Asana

UTTHAN PADA ASANA

In Utthan Pada Asana, both the legs are lifted upwards. This asana gives excessive strain to the spine. In case of any spinal injury this asana can be practiced by lifting one leg at a time
Lie dawn on your back on the floor. Keep the palm down and near to the body. Bring the heels and toes together and keep them loose. Make the whole body straight and look towards ceiling. Breath normally.

Steps

Inhale slowly but deeply through both the nostrils.
Stretch out both your toes as much as you can.
Now holding your breathe lift both the legs up about 10 to 12 inches high from the floor. Retain for about 5 seconds.
Exhale slowly and begin lowering the legs simultaneously. Complete exhaling by the time your legs are brought back to the floor.

Benefits

This asana exercises all the abdominal muscles, both internally and externally removing constipation, indigestion and gas trouble.
It corrects the disorder of pancreas.

Strengthens the spinal cord and corrects disorders of the back. Takes away the extra weight of abdominal areas and has great curative and corrective effects on troubles in the waist, buttocks and hip-joint

Note

People who have had spinal injury can do the asana by lifting each leg alternatively. Do two rounds with each leg.
Reason for the precaution is that Utthan Pada Asana brings great strain on the whole of spine and also rest of body.

BHUJANGA ASANA (THE COBRA POSTURE)

Steps

Bend the head and neck backward.
Inhaling slowly, raise the head and chest, above the naval area, upwards. Tighten the legs allover from the waist down to the toes.
Retain your breathe and hold in the same position for about 6 to 8 seconds.
Exhale and simultaneously lower the head towards the floor. Relax your body and rest with your right or left cheek on the floor for about 6 seconds. Now you have completed one round of bhujanga asana.

Restriction :

Start with three rounds on the first day and increase to a maximum of four rounds. Take rest for sometime between each round. As you practice, you can increase the retaining period of the position gradually from 6 seconds to 1 minute. Do not practice the cobra while pregnant, although this asana is excellent way to prepare the body for pregnancy.

Benefits

Start with three rounds on the first day and increase to a maximum of four rounds. Benefits :
Bhujanga asana activates and energizes the upper areas of the body like the chest, shoulders, neck, face and head, giving a youthful appearance and the abdominal area, because of this activation, the pancreas, liver and other organs of the digestive system are strengthened and normalized.
Increases flexibility, rejuvenates spinal nerves and brings a rich blood supply to the spinal region.
It has some special benefits for women. Helps relieve problems of the uterus and ovaries and menstrual problems. A regular practice of this asana makes child birth easy.

Ardh Shalabh Asana / Half locust Pose

Steps

Shalabh is sanskrit name for locust. Its so called because while performing it the body resembles a locust.This pose is called half locust because its done with one leg.
Lie flat on stomach face down.
Stretch both arms on side of body palms up.
Hands can also be placed under the thigh for support.
Keep both legs tight and stretched toes pointing out.
Shoulders and chin should be firmly on ground.
(Inhale) lift the right leg off the ground.
Raise the leg as high as you can.stretch the feet and legs.
Hold this position breathing normally.
(Exhale) bring the right leg down slowly to come out of pose.
Repeat with left leg in same manner.
This asana can also be done repeatedly alternating legs and holding for less time.

Benefits

This pose is counter pose to paschimottan asana and spinal bend is opposite to forward bend.
This pose develops the lower part of back and spine, making muscles stronger.
Helps cure lumber pain.
Helps reduce excessive fat from thighs abdomen and waist.
Good exercise to liver kidneys etc. Also strengthens ovaries.
Helps in constipation, gas trouble and other abdominal problems.
removes aches of soles, feet and legs

Caution

Avoid in case of slip disk, heart problem or high blood pressure.
Avoid if you have upset stomach.

Sarvanga-asana
The Shoulder-stand Pose

Steps

Exhale and Inhale deeply while raising your both legs and spine until they make angle of 90 degree with the floor. Attain the Uttanpadasana posture.
Exhaling raise the waist and push the legs backward over the head. Support the waist with both the hands, using your hands get the legs, waist and back in one straight line and stabilize them in this position, stretch the toes towards ceiling. Keep your spine, legs straight and sight on the toes.
when the body has been raised to a maximum point stay there and breathe slowly and deeply with the abdomen and concentrate on the thyroid gland. Chin is placed in the Jugular notch forming a tie which is called 'Jalandhar Bandha'. Stay in this position for ten to fifteen seconds during first week. Gradually develop the time to one minute in a month.
To come out of this posture, Inhale and exhaling, slightly lower the legs towards head and maintaining the balance of the body remove the hands supporting the waist back to the normal position. Inhaling , place the waist on the ground keeping legs straight as in the Uttanpadasana. Exhaling, bring legs back to the normal position without jerk or speed.

Benefits

It stimulates the thyroid gland to work at peak efficiency. It's the thyroid gland which is mainly responsible for your correct weight and youthful appearance (it controls metabolism). To some extent pituitary gland also get stimulated thus helps improve their function.
The shoulder stand also regulates the sex glands.
It vitalizes the nerves, purifies the blood. This helps improve the blood circulation as impure blood easily reaches the heart
It gives a healthy stretch to the neck muscles.
It is beneficial for people suffering from poor circulation, constipation, indigestion, asthma and reduced virility.
It also helps cure varicose veins and haemorrhoids. This pose is especially recommended for women after childbirth and for those suffering from painful menstruation, other female disorders, and seminal weakness.
For the asthematics, Sarvanga asana has medical value. It exercises all the bronchioles and totality of lungs.The whole respiratory system is invigorated and strengthens.

Caution

Do not try this exercise if you are suffering from organic disorders of the thyroid gland. Be very cautious if you are suffering from chronic nasal catarrh. People suffering from headache, brain diseases, blood pressure, heart related ailments etc. should consult their yoga expert before doing this Asana.

DHANUR ASANA

This asana coupled with bhujanga asana forms a series of exercises which is beneficial to the body when done together. The bhujanga asana is explained below. Bhujanga asana flexes the spine and dhanur asana extends it.
Note: Don't do this exercise when you are pregnant as it puts extra pressure on abdomen.

Steps

Lie on the floor with your stomoch facing ground with arms extended and one of the cheeks on floor. While benfing your knee bring your feet up. Now hold to your ankles with your hand.
Inhale to your full. Keep your head and neck straight. Don't bend your arms and pull the entire body upwords by holding your breath. Lift head chest and thighs off the floor. Hold on to this position for 5 seconds.
Exhale and return to the floor. Keep holding your ankles while return. Keep the cheeks as before and relax your body and breath in normal way.
free the ankles and and slowly bring your legs to floor. Relax for 10 seconds. Congratulation, you have completed one round successfully.

Note: Don't over do this asana. Start this with 1-2 rounds and go upto 4.

Benifit

Strengthens joints of the body.
Strengthens abdominal muscles.
Improvement of digestive system.
Good for people with respiratory problems
benefits for women as it corrects menstrual cycle.
helps in reproductive organs troubles in women.

Hala-asana - The Plow Pose

This asana is one of the best asana of Hatha Yoga. It has some unique qualities and excellent benefits.
Lie dawn on your back on the floor. Keep the palm down and near to the body. Bring the heels and toes together and keep them loose. Make the whole body straight and look towards ceiling. Breathe normally.

Steps

Stretch out the legs and make them tight. Now inhale and simultaneously raise both legs upwards, till they come to a vertical position. Synchronize inhaling and lifting of the legs. Keep both the palms on the floor as it is.
When you have reached the vertical position, start exhaling and simultaneously start lowering the legs towards the head area. And bring both legs over your head until the toes touch the floor behind your head. Try to keep your knees straight. Stretch the hands out towards your feet.
Breathe slowly and deeply from the abdomen and concentrate on the spine, especially where you feet the stretch taking place. Stay in this posture for about one minute.
To come out of the posture, just slowly uncurl the spine.
Initially it will be difficult for you to straighten your knees. But, as you keep on practicing regularly, your spine will become more flexible and you will eventually be able to straighten your knees.

Benefits

Plough Posture has curative and corrective values for any weakened condition of the sex glands. It invigorates, energizes and nourishes all the sexual glands and brings power, strength and vitality to all of them. Due to this values, it has a medicinal effect in case of impotency, frigidity and lack of sexual power.
Plough Posture rejuvenates the spine and though the spinal nerves go to all parts of the body, it also assists to rejuvenate the whole body.
It stretches the spine, opening up the spinal discs and stretching the spinal muscles and ligaments. It also stimulates thyroid gland, liver and spleen and so it is very beneficial for backache, neck stiffness, arthritis, obesity, muscular rheumatism, enlarged liver and spleen, constipation, indigestion. It also prevents these conditions.

Shava Asana : The Ideal Asana for Relaxation

Shava asana derives its name from "Shava" is a sanskrit word meaning "dead body". In this asana, the state of body takes the posture of a dead person. Therefore this asana is also known as "corpse pose". This asana is called so because every limb becomes relaxed while doing this asana.

Steps

Lie down on your back on a yoga mat/ carpet.
Keep both the legs a little apart about one to one and a half feet from each other.
Keep both the hands a little away from the side of the body.
Now let the left toe point towards the left and right toe towards the right.
Head may be kept straight or may be inclined towards the left or right.
Palm should face upwards.
Whole body should be in a straight line and relaxed.
Close your eyes gently.
Imagine that the entire body is relaxed. This way each and every organ of the body will get relaxed. Concentrate your mind on your body parts from toe to your head and feel your body is getting lighter.
While in this asana carry out normal rhythmic breathing.

Benefits

It helps to cure heart disease, insomnia, nervous debility, mental imbalance and lack of memory etc.

Caution

Do not fall asleep during this asana ( as it may induce sleep). If you go to sleep, you will not get full benefit.
After shava asana your body is completely relaxed, do not get up with a jerk. Gradually open your eyes, and get up slowly.
Body becomes relaxed, fatigue vanishes and body feels lighter.
It reduces high blood pressure and regulates respiratory system.
It is very effective in ensuring sound sleep. This will make you more calm, alert and energetic the next day.
Those who are suffering from insomnia can practice this asana or Yoga Nidra before going to sleep.