Yoga is a fabulous addition to any health and fitness regimen. You can gear your practice to work on specific muscle groups and still get the amazing effects of lowered stress, increased flexibility, and better mental wellbeing.

There are a ton of yoga positions that you can use to really work the abs and stomach muscles. Each position or Asana varies in difficulty and body placement. Start of with easier Asanas and work your way up to the more difficult ones. You do not want to over do it in the beginning. It is important to remember that we all needed to learn how to crawl before we could walk. It is the same with yoga, less is more in the beginning. You need to learn the fundamentals and play it safe until you learn your body’s limits.

Here are my Fave-Five Asanas for working that core:

• Locust Pose – Lie flat on the floor with your stomach and chin touching the ground. Stretch your arms out in front of you. Tighten your abdominal muscles while lifting yoru arms, legs, chest, and head up. Hold this pose for a few seconds, and then lower your body down to the floor. Do this five times during each set.

• Mountain Tilt – Standing upright, spread your feet apart about the width of your hips and place your arms at your sides. Raise one and hold one arm over your head with your fingers pointing towards the sky. Bend over at your waist towards the left an hold this for pose for a few seconds. Then turn to the right and repeat. Do this five times during each set.

• Upward Facing Dog – Lie flat on the floor with your stomach facing down. Slowly lift your body off of the floor by rolling your body upward and distribute your weight between your palms and the top of your feet. Drop your hips and try to keep your arms in a vertical position. Keep your shoulders over your wrists. Your thighs should be lifted off the ground for this pose.

• L-Seat – extend your legs and point your feet outwards in front of you. Place your hands to the sides of your thighs and slightly round your torso downward, curling in your abdominal muscles. Then pull your lower abdominals into your spine and use them to elevate your hips. Balance your body’s weight between your heels and your hands. Hold this pose for five seconds and repeat this pose three to five times.

• Boat Pose – Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Position your hands behind your rear and lean back on your arms for support. Use your core muscles and hold your spine perfectly straight while lift your right leg then your left leg, bringing them into a 45 degree angle with the floor.  Pull your legs together and imagine squeezing something between your thighs. Lift from your sternum and slowly straighten your legs while keeping your torso straight. Press through the balls of your feet and spread your toes. Extend your arms from the sides of your legs reaching forward and with your palms down. Hold this pose for fifteen seconds and then strive for longer. This is a very difficult pose, so do not over extend yourself.

Well my friends that is my list of Fave-Fives for keeping the abs looking good. If you have other poses that you love for tightening and toning your abs, let us know.