In India, Yoga is regarded as a science as well as a method that allows us to live a harmonious life while favouring our spiritual progress through the control of mind and body. The Asanas (Yogic Postures) and Pranayama (breath control), better known as Hatha-Yoga are a practice which not only help one acquires perfect health, stay young and live longer, but is designed to develop the inner force that enables us to overcome our failings and withstand stressful situations with serenity. Today, in this post I am listing a few yogic postures that will help in achieving a flat stomach.

Chair Pose

• From a standing position, bring your legs together with your feet touching.
• Sink your hips back like you are about to sit on a chair and bring your arms above you, holding them straight up next to your ears.
• Hold for 45 seconds to 1 minute. If you want to challenge yourself more, try to shift a little more weight onto your heels. This engages your core muscles and works on your balance.

Tip: This pose requires a lot of core strength, so if you’re having difficulty, you can make it easier by not sinking your hips as far down. To do this, pretend like you are trying to sit on a bar stool instead of a chair.

Easy Spinal Twist

• Bring your knees together and roll down onto your back. Hug your knees into your chest and gently rock side to side, massaging your lower back.
• Keep your right knee into your chest and move your left leg straight out on the floor.
• Take a deep breath in. On your exhale, bring your right knee across your body toward the left side of the room while keeping your shoulder blades on the floor.
• Then bring your right arm straight out from your shoulder and look to the right.
• Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then switch sides. To do this, both knees should come back into your chest. This time your left knee stays in and your right leg goes straight onto the floor.
• Bring your left knee toward the right side of the room with your left arm straight out from your shoulder. Look out over your left shoulder.
• Take a second to notice if there was a difference between one side and the other. Hold for 30 seconds, then bring both knees to your chest.

Tip: Don’t try to force your knee down with your hand. This will lift your shoulder blade off the floor.

Rock Up to Standing

• Lying on your back with both knees at your chest, rock back and forth from your shoulders to your hips.
• Once you get up the momentum, rock up onto your feet and stand up. This takes a lot of core strength, so you can make it easier by using your hands to push yourself up.

Warrior Pose

• Starting from the previous Chair Pose, come back up to a standing position. You can shake out your legs if you feel the need.
• Step your left leg back about 3 feet and bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle. Try to point your back toes slightly forward while keeping your heel pressed down.
• Then bring your arms up toward the ceiling. The goal in this pose is to have your thigh parallel to the floor. You want to feel as if you are trying to reach the ceiling with your fingertips as you sink down with your lower body. Keep your upper body straight and hold for 1 minute. Come back up to a standing position.
• Now step your right leg back 3 feet and bend your left leg to a 90-degree angle. Bring your arms straight up toward the ceiling. Hold for 1 minute.
• Take a second and try to notice if there was a difference between one side and the other. One of your goals, besides gaining a flat belly, is to balance out your body to prevent injury and create symmetry.

Bridge with A Lift

• While lying on your back, place your feet on the floor with your knees bent, and bring your feet hip-distance apart. Take a deep breath in.
• On your exhale, push into your feet to lift your hips toward the ceiling. Once your hips are up, bring your arms underneath your body and clasp your hands together. Try to roll your shoulder blades together and raise your chest toward your chin while keeping your hips raised toward the ceiling. Release your arms and slowly lower your hips down to the floor.
• Repeat, but this time bring your arms over your head. Once the back of your hands touch the floor behind your head, bring them back down to where they started. Really focus on your core/abs when you are doing this pose.
• Do this one more time.
• Once you’re finished, hug your knees into your chest and rock side to side.

Windshield Wiper

• Next, bring your knees together and roll down onto your back. Bring your arms straight out so that they are parallel to your shoulders. While keeping your head and neck straight, look up at the ceiling.
• Take a deep breath in and on your exhale, lower your legs while pointing them toward the right side of the room. Hover your legs about 2 or 3 inches from the floor.
• Take a deep breath in and on your exhale, switch so that your legs are pointed toward the left side of the room. Do this 5 times on each side. Be sure to keep your upper back pressed to the floor. This pose works your obliques–the sides of your body. Once you’ve completed this pose, hug your knees into your chest and rock side to side.

Naukasana

Also known as the boat pose, this asana is a great way to tone your abs. It not only strengthens the back and abdominal muscles but also tones your legs and arms. So, if you are looking for that complete body workout, this asana is for you.

• Lie down flat on your yoga mat, with your feet together and your arms beside your body.
• Now breathe in and as you exhale lift your chest off the floor. Simultaneously lift your feet off the ground (to a ten-degree angle). Keep your arms straight and keep your fingers outstretched towards your toes.
• Make sure your eyes, finger and toes are all in one line.
• You will experience strain on the muscles in your belly as your muscles contract. Hold this pose for five to ten breaths.
• To get out of this asana, exhale slowly and come back down to the starting position.

Tip: Avoid doing this asana if you have low blood pressure, severe headache, migraine, have a spinal injury, are pregnant or menstruating. You can also get flat belly and rock-hard abs with cross-body abs crunch.

Vinyasa flow

Made up of a set of yoga asanas, Vinyasa flow is perfect to get your heart rate up, tone your arms, back and, of course, your tummy. Made up of three poses – parvatasana or downward facing dog, bhujangasana or cobra pose, Kumbhakasana and back to parvatasana. Most importantly, all these poses are to be done with a specific focus on your breath.

• Start this sequence by getting into the downward dog asana. Breathe normally and hold this pose for five breaths.
• Now lower your body using your arms to lower your upper body. Breathe out while you do this. Once you are on the floor, lift your chest off the floor so that you are in bhujangasana. Hold this pose for five breaths.
• Now breathe out and go into the plank pose. Hold this pose for five breaths
• Go back into the downward facing dog and repeat the entire cycle five time.

Tip: The vinyasa flow is to be done slowly with a focus on the muscles you are using while doing the exercises. While this can certainly be something that is tough on your body, make sure that you do no overdo it.

Setubandhasana

Also known as the bridge pose, this asana works exclusively on your spine and hip joints. It also helps relieve pain, stiffness and discomfort in these regions and helps resolve any disorders associated with the neck, arms and palms. This pose also helps keep your blood pressure under control, contributes to relaxing the mind, improves digestion, relieves the symptoms of menopause in women reduces respiratory problems. Also, try these 10 yoga poses to keep diabetes under control.

• Lie flat on your yoga mat, with your feet flat on the floor.
• Now exhale and push up, and off the floor with your feet.
• Raise your body up such that your neck and head are flat on the mat, and the rest of your body is in the air. You can use your hands to push down for added support.
• If you are flexible, you can even clasp your fingers just below your raised back for that added stretch. The key here is not to overexert or hurt yourself while doing this pose.

Tip: Avoid doing this pose if you have a neck or back injury.

Downward facing dog

This is a variation of the downward facing dog where you pulse your leg (bent at the knee) towards your nose. This is a great asana to melt away the fat from your lower abdomen since those are the muscles get most exercised.

• Get into the downward dog position.
• Now bend your right leg at the knee and bring it forwards towards your nose. Breathe out as you do this.
• Next, place the leg back and repeat the process with the other leg.
• Continue this exercise for ten cycles or more.

Plank

Kumbhakasana also known as the plank asana is the simplest yet most effective pose in yoga. It strengthens and tones your arms, shoulders, back, buttocks, thighs and not to mention your abs. With all the focus on your core, this asana is ideal for runners and is the best asana to get rock hard abs.

• Lie flat on your tummy on the floor or your yoga mat.
• Place your palms next to your face and bend your feet so that the toes are pushing off the ground.
• Push off your hands and raise your buttock into the air.
• Your legs should be flat on the floor as far as possible, and your neck should be loose. This is known as the downward dog or adho-mukha svanasana.
• Once here, inhale and lower your torso so that your arms are perpendicular to the floor, and your shoulders and chest are directly over your arms. Remember to keep your fingers from flaring out and keep them close together. You should feel your stomach muscles tighten. Hold this pose for as long as you can.
• To get out of this pose, exhale and gently lower your body to the floor (just like you would come out of a push up). You can end this pose by either doing bhujangasana or simply roll to your side and push off your hands to the sitting position.

Tip: If you have back or shoulder injuries or have high blood pressure avoid doing this pose. Here are 6 diet tips to lose belly fat.