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 10: Gomukhasana (Cow face Posture)
Sthithi: Sit in Dandasana.
Step 1: Bend the right knee and place below the left buttocks.
Step 2: Bend the left knee and place below the right buttocks. Make sure both your knee joints are aligned one above the other, pointing forwards, giving a triangle shape to your legs resembling the cow’s face.
Step 3: Inhale and take both the hands behind; right hand from upwards and left hand through the hip.
Step 4: Keep inhaling and interlock the fingers of both hands at the back.
- Maintain this final posture with normal breathing for 20 seconds. Keep neck and spine staright.
Step 5: Slowly, exhale and release the interlocked fingers.
Step 6: Exhale & release the hands and bring them forwards.
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.
To complement the stretch achieved by this posture, repeat the same starting with folding the left knee joint first followed by the right. While taking both the hands behind; left hand from upwards and right hand through the hip.
Benefits:
- Gomukhasana stretches and strengthens the back muscles.
- Stretches the biceps helping in fat loss and toning the arms.
- Expands the chest and thus improves lung capacity.
Note: In case of shoulder pain practice should be mild and slow.
Yogasana: Sitting Posture 11: Vakrasana (Twisted Posture)
Sthithi: Sit in Dandasana.
Step 1: Bend the right knee joint and place the feet adjacent to left knee; simultaneously take the right arm backwards and place the palm on floor at a distance from the body, in line with the right feet.
Step 2: Inhale, take the left arm through the outer aspect of the right knee joint and hold the right big toe. Exhale and twist the body towards right at the hip joint turning the head and upper part of the body backwards. Make sure the right knee joint is pointed upwards.
- Maintain this final position with normal breathing for atleast 20 seconds.
Step 3: Inhale and straighten the body, releasing the left hand.
Step 4: Extending the right leg, return back to dandasana.
To compliment the practice, repeat the same starting with moving the left leg and arm. Take the right arm through the outer aspect of the left knee joint and hold the left big toe. Make sure the left knee joint is pointed upwards.
Benefits:
- The twisting movement at the abdomen stimulated the visceral organs improving digestion.
- Very effective in controlling diabetes.
- Twisting the back muscles strengthens them.
Note: Avoid this posture in acute back pain, disc problems, abdominal surgeries.
Yogasana: Sitting Posture 12: Ardhamatsyendrasana (Twisted Posture-2)
Sthithi: Sit in Dandasana.
Step 1: Bend the right knee joint and place the feet under the left buttock.
Step 2: Bend the left knee and place the feet adjacent to the right knee, on the outer side. Make sure left knee joint is pointed upwards.
Step 3: Inahle and bringing the right arm through the outer aspect of left knee joint, hold the left big toe.
Step 4: Exhale and twist the body towards the left, at the hip joint and keep the left arm around the hip at the back.
Maintain this final posture with normal breathing for 20 seconds.
Step 5: Inhale and release the left arm, straighten the body.
Step 7: Extend the left leg.
Step 8: Extend the right leg, returning to Dandasana.
To compliment the practice, repeat the same starting with moving the left leg. Take the left arm through the outer aspect of the right knee joint and hold the right big toe, twisting the body towards right. Make sure the right knee joint is pointed upwards.
Benefits:
- The twisting movement at the abdomen stimulated the visceral organs improving digestion.
- Very effective in controlling diabetes.
- Twisting the back muscles strengthens them.
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.
