Yoga Poses | IYMS

Headstand or Sirsasana

By admin February 9, 2018 0

Headstand, also known as Sirsasana in Sanskrit, is known as king of all yoga poses because of its complexity and the amount of benefits that it offers to your mind, soul, and body. You might think that doing this yoga pose is tough because it is an intimidating pose when compared to other poses. However, it’s not impossible to attain. With some regular practice and dedication, you can overcome all obstacles safely. Yoga is all about feeling good and Sirsasana does just that. It is an invigorating and energizing asana, which has a great anti-gravity effect that improves your blood circulation, supports the efficient functioning of your internal organs, and empowers your Agni, or the digestive system. Pose Information Yoga Pose English Name: Headstand Sanskrit Name: Sirsasana, Shirshasana or Sirshasana Pose Level: Intermediate Pose Type: Inversion Strengthens: Arms, Lung, Vertebral column and Legs Preparatory Poses Dolphin Pose or Ardha Pincha Mayurasana Standing Forward Bend or Uttanasana Table Pose or Bharmanasana Cat- Cow Pose or Marjaryasana-Bitilasana Follow-up Poses Downward Facing Dog Pose or Adho mukha śvānāsana Child Pose or Balasana How to Do Headstand? Everyone wants to lead a healthy life and Sirsasana can give you what you are looking for. So, let’s have a look at how we can do the Headstand. First start with preparatory poses. Doing these preparatory poses will help you warm up and do the headstand easily. These will make your arms, core, and spine strong so that you can easily support the weight of your body when you practice headstand. Here are some simple headstand steps for getting into a headstand. Step 1 Start by coming in table pose. Step 2 Next, inhale and shift the weight of your upper body to your elbows. Ensure that your elbows are shoulder width apart. Now clasp your hands together by interlocking your fingers. Step 3 Bring down your head to the mat, in between the palm of your hands, ensuring that it is pressed against the palms. Step 4 Inhale and raise your knees and hips up, elongating the spine, and ensuring that your shoulder blades are kept away from your ears, even though they should be right under your shoulders. Step 5 Once in position, crawl forward towards your arms such that your hips are stacked over your shoulders. Ensure that your back is not rounded. Step 6 Stay rooted into your hands, shifting most of the weight onto your arms so that the pressure on your head is lighter. Step 7 Once you know that your body is ready, lift one leg slowly while rooting the other to the ground. Ensure that the raised leg is straight and not turned in. Step 8 Tighten your core and raise your other leg too. Step 9 When both legs are up, join them together for balance. Remain in the pose for as long as you can while maintaining steady breathing. Step 10 To release yourself from the pose, tighten your core and slowly lower one of your legs down till the toes touch the ground and once the balance is obtained lower the other leg too. Step 11 Come back to the table pose and descend into child pose to relax. Health Benefits of Headstand Since ancient times, headstand has been known for its health benefits. It involves focused breathing, thus also providing enough oxygen to blood and organs. Some of the headstand benefits are as follows. 1. Increases Focus As the pose is an inversion, it helps increasing blood flow to the brain, which in turn, improves the mental function and increases focus. Other than that, the pose helps in sharpening the mind. 2. Improves Eyesight If you have bad eyesight or want to save your eyes from degeneration, then Sirsasana is the best pose for you. Doing the pose ensures that more oxygen and nutrients are supplied to the head, thus taking care of your vision in the process. It also helps in curing problems of hair fall, headaches, anxiety, and stress. 3. Improves Digestion Going against the law of gravity to do the pose combined with focused breathing helps in building your core and improves digestion. The reversed flow of blood helps in releasing toxins from the body, any stuck gases, and improves the circulation of blood to digestive organs. 4. Treats Sexual Problems Headstand helps you with libido problems. The inversion helps in unblocking anything that might act as a barrier in your reproductive organs. It can also help in delaying menopause, improving the menstruation cycle. In men it improves sperm deficiency, and other sexual problems. 5. Increases stamina If you are always tired and low on stamina, then Sirsasana can work wonders for you. The posture increases blood circulation and works out muscles of arms, shoulders, and core body. Additionally, it also affects pituitary and pineal glands, which create energy in the human body. Yoga Headstand Tips for Beginners The headstand can be real challenging for beginners in yoga, and that is why they need to follow some tips. If you are a beginner, these are some things that you need to know. As a beginner, you need to build your core and arm strength, without which your body would not be able to achieve balance in headstand. So, before you even think of starting the pose, prepare your body to be strong enough to withhold your body weight. You can try dolphin pose or plank pose to strengthen your arms and core. Use the wall for support and correct the posture. Your yoga teacher will not expect you to get the pose correct at one go and they will advise you to take as much help as you can get. The most important tip is to get over your fear of inversions. If you fear something, it will always be difficult to overcome. Practice meditation before you start, so that you can calm down and do it, keeping your fears aside. Headstand Precautions Being one of the most difficult poses in yoga, there are some precautions that you need to take while practicing Sirsasana. Some of the precautions are: Do not incline your body towards any direction. Instead, keep it vertical so that you do not end up hurting your spine. Practice this pose only after doing preparatory poses so that your body is all warmed up and your muscles are well flexed. Do not practice the pose if you are suffering from high blood pressure, heart diseases, brain hemorrhage, or any brain illness. This asana should not practiced during pregnancy or menstruation. If you feel any intense palpitation, headaches, or dizziness after the practice, you should stop. Do not practice the pose if you have back problems. Headstand Modifications You can modify your headstand practice with the help of props. Some of the props that you can use are as follows. Blanket or Towel Do you wonder "how to do a headstand without hurting your head?" You can use a blanket or towel, folded underneath where your head would rest so that you do not feel any pain on the crown. This will also provide better cushioning for your spine while doing the headstand. Blocks Place the blocks against the wall so that you can align your upper body to your lower body when doing the headstand. Alignment is the most important thing in headstand and using blocks will help you maintain it. Headstand Variations Most variations of the headstand are supposed to be done only by practitioners who have mastered the pose. Beginners should stick to the basics, else they might suffer injury. We recommend you to never try any new variation without the presence of a Guru. Some of the variations in the headstand that you can try as an advanced level pose are as follows. Conclusion Headstand is truly a unique pose of yoga, having holistic positive effects. It’s just that the pose demands a lot of strength from your body, which after dedicated practice can be overcame. Don’t try to overcome the pose as soon as possible, because yoga is all about patience and learning from your failures. Sirsasana being one of the most difficult poses surely demands a lot of these characteristics in a yogi, especially when you are trying headstand for beginners for the first few times. So, keep practicing and do not give up, but also do not try to hurt or frustrate yourself. Keep calm and you will get there eventually.

Yoga for Glowing Skin – Learn Poses To Get Better Skin Naturally

By admin January 12, 2018 0

Glowing and radiant skin is desired by everyone, men and women alike. Especially owing to the deterioration of the environment, type of food we eat, and other lifestyle habits, your skin needs a lot of care. Beauty products are not helping much either, since they only work externally. People around the world practice yoga for glowing skin along with other health benefits. The real effect on your skin can only be seen if your body is healed on the inside. Of course, medicines can do wonders, but to what extent? Because, medicines do come with side-effects and you would not want that; stacking one problem over another. So, to counteract these problems, a much natural solution is required; something that does not cause any further complications to your organs. Understanding the situation in hand, many medical practitioners too are recommending, yoga for glowing skin. If you are asking how it works, then this is how the process of yoga for skin glow goes. Yoga for Glowing Skin When a person starts doing yoga, they do it for obtaining the physical benefits like losing weight, toning the body, or becoming more flexible. But, as you keep practicing, you understand more about the additional advantages that yoga can give. Every pose has different effects on your body and a different role to play. Similarly, for the health of your skin. So here are some yoga poses that you should know about and how they can help you achieve a glowing skin. Restorative Poses 1. Lotus Pose (Padmasana) Your skin needs to breath to glow. The calm breathing technique involved helps in supplying oxygen to the blood while the meditation stills the mind, which in turn results in clear and glowing skin. How to do Padmasana? To start Padmasana, sit in Dandasana Bend your knees inwards and get into a cross-legged position. Rest your hands on your knees, close your eyes, and breathe normally. Stay in the position for 10 minutes or till you feel calm. Practice this pose once every day for a calm mind and flawless face. 2. Child’s Pose (Shishuasana) Child pose is a restorative pose that can help you alleviate problems of stress and anxiety, which are two of the many causes for unhealthy skin. Other than that, the pose also helps in eradicating physical and mental strain while improving circulation of blood in the muscles around the face and all over the body. It contributes to a healthy-looking skin. How to do Child’s Pose? Start in Vajrasana Exhale and bend your body forward slowly until the crown of your head touches the floor. Place your hands backwards, where your toes are, and hold the pose for 30 seconds. You can use a pillow or a bolster to place in front of you if you have difficulty in bending forward. Inversion Poses 1. Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) Have you seen a dog stretching its body after a long nap? That is where the Downward Facing Dog got its name from. Being a semi-inversion, it increases the flow of blood to the head, which helps us in relieving any stress, the biggest enemy of beauty, lodged in our brains. How to do Downward Facing Dog Pose? Begin by doing the table pose. Keep your back straight, palms shoulder-width apart, and thighs together. Inhale, and push your hips up, until your knees are straightened and body take the shape of an inverted V. Ensure that your back is not rounded, and if it is, then you should bend your knees inwards a little so that the stretch in the hamstring lessens the effects. Hold the pose for a minute or till you are comfortable. Exhale and come back to the table top position slowly. Repeat the pose three more times. 2. Plow Pose (Halasana) The Plow Pose is another inversion, if practiced every alternate day, it gives you the rosy glow to your skin. It helps in the anti-aging process, keeping your skin radiant and supple while also working on your fitness levels. How to do Plow Pose? Start by relaxing in Savasana. Bring your legs together and keep your arms by your side, with palms facing down. Inhale and raise your legs off the floor up to an angle of 90 degrees, with the help of your abdominal muscles. Keep breathing normally and push your legs back till your legs sweep up over your head at 180 degrees. Try keeping your back perpendicular to the floor. Hold the pose for a minute, exhale and bring your legs down. Try staying steady when you do so. Relax for 10 breaths when you come down and repeat 5 more times. 3. Intense Forward-Bending Pose (Uttanasana) Another inversion, the Uttanasana expediates blood circulation to the face, increasing oxygen supply to the skin cells. It also supplies helpful nutrients to the facial area to heal any impairment that is caused by toxins in your food and the environment, in the process encouraging skin cell renewal. How to do Intense Forward-Bending Pose? Stand in Tadasana with feet closed. Raise your arms overhead and shift your gaze to the sky. Slowly bend forward from the hip and try touching the ground. Keep your legs straight when doing the pose. Stay in the pose for 1 minute and raise your upper body up slowly. Come back to Tadasana and relax for 10 breaths. Repeat the pose 5 times more. 4. Shoulderxstand (Sarvangasana) Like all inversions, the Shoulderstand too transfers enough blood to the head to improve your skin. Also, if you are looking for yoga for fair skin, then this is it. Here is how you can do it for maximum effect. How to do Shoulderstand? Lie on your back to start with. Keep your hands on the floor by your side, with palms facing down Lift your legs and raise your hips off the floor. Use your hands to support your body. Rest your body’s weight on your shoulders. Stay in the position for 10 breaths. To release the pose, lower your spine back to the floor slowly. You can either bring down your legs straight down or bend your legs if required. Keep your head on the floor, rather than lifting it off the floor. Backbends Poses 1. Bow pose (Dhanurasana) The Bow pose controls the supply of oxygen to the entire body, which results in restoration of the skin cells. If you want to get rid of all the fine lines and toxins, because of aging, you should try this. How to do Bow Pose? To start with the bow pose, lie on your stomach, while keeping your hands on your sides, palms facing up. Bend your knees and push your feet towards your head. Raise your hands and clasp them around your ankles. As you do so raise your upper body, as though you are trying to bring your feet to your head. Your weight must rest on your torso. Stay in the pose for 10 breaths. To release, bring your upper body and feet down to the floor, as you gently release your grip from the ankles. Relax for 10 breaths and repeat 4 more times 2. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) The cobra pose is a great back bend that opens your chest, allowing you to breathe better, which means more oxygen for your body. Since there is ample amount of oxygen in your blood it helps in detoxification. This process gradually rejuvenates your skin cells. If you have the problem of a double chin, this pose might be the best asana of yoga for a beautiful face. The stretching involved in the pose helps you get rid of double chin with great ease. How to do Cobra Pose? To start with the Cobra pose lie flat on your stomach. Rest your hands on your elbows, directly under your shoulders. Inhale and use your hand to push your upper body off the floor, although ensuring that the navel is still touching the floor, such that your back is arched Hold the posture for 10 deep breaths. Exhale and release the pose by coming back to the initial position. Relax for another 10 breaths and repeat 5 times more. 3. Fish Pose (Matsyasana) The Fish Pose is great for toning the neck and facial muscles as you stretch throughout the practice, helping you get a smooth and toned the skin. How to do Fish Pose? Lay on your back on your yoga mat. Keep your hands by your sides, with palms facing down. Next, push your head inwards and push your palms down to raise your torso off the floor, until you form an arch. Stay in the pose for 10 breaths. Release by lowering your torso and head onto the floor, ensuring that your spine is straight and aligned with your back. Rest for 10 more breaths and repeat 3 times more. Deep Twists Pose 1. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) If you want to improve blood and oxygen circulation in your body, the Triangle Pose can serve you best. The pose requires a lot of concentration and fosters flexibility. The deep twist and stretch involved in doing the pose is what creates the foundation of a beautiful glowing skin. How to do Triangle Pose? To start, Stand in Tadasana. Move your legs to the sides, such that they are wide apart and toes are facing forward. As we begin, turn the right feet out to the right side. Raise your hands up to shoulder length and bend your body to the right. Try touching the floor behind your leg with your right hand. Your left hand should be raised above your head, push the hand further towards the right shoulder. Shift your gaze up to the ceiling. Stay in the pose for 10 breaths. Inhale and come back to Tadasana by bringing your feet together. Relax for 10 breaths. Repeat on the other side. So, these were the 10-essential poses that you can add to your yoga routine, every day or alternately. Mix and match them around with other yoga poses to make your routine fun. It will take some time but eventually you will see that the results are only pleasing to the eye. Additional Face Glowing Tips Other than the internal process, there are some external regimes that you need to follow as well. Here are some more tips for you to follow. Stay Hydrated When you wake up in the morning, before eating anything, drink at least 3 glasses of water. Doing this will help you in detoxifying, hydrating your body, and clearing your bowels. A clean and clear stomach will ensure that your acne goes away. Meditate Even if you do not have the time to exercise or work on your yoga routine, spare at least 5 minutes of your time every morning to meditate. Meditation helps your brain function better throughout the day. It also helps you cope better with stressful situations and dealing with depression, or anxiety. Morning meditation also helps you in keeping your mind free of negative thoughts, which ultimately reflects on your face. Warm Up Before Yoga Session At the end of every yoga session, do not forget to cool down your body just like you would warm it up prior to the session. Always practice Shavasana towards the end of yoga practice for at least 5-10 minutes. It will help you relax all your body muscles including the facial muscles. Breathing Exercises Try breathing exercises separately in your yoga sessions like the Kapalbhati Kriya, which is good especially if you are looking for yoga for clear skin. Being able to breathe better, at least once in a day can also make a huge difference to your body’s mechanism. Sattvic Diet Yoga suggests eating foods that are Sattvic. This diet mainly consists of natural foods like vegetables, fruits, and boiled foods. Avoid as much junk and oily food as possible as they can build up a lot of toxins in the body. Eating Sattvic keeps the Agni within us alive and more responsive than when we consume Tamasic or Rajasic foods. Clean Skin Before Sleeping Do not forget to deeply cleanse your skin before you retire to bed. The amount of pollution and dust in the world today can cause a lot of damage to the skin in the long run. Proper Sleep Most importantly, get a good night’s sleep. Just as your body, your skin needs rest too. Give it that rest. Let the pores breath the healthy air Conclusion Sticking to the healthy and mindful regime will fulfill your dream of getting a healthy and glowing skin that you have always dreamt of, with the help of yoga for healthy skin. Seeing models on television with flawless complexions makes us just wonder about their makeup and beauty products. But, the saying is true. Beauty is skin deep. Your emotions, lifestyle, and eating habits are what that govern the way you live. Beauty products today are full of chemicals and they might give us results for short-term happiness but for the longer duration they might just be harmful. So, the formula is being strict with yourself. Hydrate, moisturise, cleanse, exercise and do everything that can bar your skin from harm. Yoga is a natural way without side effects and today many doctors are recommending doing it for an overall healthy skin. Additionally, it does not just work on one area but several other aspects as well like a healthier and stronger body, emotional wellness, toned body, and improved blood circulation. It’s not too late to try, and neither is it too late to give up on everything that can ruin your life. So, adopt this natural process of getting beautiful skin not just on your face but your entire body as well. Yoga can do wonders, and you must try yoga for glowing skin to believe it.

Changing Your Yoga Practice in Winter Season

By admin November 23, 2017 0

Winter can be a tough season to do anything owing to the cold temperature and your inviting warm beds asking you not to leave. Just as everything, it also becomes an excuse for most of you to not carry out your fitness regime, even if it’s yoga, and just laze around. After all, who wants to change into workout clothes in the cold when you are already warm and cosy under your blanket? That is everyone’s winter story and I am sure you can easily relate to it as easily as everyone else. As yogis, you are already addicted to yoga practice and would not want to miss out on it even for a single day. Ayurveda suggests that there are Doshas associated with every season and winter relates to Kapha Dosha which becomes dormant as this season sets in. Dormancy of this Dosha leads to imbalance, thus weakening the body’s immunity and causing us to fall sick, which is why you definitely need to practice yoga for winter. Imbalanced Kapha Dosha discourages healthy growth of muscles and other body tissues and restricts our movement and power to think right. Winter is a time when you are least active, and the normal yoga activity that you have been carrying out all year around is not enough to transition into a healthy you when you move on to a new season. So, here are a few yoga asanas, meditative poses, and breathing techniques for your yoga practice in winter to help you eliminate any excess Kapha that you might accumulate during the cold season. Yoga Practice in Winter - Warming Yoga Poses for Cold Winter Days The poses described as follows are divided involve the combination of a winter yoga sequence for mind, body, and soul to balance the Kapha Dosha throughout the season and beyond. You can always mix and match them according to your comfort and requirement as you do your yoga practice in winter. Breathing and Meditative Techniques 1. Skull Shining Breathing Technique (Kapalbhati Pranayama) Place your hands on the knees, with palms facing upwards. As you inhale deeply, fill your stomach with air. Exhale and release your breath from the stomach, pulling your navel in towards the spine. As you do so, relax the navel and abdomen, allowing the breath to flow freely into your lungs. 2. Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama) Start again by sitting in Pranayama, keeping your spine and your shoulders erect. For the next step, place your left hand on the left knee, palms facing up, and the tip of your index and middle finger of your right hand between your eyebrows. Keep the ring finger and little finger rests on the left nostril, and the thumb rests on the right nostril. Shut your right nostril with your thumb and exhale gently through the left nostril. Next, inhale from the left nostril and shut it gently with the ring and little finger. Release the pressure of your thumb from the right nostril and then breathe out from the right. Repeat the cycles by breathing alternately through both nostrils. Keep your eyes closed as you practice and keep your breath gentle and smooth without forcing it. 3. Breath of Fire (Bhastrika Pranayama) Sit in Padmasana on your yoga mat. Inhale gently and fill your lungs with air. Hold your breath for five seconds and then exhale forcefully. The process of inhale and exhale forcefully will looks like you are panting. 4. Right Nostril Breathing Technique (Surya Bhedana Pranayama) As you sit in Padmasana, ensure to keep your spine straight. The pose requires you to breath only with your right nostril. Place the forefinger and middle finger of your right hand between the eyebrows and use the ring finger to shut the left nostril. Inhale deeply through your right nostril, filling in your lungs, and shut it with your thumb, holding your breath for 5 seconds. Open your left nostril and release your breath. Repeat the practice imagining that you are inhaling positivism and exhaling all negative thoughts. Yoga Poses 5. Crescent Lunge Pose (Anjaneyasana) Stand in Tadasana towards the edge of your mat, facing the longer side of it. Inhale and place the right foot ahead of you. Exhale and bend your right knee such that it is in line with your right Ensure that your spine is erect, and the lower left leg is resting on the floor behind you. Inhale and raise your hands above your head. Exhale and bend your body backwards such that your body forms an arch. Hold the position for 10-15 breaths and straighten your spine. Come back to initial position and repeat on the other side. 6. Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana) Start by lying down on your mat. Keep your hands by your side and your heels together. Ensure that your palms are pressed down on the floor. Press your palms down and raise your legs from the hip upward. As you get comfortable, push your legs backwards to your head, raising the hips off the floor, touching your toes to the ground above your head. Use your hands to support your hips, keeping the elbows shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and slowly raise your feet up to the sky, with the toes pointing upward. Stay in the pose for 5 breaths. To release, bring down your legs and bend the knees towards the forehead. Gently lower your hips to the floor, slowly releasing your hands off your hips and bring down your feet to the floor as in the starting position and relax. 7. Headstand (Sirsasana) Start in Dolphin Pose. Clasp your hands together to create support for your head. Ensure that your spine is erect and that your back is not rounded. Draw your legs closer towards your head until you stand on your toes. Slowly raise one leg up first and then the other, pointing the toes up to the sky. Ensure not to arch your body and maintain balance. Stay in the pose for 5 breaths. To release, lower one leg slowly till your feet touch the ground and balance yourself. Once you have created balance, lower the other leg too and come back to the Dolphin Pose. Yoga Tips for Winter Season Before you go ahead and do your practice, do your warm up exercises so that the muscles of your body loosen up, thus ensuring that you do not experience any type of stiffness or aching joints. This also means that you need to keep yourself warm by dressing right so that you do not fall ill. Keep up with Sun Salutations everyday: Sun Salutation is the best way to keep your body warm in winter as it is meant to create heat. So, remember to practice it every day during the cold winter months to ensure flexibility in dry weather. Stay away from a group class if you have a cold: If you have flu or are suffering from common cold, it is always better to stay home than going to class. Doing so will ensure that you do not spread the bug to your fellow yogis. Keep the germs away: Do not share your yoga mat with your fellow yogis and avoid contact with people in your class. You do not want to transmit your germs to others through all the sweat that you shed or vice-versa and fall sick. Keep a change of clothes ready: When you are out practicing at your yoga class you will be sweaty and would not want to step out in the cold like that because you could catch the flu or worse. So the solution to this is to carry a fresh set of clothes which you can change into, to help you stay warm outside. Sleep well: Sleep is the most important component in any season. So get the right hours of sleep and do not try to oversleep so that you can stay fresh and healthy all season long. Conclusion Practicing yoga is the extra layer of protection that your body requires as winter sets in. In addition to the physical benefits, yoga practice in winter also helps in relieving any health issues and stress, while serving to elevate your mood in the dry and dull season. Whatever you are doing this winter or wherever you may be, practicing this ancient art will only make your body thank you as you transit into spring. Observe the tips and keep your winter yoga practice at hand to get the best results out of it.

Pranayama – Yoga Breathing Techniques for Better Health

By admin November 18, 2017 0

Yoga breathing techniques are also known as “Pranayama.” The word Pranayama is composed of two words “prana” meaning “life force” and “ayama” meaning “to control or restrain”. Pranayama, as described by the great sage Patanjali in Yoga Sutras, is the fourth limb of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, which are the key to leading a meaningful and disciplined life. As you move on in life, your Prana gets imbalanced, mostly owing to busy lifestyles and unhealthy habits that you pick up, sometimes unknowingly, every day. When your prana is imbalanced, your body eventually become weak, making you more vulnerable to illnesses and mental and emotional instabilities. Furthermore, instead of breathing to the full extent of your body’s capacity, you will only be able to inhale shallow breathes, thus blocking the free flow of required oxygen in your blood. However, when you unclog these blockages, your mind becomes clearer, thoughts are more balanced, and your breathing becomes deeper and a conscious effort is made voluntarily from your end. Breathing Techniques - Why Are These Essential to Yoga? When you practice yoga, you are asked to focus on the way you breathe as you perform the moves. Why do you think yoga teachers ask you to do so? The reason behind this insistence is the fact that these breathing techniques in yoga assist you in navigating your different levels of consciousness. When you are asked to consciously breathe normally during the yoga poses, it acts as a method of keeping you focused and present in the moment. Conscious breathing prevents your mind from wandering off, thus acting as a method of meditation, merging your mind, body, and soul as one entity. That is the reason why, when you slow down your breath, it soothes your emotional being. The human body has over 72,000 channels wherein energy flows through your body, among which three channels are most important, namely - Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. Ida Nadi starts at the root or Muladhara Chakra and ends its journey in the left nostril. It is associated with the moon and is responsible for cooling and calming effect. Pingala Nadi too begins at the Root Chakra, but ends at the right nostril. Unlike the Ida Nadi, it has a heating effect on the body. Kundalini energy travels through the Sushumna Nadi, and hence it is associated with balance. The breathing techniques in yoga unblock these channels and help you to control prana in addition to accelerating its movement to all organs and body parts. 8 Types of Yoga Breathing Techniques Here are some of the yoga breathing techniques to help you improve your lifestyle. A word of caution would be to not try any pranayama exercises without consulting your physician if you suffer from any kind of breathing problems like asthma. 1. Dirga Pranayama (Three-Part Breath) This is one of the yoga breathing exercises that involve three parts of your abdomen - lower abdomen, lower half of your rib cage, and the part just above the sternum. How to do Dirga Pranayama? You can start the pranayama either in Easy Pose, seated on a chair with the feet flat on the floor, or by lying down on the floor in Savasana. Whichever you choose to do, ensure that your spine is straight in line with your head and your stomach is compressed. Your next step is to close your eyes and relax the muscles of your entire body, even your face. Breathe normally. Place your left hand over your stomach, a little below the navel and feel it expand as you breathe in and contract as you breathe out. Keep doing this consciously for five breaths. After this move your hands up to your rib cage, about three inches away from the navel and feel the rib cage move as you breathe in and out. Again, repeat this for five more breaths before you move your hands up to the collar bone. At the collar bone, ensure that your hands are placed at the center of your chest. Here too be conscious of how your breath spreads and withdraws through the chest as you inhale and exhale. Continue doing so for five breathes again. Benefits It clears the passage of air to your lungs, thus allowing you to breathe more effectively. This allows more oxygen to enter your blood, allowing your heart and lungs to function efficiently. If you are ever stressed, practicing this pranayama will calm your mind and body. 2. Ujjayi Pranayama (Conqueror Breath) How to do Ujjayi Pranayama? To start doing the Ujjayi Pranayama, sit in Padmasana and close your eyes. Keep your spine straight in line with your head. Inhale deeply through your nostrils and try contracting the air passing through your throat. Fill your lungs with air as you do so. Release by exhaling the air through your lips like a whisper or as when you blow your breath. You will hear a soft “ha” sound when you exhale. This way you know that you are doing it right. Release all the air captured in your lungs while exhaling. Practice this for 20 more counts and release by breathing normally. Benefits The conscious effort made during Ujjayi breathing helps in increasing your mind’s focus and concentration levels. Other than that, this form of Pranayama provides the following benefits: Lowers the risk of heart problems Improves the vocal chords Improves any respiratory problems; and Helps in arousing Kundalini in our bodies. 3. Kumbhaka Pranayama (Breath Retention) Kumbhaka Pranayama is known as the center of the practice of Hatha Pranayama. It is the pause between the inhale and exhale; Kumbhaka before inhalation is known as Bahya and before exhalation is known as Antara. When you do this form of pranayama, it involves both the Jalandhara and Muladhara Bandhas. How to do Kumbhaka Pranayama? Sit in Padmasana. Keep the spine straight and relax your body. Inhale and exhale consciously keeping the breathing pattern equal, for five deep breathes. On inhalation, hold your breath for approximately seven seconds. Release and exhale. Repeat this for five breathes more, while you gradually increase your hold after every inhalation. The next step after this is to hold your breath after you exhale. Repeat the same steps as you did for retention after inhalation for over a period of four to five deep breaths and increase the duration of holding your breath. To end the practice, regularise your breath. Benefits Kumbhaka Pranayama is one of the most useful breathing exercises for stress as it helps to clear the mind and develop concentration. Other than that, it purifies the body and helps to attain a healthy lifestyle. If you are looking for breathing techniques for high blood pressure, then this is not to be practiced as it can cause harm instead. 4. Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellows Breath) Just as you would pump the air in and out of bellows to light up the fire in your hearth at home, similarly your breath moves your lungs with strong currents of air to energize you. This pranayama involves deep and normal inhalations, after which the exhalation is done forcefully, keeping it short, and fast. How to do Bhastrika Pranayama? Start in Padmasana with eyes closed and inhale deep into the lungs and exhale slowly. Repeat this for five breathes at the start. Upon the next exhalation release your breath fast, as you would when you pant. Keep doing this for at least 20 counts. End the practice by inhaling and exhaling normally, keeping the breath equal both times. Benefits Bhastrika Pranayama comes with numerous benefits, some of which are as follows - It is one of the best yoga breathing exercises for asthma and other respiratory problems. This pranayama helps in cleaning your body of toxins and other impurities. It keeps the body guarded from disease and illnesses. It is one of the best breathing exercises for weight loss. 5. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing) Nadi Shodhana is one of the deep breathing exercises for relaxation and one of the yoga breathing exercises for beginners. The name translates to Nadi - meaning ‘channel’ or ‘flow’ and Shodhana - meaning ‘purification’. How to do Nadi Shodhana Pranayama? Sit in Padmasana, relax, and focus on your breath. Raise your right hand to your forehead and position your middle and fore fingers right in between your eyebrows. Use your thumb to close the right nostril and breathe deeply through the left nostril for 20 counts, such that all the air inhaled is directed to the abdominal area. After 20 breaths, release your thumb from the right nostril and use your ring finger to close the left nostril. Repeat the same breathing exercise for 20 counts. Once you are done, bring your hand down to your knees and focus and breathe normally for 10-15 seconds. Benefits This form of is one of the best yoga breathing exercises to improve lung capacity. Some more benefits that the Nadi Shodhana Pranayama gives are: It is one of the good breathing exercises for stress as it calms and rejuvenates the nervous system. It balances the hormones. You have higher concentration levels. It is one of the best yoga breathing exercises for anxiety. 6. Mriga Mudra (Deer Seal) This pranayama is usually performed along with other yoga breathing techniques like Ujjayi or Kapalbhati Pranayama. You can perform this practice at any time of the day. How to do Mriga Mudra? You can be seated in Padmasana or in a chair to do this pose. To start with, take your right hand and form a fist. Open your thumb, ring finger, and the small finger, such that the shape of your hand resembles the shape of a deer. Raise your hand up to your face and press the thumb against your right nostril to close it. Inhale deeply, but do not exhale. Use your ring finger to close the left nostril momentarily. Now release your thumb from the right nostril and exhale. Repeat this exercise two times more. Repeat with the other side another 2 times. Benefits Improves mental focus and clarity Helps in controlling emotions Increases immunity and removes toxins from the body 7. Simhasana (Lion’s Pose/Breath) If you are looking for a yoga technique against aging, it is the Simhasana. The yoga breathing technique gets its name due to its resemblance to the force and intensity of a roaring lion. How to do Simhasana? Start in Vajrasana. Ensure that your toes are pointing outward and are not tucked in. Lean forward and support your upper body by stretching your hands. Your palms should be grounded to the floor. Take care that your spine is straight and lengthened, and your hands are placed perpendicular to the floor. Inhale through your nose, open your mouth, and stretch your tongue out. Try shifting your gaze in between the eyebrows. Exhale through your mouth and try making a roaring “haa” sound as you do so. After doing so stay in the position for 30 seconds while breathing normally. Come back to the initial position and relax for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times more. Benefits Enhances your vocal chords Clears and opens the respiratory tract An effective remedy for bad breath 8. Kapalbhati Pranayama (Breath of Fire) The name of this yoga breathing technique is obtained from the two words - ‘Kapal’, which means ‘forehead’ and ‘Bhati’ meaning ‘to shine’. How to do Kapalbhati Pranayama? Sit in Vajrasana with your spine erect, hands placed on the knees with palms open and facing upwards. Inhale and let your stomach muscles loosen up. When you breathe out pull your stomach in and back to the spine till your level of comfort. When you loosen your stomach muscles your breath will flow automatically to your lungs. Contract your stomach again forcefully and exhale again. Repeat with the inhalation process again. Complete one round of Kapalbhati pranayama with another 20 counts. Benefits It is one of the recommended yoga breathing exercises for flat stomach Gives your body more immunity to illnesses Remedy for weak nerves If you lack a good night’s rest, this is one of the breathing exercises for sleep How to Breathe Properly in Asana Practice Here are three basic guidelines for pairing your breath with different types of yoga poses: 1. Exhale when you bend forward While doing forward bends, the front part of your body gets compressed, thus restricting expansion of the chest area and the lungs. Yoga instructors explain the importance of exhaling when getting into forward bends, because it helps to deflate the lungs and reduce the circumference of the chest. Forward bends are quietening poses and exhalation while beginning the pose helps in attaining this goal. 2. Inhale while going into chest lifting or opening poses When doing heart opening backbends or poses, yogis are advised to inhale so that they can make more space in their chest cavity, in the process also allowing more air to enter the lungs, diaphragm, and the rib cage. Other than that, it also boosts the heart rate, alertness, and flow of blood to the muscles. Heart opening backbends or chest lifting poses are meant to energize the body and yogis can obtain maximum benefits by incorporating the breath’s effects on the body. 3. Exhale when reaching into twisting yoga poses Yoga twist poses are best done on exhalation as they restrict expansion of the chest and abdomen. Trying to inhale when doing these poses would work adversely on the body. Exhalation is a natural process that ensues when doing twists and gives more benefit to the body while giving more flexibility for the body to move. Yoga Breathing Tips As you perform these poses, you need to ensure that you get the most out of the practice. So, here are a few tips to help you: All pranayama poses require you to have a straight spine. It is best done in the supine position. This way you will not be distracted and will be more focused on your breathing pattern. Supine position is most useful when learning the basics of Abdominal Breathing or Complete Yoga Breathing. Supine breathing practice allows the practitioner to completely focus all his/her attention on the breath rather than on how he/she is seated. If you decide to practice breathing while sitting, but find it hard to keep your back straight, try doing so by resting your back against a wall, or you can position your sit-bones on the edge of a firm cushion, especially for poses like Padmasana. If it suits you, you can even choose to sit on a chair. When practicing yoga breathing techniques, keep your shoulders relaxed and keep rotating them, unless the practice requires you to lift them up. If you have problems in being seated or lying down, you can always use props like blankets, belts, or blocks for support and finding out which part of your lungs is not expanding to the fullest. Practice Pranayama mostly during the mornings as it is the freshest part of the day. Do not practice yoga breathing in a polluted area. Choose a time when the air is least polluted or practice indoors with the help of an air purifier. When practicing yoga breathing, it is advisable to keep your eyes closed, your gaze pointing to the tip of your nose so that your focus is automatically shifted to the third eye. If you feel dizzy or heavy after a pranayama practice, it is better to stop and only continue after advice from your physician. Avoid smoking. Smoking undoes all the benefits that you can gain from yoga breathing. While yoga breathing techniques clean your blood, and lungs, smoking does just the opposite. Avoid practicing yoga breathing techniques if you feel fatigued. Conclusion Whenever we practice yoga, it is a natural tendency for newbies to stress while breathing, which results in short and shallow breaths. An experienced yoga instructor will help you with yoga breathing techniques that can support your goals when performing poses. Focus on breathing actively into your chest especially when performing back bends and chest openers. Breathing mindfully can offer you many mind and body benefits, which is why it is important in yoga.

How to Conveniently Practice Yoga Poses While Traveling

By admin September 22, 2017 0

Yoga enthusiasts love to travel like everyone else, but there is one part of traveling that every yoga enthusiast hates. The tight schedules and lack of space force them to skip their yoga routine. However, if you give it a thought, it is not so hard to overcome both these obstacles and easily practice yoga poses while traveling. Yoga comes with its own perks when it comes to space. You do not need an entire gym nor the equipment that most exercises demand for practicing yoga. Whether you are just starting the day or ending it, a little dose of yoga is, nevertheless, always refreshing. Traveling has its boon, but it is always a tiring affair. This is why you need yoga to re-energize and prepare yourselves to enjoy every moment of the trip. Yoga offers a huge bouquet of benefits, most of us are unaware of these benefits, especially the benefits for travelers. So, to break this dismal state of unawareness, here are some benefits, tips and poses that you can try during your trip. You will definitely take out your yoga mat and try a few poses once you finish reading. How Practicing Yoga Poses While Traveling Helps You Stay Fit Sitting for a long time with the inability to stretch can take its toll on your body. The new environments and an irregular eating and exercise schedule can make your health feel detrimental after a few days. Hence, practicing yoga while traveling is important. Here are some ways yoga can help in keeping you fit while on the road. 1. Keeps You Calm Doing asanas which promote deep breathing can assist you to restore healthy circulation of blood throughout your body. The result is a much newer and rejuvenated you. Doing yoga can help you find your happy place as you meditate and practice, zoning out from all the hullabaloo around you. You must just remember to inhale the positive energy and exhale all the frustration out of your body 2. Maintain Your Posture As we grow, the posture of your body starts deteriorating. You may not notice it till it becomes a big problem, but the gradual change needs to be checked. When you practice yoga, it helps in restoring and correcting your postures with the help of many poses. Some of such yoga poses are Downward Facing Dog Pose, Cat-Cow Pose, Mountain Pose and Four-Limbed Staff Pose. However, if you travel and stay out of touch with the yoga practice, your posture will be affected owing to all the prolonged hours of incorrect standing, sitting, sleeping, and even walking throughout the day. 3. Fights Stress You might think that because you are on vacation, you are leaving all the stress behind. But if you are a frequent traveler you must be wary of how stressful it can be if you end up with obnoxious or annoying people during our journey. I am sure you must have heard of people sticking their dirty feet in between flight seats, careless about the fact that the person in front of them might be uncomfortable. Now that surely can be depressing, downright unhygienic, and very stressful. So, to help you move on from zones and circles of unhappiness, yoga works as a wonder for people. It takes the stress and negative thoughts out of your mind, crumples it, and just allows you to let go of it. The result, every day you get to meet a more confident person in yourself. 4. Keeps You Rejuvenated The art of yoga is mostly popular because of its detoxifying properties. It helps the body recover from harmful toxins. Yoga is not a religion. Yoga makes a connection of your mind, soul, and higher power which brings peace, mindfulness, and confidence in your entire being. If you are someone who regularly practices yoga, you must notice the changes in your life before and after yoga. Before yoga life is always about procrastination, making many mistakes, lack in self-confidence, lower concentration levels, and chaos. But with the practice making way into your life these all fade away. It wakes your core being and rejuvenates you from within. You will be more mindful of what to do. Try to believe it. Add a short session of yoga to your daily morning routine even when you travel. It will help you throughout the day. Tips For Maintaining Yoga Practice On The Road Yoga is a reminder to be in the present, take in everything around you, experience all the emotions you are feeling and turn them into positive energy. Yoga forces you to pause for a minute and reconnect with your mind and body. It is important to feel strong and confident when you are exploring, and yoga does just that. To keep your yoga practice in check while traveling, here are some tips that you can follow. 1. Need only Small Space Yoga does not need much space for practicing. So, if your trip demands you to be out of the hotel room to the office and then back again, you can try yoga poses for small spaces like the Mountain Pose, Tree Pose, Cobra Pose or Pranayama. Just being able to get into the poses can be a great help for your body while you follow your busy schedule. 2. Yoga Mat is Easy to Carry Carry your yoga mat along with you where ever you go. After all, it is not a heavy luggage. You can opt for the fordable mats, which can easily fit inside your bag. You will never know when the opportunity might strike and give you alone time for yoga. Don’t want to carry a Yoga mat? No Worries. There are many poses that do not need a yoga mat. You can do following yoga poses without a mat: Dangle Pose Garland Pose (Malasana) Standing Pigeon ('Eka Pada Galavasana' Prep) Lord of the Dance Pose ('Natarajasana') Standing Backbend ('Anuvittasana') Revolved Chair Pose ('Parivrtta Utkatasana') Eagle Pose ('Garudasana') Thinking of what to use instead of Yoga mat to do your practice? You can use carpet or any other similar material that is firm and offers you a great grip like a yoga mat. If the grip is not firm like a yoga mat, you should restrict yourself to simple poses. 3. Search for Yoga Retreats Nearby Do research if there are any yoga retreats nearby, that can match your timings. Yoga is a popular fitness regime worldwide and more travel destinations are making yoga retreat an attraction for tourists. If you are traveling to North India, you can visit Rishikesh, a paradise city for a Yogi. There are a lot of Yoga schools which offer yoga TTC and retreat programs. IYMS Rishikesh offers 7 days, 15 days and 28 days yoga and meditation retreat programs. A perfect yogic routine with perfect yogic diet and a traditional Indian ashram await you for another chapter in your journey as a Yogi. 4. Practice Yoga Lying in Bed If you are tired and lying in bed, thinking “Can I do yoga in bed?” The answer is “YES.” You can always practice restorative yoga in bed like 'Balasana', 'Shavasana', and 'Viparita Karani' to help you relax and get a good night sleep. 5. Meditate Make time for 'Sadhana' or meditation whenever you get time even if it is for few minutes. This will help you stay mindful of your surroundings and connect to your inner self. 6. Surya Namaskar If you really do not have time, just do at least 12 sets of Surya Namaskar sequences. This will take just 5-10 minutes. It will cover up for all the yoga poses you miss throughout the day. Travel can inflict great damage to the mind and body. Hence, maintaining a yoga practice while on the road is crucial. Keep these tips handy and you will never lose another day without feeling fit. Yoga For Travelers – Poses You Can Try While Traveling A good yoga sequence is key to remaining grounded, energized, and focused during the stressful and long hours of travel. Here is a sequence of 10 yoga poses that you can perform within the four walls of your hotel room to counteract the negative effects of traveling. 1. Mountain Pose ('Tadasana') Yoga Level: Beginner Style: Hatha Yoga Gaze: Forward to Infinity Duration: 10 – 20 seconds Repetition: 5-10 times Stretches: The whole body Strengthens: Back, Knees, Thighs, Ankles It is the starting pose for all standing poses. It is one of the most basic poses that can be done by almost everyone and at any time of the day. This pose needs to be done on an empty stomach. Practicing 'Tadasana' can improve the body’s balance, posture, and respiration. The pose teaches you to be connected with the earth as you remain grounded during the practice. 2. Tree Pose ('Vriksasana') Yoga Level: Beginner Style: Hatha Yoga Gaze: Forward to Infinity Duration: 2 minutes Repetitions: 1 Minute on Each Leg. Repeat Twice with Each Leg Strengthens: Vertebral column, Thighs, Calves, Ankles Stretches: Shoulders, Thorax, Groin, Thighs, It is another balancing yoga pose, which can demonstrate your state of mind. This pose demands focus. You place your gaze in front for maintaining a steady balance. In this pose, feet and legs act as a support for upper body resembling the roots of a tree that gives the foundation for its branches. 3. Chair Pose ('Utkatasana') Yoga Level: Beginner Style: Vinyasa Yoga Gaze: Third Eye or Upward to Infinity Duration: 30-60 seconds Stretches: Shoulders, Thorax Strengthens: Vertebral Column, Thighs, Calves, Ankles This is another great pose for practitioners of all levels. The chair pose is a squatting position which is powerful and intense. This pose stimulates blood circulation, strengthens the muscles of legs and hands, and improves the functionality of the diaphragm. It is also a good pose to increase sense of balance and willpower. 4. Standing Forward Fold Pose ('Uttanasana') Yoga Level: Intermediate Style: Hatha Yoga Gaze: Keep eyes closed or Gaze softly at Knees Duration: 15-30 Seconds Stretches: Calves, Hamstrings, Hips Strengthens: Knees, Thighs This pose stretches your hamstrings and lumbar spine internally, enhancing your flexibility. Furthermore, the inversion of the upper body helps blood circulate to the brain, thus making you more mindful of your surroundings. This is the ideal pose for backpackers who are out walking most of the time and navigating their way through a location. 5. Downward Facing Dog Pose ('Adho Mukha Shvanasana') Yoga Level: Beginner Style:Ashtanga Yoga Gaze:Navel Duration: 1-3 minutes Strengthens: Arms, Back, Legs Stretches: Hands, Shoulders, Back, Calves, Hamstrings, and Arches of the foot The asana is named after the way a dog stretches after it wakes from a nap. The inversion allows the blood to flow into the brain, again helping you release stress, anxiety, and anger. 6. Four-Limbed Staff Pose ('Chaturanga Dandasana') Yoga Level: Beginner Style: Vinyasa/ Ashtanga Yoga Gaze: Tip of the Nose Duration: 30-60 seconds Stretches: Navel Strengthens: Arms, Wrists During the plank pose, your body resembles a strong and straight plank, with the weight of the body resting on the hands and feet. The pose is somewhat like a push-up, only that the arms must not be pushed up and down. The pose strengthens the arms and wrists and tones the abdominal muscles. It elongates the spine, increases oxygenation of the muscle tissues, and assists in removing tension held between the shoulder blades. 7. Cobra Pose ('Bhujangasana') Yoga Level: Beginner Style: Ashtanga yoga Gaze: Third Eye or Upward to Infinity Duration: 15-30 seconds Stretches: Shoulders, Thorax, Lungs, Abdomen Strengthens: Vertebral columns This pose demands high levels of arm-strength to hold on to the position. Doing the pose opens your chest, stimulates the digestive organs and increase mobility in the vertebral column, strengthens back and improves the functionality of the respiratory organs. 8. Garland Pose (Malasana) Yoga Level: Beginner Style: Hatha Yoga Gaze: Tip of the Nose Duration: 60 seconds Stretches: Lower back, Thighs, Hamstrings, Groin, Strengthens: Digestive system, Lower back, Hips, The Malasana is a deep squat, which is done by keeping your feet together. The pose benefits the muscles, organs, and soft tissues of pelvic organs. Furthermore, it improves the mobility of legs, opens hips, and gives lumbar spine a supported stretch. 9. Headstand (Sirsasana) Yoga Level: Intermediate to Expert Style: Vinyasa Yoga Gaze: Tip of Nose Duration: 1-5 minutes Stretches: Legs, Back Strengthens: Arms, Vertebral column, Lungs Legs Headstand pose is known as the king of all yoga asanas. The benefits of this pose are numerous starting from calming the nervous system to stimulating blood circulation in the heart and balancing the hormonal and digestive systems. 10. Corpse Pose ('Shavasana') Yoga Level: Beginner Style: Ashtanga Yoga Gaze: Keep eyes closed Duration: 10-12 minutes Strengths: Restores the body This pose is mostly known for its beneficial applications in improving concentration, curing insomnia, calming the mind, releasing stress, fatigue, and depression. It is the best pose for you to end your day with to get the peace you are looking for. Conclusion Traveling is fun, enlightening, life-changing, spontaneous, eye-opening and all the other positive things you can think of. To master the art of traveling, you need to find a balance between your daily routine and adventurous extravaganza. If you don’t find the right balance, your body will soon get tired and your travel will become hectic. Eating, sleeping and doing yoga properly are keys to an extended travel plan with minimal fatigue. If you are used to yoga practice while at home, then disconnecting yourself from the practice and daily routine during vacation will remove the balance that your body is used to. Hence, no matter where you go, continue the practice of yoga poses while traveling to feel the normal ‘YOU.' A yoga routine will re-energize and recharge you every day to be lively and full of energy for the adventures of the next day.

4 Poses that Trigger Yoga Injuries – How to Prevent Them

By admin July 28, 2017 0

Yoga - an ancient art of meditation and spiritual practice has won worldwide acceptance as the bearer of physical and mental well being. It is practiced in every nook and corner of the globe with impact on the younger as well as the older generation. While you can enjoy the bodily benefits of this age old practice, you also have to keep in mind that you may be subjected to yoga injuries without careful consultation from the yoga gurus. What Triggers Yoga Injuries? Yoga has become a fashion rather than a holistic experience for the practitioner. The younger generation, especially inspired by today’s new age celebrities wants to achieve a zero figure instantly. This trend has brought out a set of fast yoga classes all over the metro cities. In these classes, yoga instructors often encourage the learners to perform tough yoga asanas repeatedly without the basic alignment principals causing painful injuries. (a) Lack of Warm Up Lack of warm up sessions before performing the asanas strain the ligaments and muscles resulting in muscle pulls, back sprains, damage to the wrists, knees, and ankle joints. (b) Going Beyond Body's Limit Pushing one’s limits to achieve perfect positions immediately by avoiding the warning signs of discomfort produced by the body will result in serious injuries like torn muscles, tendons, and ligaments, broken bones, and fractured ankles. (c) Ignoring Signs of Discomfort Sometimes learners try to avoid the failings in their body to achieve healthier goals. For e.g. someone with a weak back ignores the warning pain and pushes himself/herself into too many backbending positions. Thus injuring the frail back further. (d) Avoiding Proper Rest Fatigue and pain are clear signs of preventing further yoga injuries. Allow the body to heal and then resume the practice. Common Yoga Injuries Some of the asanas are not to be tried by beginners and the faint-hearted they are better left to experts and masters of the skill. 4 yoga asanas which are dangerously known to risk injuries are mentioned below: 1. Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana This pose involves bending backward with tilted neck while lying on your stomach and raising your upper body with the support of arms almost like a raised hood of the cobra. Injuries Caused from Cobra Pose If done restlessly this position causes injuries to the lower back. The lumbar spine gets sore or suffers from compression tear. It also causes damage to the elbows if they are positioned in a hyperextension way. Prevention from Injuries Caused by Bhujangasana Novices are advised to be cautious while doing this asana. Individuals suffering from chronic back pain or having spinal injuries must completely avoid the said asana. It is advisable to save the knees aligned with the backbone to prevent any irrational twists that cause harm. Usage of a pulley under the sacrum is advised to rest the pelvis. Read more about Cobra Pose. 2. Headstand or Sirsasana It is extremely complicated and to be avoided by beginners and people suffering from neck discomfort. This yoga position involves balancing the entire weight of the body on one’s shoulders, neck, and arms while the body is inverted with legs in the air and neck resting on the floor. Injuries Caused from Headstand If done incorrectly the body alignment will be disturbed causing neck sprains, shoulder sprains, or serious head traumas. This asana must be done under special and strict guidance from the yoga instructor. Prevention from Injuries Caused by Sirsasana Individuals suffering from glaucoma must completely avoid this asana as it involves the surge of blood to the head and eyes. Taking the support of a solid structure like for example a wall is advised to gain perfect balance and avoid injury. Placing shoulder support to gain balance is another ideal technique to avoid injuries while doing this asana. Performing warm-up positions like the dolphin position, forearm plank, and down-dog position prevent the body from harm. 3. Wheel Pose or Chakrasana It is a backbending asana where the hands and feet are aligned on the floor with the upper body bending backward in a tension stretch. Injuries Caused from Wheel Pose This pose causes a serious tear to the back muscles and upper body torso if not performed accurately. Prevention from Injuries Caused by Chakrasana Make sure the body is perfectly aligned with the back to avoid any spine tension and injury. People suffering from slip disc/spinal disc problem must completely avoid this asana. 4. Shoulderstand or Sarvangasana This pose is sometimes mistaken with the Sirsasana, it involves balancing the body weight on the shoulder muscles. Injuries caused from Shoulderstand Excessive pressure on the cervical vertebrae causes injuries to the shoulder and strain on the neck. Prevention from injuries caused by Sarvangasana While performing this pose, it is advisable to use blankets as padding for the cervix. Beginner enthusiasts are advised to stay away from this pose till they master the craft. How to Prevent Yoga Injuries First, learn to listen to your body, the aching muscles and strained tissues must be put to rest before trying out new poses. Stay away from strenuous yoga exertion in the beginning. Learn to enjoy the gentle movements instead of striving to achieve perfection in one day. Always begin with warm-up positions. Start with light breathing exercises, master a perfect aligned body before moving on to positions that require alignment of the body. Learn to master long and rhythmic breathing technique to keep the body in a relaxed state while performing the asanas. An erratic breath indicates possible harm. Instead of honing all the asanas in one session, go easy on the ego and be a dumb and wise scholar. Lastly, in case of previous injuries, consult a doctor before taking up the holistic experience or follow guided lessons from the yoga instructor. Conclusion A healthy mind, body, and soul are nurtured and not achieved all in a day’s work. Learn to balance the art of yoga with daily life to avoid serious consequences. Be a gentle learner, the dedication will achieve perfection in no time.

A Complete Guide About Various Types of Yoga Poses

By admin July 9, 2017 0

Yoga may sometimes seem mystical, but the different types of yoga poses are rooted in many ancient texts that originated in the Indian sub-continent. There are many asanas in yoga, each meant for a different purpose. Some asanas are meant to help you build muscle, or perhaps stamina. Others are meant to provide succor to your body as well as mind. There are several types of yoga postures, classified based on different criteria. For example, The Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) can be classified in multiple ways: Based on the type of yoga posture, the asana falls under backbend category. Judging by its level of difficulty, it would be put in the intermediate category. Depending on the position you have to be in to perform the asana, it would come in the prone position category. This pose could be called a stretching pose based on its application. If you’ve been thinking to start yoga or doing it for a while now, but have no idea which yoga style is best for you, then read our blog about various types of yoga styles. Take a look at the types of yoga poses based on various criteria. With this understanding, you could perhaps devise your own routine based on guidance from your yoga instructor. Types of Yoga Poses We have classified yoga postures based on following 4 criteria: Yoga Position Yogi/Yogini Level Application of Yoga Pose Preposition Required for Yoga Pose Classification Based on Yoga Position While there isn’t an authentic figure on just how many asanas exist, many of the known ones can be categorized based on their positions. There are following types of yoga positions: (a) Arm Balance Yoga Poses (b) Binding Yoga Poses (c) Core Yoga Poses (d) Twist Yoga Poses (e) Inversion Yoga Poses (f) Hip-Opening Yoga Poses (g) Forward Bend Yoga Poses (h) Backbend Yoga Poses (i) Sidebend Yoga Poses (a) Arm Balance Yoga Poses While doing arm balance asanas, you support or balance your whole body with your arms. As sedentary lifestyles become increasingly common, most people do not have much upper body strength required to do these poses. It’s difficult, but not impossible. So, spread your fingers in a star shape on the mat, and start small, but don’t give up. You could start out with the Crocodile Pose (Makarasana) which mostly has you lying on your stomach with your elbows up to shoulder level. You could then move on to more complex ones such as: Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana) Crane Pose (Bakasana) Crow Pose (Kakasana) Feathered Peacock Pose (Pincha Mayurasana). Holding a pose for longer builds both strength and stamina. (b) Binding Yoga Poses According to the Hatha Yoga style, binding poses are those in which one part of the body is holding another, or when your limbs are intertwined. Binding poses allow the body to get deep into the pose, stretching your body more, and for a longer time than other poses. Binds are physically taxing, so make sure you get them right. Warm up well, by doing simple asanas that stretch your body before you begin to do binding poses. You could use props such as straps so that even if your arms aren’t linking through your knee behind your back, it’s ok. Examples of Binding yoga poses are: Bound Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana) Noose Pose (Pasasana) Sage Marichi I Pose (Marichyasana I) Sage Marichi II Pose (Marichyasana II) (c) Core Strength Yoga Poses Some poses are specifically aimed at strengthening the core body. This comprises a range of muscles on the front, back and sides of your abdomen muscles. One of the simplest core yoga poses is the Staff Pose (Dandasana): all you have to do is sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. Don’t let the pose’s simplicity fool you though. Sitting on the floor with your back erect and legs stretched out isn’t quite so easy. Once you master this, you can move on to tougher asanas such as: Tiger Pose (Vyaghrasana) Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana) Plank Pose (Phalakasana) Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana) Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana) (d) Twist Yoga Poses Been slumping while at work for hours on end? Try straightening your back and sit erect and you will notice an immediate alertness. Now imagine feeling like that all the time, and on an everyday basis. You can achieve this with twist poses. What you basically do in a twist pose is move your shoulder so that it faces one side while your hips face the opposite side. Twist poses keep your spine well-oiled, making it more flexible, reducing pain and increasing movement. It can also help alleviate strain on the back accumulated through bad posture and hunching. Some of these poses include: Prayer Twist Pose (Namaskar Parsvakonasana) Supine Spinal Twist Pose(Supta Matsyendrasana) Revolved Side Angle Pose (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana) Half Lord of the Fish Pose (Ardha Matsendrasana) Marichi Pose (Marichyasana) Noose Pose (Pasasana) (e) Inversion Yoga Poses Inversions are tough to pull off as they require a certain skill level, stamina and focus to maintain balance. Several asanas, such as the Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) and Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana), incorporate some level of inversion. You can opt for these if you’re still a beginner or if an instructor isn’t around to give you directions. Inversions increase blood flow to the brain, and are beneficial to cleaning up your circulatory system. Full inversions such as the Headstand (Sirsasana) and Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana), help improve focus and core body strength. (f) Hip-Opening Yoga Poses Believe it or not, if your hips lack exercise, they do not absorb their share of your body’s weight. This puts excess pressure on your spine, and can cause pain. To ensure your hips pull their share of body weight, you can include hip-opening poses in your daily routine. Hip-openers can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing. You can end up exerting pressure on your joints as you stretch. Beginners can start with poses like: Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) Extended Leg Squat Pose (Utthita Malasana) Balancing Bound Angle Pose (Dandayamna Baddha Konasana) Supine Pigeon Pose (Supta Kapotasna) After beginners poses you can try following intermediate poses: Garland Pose (Malasana) Tortoise Pose (Kurmasana) The Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana) and Monkey Pose (Hanumanasana) are two of the most challenging asanas one can do. (g) Forward Bend Yoga Poses These poses help make your joints more elastic and flexible while also working on your abdomen. They also stretch the hips, calves, knees, thighs, and spine. Forward bends can be a great way for office workers to loosen up and work out the tightness in their backs, necks, and shoulders. Some forward bend poses include: Child Pose (Balasana) Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasna) Standing Forward Bend Pose (Uttanasana) Intense Side Stretch Pose (Parsvottonasana) Warrior Seal Pose (Virabhadra Mudra) Standing Head-to-Knee Pose (Dandayamana Janu Sirsasana) (h) Backbend Yoga Poses Also called chest-opening poses, these vary in rigorousness and can leave you feeling exhilarated. They loosen up your chest, shoulders, and neck, which are often stiff, thanks to sedentary lifestyles and the stress of everyday living. You can work in backbends in between core body poses and forward bends so that you avoid straining your back. Backbends poses can be complex and may require an instructor to show you where your body must experience the stretch. For instance, if you don’t know how to do the Fish Pose (Matsyasana) you might end up with a neck injury. Also, some of these poses might aggravate existing conditions such as lower back pain. But some easy poses, such as the Cat Pose (Marjariasana), could be very relaxing for the spine and stomach area while the Bow pose (Dhanurasana) could make you aware of every muscle in your body. Pregnant women need to be careful about which poses they perform. Few more example of backbend poses are: Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana) Camel Pose (Ustrasana) Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) (i) Sidebend Yoga Poses Most people are used to bending forward, and to an extent backward. But bending sideways is something we rarely do, and can be tricky when you do it in a yoga pose. Sidebends are crucial to all-round fitness, especially the muscles between your ribs. The sidebends poses are often part of other asanas not specifically aimed at these muscles. Sidebends can also be tricky for beginners. Asanas such as Gate Pose (Parighasana), Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose (Parivrrta Janu Sirsasana), Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana), work on both the sides of your upper body as well as your lower body. Since sidebends require a greater sense of balance, those with dizziness or low blood pressure must avoid these poses. Classification Based on Yogi/Yogini Level You need to learn how to walk before you can run. With yoga, you need to get your basics right. Allow your body to get used to stretching, so that it eventually achieves its full potential. The different types of yoga exercises are classified into following 3 categories depending on their level of difficulty: (a) Beginner Level (b) Intermediate Level (c) Advanced Level (a) Beginner Level As a beginner, start with basic asanas. Don’t push your body to do more than it can handle. For instance, while starting out with the Boat Pose, you may initially not be able to lift your legs more than a couple of centimeters off the floor. Time will loosen up your body enough to achieve the 45-degree angle your feet are supposed to be in. Yoga positions for beginners include: Mountain Pose (Tadasana) Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) Cat Pose (Marjariasana) Chair Pose (Utkatasana) Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) Crocodile Pose (Makarasana) Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho mukha śvānāsana) Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana) (b) Intermediate Level Once you master the basic stretches and movements, you can handle more complex asanas which incorporate backbends, sidebends and binds.Asanas of intermediate level require more strength and flexibility than beginner level poses. Examples: Camel Pose (Ustrasana) Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana) Crow Pose (Bakasana) Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) (c) Advanced Level Advanced asanas require a lot of stamina and a good sense of balance. They also involve deep stretches of your limbs and back. You can challenge your flexibility and strength with these poses. Examples: Archer’s Pose (Akarna Dhanurasana) Bound Angle Headstand pose (Badha Kona Sirsasana) Compass pose (Parivrrta Surya Yantrasana) Dove pose (Vajraa Kapotasana) Feathered Peacock Pose (Pincha Mayurasana) Firefly pose (Tittibhasana) Classification based on Application of Yoga Pose Yoga poses can be classified into below mentioned 6 categories based on how the pose is applied to the mind and body to achieve certain goals: (a) Meditative Yoga Poses (b) Yoga Poses for Improving Health (c) Relaxing Yoga Poses (d) Strengthening Yoga Poses (e) Stretching Yoga Poses (f) Balancing Yoga Poses (a) Meditative Yoga Poses These are meant to bring your body into a position that is relaxed, yet controlled, so that you can focus on your breathing, which is key to meditation. Some of the asanas which can be used for meditation include: Easy Pose (Sukhasana) Half Lotus Pose (Ardha Padmasana) Lotus Pose (Padmasana) (b) Yoga Poses for Improving Health Specific yoga poses can be used to overcome certain kinds of pain (such as back pain and menstrual pain), and tackling lifestyle conditions such as obesity. Certain yoga asanas can also be beneficial to pregnant women, by helping them improve their overall well-being. Keep in mind that doing yoga to help with specific situations must always be done in consultation with a medical practitioner. (c) Relaxing Yoga Poses Also called restorative poses, these asanas are used to relax your body. Often, they are alternated with strenuous poses so as not to over exert your muscles. Such poses include Child’s Pose (Balasana) and Corpse pose (Savasana). (d) Strengthening Yoga Poses These strengthen different parts of your body, and build muscle and stamina. For instance, the Crow pose builds upper body strength, especially in the arms. (e) Stretching Yoga Poses Most asanas involve some amount of stretching or the other, but some are specifically aimed at stretching your muscles. These are often used to warm up before performing more complex poses. One simple asana that can possibly exercise your whole body – in terms of both strength and stretching – is the Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara). It incorporates stretching, back bends, forward bends, and stretches. (f) Balancing Yoga Poses Achieving balance in your life or during your yoga routine isn’t easy. Especially when you’re trying to do advanced poses such as headstands. You do some balance poses on your feet and others on your hands, or even on your head. Balance asanas are of varying degrees of difficulty and complexity, but all of them improve coordination and increase strength in different muscles. Besides the physical benefits, balance poses bring equanimity to the mind as it blots out everything except maintaining that balance. Because if you get distracted, you just might fall. Classification Based on Preposition Required For the Yoga Pose All asanas require a position to start out from. Based on this preposition too, yoga poses can be classified into 4 categories: (a) Supine Yoga Poses (b) Prone Yoga Poses (c) Sitting Yoga Poses (d) Standing Yoga Poses (a) Supine Yoga Poses A supine position is one in which you lie flat on your back to begin the asana. Such poses are easy for people of all body types and also for people recovering from illness or injury. Examples of supine yoga poses are: Wheel Pose (Chakrasana) Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) Supine Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) Wind Reliving Pose (Pavana Muktasana) Plow Pose (Halasana) Wind Relieving pose (Pavanmuktasana) Double Leg Raise Pose (Uttanpadasana) (b) Prone Yoga Poses While supine position asanas are easy on the body, asanas whose starting point is a prone position are physically taxing. The majority of prone position asanas are backbends which build core body strength and stamina as they are challenging to hold. Here are some examples of prone yoga poses you can practice: Eight-linbed Pose (Ashtangasana) Four-limbed Staff Pose (Chaturangasana) Crocodile Pose (Makrasana) Locust Pose (Shalabhasana) Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) (c) Sitting Yoga Poses Although sitting positions are most associated with meditation and pranayama, you can give your body a good workout with these poses. They tone your stomach muscles, can help relieve lower back pain, and stretch the muscles of your body. Examples of sitting yoga poses are: Hero (Virasana) Garland (Malasana) Upward Boat (Paripurna Navasana) Easy Pose (Sukhasana) Firelog (Agnistambhasana) Accomplished Pose (Siddhasana) Gracious Pose (Bhadrasana) Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) Prayer Squat (Namaskarasana) Lion Pose (Simhasana) (d) Standing Yoga Poses Many yoga postures are standing asanas. These generally tend to be more strenuous than sitting or supine asanas as you remain on your feet. Following are examples of standing yoga poses: Mountain Pose (Tadasana) Tree Pose (Vrikshasana) Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) Eagle Pose (Garudasana) Goddess Squat Pose (Utkata Konasana) Conclusion Now that you have the low down on the different types of yoga poses and what they can do for you, go ahead and set up your own yoga routine suited to your mental, spiritual and physical needs and goals.

Bridge Pose or Setu Bandhasana

By admin June 1, 2017 0

The bridge pose Sanskrit name is Setu Bandhasana. “Setu” means bridge, “bandha” means lock while “asana” means pose. The asana is called the bridge pose because when it is correctly done, the body’s posture resembles a bridge. A type of backbend pose, this asana starts out as in the supine position, eventually making you lift your torso up with your knees bent, and head and feet firmly on the floor. Like all back bends, this asana helps opens your chest, strengthens your back, thighs and abdomen. However, this posture also imbibes some of the benefits of an inversion, as the chest is higher than the head. Pose Information Yoga Pose English Name: Bridge Pose Sanskrit Name: Setu Bandhasana or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Pose Level: Intermediate Pose Type: Backbend Preparatory Poses Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana Upward Facing Dog Pose or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana Hero Pose or Virasana Supine Bound Angle or Supta Baddha Konasana Belly Twist Pose or Jathara Parivartanasana Follow-up Poses Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana Supported Shoulderstand or Salamba Sarvangasana Upward Facing Dog Pose or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana Wheel Pose or Urdhva Dhanurasana Read on for more information about the bridge pose exercise. How to Do a Bridge Pose? Remember that your neck and head must be firmly on the floor, and that your torso is raised up, supported by your legs. Follow these bridge pose instructions, and you’ll soon be on your way to doing it like a pro: Step 1 Lie in a supine position: lie on your back with your arms by your sides and palms facing down. Step 2 Bend your knees, bringing your heels close to your buttocks. The gap between your feet should be hip-wide. Ensure your feet are parallel to each other. Step 3 Exhaling, raise your hips upwards. Support your weight with your buttocks but do not clench them. Step 4 Next, with the help of your arms, raise your back off the floor. At this point, ensure that your hips and thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Step 5 Bring your hands together on the floor and clasp them below your pelvis by interlacing the fingers. Step 6 Breathing slowly, maintain this pose for about 4-8 breaths depending on your stamina and level of expertise. If you like long holds, you can take about 12 breaths too. Step 7 When you wish to end, slowly exhale and begin lowering your hips, then your chest. Bridge Pose Common Misalignment Bridge pose mistakes are easy to make, especially with the alignment of your body. Ensure that you learn the pose under a qualified instructor, or you might end up with a neck injury. Follow these bridge pose tips to do this asana correctly: 1. Head Your head must rest on the mat with your chin slightly raised up. Do not let your chin touch your chest. There must be a slight gap between your neck and the floor, for this posture to be correct. Also, do not move your head left or right during the asana as it might result in neck injury. 2. Feet The Setu Bandhasana starts in the supine position. But to ensure that your feet have a hip-wide gap between them, you can start by sitting down. Placing your feet at the correct distance at this point will ensure that you have solid balance, and this will further help you align your knees with your ankles. 3. Unsupportive shoulders In this asana, the bridge is held up by your arms, not your shoulders. Your shoulders must be pushed out so that the chest is raised and your upper body is held up by your arms. 4. Thigh squeeze To get a sense of how the stretch must feel on your thighs, hold a block between your thighs. Squeezing the block will stretch your inner thigh muscles, which is the desired effect. 5. Hip rotation Some people find that their knees are either pointing outwards or inwards. The correct position is achieved when your feet are parallel and directly below your knees. 6. Wrists If you are clasping your hands below your hips, ensure that you do not rest your body weight on your wrists. Stretch your arms by pressing your palms together, this will reduce the strain on your wrists. Bridge Pose Health Benefits The bridge pose is a complex one. But if you master it, the asana can do wonders for your body and mind. Although strenuous, it effectively massages your body, with the accompanying relaxation of the mind. Take a look at 10 bridge pose yoga benefits: 1. Activating the Heart Chakra As the asana opens up your chest, it improves breathing, and by extension blood circulation. Due to this, it can be beneficial with respiratory problems. Opening the chest also activates the heart chakra, which is located in the middle of your chest. This opens the door for positive feelings such as love and kindness to guide you, instead of letting negative feelings such as anger and bitterness to rule your soul. 2. Strengthens your Legs and Feet As your feet take quite a bit of your body weight, this asana strengthens this extremity, and helps with all standing asanas. It also exercises your inner thighs and hamstrings. 3. Open Shoulders Sitting at a desk can cause your shoulders to accumulate a lot of tension and tightness. This yoga pose opens your chest and also helps stretch your shoulders, and strengthens your upper back muscles. 4. Open Hips As long office hours become the norm, people lose the flexibility of their hips. This reduces the ability of the hips to share the body weight, increasing the pressure on the spinal column. If left unaddressed, this can cause pain and other back-related conditions. This yoga asana helps in opening your hips joints and reversing the flexion of hip flexors. 5. Alleviates Back Pain People exercise bridge pose for lower back pain. This posture is a great way to unwind and ensure your back is in good health. 6. Enhanced Energy and Improved Creativity The focus required for this asana calms your mind and stimulates the adrenal glands which regulate a number of hormones including the stress hormones. This frees your mind to use its full potential creatively. 7. Alleviates Menstrual Discomfort The bridge pose is good for relieving menstrual If you’re on your period, use bolsters to take your body weight so that you give your body the rest it requires and yet energizes it by doing the posture. Hold the pose for a couple of minutes. It can also help in alleviating the discomforts of menopause. 8. Inversion Because the Setu Bandhasana places your chest higher than your head, it also gives you the benefit of an inversion even if you don’t have the skill and stamina to do a full inversion. The inversion can help your mind focus better and calm you. The calmness helps reduce stress and anxiety, enabling you to go about your daily life in a more systematic manner. 9. Muscle awareness In the bridge posture, you do not place your body weight on the muscles of the buttocks. Thus, to maintain the lift, you use the muscles of your thighs, which you will probably be unaware of until you do this pose. 10. Calming effect Once you are able to go beyond the effort required to maintain the bridge pose, you can feel what the asana does for your mind. Apart from the satisfaction of performing the pose correctly, the position of the head in the bridge posture helps calm your body. Bridge Pose Precautions Bridge pose for beginners could be tricky, make note of following precautions: Don’t move your shoulders away from your ears abruptly. Move slowly, and do not hyperextend the movement. If you do, you could do yourself an injury. While raising your chest off the floor, make sure that you do not move your head and bring your chin towards your chest. Moving your head right or left during the pose can cause neck injury. Raise your chin slightly to ensure a small gap between your neck and the floor. Your head however, must remain on the floor. Contrary to instinct, your back and buttocks shouldn’t form an extended graceful arch. When in position, pull in your hips so that the tailbone moves towards the pubic bone. The gap between your knees and feet must be the same. If your knees tend to spread wider than your feet, you can use a yoga block between your thighs for support. Your knees must be right above your ankles. At no point must you exert your body to stretch more than it can. Your body’s flexibility might vary from day to day. If occasionally you find your body tighter than it usually is, do not hyperextend its movements. Instead, you could use supports such as blocks so that you can still do the asana, but in a wholesome manner instead of a punishing one. Bridge Pose Modifications Although the bridge yoga asana is difficult to achieve without an instructor to correct misalignments, it is not difficult to master. You can try following a restorative version of the pose to make it easier: Bridge Pose With a Block or Bolster If you have trouble lifting your hips according to the correct alignment, try using blocks. Place the block or bolster under your sacrum, the spot above your tailbone. You can place your weight on the block instead of straining your back. For a restorative effect, you can rest your body on a bolster that supports your shoulders, back and knees. Use another one for your ankles. If you are unable to clasp your hands on the floor below your back, then let your arms remain on the sides of your body. Keep the palms face down. Bridge Pose Variations Once you’ve mastered the full-bridge pose, there are several bridge pose variations that you can try to further build your stamina. Here are two ways you can modify it to make it more challenging: First Variation You can give your spinal column a thorough work out by slightly tinkering with the pose. Once you have achieved the bridge pose asana, you can deepen the pose by lifting your heels slightly, and pushing your tailbone towards the pubis. You can release it by slowly coming down by rolling your back, feeling each vertebra relax as it comes down. Go back up slowly, feeling your whole back stretch, so that your spinal column gets a thorough work over. One-Legged Bridge Pose (Eka Pada Setu Bandhasana) You can try this extended bridge pose, bringing your one knee up to your torso and then get back into the original bridge pose. While exhaling, bring your right knee up to your torso. As you inhale, extend your leg upwards so that it is straight and perpendicular to the floor. Hold this advanced bridge pose for about 30 seconds, and go back to the original pose as you exhale. Repeat this procedure with your left leg. Conclusion Getting the Setu Bandhasana or bridge pose steps right and doing it regularly is one of the better things that you can do for your mind and body. That said, it’s important to be aware of bridge pose precautions. Better yet, the first few times you try it, make sure that a qualified instructor is present to correct alignments so that you don’t end up unwittingly injuring yourself.

Standing Forward Fold Pose or Uttanasana

By admin May 19, 2017 0

Uttanasana is commonly known in English as Standing Forward Bend, Standing Forward Fold, or Standing Head to Knees Pose. The Sanskrit name when divided into three parts translates as "ut" meaning intense, "tan" meaning stretch, and "asana" meaning posture. This is another semi-inversion pose in yoga, which places the heart above the head, thus benefiting you mentally while working on the physical aspects of the body as well. As the name suggests, the pose is great for stretching your neck, spine, hamstrings, arms, and calves. Pose Information Yoga Pose English Name: Intense Forward-Bending Pose, Standing Forward Bend, Standing Forward Fold Pose, or Standing Head to Knees Pose Sanskrit Name: Uttanasana Pose Level: Beginners Pose Type: Forward Bend Strengthens: Thighs and Knees Stretches: Hip, Hamstring, Calf Preparatory Poses Downward Facing Dog Pose or Adho mukha śvānāsana Seated Forward Bend or Paschimottanasana Head-to-Knee Pose or Janusirsasana Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose or Supta Padangusthasana Follow-up Poses Standing poses, seated forward bends, or inversions. How to do Uttanasana or Standing Forward Fold Pose? Uttanasana is a basic asana of yoga, yet one is required to be a little careful while performing this yoga asana. Here is the step by step guide to perform standing forward fold pose to get good results: Step 1 Stand in the Tadasana or Mountain Pose, place your hands on your hips. Now exhale and start bending towards the feet from your hip joints, and not from your waist. As you go down, try to draw your front torso out of the groins in an open space between the top sternum and the pubis. While performing forward bend, the focus should always be on lengthening your front torso while moving more into this pose. Step 2 If feasible, keeping your knees straight try to touch the floor with your palms or fingertips slightly besides or in front of your feet. You can also bring your palms towards the back of the ankles. If this poses is not achievable, try holding your elbows by crossing your forearms. Press your heels gently on the floor and raise your sitting bones in the upward direction or towards the ceiling. Now turn your top thighs slightly inwards. Step 3 With every inhalation in this posture, lengthen and slightly lift your front torso and with every exhalation slightly release towards forward bend. This allows your torso to oscillates nearly imperceptibly with your breath. Allow your head to hang almost from the root of your neck that is deep in your upper back and in between shoulder blades. Step 4 This yoga pose is used as the resting pose in between standing poses. Remain in this position for around 30 to 60 seconds. This can also be performed as a pose in itself. Step 5 Avoid rolling your spine to get back to the original position. Rather, carry your hands back on your hips and reiterate the length of your front torso. Now press the tailbone towards the downward position of the pelvis and come back to standing position with an inhalation. Benefits of Standing Forward Bend Pose Uttanasana brings along with it, several health benefits, making it one of the most loved pose, especially for beginners, considering that it is not difficult to master. So, let us move on forward and understand how it be advantageous to our health, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Bending forward creates pressure in the abdominal area. This results in the toning of the abdominal muscles while also shielding the stomach from aches and ailments. This pressure assists you in toning the spleen, liver, and kidneys. Additionally, the action improves digestion and cures you from problems of constipation. The practice and mindful breathing technique helps in learning to breath even in the most difficult positions. It improves the spinal nerves as the stretch lengthens the entire ack of the body. Since this is a semi inversion, it allows the free flow of blood to the brain, thus ensuring a growth in concentration, less anxiety and depression. The pose is great for students who need to memorize a lot of material before exams. Other than these major benefits the uttanasana is also beneficial for: Curing infertility Relieving fatigue Curing insomnia Getting stronger leg muscles Increasing flexibilty of spine Soothes nerves and calms the mind. Reduces anxiety, stress, fatigue and depression. Relieves tension in the neck, back and spine. Standing Forward Bend Precautions While this is a beloved pose, mostly because of its simplicity, there are certain precautions to be kept in mind before going ahead with the pose. Some of the prime precautions are: Do not practice uttanasana during pregnancy or when you are going through menstrual cycle. The bend puts pressure on the abdominal area and thus can prove harmful during these times. If you have a history of any back injury and are still in the healing process it is best to avoid the pose, in case it aggravates the problem. Even if you feel that your back problem is gone, it is still important to tread with care. Hence, it is always best to get in touch with your medical practitioner and only proceed after a go-ahead. The best recommendation would be to practice with the help of yoga blocks. Do not try to push yourself beyond your body’s limitations. Yoga is supposed to make you feel good and not stressed. Take each practice session slow and steady and understand your body in the process. If you have undergone recent surgery for your abdomen, avoid this pose completely. Do not proceed with the practice if you suffer from high blood pressure In case you suffer from sciatica, proceed with the practice gently, highly recommended, under the supervision of a teacher. You can perform the Ardha Uttanasana (Half Standing Forward Fold) to make the pose easy for you. Uttanasana Beginners Tip Beginners need to proceed with more care with any yoga pose and the same advice applies when practicing uttanasana too. Here are some tips for beginners who are just learning to get into the pose. Since you are new to the pose, you need to understand that alignment is important. Hence, when starting off, practice with your back to the wall ensuring that your back, sit bones, and legs are all positioned in one line. Also, this will help you to keep check that your hips do not push backwards when you bend forward. Relax your knees as much as possible while doing the pose. You do not have to master straightening your legs from the very start. Be mindful of the way you breathe with every step. It will increase the benefits manifold. Your back must be straight when you perform the pose, however, in the beginning since your hamstrings are tight, the back might get rounded. Hence, to prevent that from happening, bend your knees deeper if required. Uttanasana Modifications Modifications help in attaining the right posture for a yoga pose. Hence, here are some modifications that will help you perform the standing forward fold pose better. Balance is important as is alignment in Uttanasana. So, if you find it difficult to balance your body while keeping your feet together, then place a yoga block between your inner lower thighs to help you with the problem. Use a blanket to lower the pressure on the feet and reduce stress on the soles. Try practicing the pose while seated on a chair or stool. It is like doing it while standing and helps you open the back and the leg muscles. You may not be able to reach down to your toes the first few times. In the beginning use yoga blocks in front of you, so that when you bend forward, you can place your hands on them instead of the ground. Uttanasana Variations The Uttanasana comes in many variations for you to practice. Here are six of the variations that you can try today. 1. Uttanasana with Twist This variation of yoga involves a twist. To attain this position, first follow the simple steps of doing Uttanasana. After you have bent twist your body to the left and then push the forearm slightly against the right leg. Repeat the same to the other side. This variation of Uttanasana is great for stretching and strengthening the muscles in and around the spine and provides your internal organs a gentle massage. 2. Uttanasana with Clasped Hands (Bandha Hasta Uttanasana) While you are standing in Tadasana, preparing for Uttanasana, spread your legs sideways up to shoulder-width apart and take your hands behind the back. Clasps your hands together, entwining the fingers around each other. Once ready, hinge forward slowly and raise your arms up as you bend. Do not pressure yourself to extend your hands higher as flexibility will be achieved with practice. This pose relaxes the shoulders and opens your chest. 3. Reverse Prayer (Paschim Namaskarasana) Uttanasana Like the name suggests, the reverse prayer pose is added to Uttanasana. The namaskara will be done behind the back rather than in front, against your chest. When standing in Tadasana, ensuring that the spine is elongated and straightened, extend both hands behind your back and press the palms together in prayer pose. Now bend forward with your hips and try to come into Uttanasana with hands in reverse prayer pose. This variation helps with stretching the shoulders and opening the chest muscles. 4. Elbow Hold (Ardha Baddha Sukha) Uttanasana To do this variation, you can start by holding on the left elbow with your right hand and vice versa while you are still in an upright position. You then proceed doing the Uttanasana while still holding on to the elbows and bend forward from the hips. Adopting this variation enables you to get rid of a stiff back, caused by the amount of sitting all day at work or classes. 5. Intense Side Stretch Pose (Parsva Uttanasana) Stand in tadasana and spread your legs and make 90 degrees angle between your two leg. Now, turn your left and right feet to right side. Next, rotate your torso to the right and with an exhale bend forward from the groins over your right leg. Repeat the same steps with left side. 6. Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana) Stand straight and spread your legs apart as far as you feel comfortable. Now, hinge forward into Uttanasana. In this pose you can touch your feet with your hands or keep your arms in reverse prayer pose. This pose give a good stretch to your lower back and upper thigh muscles. Conclusion If you have not started with the Uttanasana then you must try it because of the one-stop health solutions it offers. As simple as the pose looks, it still is an intense workout offering holistic value to our body. The standing forward fold pose is very helpful to strengthen your spine. This yoga pose allows blood to rush towards the head (instead of feet), which offers a rejuvenating boost to the braincells with oxygen. So, wherever you maybe, especially when you are tired and de-energised, try the Uttanasana. It is the way to a rejuvenating and energizing day ahead.

Bound Angle Pose or Baddha Konasana

By admin May 15, 2017 0

Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana), is a great hip-opener and a good exercise for people who have an occupation, where movement during the day is limited. It is more so commonly known as the Cobbler’s Pose or Butterfly Pose. It is a seated posture and gets its name from the way cobbler’s sit while they work. Bound angle pose is an important yoga pose in most people’s lives today because of the sedentary work style that they must follow like sitting in chair for long hours and traveling in cars. For children, doing this is easy as their hips are flexible and open, but as you grow old, you lose that flexibility and feel tight and restricted. For instance, you will notice that sitting with your legs crossed is much harder now than it was when you were 20-25 years old. Isn’t that frustrating? Pose Information Yoga Pose English Name: Bound Angle Pose or Cobbler’s Pose or Butterfly Pose Sanskrit Name: Baddha Konasana Pose Level: Beginners Pose Type: Sitting Stretches: Knee, Thigh, Groin Preparatory Poses Hero Pose or Virasana Tree Pose or Vrksasana Easy Pose or Sukhasana Follow-up Poses Standing poses Seated twists and forward bends poses. So, to keep your hips supple and flexible as it always was, let us move ahead and understand how to do bound angle pose. How to Do Baddha Konasana? Here are bound angle pose steps to help you do the pose correctly and avoid getting hurt in the process. Just follow the steps ahead and you will be good to go. Step 1 Start by positioning yourself in the Staff Pose (Dandasana). To ensure that your spine does not get rounded while doing the pose, rest your back against a wall. Step 2 Once well-positioned, with an exhale, bend your leg at the knees and pull them in towards your pelvis. Step 3 Make your knees drop open to the sides, but only till the limit where you are comfortable and then press the soles of your feet together. Step 4 Clutch your big toe on each foot with your thumbs, middle, and index finger and press your feet firmly into the floor. While you do so, inhale and lengthen your spine from the base to the crown of your head, as you lift through your core for enhancing your posture. Keep your gaze directed ahead of you or at the tip of your nose as you keep breathing normally and stay grounded. Try pushing your knees towards the floor gently, but do not hurt yourself. Step 5 To release, let go of your toes and then gently straighten your legs in front of you to go back to the Staff Pose (Dandasana). Bound Angle Pose Health Benefits Bound angle pose has several health benefits, even if you start off late in your life. Some of these benefits are as follows. 1. Ease in Child Birth Pregnancy is a painful and stressful time in a woman’s life. Practicing Bandha Konasana in later months of pregnancy helps in strengthening the lower back and cervical muscles, thus making childbirth an easy process for the mother. 2. Cures Infertility Today, infertility is an issue and the pose is a solution for those having the trouble. It relieves any type of menstrual discomfort or abnormalities in the cycle, which are the main reasons for infertility. 3. Improves Blood Circulation The pose involves mindful breathing, which increases the flow of oxygen into the blood, thus improving blood circulation and a healthy heart. 4. Stress Buster Bound angle pose helps in relieving any stress around the legs. It also helps in easing any pain in the legs caused due to sciatica. Other than that, it helps stabilizing your emotional pain like depression and anxiety. 5. Helps in Digestion Bandha Konasana assists the abdominal organs in stretching out, while improving their functionality. It’s a cure for any type of digestive problems that you could be facing like bloating, indigestion, or gastroenteritis. Furthermore, the pose also enhances the role of the kidneys. 6. Improves Functionality of Reproductive Organs Doing the pose stimulates the reproductive organs like ovaries and uterus in women and prostate glands and testes in men. The pose helps in opening the groin area and increasing the suppleness of the inner thighs and groins. Baddha Konasana Precautions Like every yoga posture that you practice, there are certain precautions that you need to keep in mind, especially if you have a health issue. Some of bound angle pose precautions are as follows. Do not perform the pose if you have injury to your groin or knee area. If you have high blood pressure or suffer from heart problems it is better to ask your doctor whether you can practice the pose. An individual suffering from sciatica can sit on a pillow while doing this asana. Women should avoid this yoga asana during their menstrual cycle. Do not try to force any kind of movement like jerking your thighs, fluttering your knees like a butterfly, or pushing your knees down to the ground, while performing the pose as you might injure your muscles in the process. You will master this pose sooner or later, so you just need to keep the movements slow and smooth. Ensure that your pelvis is balanced in mid-position so that both your sit bones are bearing equal weight. You can achieve this by rocking back and forth or by shifting your hips from side to side until you are sure that both your pubic bone and tailbone are at the same distance from the floor, and that the weight on your buttocks are equally distributed. Always keep your spine straight and elongated to reap maximum benefits of the pose. Bound Angle Pose Modifications Though Bandha Konasana is a restorative pose and great hip opener, to avoid injuries, it needs to be prepared for so that the body is warmed up enough. To avoid injuries or cramps, anyone can go for 200 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh. Modifications make achieving a pose easier. You can use props like bolsters, pillows, blocks, and yoga straps to achieve the right posture. Here is how you can incorporate the pose with the help of these props. Sit against a wall to keep your spine straight. Position yourself in Bandha Konasana and place two blocks underneath your knees for support. Lie back on the inclined bolster to achieve the supine version of this yoga pose. Beginners who are unable to bend their knees close to the body can use a blanket to sit on and elevate themselves while doing the pose. To pull your feet closer to the pelvis, you can use a strap. Achieve this astuteness by circling a yoga strap around your lower back and your feet, before reclining. Bound Angle Pose Variations 1. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Bandha Konasana) While Baddha Konasana is done in a seated position, it has a supine variation too, which is simpler and gentler for opening the hips and the shoulders. This form of Bandha Konasana is called Supine Reclining Bound Angle Pose, also known Supta Bandha Konasana or Supine Goddess Pose. Steps to do this pose Start the pose with lying down in Shavasana. As you do so, relax each muscle in your body from your head to the tip of your toes. Once you can achieve the composure, bend your knees to the sides and bring the soles of your feet together, pressing them against each other. Keep your hands spread out to the sides, with the palms facing upwards. To release the pose, open your eyes and come back to Shavasana. Practicing this pose stimulates you equally, and bestows self-discipline in your life. 2. Advanced Bound Angle Pose Come into bound angle pose. To further intensify the pose, with an inhale move your arms up towards the ceiling. Keep your arms straight, with en exhale, bend forward and try touching the floor with your palms. Stay in this pose for few minutes and then come back to normal bound angle pose with an inhale. Conclusion Baddha Konasana is a beginners’ pose and can be practiced everyday by anyone. Women must just be careful not to do it during their menstrual cycle. Like all other yoga poses, Baddha Konasana is also preceded with preparatory yoga poses to help you warm up the participant muscles and joints. The pose activates your lower chakras - Root Chakra (Muladhara) and Sacral Chakra (Svadisthana). Root Chakra helps you connect with your sense of security and sexuality, while the Sacral Chakra helps you to fulfill your emotional necessities in everyday life. Being able to activate these two chakras helps you in improving your personal and professional relationships as well as organize yourselves mentally. If you have not given this pose a try or have not yet added it to your yoga practice, it’s time to give it a try. The benefits are immense and you can only be content with what you receive in the end.

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