more aware of our environment, whether we practice indoors or in nature. br br These poses, such as Warrior III and Flamingo Pose will improve stamina and coordination, while strengthening the spine, muscles, and joints. This helps elderly practitioners avoid falls that can lead to injuries. br br Balance poses also serve to show how daily wear-and-tear can pull us out of sync with our bodies and our emotions. However, it is important to remember that it is okay to feel unbalanced sometimes, as those moments are full of lessons. Balance is not immovable strength; to find it is to acknowledge all of our fluctuations. These poses encourage us to feel our toes as they press into the ground, the shifting of the foot as it seeks equanimity. br br Since practicing balance poses requires that we find our center of gravity and pull towards it, it also becomes a practice of how to align and realign one’s self. Balance poses give a gentle reminder of the unity that our minds and souls form with our bodies. Instead of thinking of our bodies as extensions or vessels of our souls, we remember we are our bodies too. They are not something we simply control. br br While practicing these poses, we must focus and ignore all else. Students will find inner peace and their inner center. Consistent practice will ensure improvement overall, and will build a trust with our bodies. In this way, balance poses benefit us by teaching us to root down in ourselves, and how to grow patience.