Asana 19 Nauli

Nauli kriya (Rectus Isolation)

Technique: (Should be learned under supervision)

Ø  Perform Uddiyana.

Ø  Contract the rectus muscles and project them forward in a thrusting movement. To make it happen, use the hands to push the hip back and a forward movement with the back.

Ø  The centre of the abdomen will come out. To isolate the right or left rectus, bend a little to the isolating side. Relax the other hand and depress the rectus on that side and allow it to be pressed in. Contract the isolating side and exert pressure with that hand. Each rectus can be completely isolate with the other completely depressed.

Ø  People with hernia, renal disease should avoid this exercise. Those with stomach ailments should increase pressure slowly.

Variations:

Ø  There are 4 variations: Madhyama Nauli (isolation of rectus abdominis) – this is the standard nauli; Dakshina Nauli (isolation of right rectus) – this is the ability to move the right rectus muscle into the abdomen while keeping the left constant, Vama Nauli (isolation of left rectus) – here this is the ability to move the left rectus muscle into the abdomen while keeping the right constant, Nauli Kriya (rotation of rectus abdominis) – this is the ability to rapidly alternate between vama and dakshina nauli, i.e. alternate rapidly between the right rectus muscle and left rectus muscles.

Benefits:

Ø  This exercise is very good for removal of digestive ailments.

Ø  Also brings voluntary control to all abdominal muscles.

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Asana 18 - Uddiyana bandha

Uddiyana bandha (Abdominal Suction)

Technique: (Should be learned under supervision)

Ø  Stand erect with legs slightly apart and hands to the side.

Ø  Bend forward and place hands on the thigh some 6 inches from the hip joint.

Ø  Breathe out and empty the stomach of all air.

Ø  Relax the abdominal and rectal muscles.

Ø  When you feel the lungs completely empty, suck the stomach vigorously inwards towards the spine as far as possible.

Ø  Hold for as long as is convenient.

Ø  Breathe in slowly and release the stomach back to normal.

Ø  Stand erect and bring hands to the sides.

Ø  Repeat 3 to 6 times.

Ø  People with hernia, renal disease should avoid this exercise. Those with stomach ailments should increase pressure slowly.

Benefits:

Ø  When the stomach is sucked inwards, the ascending, descending and transverse colon and intestines are pulled upwards towards the spine. The rectal muscles are also pulled inwards. The small intestines and other organs such as the spleen, pancreas and stomach get pushed towards the spine. This results in the faecal matter getting completely evacuated from the body. All diseases related to acidity, piles and constipation get removed by practice of this exercise.

Ø  The inward suction of the organs strengthens the muscles holding the abdominal viscera to the spine and the intra-abdominal muscles.

Ø  The action of completely emptying the lungs and push of the diaphragm inwards increases the stroke of the diaphragm and helps increasing lung capacity and efficiency.

Ø  This exercise rejuvenates all major organs such as pancreas, liver, kidneys etc.

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Asana 17 Padahastasana (feet touching pose)

Padahastasana (Feet touching pose)

Technique:

Ø  Stand erect with feet together and hands to the sides.

Ø  Breathe in and lift hands above head.

Ø  Breathing out, bend forward to touch the toes. If possible pull the torso forward so that face touches knee.

Ø  Breathing in come back erect with hands above head.

Ø  Breathe out and drop hands to the sides.

Ø  People with cardiac ailments should do this exercise slowly because of the aerobic nature of the asana.

Benefits:

Ø  The action of bending forward brings suppleness to the lower back and restores strength to the cartilages and muscles on the lower back.

Ø  The action of bending forward stretches and tones the hamstrings.

Ø  This exercise is a very good aerobic exercise.

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Asana 16 - Trikonasana

Trikonasana (Triangle pose)

Technique:

Ø  Stand erect with lets spread to the width of the shoulders. Keep hands to the side.

Ø  Breathe in and raise hands to shoulder height.

Ø  Breathing out, bend to the side so that fingers touch feet. Try to bend only at the waist and keep shoulder, kneesandelbows straight so that the bending action is maximized.

Ø  While bending, keep face straight but move eyes sideways to gaze at the fingertips of the hands that are in the air.

Ø  Breathing in, come back to straight position.

Ø  Breathe in and bring hands back to side.

Ø  People with cardiac ailments should do this exercise slowly because of the aerobic nature of the asana.

Variation:

Ø  Instead of touching the hands to the feet on the same side (right hand touching right feet and left hand touching left feet), cross over and touch the opposite feet (right hand touching left feet and left hand touching right feet)

Benefits:

Ø  The action of bending results in the side muscles being alternately compressed and stretched. This strengthens the muscles and removes fat from the sides.

Ø  The bending action increases flexibility of the spine. All muscles of the spine get toned up.

Ø  The movement of the eyes increases peripheral vision and strengthens the eye muscles.

Some noteworthy points:

Ø  The spacing of the legs is important. Too narrow, and the strain on the side abdominal muscles (oblique miscles) can lead to cramps. Too wide, and the strain on the inside thighs can be very high.

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Asana 15 - Yoga Mudra

YogaMudra (Yogic Icon Pose)

Technique: (Should be learned under supervision)

Ø  Sit in Padmasana. Experience the balance.

Ø  Place hands on the heels with hands pointing inwards. Breathe in.

Ø  Breathing out, bend forward till the face touches the ground. In case you are doing this for the first time, bend forward only till you reach the limits of comfort. Hold for 10 counts.

Ø  Bring the body back to original position in Padmasana.

Ø  Bring the legs to original position.

Ø  Once is enough. Increase the duration slowly.

Benefits:

Ø  The action of bending forward against the resistance of the heel stretches the lower back. This tones up the back and relieves any stress in the lower back. This stretching also energises the cartilages along the complete spine and tones it up.

Ø  The forward action pushes in the viscera and induces peristalsis. This exercise is good for curing constipation. The action of pushing also invigorates all the organs in the stomach such as pancreas, liver, and intestines and normalises their functioning.

Ø  This exercise to a minor extent removes excess adipose tissues and reduces fat.

Some noteworthy points:

Ø  People with cardiac ailments and obesity should avoid this exercise.

Ø  Those with lower back problems should not go to the complete position. Instead, it is advisable that they go forward till there is discomfort in the lower back and stop. Do sethubandasana after this.

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Asana 14 – ArdhaMatsyandarasana (half fish twist post)

ArdhaMatsyandarasana (Half fish twist pose)

Technique: (Should be learned under supervision)

Ø  Sit on the left heel touching the perineum below the genitals, men should carefully lift the scrotum away from harm. Ensuring that the heel is securely anchored on the perineum and not shifting.

Ø  Lift the right leg over the left thigh and plant the sole of the right foot as close as possible to the left hip joint.

Ø  Using the right hand pull the folded knee close to the body and anchor it under the left armpit.

Ø  Twist around and try to catch the right ankle with the right hand. Turn the face in the direction of the twist.

Ø  Breathe shallow. Maintain for 10 counts. Repeat in the other direction in the same manner but changing the directions. Repeat 3 to 6 times in both directions.

Benefits:

Ø  The exercise is excellent for retaining spinal curvature. Continuous exercise will prevent backache and hip ailments. It stabilises the position of the shoulder blades and energises the back muscles. It helps increasing flexibility of the body. This exercise also tones up the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

Ø  The action of twisting the torso rejuvenates all the organs associated with digestion; the stomach, pancreas, liver and intestines. It optimises production of enzymes and absorption of nutrition. It also forces toxins out, thereby cleaning up the digestive system. This exercise is good for indigestion, diabetes, and other stomach ailments.

Some noteworthy points:

Ø  People with any form of spondylitis should do this asana under supervision.

Ø The spine consists of 3 major areas; the cervical region or neck, Thoracic/dorsal or upper back and lumbar/lower back put together by a total of 24 bones, called vertebrae. Discs of cartilage separate these bones absorbing shock and allowing the spine to bend. The spine carries the spinal chord, a critical component of the central nervous system. In order to stay healthy, the spine need to be exercised in the forward, backward, sideways directions and twisted as shown above.

Ø  The extreme twisting of torso also results in the stretching and pushing of the stomach and intestines. So after performing this asana, don’t be surprised if there is a bout of flatulence and burping. This is just the release of air which is trapped in the alimentary canal which is forced out by the asana.

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Asana 12 – Shirasanana (Head Stand)

Shirasasana (Head Stand)

Technique: (Should be learned under supervision)

Ø  Spread a thick cloth pad against a wall. Kneeling in front of the pad, bend forward and place hands on the spread to form a “V” at an angle of approximately 60 degrees. The palms should be turned facing the body with fingers interlaced.

Ø  Place the top of the head firmly on the pad in the cradle of the interlaced hands so that the palms support the back of the head.

Ø  Slowly lift the knees and move legs up so that the torso rises till it is vertical with the head. Leveraging with elbows, shoulder and lower back muscles, lift off the ground smoothly.

Ø  As the torso rises, keep knees together. Get into an upside down position.

Ø  Stabilise position and straighten the legs. After sufficient practice one could begin doing this exercise away from a wall. In this case after lifting the legs off the ground, fold them at the knees square to the body for balance.

Ø  The body should be held straight in the final position. Maintain normal breathing. Focus on the movement of breath at the throat.

Ø  Start with 10 secs. initially. Normal cycle is 3 to 20 minutes. Descend in reverse order, slowly.

Benefits:

Ø  This exercise infuses oxygen pregnant blood into the central nervous system. As a result, brain cells are invigorated, waste cleaned and removed. The oxygen stabilises the brain’s metabolic activity. Therefore, this exercise is good for behavioural and psychological development.

Ø  The eyes, eye muscles, retinal nerves are flushed with oxygen impregnated blood. Hence, very good for health of the eye.

Ø  This asana energises the pituitary glands, hypothalamus and thalamus which controls the functioning of testes in men and all the endocrine organs such as the thyroid and adrenaline glands.

Ø  The downward force of blood also helps in infusing blood to the ears, eyes, mucous tissues and salivary glands. The throat breathing balances ear pressure.

Ø  Good for maintaining body fat balance since pituitary also regulates the balance between water and salt in body fluids through the kidneys.

Ø  Also, the downward pressure of the colon contents increases peristalsis and cures constipation. The cartilage gets strengthened because of reverse pressure on the spine.

Some noteworthy points:

Ø  Do not do this exercise if one has high BP, cervical spondylitis, hernia or renal disease etc.

Ø  Do not relax the abdomen. It can cause the walls to collapse and tearing of the inguinal hernia.

Ø  Needless to say, this asana will also benefit the thyroid. Indeed, this asana is indispensible for bringing balance to the endocrine system.

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Asana 13 - Sundara Vipareethakarani (Inverted hypotenuse)

Sundara Vipareethakarani (Inverted hypotenuse)

Technique: (Should be learned under supervision)

Ø Place 3-5 hard pillows on the mat in such a way that the pillows are at an angle of 60 degrees with respect to the floor.
Ø Sit at the other end and slowly lower the torso so that the shoulders rest on the floor. Ensure that the torso is at 45 degrees to the floor.
Ø Fold legs towards the body and raise them straight into the air. Move the legs towards the torso, so that the legs and torso are at 90 degrees to each other.
Ø Place hands at the sides.
Ø Hold position for 5 minutes, increasing up to 20 minutes.

Variation :
Ø Should hard pillows not be available, it is possible to perform the asana by supporting the hip with the hands.

Ø Bend the knees over the torso to touch the forehead with the knees.

Ø Support the hips with the hands just above the hip bone and let the hips rest on the floor, such that the torso is at 45 degrees to the floor.

Ø Lift the legs and align it such that it is at 90 degrees to the torso.

Benefits:

Ø This exercise ensures concentration of blood supply to the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, stomach and respiratory tract. It is good for all illnesses related to the torso and neck, including respiratory disorders, heart and digestion disorders.

Ø This exercise builds resistance to all forms of allergies, colds and flu.

Some noteworthy points:

Ø Vipareetha = inverted + karni = hypotenuse in Sanskrit. The torso should be at right angle to the legs and the toes should form a hypotenuse with the head.
Ø This is one of the easiest and most effective asanas.

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Asana 11 - Matsyasana (fish pose)

Matsyasana (Fish Pose)

Technique: (To be learned under supervision)

Ø  Sit in Padmasana (Asana1). Slowly fall on the back using the elbows as support until completely on the ground.

Ø  Using the hands, lift the shoulders off the ground while folding the head towards the body till the trachea is completely stretched and the body is balanced on the top of the head.

Ø  Slowly release the load on the hands by releasing them and retaining the weight of the body on the head. Ensure that the body is in balance.

Ø  Move the hands forward to grip the toes. Haul on the toes using the hands to stress the back in the reverse direction. Maintain position for around 10 seconds. Maintain shallow breathing.

Ø  Release the hands. Straighten the legs. Stretch the body. Relax.

Benefits:

Ø  The reverse neck lock reverses and compensates the pressure created by the neck lock created by sarvangasana and halasana. So, halasana should be followed by sarvangasana and finally by matyasana.

Ø  This exercise is good for toning the neck, shoulders muscles, upper, middle and lower back. This exercise stretches the chest and abdominal muscles thereby toning them.

Ø  This asana increases blood supply to the brain stem and the movement increases its suppleness. The complex and sensitive muscles of the neck and head are exercised and rejuvenated.

Some noteworthy points:

Ø The pulling of the feet increases the lumbar arch and rejuvenated the sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous system.

Ø  The pulling of the feet also increases flexibility of the knees and improves ability to perform padmasana.

Ø  Be very careful when increasing pressure on the neck muscles. A jerk or improperly balanced pull could easily result in muscle or ligament damage in the neck and this can be very painful.

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Asana 10 - Sarvangasana (pan body pose)

Sarvangasana: (Pan body Pose)

Technique: (to be learned under supervision)

Ø  Lie flat on the back. Fold thighs over the torso so that the knees touch the forehead.

Ø  Support the back between the chest and hip with the hands elbows firmly planted on the ground.

Ø  Straighten the legs vertically upwards.

Ø  Push the chest against the chin to form a lock. This may require the hands to be brought further towards the chest. Let the back of the neck touch the ground. Keep legs and torso straight.

Ø  Relax. Breathe calmly and try to be serene. Gaze at the toes. Focus on the blood flow to the neck region.

Benefits:

Ø  This asana bathes thyroid and para-thyroid, endocrine or ductless glands situated at the base of the neck on both sides of the windpipe below the larynx with fresh oxygen rich blood. Thyroid controls the speed of chemical reactions in the body, influencing among others, and rate of growth and development of sexual characteristics in the adolescent. Defective thyroid could lead to goitre and cretinism in children.  Parathyroid controls use of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

Ø  Owing to the inverted pose, blood supply aided by gravity rushes down. The neck lock ensures that the blood circulates around the organs in the region, primarily the thyroid and parathyroid.

Ø  The inverted pose also increases blood supply to the brain stem which regulates functions such as heart rate, breathing, sleep, eating and cranial nerves and can support all treatments of the brain stem.

Ø  The inverted pose pushes intestines against diaphragm and sets up peristalsis. Helps cure constipation.

Ø  This asana helps balance all metabolic activity and increases resistance to disease.

Ø  Should not to be done by people having neck ailments like cervical spondylitis and those with high blood pressure should start this exercise only after getting proficiency in asanas and that too, increase intensity of practice gradually, under guidance of a doctor.

Some noteworthy points:

Ø  Beginners should learn this asana under supervision. The reason is that the entire body is upended to balance on the shoulder an back of the head. Any loss in balance could lead to grievous damage to the neck and this should be avoided.

Ø  When learning, the experienced practitioner should stand behind the novice, supporting the back and holding the legs. This support should be gradually withdrawn as the practitioner gains strength and confidence.

Ø  Many people worry about a gap in the neck on the ground during neck lock. One should not worry. The natural arch of the cervical portion of the neck is supported by a multitude of minor muscles. These muscles will be stiff initially and will relax with practice. Over time, the neck will flex to its natural position. Placing arch supports below the neck might hamper this process.

Ø  This asana MUST be followed by matyasana (turtle pose) to reverse the neck lock with a counter pose. 

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