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Yoga is considered as a mental exercise. Asanas or the poses are slow and rhythmic body movements synchronized with breathing. There are few practices for the beginners explained here. However it is recommended to learn the technique under a qualified master. Standing Practices Balancing pose / Tree pose / Forward bend pose / Half wheel pose / Triangular pose / Crossed Triangular pose / Lateral arc pose / lateral angle pose / Imaginary chair pose Supine lying Practices Leg raising / Wind releasing pose / Bridge pose / plough pose / Karna peedasana / Full Wheel pose / Shoulder stand / Fish pose Prone lying Practices Crocodile pose / Serpent pose / Locust pose / Bow pose Sitting Practices Moon pose / Ankle pose / Sleeping thunder pose / Posterior Streching / Camel pose / Twist pose / Peacock pose / Lotus pose / Poses Explained balancing pose - Tadasana Stand with the legs together. Inhale and raise both the hands from the front to above your head with the elbows straight. Simultaneously raise the heels to balance your body on the toes. Try to give a fine stretch your body while gazing at a steady point in front. Hold a while with normal breathing and then release. TOP Tree pose - Vrikshasana Stand with the legs together. Bend at the right knee and place the right foot on the inner aspect of your left thigh. Both the legs in the same transverse plane. Inhale and raise both the hands from the sides to join the palms above your head. Elbows straight, gaze at a point in front and hold the posture with normal breathing. Release in the reverse order and repeat on the other side. It improves the balance and also improves concentration. TOP Forward bend pose - Padahastasana Stand with the legs together. Inhale and raise the arms from front above the head and give a slight backward bending; exhale and bend forward from the lower back. In the final posture try to catch hold of the ankles with the hands, forehead touching the knees. Maintain whichever be the position, with normal breathing. Try to keep the knees straight. Inhale and come up and exhale and release the arms in the reverse order. TOP Half wheel pose - Ardha chakrasana Stand with the legs together. Inhale and keep the hands on the sides of the waist so that the thumb faces each other on the back and the fingers facing forward. Exhale and slowly recline on the back from the lower back. Keep the knees straight. Normal breathing and then relaxs TOP Triangular pose - Trikonasana Stand with legs together, separate the legs 2-3 feet apart, and turn the right foot perpendicular to the left. Inhale and raise the arms sideways up to the shoulder. As you breath out slowly bend sideways to the right to reach the right feet with the right hand. Left arm perpendicular to the ground and gaze at the fingertips above. Normal breathing in the final pose. Release in the reverse order and repeat the same on the other side. TOP Crossed Triangular pose - Trikonasana Stand with the legs wide apart. Inhale and lift the arms to horizontal position. Slowly bend the waist to hold the right foot with the left hand, without bending at the knees. Maintain for 4 – 5 breathings: come back in the reverse order and repeat on the other side. TOP Lateral Arc pose - Ardhakati chakrasana Stand with the legs together. Inhale and raise the right arm sideways until the shoulder. Turn the palm facing the floor; raise it further with inhalation until the biceps touches the ears. Give a fine stretching upward and with exhalation try to bend laterally to the left. Left arm freely hung by the side of the body. Try to feel the stretching on the entire right side and also the compression on the left flank of the abdomen. Hold with normal breathing and eyes closed. Release in the reverse order and repeat on the other side and relax. TOP Lateral angle pose Stretch your legs about 3- 4 feet apart. Turn the right foot to the right side keeping the left at right angles to the right. Bend the right knee to form a right angle, place the right thigh parallel to the ground. While exhaling, bring the right side of the body in line with the right thigh placing the right hand on the right side of the right foot. Stretch the left hand above the head in line with the body with the upper arm touching the ears and look along the arm. Maintain for 4 – 5 normal breathings and repeat on the other side. TOP Imaginary chair pose Join the legs in standing. Inhale and lift the arms from front till it becomes horizontal to the ground. Simultaneously lift the heels of both the feet to balance on the toes. While exhaling lower the hip to bring the arms and thighs parallel to the ground. Gaze at a stationery point in front and maintain the final pose for 4 – 5 normal breathings. Release in the reverse order and relax TOP Leg raising pose - Uthita padasana Lie on the back with the legs together, arms beside. Inhale and raise the legs (or single leg) up to 60 degrees with the ground. Hold for 4-5 breathings and then release and repeat 2-3 times. This builds up the abdominal muscles and improves the circulation to the organs. TOP Wind releasing pose - Pavanamuktasana Inhale and raise the legs till 90 degrees, bend at the knees, hold the knees with the hands. Exhale and pull the knees towards the chest so that the thighs oppose the abdominal wall. Raise the head and try to touch the knees with the forehead. Normal breathing and perform rocking movements if possible. Release and relax. This helps to give a constant massaging effect to the abdominal organs, massages the spine and stimulates the spinal nerves. TOP Bridge pose - Setubandhasana Lie on the back with the legs together. Bend at the knees and place the feet near the buttocks. Stretch the arms above the head on the floor. Inhale and raise the lower back so that you balance your body on the upper shoulder and the foot. This helps to strengthen the spine. TOP Plough pose - Halasana From Sarvangasana, try to take your legs above the head with an exhalation. Place the toes on the ground. Slowly try to push the toes away from the head so that you get a good bending from the upper back. Normal breathing and slowly release in the reverse order.This practice is good for those suffering from shoulder stiffness. Also it helps to strengthen the spine and abdomenal organs. TOP Karna Peedasana From Halasana or the Plough pose, bend at the knees and place the knees on either side of the ears. keep the toes stretched out and join the heels and the toes. Take your arms back; catch hold of the greater toes with the hands or interlock the fingers and place the arms out. Normal breathing and slowly release in the reverse order.This posture gives relaxation to the trunk, heart and legs. Also helps to improve the blood circulation. TOP Wheel pose - Chakrasana Lie on the back. Bend at the knees and place the heels close to the buttocks. Raise the arms and place the hands beside the ears with the fingers pointing downward. Inhale and raise the back and head so that the whole body is balanced on the hands and feet. Maintain the pose with normal breathing, exhale and release. Relax on the back. TOP Shoulder stand - Sarvangasana Inhale and raise the legs until 90 degrees with the ground. Raise the lower back and support your lower back with the arms by placing the elbows on the ground. Shift the support to the middle back so that you balance the entire body on the shoulders. The trunk and legs are in a line and are perpendicular to the ground. Make a chin lock by pressing the chin on the chest. Maintain with normal breathing and release in the reverse order and relax. TOP Fish pose - Matsyasana In lying down position, join the legs. Place the arms by the side of the ears with the fingers pointing downward. Lift the head and place the vertex on the ground. Take back the arms and place the palms on the thighs. Maintain for one third of the duration of Sarvangasana. Release in the reverse order and relax. TOP Crocodile pose - Makrasana Lie prone on the floor; widen the feet with the toes pointing outwards and the heels pointing inwards to touch the ground. Bend at the right elbow and place the right palm on the left shoulder. The same way keep the left palm on the right shoulder. Place the chin over the elbows such that the forearm supports the neck. Relaxation in this pose is good for stress induced diseases. TOP Serpent pose - Bhujangasana Lie on the stomach, legs together, and forehead on the ground. Place the palms beside the chest. As you inhale raise the forehead, chin, neck, chest up to the navel. Look up and enjoy the tension on the lower back. Hold for 4-5 deep breathings. Exhale and release. Good for all respiratory ailments, backaches including spondylosis, lumbago and sciatica. Gives a good stretching to the abdominal muscles. TOP Locust pose - salabhasana Lie on stomach, chin on the ground. Make a fist of your hand and place it either beside or below the thighs. Inhale and raise the right leg. Props can be given with the left leg. Hold a while. Release and repeat on the other side. Excellent in sciatica and other aches on the back, stretches the muscles of the thighs and abdomen. TOP Bow pose - Dhanurasana Lie on the stomach, with the forehead on the ground. Bend at the knees and hold the ankles with the hands. Inhale and raise the head, chest and the thighs so that only the abdomen touches the ground. Maintain this pose for 4-5 breathings. Release and relax. TOP Moon pose - sasankasana Sit in Vajrasana. Place the fist on either side of the navel. Exhale and bend forward to touch the knees with the forehead or place the forehead on the ground. Hold for 5-6 deep breathings and release. Good to massage the abdominal organs and to improve the circulation. Aids in constipation, diabetes, low back pain. TOP Ankle pose - Vajrasana Kneeling position, lower your back to sit on between the heels. Spine straight, neck erect, palms resting on the knees, eyes closed. Hold with normal breathing. Strengthens the sciatic nerves and good for diabetes. A 5 minutes practice of this after each meal will improve the digestion. This is a good meditative posture too. TOP Sleeping thunder pose - supta vajrasana Kneeling position, keep the hands on the waist so that the thumbs oppose each other and all other fingers pointing forward. Inhale deeply and when you exhale try to bend backward from the waist. Drop the head back and relax the elbows. Try to push the abdomen forward so that the thighs come perpendicular to the ground. If possible try to lower the arms and rest the palms on the heels. Observe 4-5 breathings, inhale and come up, exhale and release the arms and relax in Vajrasana. TOP Posterior streching - Paschimotanasana Sit straight with the spine and neck erect. Arms beside the thighs. Inhale and raise the arms from front above the head, slightly recline on the back, exhale and slowly bend forward from the lower back to touch the ankles with the hands. Try to touch the knees with the forehead in the final posture. Maintain with normal breathing, inhale and come up, exhale and release the arms and relax. TOP Camel pose - Ushtrasana Kneeling position, back and thighs straight. Place the palms on the waist so that the thumbs pointing backward and all other fingers forward. Exhale and slowly bend to the back from the waist. Push the abdomen forward so that the thighs become perpendicular to the ground. If possible try to lower the arms to rest the palms on the heels. Hold the posture with normal breathing and inhale and come up, release the arms and relax. TOP Twist pose - Vakrasana Long sitting. Bend at the right knee and place the right foot beside the left knee. Exhale and turn the spine towards the right side. Place the right palm in line with your spine on the back, left arm taken from the right side of the right knee and placed near the right foot. Look back or close your eyes. In the final posture, both the shoulders in the same line and chin parallel to the shoulders. This gives a fine twist to the spine and helps in diabetes, disorders of kidney and various abdominal complaints. Also helps in building up the flanks of the abdomen. TOP Peacock pose - Mayurasana Come up to the ankle pose. Keep the knees apart; place the hands in between the knees with the fingers pointing downwards. Bring the elbow joints closer. Bend at the elbows; place the elbows on either side of the navel and place the head touching the ground. Move the feet back with the toes touching the floor. Keeping the elbow joints as fulcrum, move forward to lift and balance the body parallel to the ground. Look forward and maintain for few seconds. TOP Lotus pose - Padmasana This is one of the important meditative pose. Sit straight with the legs stretched in front. Bend the right leg at the knee and place the right foot at the left groin. The same way place the left foot on the right groin by taking the left leg from above the right. Turn the soles up. Place the hands on the thighs with a gesture by joining the tips of the index finger and the thumb. Meditate in this pose for few minutes and return TOP

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Copyright 2004 Dr. Manoj All rights reserved

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