To begin the yoga practice…
Sit comfortably with spine & neck erect. Keep the eyes closed. Observe your body…your breathe…your heartbeat for few seconds. Prepare your mind & body for the yoga practice and manifest that may your mind and body be benefitted with the yoga practice.
Perform 3 rounds of deep inhalation & exhalation. Inhale…..Exhale…..Inhale….Exhale….Inhale….Exhale…
Relax a few seconds. Slowly open the eyes.
Warm up your body with loosening exercises.
Yogasana: Sitting Posture 6:
Paschimottanasanam (Seated Forward Bending Posture)
Paschimottanasanam is the sitting version of Pada Hastasana
Let’s begin with yoga asana..
Sthithi: Sit in Dandasana.
Step 1: Inhale and raise both the hands sideways upto the shoulder level, palms facing downwards.
Step 2: Continue inhalation and raise the hands upwards, keep them stretched straight up, palms facing forwards.
Step 3: Exhale and bend the upper part of the body slightly, stretching the hands forwards parallel to the ground, palms facing downwards.
Step 4: Further, with exhalation, bend the body at the hip joints and hold the big toes with the respective hands, without bending the knee joints. Try to touch the forehead on the knee joints. Maintain this final posture with normal breathing for 20 seconds.
Step 5: Slowly, with inhalation raise up to bring the hands parallel to the ground (same as step 3)
Step 6: Inhale further and straighten the body stretching the hands straight up as in step 2.
Step 7: Exhale and bring the hands down laterally to the shoulder levels as in step 1.
Step 8: With exhalation drop the hands down, returning to Dandasana.
Relax in Shithila dandasana. Sit with legs outstretched and kept apart. Support the body by placing the palms on the floor a little behind the hip on either side, fingers pointing backwards. Drop the head loosely to side or back. Keep eyes closed and relax.
Benefits:
Paschimottanasanam gives a good stretch to the muscles of the back and legs and also to the spine, thereby reducing the aches.
It is effective in sciatica.
It reduces the abdominal fat.
It relives constipation, improves digestion and appetite.
Beneficial in menstrual problems and dysmenorrhea.
Note: This posture must be avoided by patients with acute back pain, cardiac problems, hypertension, hernia and recent abdominal surgery.
Yogasana: Sitting Posture 7:
Suptavajrasana (Reclining diamond Posture)
This posture is complementary to Paschimottanasana. While
Paschimottanasana bends the body forwards, Suptavajrasana bends the
body backwards. Paschimottanasana should be followed
by Suptavajrasana to ensure complete stretching of the body.
Sthithi: Sit in Dandasana.
Step 1: Bend the right knee joint and place the feet under the right buttock.
Step 2: Bend the left knee joint and place the feet under the left buttock.
Step 3: With the support of the elbows and forearms on the floor behind the body, bend backwards (half reclining posture). Keep inhaling.
Step 4: Further bend backwards and lie down on the back, keeping the arms crossed over the head.
Maintain this final position with normal breathing.
Step 5: Raise the upper part of the body from the floor supporting with the elbows and the forearms, as in step 3 (half reclining posture).
Step 6: Straighten the body and come back to vajrasana, as in step 2.
Step 7: Straighten the left leg.
Step 8: Straighten the right leg, return to Dandasana.
Benefits:
Expands the chest and improves the respiration.
Improves blood circulation to the brain.
Reduces abdominal fat.
Stretches the spine and the back muscles.
Note: Avoid this posture in acute back pain,
disc problems, abdominal surgeries.
To conclude the practice, relax in Shavasana. Lie down on floor, legs apart, and hands away from body, palms facing upwards, head placed comfortably and eyes closed. Observe each joint and muscle of your body, starting from toes, ankle joints, calf muscles, knee joints, thigh muscles, hip joints, back muscles, spine, abdominal muscles, chest muscles, neck muscles and face one by one. As you observe them, loosen them completely and allow them to relax totally. Relax the whole body. Allow the breathe and heart rate to normalize. Slowly turn towards the right side and come up in sitting pose. Rub your palms together and gently give warm massage on face, neck and arms. Slowly open the eyes.
