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Yogic philosophy lays a lot of stress on the right kind of diet-one that is wholly conducive to developing and maintaining a healthy body, a balanced mind and ensures spiritual progress.
The emphasis is on foods that keep the mind pure and calm. Milk, barley, wheat, cereals, butter, cheese, tomatoes, honey, dates, fruits, vegetables and almonds figure high on the list. The first and foremost principle of a yogic diet is that the food should be simple, natural, non-stimulating, tissue-building, energy-producing, light, nutritious and easily digestible.
The well-known yogic scripture Hath Yog Pradipka suggests that certain foods which are bitter/sour, excessively salty, fermented, oily and those which cause a burning sensations should be avoided.
Instead gorge on cereals, milk and honey, dried ginger, parwal and moong for added strength and energy in the body. But it is not what you eat that is important. How and when you eat is equally important, too. For one you should have food at the right time and in the right quantity.
For another concentrate on one food at a time. Avoid having too many different foods together. The liver and the pancreas function better this way. Yogis advise that you must first have a spoon of water before eating, so that obstructions in the food pipe, if any, will get washed away. Another golden rule to follow is that you fill only half the stomach with pleasant, wholesome food of your choice. Another quarter should be filled with water and the rest left empty for expansion of gases.
At the end of the meal, try to rest. Follow up a meal with Vajrasana. But before you fill up your plate, consider your age, occupation, weather, your personal preferences and the doctor’s advice. Keep off some foods if the doctor has recommended otherwise.
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Method: Lie supine on the floor. Form padmasana by placing your right foot on the left thigh and left foot on the right thigh. Clasp both your hands and place your head on them. Breathing should be slow and deep.
Second Stage: Lie supine on the floor and form padmasana. Now hold the big toe of your left foot with your right hand and the big toe of your right foot with your left hand. Breathing should be slow and deep. Practise this second type only after you have gained enough experience of the first type.
Third Stage: Lie supine on the floor and form padmasana. Now bend your head backwards and form and arch by lifting your body in such a way that the weight of your body rests on your head and the hips. All the while hold the big toes of your feet with your hands. Breathing should be slow and deep. This asana can be practised for 2 to 5 minutes.
Benefits of Matsyasana
This, asana relieves the stiffness, if any, caused in the neck by Sarvangasana. Thyroids and parathyroids receive plenty of blood. The apices of the lungs, the cervical upper dorsal nerves, the endocrine glands and the pituitary and pineal glands located in the brain are all stimulated and toned up. These glands playa vital part in the physiological functioning of the various systems of the body. Fatty persons who find it difficult to form a foot lock may simply bend the legs at the knees and so practise it.
Tagged under:asana endocrine glands fish pose matsyasana parathyroids pineal glands stiffness supine Yogasanas
Method: Stand with your feet about 18 inches apart with arms by your sides. Inhaling, lift arms from the sides over the head and let the palms touch each other. Stretch and try to keep the arms straight. Lift the head slightly to look up. Hold for three to six seconds. Exhaling bring the arms down and the head straight. Repeat three to five times. Try to complete inhaling when palms touch each other and exhaling when palms touch thighs.
Benefits of Tadasana
This asana gives an upward stretch to the spinal chord in addition to exercising the arms, shoulders and the neck.
In its simpler form: Try standing with your feet at least a feet apart and stretch both arms in front with palms facing each other. Gradually inhale stretching your arms towards the side and taking them as far and back as possible. Stand on your toes as you inhale. Repeat the asana a few times.
Tagged under:asana palms shoulders tadasana thighs toes Yogasanas
‘Siddha’ means adept who performs the asana to derive supernal powers.
Method: Sit erect on the floor, pressing the heel of the left leg between the scrotum and anus and right heel between the genitalia and the region around the navel, so that the knees and the heels, both lie one upon the other. Thus keeping both the hands on either sole of the feet, keep the eyes half closed and concentrate within. Sit for a convenient duration and then gradually increase the period. After having attained perfection in this asana and the Pranayam, do them regularly.
While performing this asana, pull up the anus, the genitals and the abdominal organs upwards by exerting intramuscular force. This asana should be performed at sun-rise or at sun-set, at a quiet place.
Benefits of Siddhasana
This asana helps to attain concentration and purification of ideas. It is useful for persons suffering from wet dreams. It improves digestion, mental faculties,and memory.
Tagged under:abdominal organs intramuscular knees mental faculties pranayam scrotum siddhasana sun rise sun set upwards yoga Yogasanas
Since Bhujang means a snake, this posture in which the body attains the shape of a raised-hood-stance of a snake, it is named so.
Method: Lie flat on your belly, on the floor. Now place your palms on the floor by the side of your trunk. Keep the elbows bent. Then, inhaling slowly lift the head and trunk-back upwards. Straighten your elbows by pressing the palms on the floor and raising the trunk. Then, exhaling, bend the knees and bring the legs in a perpendicular position to the ground. While exerting more pressure on right hand, remove the left off the floor and bring it back to clasp the left knee. Now, similarly bring the right arm back. Thus balanced on your thighs and pelvic region, pull on your knees and while exhaling increase the curve of your spine. Now, try to bring the back of your head and the feet in contact. Hold the pose for 15 to 20 seconds, then release the knees and come down to the floor, and relax.
Benefits of Bhujangasana
This is a very rejuvenating exercise and cures whatever trouble is there in the back and shoulder region. This one asana does, by regular practice, wonder to the body. They say that the deposit of nectar is in the navel of man. But owing to the gravity-pull it goes down and gets burnt in the gastric fire. But in this posture, whole of the nectar permeates every part of the body. Those who regularly practise this asana remain young and virile till ripe old age.
Tagged under:asana benefits of bhujangasana bhujangasana knees permeates perpendicular position shoulder region Yogasanas
To suit various body conditions it is advisable to consult your Doctor before undertaking, any exercise. The Yogic exercises given earlier were for certain common ailments, and the suggestions made here in under are to take care of body as it grows and performs different functions for better health.
Pregnancy: It is natural to emulate the position for delivery (like commonly used squat birth) with exercises practised daily for few minutes. These help later in easy delivery. They can be continued in association with other exercises even after delivery to get your muscles back to normal.
Babies and Children: Besides verbal affection, it is essential to give loving touch, and playing movements to a baby. Simple massage and gentle stretching movements help to develop the child better and make his body flexible for future. The basic Splits, Ploughs, and Bowing by keeping the child on your straight legs promote natural and healthy growth. The child can be taught the shape of letters with easy set of movements of his own body. Later the Lotus positions with normal breathing can be started by children to develop and maintain flexibility.
Older Age: As the age advances various body systems and organs get weak and need to be given some exercises to keep them fit, and compensate for daily sedentary and inactive conditions. The commonly affected parts are described here:
limbs: In case regular exercise schedule has not been followed all through, the Yoga in middle or later age has to be performed gradually in various bends and stretches with a support against a wall. Keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet and observe normal breathing. With regular practice you would regain flexibility and confidence.
Baldness: This is commonly seen with the advancing age, and a person feels shy in the society. People are found spending a lot on different treatments to check it and later use alternative wigs to cover it. It is suggested the Shirshasana, which is considered the king of an Yoga exercises, helps increase the blood supply to the head, and then scalp and hair resulting in hair growth through the pressure and release effect of the exercise.
Deafness-Exposure to constant loud noises cause wear of the ear drums. Every one undergo some loss of hearing power with the age. There are exercises which can defer the on slaught of deafness in lifetime. Also there are mantras to chant loudly or internally, which prove beneficial to the ears, eyes and throat. Sitting in Padmasan (Lotus) or any other comfortable pose and chant any of the chosen mantra sounding for about 4-5 minutes each day, feeling the vibration of the sound. The words could be OM, HAM, or any other of your choice. Inhale deeply, and exhale, using your chosen mantra. The exercise of pendulum formation by bending head and torso downwards with complete breath, and another stretching up with raised arms over head in standing position and yawning several times prove helpful.
Weak Eyesight: With age the muscles behind the eyes get weak and our eyesight starts falling. The good eyesight can be maintained by Tratak exercise. In addition the Bhujangasana (Cobra) and Dhanurasana and other balancing exercises can be performed. When these exercises and asanas are done regularly, the weak eyesight can be improved, and good eyesight is prolonged. The eye movements help strengthening of eye muscles, and thus use your eyes as much as possible during yogasanas in natural condition even without spectacles.
Cold Conditions: It is important to prepare body for cold weather by doing certain exercises. These movements improve blood circulation. Warming of breath, upper limbs, lower limbs, and body is undertaken by different postures involving circling, and crossover movements of various parts and joints including fingers, ankles and toes. Such exercises for improving circulation if performed right from the summer season can prevent chilblains later. Exercises on throat relaxation and massaging stimulates the circulation of blood to the throat giving relief to sore throats.
Sportspersons : Concentration has been and will always be a key factor for success in sport as in many other spheres of activities. Yoga provides tips on it, and the practice of yogic exercises asanas help a Lot in improving the concentration among sports persons thereby eliminating the miss in the game. Yoga is basically uncompetitive, but it is dynamic enough to provide stimulating drive to sports persons. They play games so aggressively, and in competition, and thus need to improve their physical and mental powers. Different stretching, bending, sitting, and breathing exercises according to the game requirements need to be performed to prepare and condition the body. The yogic exercises help even the disabled persons. These can be practised alone, or with the help of somebody depending on the severity of the handicap.
Weight Control: One needs to have a normal weight to keep himself fit, active, and free from many obesity-related diseases. When one is idle, underemployed, or overworked and tired, it is all easy to recoup Lost energy by extra eating of tasty items rather than nutritious ones. The yogic exercises provide mental and physical tonic. The Shirsasana and Sarvangasana help in flexibility of the spinal column and the compression in inverted poses increase blood supply to the face and thyroid benefits which are so essential for weight control. Various bending exercises for abdominal muscles and toning poses can be practised to keep agile and young.
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Some of the health conditions among individuals warrant avoidance of few exercises. They are as under:
Damaged limbs: Don’t exert to attain a posture, till the body is ready to accept it.
High Blood Pressure, Heart Ailments : Avoid all the inverted or Detached Retina, upside down exercises.
Weak Eye Capillaries Hearing Weakness:Balancing poses may not be perfect. Try with a chair or against a wall or with an assistance for backward movements till get confidence.
Varicose Veins: Avoid cross-legged or sitting on-feet poses. Perform stretching and relaxing leg movements.
Hernia: Avoid abdominal exercises involving back-bending movements, or do upto a slight stretch.
Menstruation with heavy periods : Avoid inverted postures, breathing exercises with stomach contractions or uplifts during periods. Their regular practice later relieves painful periods.
Pregnancy: Avoid inverted postures, long overhead arm movements.
Dizziness: Stop, lie down and relax a while before continuing.
Backaches: Avoid all forward bending postures.
Tagged under:arm movements asanas backaches breathing exercises capillaries detached retina heart ailments heavy periods hernia menstruation painful periods posture Yogasanas