Yoga Can Make You Taller!

I’ve been practicing yoga for about a year and a half.  Last week when I went to the doctor, she measured me and I grew about half an inch taller!  I commented that it must be due to my improved posture due to yoga.  She said, yes, yoga certainly improves our posture, but it also can cause us to grow!

Yoga stretches and extends our spine.  It helps the back decompress from the downward pressure of gravity.  It also causes the cartilage in our back and our joints to lengthen and thicken making us taller.

There are several poses that encourage this growth in height:

Easy Pose (Sukahasana) opens up our hips and groin muscles and promotes our body’s natural ability to grow.

 

Mountain Pose (Tadasana) and Child’s Pose or Half  Tortoise (Ardha Kumasana).  Practicing Mountain Pose and Half Tortoise stretches our vertebral column, making it longer.

 

Shoulder Stand (Sarvanganasana)  not only stretches our spine, but also promotes pituitary gland activity, boosting the secretion of growth hormones.

It’s counter pose, Fish (Matsyasana) should be done soon after Shoulder Stand as it offers balance to the stretching produced by Shoulder Stand.

 Cobra Pose (Bhujangsana) increases the flexibility of our spine and  boosts blood supply to our vertebral column.

 

Thanks to Yoga Journal and Arc4life for the photos!