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.
Let’s begin with yoga asana..
Yogasana: Sitting Posture 8: Shashankasana (Rabbit Posture)
Sthithi: Sit in Dandasana.
Step 1: Bend the right knee and place below the right buttocks.
Step 2: Bend the left knee and place below the left buttocks (Vajrasana pose).
Step 3: Inhale and take both the hands behind and catch hold of right wrist with the left hand .
Step 4: Exhale and bend forwards. Try to touch the forehead on the floor. Maintain this final posture with normal breathing for 20 seconds.
Step 5: Slowly, with inhalation raise up (same as step 3)
Step 6: Exhale & release the hands.
Step 7: Extend the left leg.
Step 8: Extend the right leg, 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:
- Shashankasana improves the flexibility of the spine and the back muscles.’
- It improves blood circulation to the head; advisable for headaches.
- 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 9: Ushtrasana (Camel Posture)
This posture is complementary to Shashankasana. While Shashankasana bends the body forwards, Ushtrasana bends the body backwards. Shashankasana should be followed by Ushtrasana 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 (Vajrasana Pose).
Step 3: Stand up on the knees.
Step 4: Inhale and bend backwards at the hip joint and catch hold of the heels with respective hands, drop the head backwards.
- Maintain this final position with normal breathing.
Step 5: Exhale and come forwards as in step 3.
Step 6: Come back to vajrasana.
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.
