Yogaatoz.orgCommunity guide to all things yoga, including yoga poses, classes, and equipment. Share links, photos, and comments about your yoga practice.
Method: Lie on your back, then raise the legs slowly together and carry them over till the toes touch the ground above your head. Palms should be kept flat on the ground throughout. Retain this pose for 1 or 2 minutes and repeat it 2-3 times.
Benefits of Halasana
This asana ensures healthy condition of the spine. The abdominal muscles become very strong. Every vertebra of the spine arid all the 31 pairs of spinal nerves are well nourished and the person will become very nimble, agile and full of energy. Myalgia, lumbago, sprain in the neck, neuralgia, etc. are cured. Obesity, constipation, dyspepsia, liver and spleen complaints are cured.
Tagged under:abdominal muscles asana constipation dyspepsia halasana halasana yoga legs myalgia obesity palms pose sprain yoga
Method: Stand or sit erect. If you choose to stand, keep your feet at least a foot apart. Bend forward from the waist and as you do so, slightly bend your knees, while placing your hands on the thighs. If you decide to attempt the asana while sitting, place hands on knees.
Now exhale fully, forcing the air out of your lungs. While holding the breath out, move your stomach, preferably, below the navel, in and out. Do it for as long as you feel comfortable.
At the slightest hint of discomfort, inhale deeply from the nose, filling your lungs fully with air. For starters, you may realise that you cannot pull in the stomach for this asana more than eight to 10 times. Aim to raise this to at least 20 times. Over the time, as you are able to hold your breath longer, it will become easier to touch the magic figure of 20. Repeat this asana at least three to five times after a short break.
Benefits of Agnisar
This routine massages all the digestive organs, making them work more efficiently. The blood circulation improves, especially to vital organs like the liver, pancreas and the spleen. It is also a cure for indigestion and constipation. That’s not all. The lungs are stimulated as you first exhale, then hold your breath, finally filling them up completely with air. The diaphragm is moved up and down and the heart also gets a gentle massage. As the knees are flexed, they get exercised as well, and with constant movement of the abdomen, you will also rid yourself of fat in that region.
The other advantage is that you need no special equipment, clothes or even the mandatory mat. You can practise this asana as you wait for the hot water to fill up for your bath, or while you look into the mirror at home.
You could do it as you wait for the milk to boil in the kitchen, or as you sit on the chair glued to the TV screen. The only precautions; Your stomach should be empty and your last meal should have been had at least two to three hours earlier.
This routine is strictly for people with healthy hearts. Don’t attempt this asana if you have any complaints of high blood pressure or if you are recovering from a stomach operation.
Tagged under:agnisar agnisar kriya asana bend your knees blood circulation digestive organs gentle massage indigestion pancreas place hands special equipment vital organs Yogasanas
Yoga After Child Birth
To help regain your figure and muscle tone, we recommend the following exercise program. If you start this program as soon as you get home from the hospital, be certain to start slowly. Avoid pushing yourself beyond the point that it hurts your stitches.If you notice any discomfort in the pelvis or any persistent changes in the vaginal discharge (such as color, odor, increased amount), stop the exercises and discuss these changes with your physician.
We recommend doing exercise numbers 1 to 4 the first week. Add exercises 5 and 6 and second week. And the third week, add 7 and 8. Each exercise should be repeated four times, twice a day consult your doctor follow instructions closely.
First Week
- Abdominal Breathing. Breathe in deeply to expand abdomen. Exhale slowly while drawing in abdominal muscles tightly.
- Arm Raising. Lie flat on floor legs slightly apart. Stretch arms away from shoulders on floor with elbows stiff. Raise arms, elbows stiff, above torso and touch hands. Slowly return arms to floor.
- Neck Stretch. Lie flat on back, on pillows. Exhale and raise head to touch chin to chest.
- Pelvic Tilt. Lie on floor with knees bent. Inhale. While exhaling, flatten back hard against floor so that there is no space between back and floor. Tighten abdominal and buttock muscles as you flatten back.
Second Week - Leg Raising. Lie flat on floor. Point toes. As you exhale, slowly raise leg to 45-degree angle. Inhale and lower leg slowly . Raise other leg repeat.
- Heel to Buttocks. Lie flat on floor. Inhale and bend right knee over abdomen. Exhale and try to touch heel to buttocks. Breathe in and straighten leg. Exhale and lower leg to floor. Repeat with left leg.
- Double Leg Raising. Lie flat on floor. As you exhale, raise right leg as high as possible. Inhale. Keep right leg elevated with knee straight and toes pointed. Exhale and raise left leg as high as possible with knee straight and toes pointed. Inhale. As you exhale, lower legs gradually.
- Sit-Ups. Lie back on floor, cross arms on chest. Exhale and raise head and shoulders as you draw abdomen in. Inhale and slowly return to lying flat on floor. (Use deep abdominal muscles.) Sit up as high as possible without letting your stomach bulge.
Tagged under:abdominal breathing abdominal muscles consult your doctor double leg exercise exhale neck stretch stretch arms yoga yoga after child birth
Sirshasana
Method: This is a topsy-turvy pose in which you stand on your head. Kneel on the ground. Bend forward and place your arms on the ground at right angles to each other with fingers interlocked. Place your head in your palms and raise the legs slowly till you are balanced vertically on your head. Remain in this position for half to one minute to start with and slowly increase it to 5 or 10 minutes after some months.
Benefits of Sirshasana
This is called the king of asanas. Sirshasana invigorates, energises and vivifies. It is a powerful blood purifier. It cures all diseases of the liver, spleen, lungs and the genito-urinary system. It gradually cures colic, deafness, diabetes, piles, pyorrhoea and constipation. The digestive power will improve. It is best suited for ladies also. Many uterine and ovarine diseases are cured. (Should not be practised during monthly periods and pregnancy). Sterility disappears. Memory improves admirably. Eye-sight improves. Grey hair disappear. Spinal chord and spinal nerve roots receive an abundant supply of blood. Sexual energy is increased. Nerves of the body areenergised, invigorated and galvanized. Many incurable diseases are cured by the regular practice of this asana. In the beginning you may, if required, start this asana by leaning your legs against a wall until you are able to, get independent balance.
Sirshasana should not generally be practised after the age of fifty unless you had practised it before, in which case it can be practised at any age after fifty also.
Tagged under:asana asanas blood purifier diseases of the liver incurable diseases sexual energy sirshasana spinal chord spinal nerve roots urinary system Yogasanas
Yoga During Pregnancy
Presented here is a list of special exercises to prepare you for childbirth. These are non-strenuous, passive exercises which will improve the flexibility of the muscles involved in childbirth.
Exercise 1 : Cobbler/Machi Position
Position: Sit cross-legged.
Steps:
- Bring the soles of your feet in front of you, so that you form a namaste with your feet.
- Now, with your hands hold the soles of your feet together and drag them inwards along the floor towards your body. You will feel a stretch on your inner thigh.
Do this once and stay as long as you comfortably can.
Benefits: lncreases the flexibility of your knee and hip joint and the muscles governing them lose their stiffness.
Exercise 2 : Cobbler/Mochi Position Lying On Your Back.
Position: Lie down on your back.
Steps:
- Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
- Drag the soles along the floor and bring them as close as possible to your body. Stay in this position as long as you comfortbaly can.
Benefits: Helps relax the muscles of the hip joint.
Exercise 3 : Sitting on your heels with knees apart
Position: Sit on your heels and spread your knees apart. Sit in this position as long as you comfortably can.
Benefits: Relaxes the muscles of the lower legs and the ankles.
Exercise 4: Sitting between your feet with knees apart.
Position: Sit on your heels .
Steps:
- Take your feet to the sides so that you are sitting on the floor.
- Turn your toes slightly inwards and your heels outwards.
- To begin with, do this exercise for half a minute and gradually increase to five minutes.
Benefits: Extends the front of your ankle joint and reduces stiffness.
Exercise 5 : Sitting between your feet and leaning back.
Position: Sit on your heels.
Steps:
- Take the feet on the side so that you are sitting on the ground with your knees together.
- Turn the toes slightly inwards and your heel outwards.
- Take your hands behind and slowly lean back on your elbows.
- Stop the movement if your feel any pain in your lower back.
- If you find leaning on your elbows relatively easy, then lower your back on the floor.
- To work your body gradually for this exercise, place a chair against a wall. Put a cushion on its edge and slowly lean back against it. Lean further backwards in easy stages.
Benefits: In this position your pelvis is at its narrowest and your abdomen at its widest. It is very helpful in preventing any prolapse of your pelvic floor.
Exercise 6 : Twisting.
Position: Lie down on your back.
Steps:
- Interlock your fingers and place your palms under your head.
- Bend your knees and bring your feet as close to your buttocks as possible.
- Keeping your elbows on the floor, take both knees on one side.
- Hold this for half a minute, then repeat on the other side.
Benefits: Stretches and relaxes the muscles of your trunk, chest, abdomen and pelvis.
Patients of skin cancer often have to undergo corrective cosmetic surgery. This is why they are advised to avoid smoking and maintain their fitness. Using skin care products is also encouraged.
Tagged under:childbirth exercise muscles namaste soles of your feet stiffness strenuous yoga yoga pregnancy
A disease is the state of malfunctioning of the body system, caused by an imbalanced internal condition created by certain errors committed by an individual. Sickness is the result of faulty ways of living. Since disease is caused by one’s own mistakes, the cure also lies in correcting those mistakes by him. Therapeutic Yoga is therefore a system of self-treatment. It thus depends on the individual to put in required efforts to keep himself healthy.
Yoga and yogasanas were being practised thousands of years ago by the Indian Rishis. But it is practised more in the Western Countries now than in India. Modern mundane muscles building exercises develop only some parts of the body for outward display. But the practice of yogasanas develops the whole human system. One who systematically does yogic exercises is agile and nimble. He has a very elastic spine and supple body. The circulation of blood in the arteries and veins is kept in proper order by the practice of asanas. There is no stagnation of blood in any part of the body. The spinal chord is toned up. It prevents the developmentof arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. It lubricates the whole body system. The yogic exercises are preventive and curative.
It is an accepted fact that yoga contributes to health and peace of mind. But not many know just how it works. Ancient yogis said that yoga increases life-force, which does not explain much. But modern research is slowly uncovering the mechanics of yoga and explaining it in terms that can be understood. A person’s mental and physical health depends on brain and body chemicals. Regular practice of hatha yoga actually alters brain chemistry. It slows down the action of the sympathetic nervous system. In practical terms, this means your body does not get flooded with stress hormones as quickly, your blood pressure does not rise every time you have an argument, and your heart does not start pounding for fear of missing the bus. Regular yoga practice also improves the functioning of the parasympathetic system which controls your ability to relax. Even after a period of stress, you are. able to relax and normalise quickly. Blood pressure comes down, the heart rate returns to normal and breathing becomes slow and deep. Tense muscles send unnecessary stress-signals to the brain, but once they are gently stretched in yogic postures, the signals are automatically switched off.
Over time, yogic poses also stimulate sluggish glands into operating more efficiently, and chemical balance is restored. That may explain why yoga can bring down stress-related diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
In yoga, there are several asanas which synchronise the movement of the arms and the upper body with breathing. These develop both the lungs and the chest. You breathe better, keeping diseases like tuberculosis, asthma, chronic bronchitis and common coughs and colds at bay, while simultaneously providing the blood with more oxygen. Indirectly, this greatly benefits the heart, too.
These not only make the chest stronger, shapelier, and broader in proportion to the rest of the body, but they also improve the respiratory system by making the lungs work more efficiently. This in turn benefits the rest of the body.
The lungs, the main organs of the respiratory system are flexible and have a capacity of inhaling at least four to five litres of air. But, we seldom inhale or exhale more than a sixth of this amount-and this is grossly insufficient to activate all the cells of the lungs. One should aim at breathing right so as to increase the capacity of the lungs to take oxygen from the incoming air and discharging carbon dioxide into the outgoing air.
Tagged under:arteries and veins hardening of the arteries hatha yoga self treatment stress hormones therapeutic yoga yoga yogic exercises yogic postures
Paschimottanasana Yoga
Method: Sit on the ground, stretch the legs straight without bending in the front. Exhale and bend forward till you are able to catch hold of our toes keeping the legs straight. You may even bury your face between the knees. Remain thus for 5 seconds and then slowly raise the body to the original position and inhale. Repeat this asana 3 or 5 times.
Benefits of Paschimottanasana
This is an excellent asana. All the foul air is forcibly expelled out of the lungs. All the abdominal muscles get vigorously contracted. This is a powerful abdominal exercise and stimulates the abdominal viscera such as the kidneys, liver and pancreas. It cures piles and diabetes. The spine becomes elastic and thereby perennial youth is established.
Tagged under:abdominal exercise abdominal muscles abdominal viscera asana diabetes exhale kidneys knees lungs pancreas paschimottanasana spine yoga Yogasanas
Since this posture imitates the face of a cow, it is known by this name. Gomukh in Sanskrit means the face of a cow.
Method: Sit down on the floor with legs stretched forward. Now fold the left leg at the knee and sit on the left foot. Fold the right leg and place the right thigh on the left thigh with the help of your hands. Now, lifting your buttocks bring the heels of both the feet together till they touch each other. Fold the left arm now behind your back over the shoulder. Fold the right arm behind the back but under the right shoulder.
Now bend the fingers of both the hands into two hooks to clasp each other. Remain in the pose with normal breathing for about 30 seconds. Keep your head and back erect and eyes gazing straight at some chosen point.
Repeat it reversing the position of legs and hands and maintain the pose again for 30 seconds. Then come out of the pose and relax. Do this exercise at least a couple of time with each hand. Whichever breast a lady wants to tone up, she must do this exercise more with the hand of that side.
Benefits of Gomukhasana
This exercise strengthens the breast and shoulder muscles and makes the legs, muscle also more elastic. This exercise is good for males and females both.
In simpler form this asana can be done sitting, with your legs stretched straight in front of you. Bend the left leg and bring the foot near the right knee. Bring your left hand to touch the left foot and take your right arm behind the back. Exhaling twist your spine and neck towards the right as far as possible. Inhaling come back to the original position. Now take your right arm around the left knee and left arm behind the back. Exhaling twist the spine and the neck towards the left. Inhaling release the twist and come back to the original position. Now do the same asana with the right leg bent and the left leg straight. Repeat three to five times.
Tagged under:asana cow exercise gomukhasana left knee left leg legs muscle right arm stretched Yogasanas
Vajra means thunderbolt in Sanskrit. Since this asana makes the body as strong as the thunderbolt, it is so named.
Method: Kneel down on the floor with your knees, ankles and big toes touching the ground. Now sit down on your heels and place your palms on the knees. Keep yourself erect but relaxed. Breath should be deep, even and slow. Now expand your chest and draw the abdominal region inwards.
Benefits of Vajrasana
This asana is especially good for those who suffer from high blood pressure. This posture can be practised any time even after taking meals. It strengthens spine, removes pain in the spine and tones up sexual organs of both male and female. Its regular practice gives longevity and postpones old age.
Tagged under:asana high blood pressure knees sanskrit thunderbolt toes vajra vajrasana Yogasanas
Padmasana
This asana or posture is called Padmasana as the forms of legs while performing this asana gives the appearance of a Padma (lotus).
Method: While sitting on the ground, stretch your legs forward. Keep them together. Place the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh in such a manner that the heels of both the feet touch the abdomen, on the sides of the navel. Keep the hands on the knees. Keep body, back and head erect. The knees of both the feet should touch ground and generally the eyes should remain closed. One should do Pranayaam also in this pose.
Benefits of Padmasana
This asana is highly advantageous for attaining concentration of mind and is very useful for those who do mental work, particularly the aged people. It is a unique way of preserving vital fluids of the body and preventing the trapping of the wind inside the body. It imparts peace, solitude and ensures longevity. It also prevents abdominal diseases and female disorders connected with the reproductive organs.
Tagged under:abdominal diseases asana lotus padma padmasana posture reproductive organs vital fluids Yogasanas