Yogasan and Pranayam

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Yogasan and Pranayam

Genral Warmup

Eye Training

Like any other muscles, the eye muscles

also need exercise to be healthy and strong.By moving the eyes in every direction,without turning your head at all, these Five

Yoga Eye Exercises will strengthen the eyemuscles, help prevent eyestrain, and

improve eyesight.

Look up and then look down.

Look at the right, then look at the left.

Look at the top right, then bottom left.Look at the top left, then botttom right.

Look up. Roll your eyes clockwise, then

counterclockwise.

Neck Exercises

Many people hold tension in their necks and shoulders, leading to stiffness, bad posture, andtension headaches. Yoga practice can ease tension, increase flexibility, and tone the muscles.

Bend your head forward, chin on chest, then back to original position.Bend to the right, then back to the original position.

Bend backward, then back to the original position.Bend to the left, then back to the original position.Bend forward, chin on chest, move from right to the left, then move from left to right.

Shoulder Lifts

Many people hold tension in their necks andshoulders, leading to stiffness, bad posture,

and tension headaches. Yoga practice canease tension, increase flexibility, and tone

the muscles. This section covers the stepson how to practice Shoulder Lifts.

Do this exercise slowly and keep your spinestraight and your neck relaxed.

Raise your right shoulder, then drop it down.Raise your left shoulder, then drop it down.

Raise both shoulders at once, then dropthem down again.
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Shoulder Stretches

Shoulder Stretches are great in relievingstress and tension on your shoulders, as well

as your entire upper back. Practice them

daily for several weeks and notice thechanges.

1. Sit in any comfortably erect position. Holdthe strap and straighten your arms forward.As you inhale, move your arms up until they

are overhead, and exhale as you bring themdown behind you.

2. Coordinate this movement with your

breathing, making the movement smooth.Make sure the strap is sufficiently long and

your hands sufficiently far apart, so that youcan keep your arms straight. If you cannot

keep your arms straight, lengthen the strap.Shoulder Stretches

Shoulder Stretches are great in relievingstress and tension on your shoulders, as well

as your entire upper back. Practice themdaily for several weeks and notice the

changes.

1. Sit in any comfortably erect position. Hold

the strap and straighten your arms forward.As you inhale, move your arms up until they

are overhead, and exhale as you bring them

down behind you.

2. Coordinate this movement with yourbreathing, making the movement smooth.

Make sure the strap is sufficiently long andyour hands sufficiently far apart, so that you

can keep your arms straight. If you cannotkeep your arms straight, lengthen the strap.

Cat Pose (Bidalasana)

The Cat Yoga Pose teaches you to initiatemovement from your center and to

coordinate your movement and breath.These are two of the most important themes

in Yoga practice. Keep in mind that the Cat

Pose may not be advisable if you have anychronic or recent back pain or injury.The alignment of your center depends on the

positioning of your pelvis. Therefore, think ofyour hip positioning as the center of each

pose. This is important because your spine isthe most significant line of energy in every

pose and because the way your spineelongates from your center depends solely

on which way your pelvis is turning. .
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Cat Pose (Bidalasana)

The Cat Yoga Pose teaches you to initiatemovement from your center and to

coordinate your movement and breath.

These are two of the most important themesin Yoga practice. Keep in mind that the Cat

Pose may not be advisable if you have any

chronic or recent back pain or injury.The alignment of your center depends on thepositioning of your pelvis. Therefore, think of

your hip positioning as the center of eachpose. This is important because your spine is

the most significant line of energy in everypose and because the way your spine

elongates from your center depends solelyon which way your pelvis is turning. .

STEP 3:

When you are

ready tobegin,breathe in

deeply. As

you exhale,turn your hips

into Cat Tilt.

Do this bygently pulling

the abdominalmuscles

backward

toward thespine, tuckingthe tailbone

(coccyx)down and

under, andgently

contractingthe buttocks.

Press firmlydownward

with yourhands in

order to staylifted out of

the shoulders,and press the

middle of

your backtoward the

ceiling,

rounding yourspine upward.

STEP 1: Start

on your

hands andknees.Position your

hands directly

beneath yourshoulders and

your knees

directlybeneath the

hips. Haveyour fingers

fully spread

with themiddle fingerspointing

straightahead. Make

your backhorizontal and

flat. Gaze atthe floor. This

is your"neutral"

positioning.When your

pelvis is inneutral, your

spine will beat full

extension,

with both thefront and

back sides

equally long.
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Curl your

head inward.Gaze at the

floor between

your knees.STEP 3:

When you are

ready tobegin,breathe in

deeply. Asyou exhale,

turn your hipsinto Cat Tilt.

Do this bygently pulling


backwardtoward the

spine, tuckingthe tailbone

(coccyx)down and

under, andgently

contracting

the buttocks.Press firmly

downward

with yourhands in

order to staylifted out of

the shoulders,and press the

middle ofyour back

toward theceiling,

rounding yourspine upward.

Curl yourhead inward.

Gaze at the

floor betweenyour knees.


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STEP 2: As

you wait for

the inner cue,do not sag

into yourshoulders.

Instead,create a line

of energythrough each

arm bypressing

downward

into yourhands andlifting upward

out of yourshoulders. Go

back andforth like this

several timesto make sure

youunderstand

themovement.

As you

exhale, saginto your

shoulders and

do theincorrect

action; as youinhale,

lengthen thearms, lift out

of theshoulders and

do the correctaction.

STEP 3: When STEP 1: Start on your


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you are ready to

begin, breathein deeply. As

you exhale, turn

your hips intoCat Tilt. Do this

by gently pulling

the abdominalmusclesbackward

toward thespine, tucking

the tailbone(coccyx) down

and under, andgently

contracting thebuttocks. Press

firmly downwardwith your hands

in order to staylifted out of the

shoulders, andpress the middle

of your backtoward the

ceiling, rounding

your spineupward. Curl

your head

inward. Gaze atthe floor

between yourknees. STEP 3:

When you areready to begin,

breathe indeeply. As you

exhale, turnyour hips into

Cat Tilt. Do thisby gently pulling


backward

toward thespine, tuckingthe tailbone

(coccyx) downand under, and

gentlycontracting the

buttocks. Pressfirmly downward

with your hands

hands and knees. Position

your hands directly beneathyour shoulders and your

knees directly beneath the

hips. Have your fingersfully spread with the middle

fingers pointing straight

ahead. Make your backhorizontal and flat. Gaze atthe floor. This is your

"neutral" positioning. Whenyour pelvis is in neutral,

your spine will be at fullextension, with both the

front and back sides equallylong.


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in order to stay

lifted out of theshoulders, and

press the middle

of your backtoward the

ceiling, rounding

your spineupward. Curlyour head

inward. Gaze atthe floor

between yourknees.

STEP 2: As

you wait for

the inner cue,do not sag into

your

shoulders.Instead,create a line of

energythrough each

arm bypressing

downward intoyour hands

and liftingupward out of

yourshoulders. Go

back and forthlike this

several timesto make sure

youunderstand

themovement. As

you exhale,

sag into your


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shoulders and

do theincorrect

action; as you

inhale,lengthen the

arms, lift out

of theshoulders anddo the correct

action.

Standing Exercises

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

The Mountain Yoga Pose promotes the experience of stillne

stability associated with mountains. This Yoga posture, anone of the ways of becoming acquainted with stillness.

Stand up straight with both feet at hip-width.

Turn your heels a little outward and let your weight rest onYour arms hang downwards along your body and the palmNow make the back of your pelvis move away from your lo

a little in the direction of your belly.Breathe in and out a few times with full concentration. Thr

the upper back. It would then feel as if you stretch your boThe shoulders feel broad and are relaxed.

Your breathing is free and relaxed.Look straight ahead of you at a spot within your vision and

possible.
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Whenever you do this exercise, do it with care and always

Many people do this asana as a moment of rest during thefocus and concentration. Try to prevent this and do your b

alertness and the meditative character of Yoga in Tadasanincrease or regain the meditative feeling of relaxation and

difficult Yoga Asanas because they cause feelings of discomeffect achieved by Tadasana, you will discover that you be

relaxation and attention, which results in greater effective

Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)In Hindu art, the triangle is a potent symbol for the divine

and mandalas used for meditation. The Trikonasana or Tribasic session.

STEP 5: Then

twist your head

to the left, lookupward along

youroutstretched

arm andstretch out

your neck.When you

stand wellaligned in this

position, it willfeel light. The

better you do

this exercise,the bigger willbe the triangle

between yourlegs, arms and

side are. STEP5: Then twist

your head tothe left, look

upward alongyour

outstretched

arm andstretch out

your neck.

When youstand well

aligned in thisposition, it will

feel light. Thebetter you do

this exercise,the bigger will

STEP 1: Start with the Downward Facing
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be the triangle

between yourlegs, arms and

side are. STEP

4: Stretch theleg which is in

front without

bending theback ortwisting your

body. Withyour back

straight andyour right hip

stretchedbackward, look

at a point onthe ground and

breathe in andout quietly.

Press your lefthand against

the heel andtwist your

chest to theleft. Let the

twisting

motion involveonly your

upper back

while your hip,lower back,

legs and headremain

stationary.When you

cannot twistany further,

stretch yourright arm

upward. STEP4: Stretch the

leg which is infront without

bending the

back ortwisting yourbody. With

your backstraight and

your right hipstretched

backward, lookat a point on

the ground and


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breathe in and

out quietly.Press your left

hand against

the heel andtwist your

chest to the

left. Let thetwistingmotion involve

only yourupper back

while your hip,lower back,

legs and headremain

stationary.When you

cannot twistany further,

stretch yourright arm

upward. STEP3: Put your left

hand besideyour foot and

carry your

weight withthe lower back

and on the

heels of yourfoot in front.

Raise the upperpart of your

body until thelower back is

straight. Youcan recognize

this by agroove in the

middle of thelower back.

The right foot(the one at the

back) rests on

the floor. STEP3: Put your lefthand beside your

foot and carryyour weight with

the lower backand on the heels

of your foot infront. Raise the

upper part of


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your body until

the lower back isstraight. You can

recognize this by

a groove in themiddle of the

lower back. The

right foot (theone at the back)rests on the

floor.

Step backtowards the

DownwardFacing Dog Pose

and repeat theexercise with

your right leg infront.

Step back

towards theDownwardFacing Dog Pose

and repeat theexercise with

your right leg infront.


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STEP 2: Move your left foot forward for about 1

meter.

In this Asana, it is important that you keep the lower back

you are twisting, the hips do not twist along. Otherwise, th

back gets "locked up" as it were which results in tension intightening the left hand side and let it even help carry the

when twisting. This dynamism in your side also helps you the right leg as a result of which the hip is mobilized as mu

Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana)This asana is a contrary twisted Trikonasana and is a good

is good for your sense of coordination and sense of balancbe able to carry it out correctly.

STEP 6: Then twist

your head to theright and upward,look upwards along

your arm andstretch out your

neck. STEP 5: Ifyou cannot twist

any further, stretchyour right hand

upward. STEP 4:

STEP 1: The Dog pose (Adho Mukha

with.
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With your right

hand, grab yourankle or the under

side of your lower

leg and you see toit that the lower

back carries your

weight and thatconsequently youhardly rest on your

right hand. Stretchthe leg which is in

front withoutbending the back or

twisting your body.With your back

straight and yourright hip stretched

backward, look at apoint on the ground

and breathe in andout quietly. Press

your left handagainst the ankle or

your lower leg andtwist the upper

body to the right

and upward. STEP3: Put your hands

next to your foot and

carry your weightwith the lower back

on the heel of thefoot in front. Raise

your upper body untilyour back is straight.

You can recognizethis by a groove in

the middle of thelower back. Without

changing yourposture and shifting

your weight, twistyour left foot

diagonally with the

heel toward theground.


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The better you do thisexercise, the bigger

will be the triangle

between your leg infront, your arm and

your side. When you

stand well aligned inthis position, it willfeel light and

spacious.

Step back towardsthe Dog and repeat

the exercise with yourleft leg in front.

Try to support asmuch of your weight

as possible with yourback and to rest as

little as possible onyour right arm. With

a view to the strongstraining of your hips

and the hamstrings,

you should see to itthat you are not

going to try tocompensate for it by

twisting your legs

outside. Because ifyou do, you lose the

stretching motion inyour back, allowing

your lower back to


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sink down or to

support yourself toomuch on your lower

arm.

STEP 2: Start with the Dog position and put your

right leg about one meter forward.

The exercise often has a strong effect on your pelvis and t

wobble or look for a way to compensate it. Try to twist as alignment. In the case of pain or discomfort, try to avoid g

And only when you experience the exercise as extremely d

a little extra support with your lower arm. For your balancfoot against the baseboard of the wall.

Crescent Moon Pose

The Crescent Moon Pose stretches and strengthens the armand concentration, and can also relieve backaches. If you

neck problems, you should take extra caution practicing th

STEP 3: Raise STEP 1: Kneel and keep your back stra
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both arms, and

hook both thumbstogether. At the

same time you

stretch your armsupwards and you

pull the thumbs

slightly apart.Then you raiseyour knee at the

back so that yourweight is now

equally dividedbetween the leg in

front and the legat the back. Look

forward and focusyour attention on

one point. Thishelps you to

maintain yourbalance. If you

find this easy, youcan also look

upwards or evenbackwards instead

of looking in front

of you.

It is important

that yourchestbone

remains low andthat you do not

make your lowerback too hollow.

By stretching your

arms you alsostretch your back.When doing that,

try to maintaindynamism from

the sacrum to thehip.


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STEP 2: Step forward with your right foot until thefoot is a little in front of the knee and your upper leg

is parallel with the floor. The left foot (the one at theback) rests on the floor with its toes and your lower

leg on the mat. You can increase the stretching ofyour leg muscles in the front part of your left hip by

bending your front leg more and more.

At first you can also do the asana without raising the hind hard for the leg muscles and easier for your balance. Exte

compensate by bending the knee.

Make the most of the exercise by bending deeper with youfurther, by making your breathing as relaxed as possible a

Warrior Pose I (Virabhadrasana I)

The Warrior Pose I or Virabhadrasana I improves balance arms. It also targets the chest, shoulders, neck, and abdo

this section.

STEP 6: Raise

both hands -palms should

be facing

inward and

fingers areoutstretched.STEP 5: Bend

your left knee.

Make sure thatthe knee is

directly aboveyour foot.

Bending toomuch may lead

STEP 1: Start with the Mountain Pose.
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to knee injury.

STEP 4: Rotateyour torso to

the left. STEP

3: Turn your leftfoot 90 degrees

to the left and

position yourright foot about45 degrees to

the left.

STEP 2: Jump or move your left foot sideways soyour feet are about four feet apart.


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This is a powerful Standing Pose which provides numerousespecially in the legs and ankles. Let your Yoga instructor

Warrior Pose II (Virabhadrasana II)

This posture strengthens your legs, back, shoulders, and achest, and improves balance. It is called the Warrior in ref

Shiva. Learn how to do the second Warrior Pose in this sec

STEP 4: Turnyour left foot 90

degrees to the

left and bendyour left knee.

Keep the hips inthe same angle

(180 degrees)as for the arms.

Stay in thisposition for 30

seconds to oneminute. STEP 3:

Raise both armsparallel to the

floor. Turn yourhead to the left.


STEP 2: Jump so that your feet are around four feet
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apart.

This is a powerful Standing Pose which provides numerousimproved strength in the legs and ankles. Just make sure

instructor for assistance so he or she will be able to tell yo

Warrior Pose III (Virabhadrasana III)Warrior Pose III is the third variation of Virabhadrasana. T

strengthening your ankles and legs. As with all other pose

optimum results. Learn how to do the Warrior Pose III in t

STEP 4: Liftyour left foot

andstraighten

your right legsimultaneousl

y, keepingyour arms

parallel to thefloor. At this

point, your

raised leg,upper bodyand arms

should beparallel to the

floor. Givelength to the

entire spineby stretching

your arms

and your legs.This results in

stretching

from twosides of the

back:stretching

from the legsand from the

arms. Keep onbreathing

through thebelly and be

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careful not to

bend yourlower back.

STEP 3: Move

your left footbackward.

Slightly lean

forward,keeping yourback straight

and your armsstretched

overhead. Yourleft foot, back,

and armsshould form a

diagonal line.

STEP 2: Raise both arms overhead, perpendicular to

the floor. Your palms should be facing each other.

This is a powerful Standing Pose which helps increase stamAs with all other poses, make sure to perform it correctly t

instructor for assistance so he or she will be able to tell yo


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Wide-legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)

This is a good stretching exercise that reduces the stiffneshind legs. At the same time, the muscles of the back and t

deal with possible stretching aches.

STEP 4: Push,as it were,

your pelvisupward, look

to the groundand stretch

from the necktowards the

ground. STEP3: Bend forward

until the upperbody stands

halfway parallelto the ground.

Place your

hands rightunder yourshoulders on

the ground and

see to it thatyour lower back

is straight and

still supportsyour position.

If you can do

this easily, youcan grab theoutsides of your

feet and slightlypull at them so

that the frontpart of your

body feels longand you can

stretch evenfurther.

The stretchingshould be the

result ofrelaxation,

letting loose,

gravitation andthe stretching

motion itselfand not the

result of pulling

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your hands with

force.

STEP 2: Jump so that your feet are around four feetapart. Slightly turn your heels outward while you look

forward.

When you come back, stand straight up again and then yo

Try to maintain the feeling of stretching and giving length forward bend. When the back sinks down the chest and yo

part of the stretching.

Remember that you do this forward bend in a relaxed manforce. When you pull too hard, the body stiffens, your thin

risk of injuring yourself.

Chair Pose I (Utkatasana I)A strong straight lower back is the foundation of every cor

strengthen the lower back and the legs and by doing so, yCheck out this section and learn how it is done.

STEP 3: Exhaleand bend your

knees and moveyour upper body

forward at 45

STEP 1: Start with the Mountain Pose (T
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degrees.

See to it that

your lower backis straight. You

can do this by

letting your handfeel whetherthere is a

"groove" in themiddle of the

lower back. If thisis not the case,

then stand upstraight again,

bend your bodyforward, and feel

if the "groove" isthere. Let the

weight of theupper body sink

into the pelvis,relax the calve

muscles so thatthe weight of the

body can be most

efficientlydirected into the

ground.

The chest bone ismoved slightlytowards the belly.

The breathing isrelaxed and goes

through the bellyor towards the

chest bone. Buildup the exercise

quietly andremain focused

on a correctposition of the

back, chest, andpelvis.


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STEP 2: Inhale and stretch your arms, lengthen thespine, and be careful not to press the lower ribs to the

front.

For a good position, it is essential that the lower back has

Otherwise, the space disappears from the chest, the movebecomes impossible to breathe through the belly correctly

strength in your lower back, it is important to place the low

Chair Pose II (Utkatasana II)

Unlike in the Utkatasana I, the Chair Pose II involves bend

parallel to the floor. Learn how to perform the Chair Pose Iyour guide as well as our easy-to-understand steps.

STEP 3: Bendyour upper body

from the hip untilhalfway parallel

to the floor.Without causing

tension in thechin, stretch out

your neck, whichcauses the back

to be lengthened.The chest bone is

moved slightly inthe direction of

the belly. Thebreathing goes

through the belly

or towards thechest bone,

against which thehands have been

placed. Look

straight

STEP 1: Start with the Mountain Pose (T
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downwards at a

spot on the floor.

Build up theexercise quietly

and remain

focused on acorrect positionof the back and

the chest.

STEP 2: Bring your hands together in the prayerposition against the chest bone.

This is a good pose to strengthen your lower back and impto achieve optimum benefits.

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Doing a Standing Forward Bend can completely stretch yomuscles and legs. In addition, it can help increase the flow

Forward Bend in this section.

STEP 3: Keep

breathing correctlythrough your belly

and slowly stretchyour chest to the

knees withoutlosing the support

of your lower back.Stretch your legs

everytime youexhale. Your pelvis

moves upward fromthe back until your

legs are eventuallystretched. Touch

the ground or grab

STEP 1: Start with the Mountain Pose
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your ankles. Stretch

downward fromyour crown and

when you have

grabbed yourankles, use a slight

stretching force to

lengthen the body.

Important! If youlose the supportive

power of the lowerback during the

exercise, you lose amajor part of its

effect. As a result,your chest will sink,

making yourbreathing irregular.

Also, stretching willnot be effective.

Now, stand upstraight again and

jump back to

Tadasana.

STEP 2: Bend your knees, support your upper bodywith a straight lower back, and slowly bend forward

so that your belly touches your upper legs. Maintainthe position of your lower back or else your chest will

sink. Move your pelvis, taking the back as the startingpoint, relax your groins, and keep your weight on the

front parts of your heels.


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Bear in mind that you perform this forward bend through r

feet with physical strength. When you pull too hard, the bo

affected and worst of all, you run a risk of injuring yoursel

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)The Downward Facing Dog Pose builds up strength in the u

Though it is an exercise in itself, this pose is often used in and learn how a Downward Facing Dog Pose is done.

STEP 4: Whenyou have

placed yourback and your

legs correctly,stretch out

your arms.

This results ina stretching

from twosides of the

back: a

stretchingfrom the

pelvis and astretching

from thearms. When

the back andthe chest are

placedcorrectly, you

will noticethat you can

quietlybreathe in

and outthrough the

belly. Youshould not let

your chesthang

downwards or

make yourback

extremelysunken. In

this Asana,

the backshould be

lengthenedalong its

entire length.

STEP 1: Come onto the floor on your hanupper back between the shoulder blades, w

the shoulder blades.
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Take your

time to workout the

stretching

further andfurther. STEP

3: Stretch your

legs in such away that youget the feeling

that someonebehind you is

pulling yourlegs and hips

backwards fromthe top of your

upper legs. Letyour head hang

down in arelaxed sort of

way.

STEP 2: Exhale and lift your knees and draw yourback backwards from the pelvis, so that your arms

and back form one line.


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Many people experience the Downward Facing Dog Pose a

exercises. However, when you are doing this, try to remaicontinue working out the technique further to get the max

general.

Revolved Side Angle Pose (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)This Standing Pose helps enhance flexibility and alignment

balance, and strengthen legs and knees. In this section, leParsvakonasana) is performed.

STEP 5: Putyour left hand

on the floorand align

your right

arm with yourleft leg. At

this point,your right

arm and left

leg shouldform a

diagonal line.Try to stretch

your neck,breathe

towards thebreast bone

and twistfrom the

lowershoulder

blade whichsteers on the

twist. Repeatthe exercise

on the otherside. STEP 4:

Put somecounter

pressure with

your armagainst the

knee, stretchyour back,

move your

shoulderblades

backwards,and turn to

the right with

STEP 1: To start off, put your right foot fowith your left knee.
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your upper

body.Straighten

your left leg

backwards.STEP 3: Place

both palms in

the prayerposition. Makean upward

motion out ofthe lower back

so that theelbow slightly

presses upwardagainst your

right knee andyou no longer

lean on yourleg.

STEP 2: Bring your left elbow or left upper arm over

your right knee. Move your right hand close to yourhips.


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You can take steps 3, 4, and 5 as separate exercises. For

enough. A more advanced variation is step 4 where you caposition of your lower back, hip, and upper leg. As a result

perform steps 3 and 4 properly than to rush into step 5 wiare also great warm-up poses for step 5.

Hands to Feet (Pada Hastasana)

The Hands to Feet Pose or Pada Hastasana gives many of the waist, restoring elasticity to the spine, and stretching t

hamstrings. Learn how to do the Hands to Feet Pose in thi

STEP 4: Slowlybend further

so that yourbelly is

touching your

upper legs.Grasp your

toes and

breathe deeplyin the pose.STEP 3: Bend

forward untilyour hands

touch your feet.

When you have

grabbed yourankles or toes,

use a slightstretching force

to lengthen thebody. With the

pull from thehands, move

your belly toyour upper legs

and prevent

your chest tosink and lose the

supportive

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power of the

lower backduring the

exercise.

STEP 2: As you inhale, raise your arms above yourhead.

Be careful! You perform this forward bend through relaxat

feet with too much physical strength. When you pull too hbecome affected and worst of all, you run a risk of injuring

Standing Side Stretch Pose

This side stretch will increase the flexibility of your spine, akidney, and spleen functions. Furthermore, the Yoga Pose

aid the lungs to take in more oxygen. Learn how to perfor

STEP 3: As

you exhale,bend your

upper body tothe right. Hold

for severalbreaths.

Inhale, andbring the body

back to theoriginal

STEP 1: Start with the Mountain Pose and
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position.

Repeat thepose on the

other side.

STEP 2: As you inhale, raise your left arm, making aline from your left foot to the fingertips. Place your

right hand on your right hip.

If the Standing Side Stretch Pose is properly done withoutwonderful feeling as it bends the muscles and the spine to

free to slightly put your feet apart.

Stand Spread Leg Forward Fold

Practicing the Standing Spread Leg Forward Fold can strenyour spine. People with lower back problems should avoid

may use props like a folding chair to support your forearm

STEP 4: Bend

your upperbody from

the hip untilhalfway

parallel tothe floor.

Withoutcausing

tension in

the chin,stretch out

your neck,

which causesthe back to

belengthened.

STEP 1: Start with the Mountain Pose (Tad
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The chest

bone ismoved

slightly in the

direction ofthe belly. The

breathing

goes throughthe belly ortowards the

chest bone,against

which thehands have

been placed.Look straight

downwardsat a spot on

the floor.STEP 3: Bring

your handstogether in the

prayer positionagainst the

chest bone.

Build up theexercise

quietly and

remain focusedon a correct

position of theback and the

chest.

STEP 2: Jump so that your feet are around four feetapart. Slightly turn your heels outward while you look

forward.


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People with lower back problems should avoid doing the fu

props like a folding chair to support your forearms.

Tree Pose (Vrksasana)The Tree Pose helps strengthen your thighs, calves, ankles

your hips and groin. Your balance and concentration can aPose is recommended for people who have sciatica and fla

STEP 5: Raise

your armsoverhead,

keeping your

palms in prayerposition. To

maintain

balance, it helpsto focus your

eyes on one pointin front of you

and keep on

breathingthrough thebelly.

STEP 4: As youexhale, bring

your palmstogether in

prayer position.STEP 3: As you

inhale, stretch yourarms sideways to

form a T, palmsfacing down.

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STEP 2:As you exhale, place your left foot on theinside part of your right leg, close to the groin area,

with the toes pointing downward.

In the beginning, you may use a back brace against a wallsuffering from headache, insomnia, low blood and high blo

this pose.

Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)The Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) is a Standing Po

improves balance and strength.

STEP 6: Look

up at yourfingers. Stay inthis pose for a

few seconds.STEP 5: Raise

your left hand.It should be

aligned with

your righthand. Bear your

STEP 1: Start with a Trikonasana, with y
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weight on the

right leg.STEP 4: Exhale

and press your

right hand andright heel into

the floor for

balance. Liftyour left legparallel to the

floor.STEP 3: Move

your right handforward - a few

inches from thetoes of your right

leg, and

STEP 2: Slightly bend your right knee then move abit forward.


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Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)

The Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar is a Yoga Pose whithe Yoga Asanas. It is a graceful sequence of twelve Yoga

Learn how to practice Sun Salutation in this section.

STEP 12: Exhaling, gently comeback to Tadasana. STEP 12:

Exhaling, gently come back toTadasana. STEP 11: Inhaling,

stretch your arms forward and over

your head. Slowly bend backwardfrom the waist.STEP 11: Inhaling, stretch your

arms forward and over your head.

Slowly bend backward from thewaist.

STEP 10: Exhale and then bend

forward until your hands touchyour feet.

STEP 10: Exhale and then bendforward until your hands touch

your feet.

STEP 9: As you inhale, move yourleft leg back, with the top of thefoot stretched out flat on the floor,

and lift your chin. STEP 9: As youinhale, move your left leg back,

with the top of the foot stretchedout flat on the floor, and lift your

chin. STEP 8: Exhaling, curl yourtoes under, press down into your

heels, and lift your hips.STEP 8: Exhaling, curl your toes

under, press down into your heels,and lift your hips.

STEP 7: Inhaling, stretch forwardand bend back. Keep your arms

straight.STEP 7: Inhaling, stretch forward

and bend back. Keep your arms

straight.STEP 6: Retaining the breath, lower

your knees, your chest and then

your forehead, keeping your hipsup and toes curled under.

STEP 1: Stand onMountain Pose.

Exhale.
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STEP 6: Retaining the breath, lower

your knees, your chest and thenyour forehead, keeping your hips

up and toes curled under.

STEP 5: Exhaling, step the left legback into plank position. Keep your

spine and legs in a straight line and

support your weight on hands andfeet. STEP 5: Exhaling, step the leftleg back into plank position. Keep

your spine and legs in a straightline and support your weight on

hands and feet. STEP 4: As youinhale, step the right leg back, arch

back and lift your chin. STEP 3:Exhale and then bend forward until

your hands touch your feet.
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STEP 2: As you inhale, raise your arms overhead,

keeping your palms together.


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Backbends

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

The Bow Pose resembles an archer's bow. It

strengthens the muscles in the back area,improves posture, and helps in dealing with

several gastrointestinal problems. Take notethat this Yoga Pose is not for people who are

suffering from serious neck or back injury.

STEP 4: Raise your

knees further bypulling your ankles

with your hands. STEP3: Reach back with your

arms and grasp yourankles. Let your weight

rest on your stomach andnot on your pelvis.

Continue breathing

regularly and try toincrease the stretching in

the chest and thebackward bend for a

relaxed body and mind.

STEP 1: Lie on your

stomach, arms onyour sides, and palms

facing upward.

STEP 2: Bend yourknees. Bring your heels
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near your buttocks.

If you like you can end this exercise by lettinggo of your legs without letting them move

towards the floor and building up some extrastrength by "floating" over your Yoga Mat.

Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

This exercise strengthens the power of your

legs, arms, and wrists and makes your back and

spinal column supple and flexible. It expandsthe chest, mobilizes the entire spinal column,

and can be a welcome change to the usualmovement of your body.

STEP 5: Stand on your feetand stretch out your arms

until you have assumed thecomplete bridge position.

The arms are slightly bentinwards. Let your head fall

backwards. The bending isbrought about by with

strength from your legsand with force from your

arms. Aside from that, youtry to achieve the bending

through the entire backand not just through a few

vertebrae. Look at the

floor, and every time youexhale, try to bend the

upper back further and

further. Keep the kneestogether, stretch the legs

without tightening thebuttocks, relax the

shoulders and try to keepthe angle of your wrists

and hands 90 degrees.STEP 4: Keep your feet and

knees parallel as you pushyourself up until you stand

on the ground with the

STEP 1: Lie onyour back on

your Yoga Mat.Pull in your legs

and put yourfeet, somewhat

turned inside, onthe mat.

However, do notpull them further

apart than thedistance of one

hip end to theother.
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crown of your head. STEP

3: Lift your hips, with yourhead still on the Yoga Mat.

Get back quietly and repeat

the exercise a number oftimes.

STEP 2: Move your

hands towards yourhead and spread your

palms on the floor

beside your head, yourfingers placed toward

your shoulders.


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The principle of the Roman Bridge is that it

keeps itself in its right position without cement.In other words: the more you practice this

exercise and the more flexible your back

becomes, the less strength you will need to doit.

Locust Pose (Salabhasana)

If the Cobra Pose works mainly on the upperback, the Locust Pose targets the lower part.

This posture also strengthens the abdominalarea, arms, and legs. Another thing that makes

it different from many poses is that it entailsrapid movement. Check out how it is done in

this section.

STEP 4: Lift your legs.

Keep your arms parallel tothe floor. You will be

resting on your abdomenand lower ribs. Stay on

this position for about aminute. STEP 3: Lift your

head, upper torso, and arms.

STEP 1: Lie on

your stomach withyour arms

alongside yourbody, palms

facing up. Yourforehead rests on

the floor.

STEP 2: Gently lift your

head.
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This Asana is not as easy as it seems. As asafety guideline, listen to your body and stay

within your limits. It is advisable to do this pose

and other Yoga Exercises under the supervisionof a Yoga instructor.

Fish Pose (Matsyasana)

Doing the Fish Pose relieves stiffness of theneck and shoulder muscles and improves

flexibility of your spine. It is the counter-pose ofthe Shoulderstand. Hold the Fish Pose for at

least half the amount of time you spent in theShoulderstand in order to balance the stretch.

STEP 1: Lie down

on your back with

your legs straightand your feet

together. Placeyour hands, palms

down, underneathyour thighs.

STEP 2:Pressing down

on your elbows, inhaleand arch your back.

Drop your head back sothat the top of your

head is on the floor, butyour weight should rest

on your elbows. Exhale.Breathe deeply while in

the position, keepingyour legs and lower

torso relaxed. To come

out of the pose, lift yourhead and place it gently

back down, thenrelease the arms.

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

This Yoga Pose improves spinal flexibility and

strengthens the muscles in the arms and back.In addition, it is effective in relieving menstrual

irregularities and constipation. Learn how to
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perform the Cobra Pose in this section.

STEP 5: The buttock

muscles remain relaxedduring the exercise.

Move your chest furtherupwards with every

breathing out. Do this ina relaxed way instead of

using force. You can tiltyour head back. The

shoulders are broad infront and the shoulder

blades remain low. STEP4: If you cannot raise

your chest any further,put your hands and

arms next to your cheston the mat without

losing the bend. Stretch

your arms so that theystand perpendicular onthe floor and at the

same time turn your

arms a little inward.Relax your lower back

and bear your weight

with your arms. STEP 3:The head falls a little

backwards towards yourback and the backward

movement proceeds from

the neck and the chin.Move your belly furtherbackward as if someone is

pulling your arms. Theweight is more and more

shifted towards the bellyand the lower back does

the real work.

STEP 1: Lie on your

belly, while yourhead rests on your

lower arms.


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STEP 2: Raise your

forehead, look upwardsand stretch your hands

backwards. Let yourweight rest on your

chest.

Build up the exercise in a quiet way. When thelower back is stiff, this exercise may cause the

lower back to feel a little painful anduncomfortable. This is normal and will pass

away as the stiffness decreases. In spite of theuncomfortable feeling that you may sometimesexperience, this exercise is highly

recommended for people with a stiff lower backor pain in the lower back.

Dog Pose

The Dog Pose improves flexibility of your spine,

stretches the hips and middle and low back,rejuvenates the body, and helps in preventing

back problems. Take note that this Yoga Poseshould not be performed if you have serious

back pain or injury.

STEP 4: As you

inhale, turnyour hips into

Dog Tilt. Do this

by releasing the

STEP 1: Start on your hands

and knees. Position your

hands directly beneath yourshoulders and your knees

directly beneath the hips.

Have your fingers fully spread
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grip of the

buttocks,reversing the

tilt of your

pelvis, andcurving your

spine into a

smoothlyarchedbackbend. STEP

3: When you areready to begin,

breathe in deeply.As you exhale,

turn your hipsinto "Cat Tilt". Do

this by gentlypulling the

abdominalmuscles backward

toward the spine,tucking the

tailbone (coccyx)down and under,

and gentlycontracting the

buttocks. Press

firmly downwardwith your hands

in order to stay

lifted out of theshoulders, and lift

the middle of yourback toward the

ceiling, roundingyour spine

upward. Curl yourhead inward.

Gaze at the floorbetween your

knees.

with the middle fingers

pointing straight ahead. Makeyour back horizontal and flat.

Gaze at the floor. This is your

"neutral" position. When yourpelvis is in neutral, your spine

will be at full extension, with

both the front and back sidesequally long.


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STEP 2: As you wait forthe inner cue, do not

sag into your shoulders.Instead, create a line of

energy through eacharm by pressing

downward into yourhands and lifting your

shoulders. Go back andforth like this several

times to make sure you

understand themovement.

This posture can remove fatigue, improvebreathing, improve circulation of blood to the

brain, and rejuvenate the entire body. You canalso improve by bending the elbows and

lowering the forearms to the floor. This postureis not advised to people with recent injuries on

their back, hips, arms or shoulders. People withhigh blood pressure must consult their doctors

first.


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Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

This Yoga Pose strengthens the spine and helpsin building core and lower body strength. In this

section, know how to perform the Bridge Pose.Keep in mind, though, that this pose should not

be done by people who are suffering fromserious back or knee injury.

STEP 3: Maintainyour position in Step

2 and move yourarms over your head.

STEP 1: Lie on your backwith your knees bent, feet

together. Keep your armson your side, palms on

the floor.

STEP 2: Lift the hipstowards the ceiling,

keeping your feet andpalms flat on the floor.

If practiced, Setu Bandhasana tones the systemby its effects on the spinal column. You can use

props in doing this posture, like a chair, pillow,or anything to support your back or your legs as

you stretch.

Inverted and Balance Exercises

Crane Pose (Bakasana)

Develop your sense of balance,
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coordination and concentration and

strengthen your arms, hands, shoulders,and abdominal muscles by doing a Crane

Pose. This Asana also gives an active

stretching to the back. In this section, learnhow to do this pose.

STEP 1: Put your hands flaton the ground. Lift your heels

and shift your weight to yourhands.

STEP 2: Lift your feet

and keep yourbalance on your

hands. Try stretchingyour back in order to

keep your chest free.Breathe in and out

quietly andconcentrate on a spot

in front of you. Asyou progress, try to

keep up this exercise

longer and longer andto work out the

stretching of the back

further and further.

This asana is not only a position of power

and balance, but it also gives an activestretching to the back. Try to let go of the

tension in the back, to let your back liedeeper and deeper and to lengthen the

back towards both the chin and pelvis.

Head Stand (Sirshasana)

Head Stand is one of the basic postures in

the world of Yoga and is considered as theking of Asanas because of its numerous
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effects on the entire body. Many Yogis

believe that practicing the Head Stand canhelp in treating illnesses.

STEP 6: Focus

on a point infront of you.

Breathe in andout quietly

and try to getcompletely

still andexperience

the exercisein a

meditativeway. STEP 5:

Standperpendicular

on your head

and try toplace yourhips, chest

and your legs

in such a waythat your

upper back

does not forma bump and

your neckdoes not get

sunken. Also,

see to it thatyou do not letthe center of

gravity fall inyour lower

back insteadof your upper

back with theresult that

you clench themuscles of

your lowerback. STEP 4:

Step in withone leg and

bring yourcrown to the

floor and

jump up oneleg at a time.

Push your

wrists againstthe floor.

STEP 1: Stand on your

knees on your Yoga Mat.Twine your hands together

and keep some distancebetween the hand palms as

if you are holding a tennisball in the basin of both

hands.


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There is

hardly anyweight on

your elbows

and as muchweight as

possible on

your crown.STEP 3:Support

yourself on yourlower arms and

walk inwardsuntil you have

your backstraight.


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STEP 2: The

shoulders will form

the basis of the HeadStand. Try to let your

upper arms"interlock" with the

shoulder blades sothat they support the

shoulders. Let yourupper back sink down

and stretch your neckout from the crown.

Raise your knees.

Without the correct way of jumping up, it is

practically impossible to stand in theHeadstand in the right way. Likewise, when

you jump up correctly, you will get themost out of this exercise. The neck is

sensitive and when you are alignedincorrectly in the Headstand, you can easily

get injured. Build up this exercise quietly

and, if possible, practice the exercise a fewtimes under the supervision of an

experienced Yoga teacher. A safe

alternative for this pose is standing on yourhead on a special Yoga Head Stand stool.

Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)

In the Shoulder Stand, your body is restingon your shoulders. This Yoga Pose improves

circulation, strengthens the abdominalarea, and stimulates the thyroid gland. In

this section, learn how the Shoulder Stand
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is performed.

STEP 9: After some time,

try placing your arms alittle lower in the

direction of the shoulderblades on your back. See

to it that the elbows donot stand too far apart.

Breathe in and out quietlyand try to find your

balance. STEP 8: Lift upyour legs, one at a time,

and see to it that thepelvis is placed straight

over your back and yourhands. Your legs are

placed a little forward.Divide the weight of your

legs between the hands

and the shoulders. Buildup strength in the upperlower back and give space

to your chest and

shoulder muscles. STEP 7:Push your back upwards

with your hands. You will

get a force upwardscoming from the seventh

neck-vertebra. STEP 6:Place your arms against

your upper back and try to

place your hands as nearas possible to theshoulder blades. Try to

place your elbows atshoulder-width. If you

cannot do this, put themat a somewhat wider

distance from each other.If you want, you can use a

belt to keep the armstogether. STEP 5:

Straighten your spine andkeep your back straight.

Move your hands towardyour back. STEP 4: At this

point, lift your back andmove your legs further

beyond your head. STEP

3: Lift your hips off the floorand bring your legs up, over

and beyond your head.

STEP 1: Lie

down withyour back on

a Yoga Mat.


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Slowly bring your legs backto the mat, one by one,

stretch out your arms(lengthwise), away from you

and slowly roll your backdownward.

A slight bending of the legssees to it that the back

remains straight and that the

dynamism from the sacrumand the hip is maintained.

Wait until your shoulders

start to relax more. Try toincrease the right dynamism

through the angle of the legs

and via the hands.

Use your hands to push theback forward with the result

that it gets narrower and

straighter and there is anincreased pressure on your

shoulders. At the same time,

this requires more power ofthe muscles of the lower

back. Rest your weight on


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the back side of the

shoulders. See to it that youdo not bend the upper back

and the chest.

STEP 2: Your

shoulders should lieon the edge and your

head rests on themat. Your legs are

drawn in and stillstand on the mat.


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Remark:For people who practice Yoga andhave stiff muscles and a weak lower back,

this Asana may be quite difficult. As a

general rule, it may be said that healthypain and discomfort are things that quickly

disappear when the exercise is over.

There are three important power lines inthe Shoulder Stand:

from the upper back inward and upward

from the chest upwardfrom the sacrum to the pelvis

Check these connections constantly andbuild up the exercise quietly. Never force

yourself and never lose sight of the elementof relaxation during your efforts.

Plough Pose (Halasana)

The Plough Pose stretches your spine, thus,

improving spinal flexibility. It benefits thethyroid gland and abdomen, eases tensionin the shoulders and back, and reduces

stress. Learn how to practice the Plough

Pose in this section.

STEP 6: Place your armsagainst your upper back

and try to place yourhands as near as possible

to the shoulder blades.Try to place your elbows

at shoulder-width. If youcannot do this, put them

at a somewhat widerdistance from each other.

STEP 5: Straighten yourspine and keep your back

straight. Move your handstoward your back. STEP 4:

At this point, lift yourback and move your legs

STEP 1: Liedown with

your back ona Yoga Mat.
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further beyond your head.

STEP 3: Lift your hips off thefloor and bring your legs up,

over and beyond your head.

By stretching your back andthrough relaxation in the

muscles and through yourposition the legs slowly move

further and furtherbackwards. Try to relax the

shoulders and the neckmuscles through your

breathing. If your breathingfeels oppressed, the pressure

in the heart area gets too big

or your jaw is pinched off,you should walk backwards a

little with your legs.

Slowly bring your legs, one

by one, back to the mat,stretch your arms lengthwise

away from you and slowlyroll off your back downwards,

vertebra by vertebra.


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STEP 2: Your

shoulders should lieon the edge and yourhead rests on the

mat. Your legs aredrawn in and still

stand on the mat.

It is advisable to lie on a yoga block with

your neck and your back in order to relievethe neck muscles a little and to make the

stretching of the back easier. There arethree important movements in the Plough:

1) The upper back is stretched up to the

top of the chest bone. This means that theupper back does not sink down and there is

no bend in the back. 2) Through the

upward movement from the upper back youget a movement in the direction of the

chest bone 3) You stretch your pelvisupward from the sacrum, with the result

that your chest bone gets more space.During this exercise you should try not to

lose these three connections. In fact try towork them out further and further.

Hand Stand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)

The Hand Stand is an important exercisewhich is done not only in Yoga but in

several sports as well. In doing this pose,you relax your chest and build power in

your arms and wrists. This Asana also helps

you to improve your coordination and senseof balance.
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STEP 5: Bring

both feettogether and

look at your

focal point,which helps

you to

maintain yourbalance. STEP4: Swing one

leg up. Letyour lower

back continuethe

movement.The pelvis

then followsand your

other legmoves

upwards.STEP 3:

Supportyourself on

your lowerarms and walk

or hop inwards

until you haveyour back

straight.

STEP 1: Start this exercise

by doing a DownwardFacing Dog Pose

first.
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STEP 2: Bend your

knees and draw themcloser to your arms.

Try to keep the center of gravity between

your shoulder blades in the upper back andnot in your lower back. In a Hand Stand,

many people compensate stiffness in the

upper back by letting the center of gravityfall on the lower back, whereas it is

particularly important to build up a well

balanced alignment in this exercise. Whenyou stand well-aligned, it is easier to

maintain your balance, the exercise will feelmore relaxed, and it will require less

strength and energy.

Sitting Exercises

Hand Clenching Ankle Bending Wrist

Bending Ankle Rotation Full Boat Pose(Paripurna Navasana) Garland Pose Child

Pose Seated Forward Bend(Paschimothanasana) Lotus Pose

(Padmasana) Hero Pose (Virasana)

Hands and wrists are common body partswhich are affected by Arthritis, especially

Osteoarthritis. Take good care of yourhands and joints and always keep them in

'good working condition' by performing the

Easy Pose (Sukhasana)

This is one of the classic Meditative Poses and is

usually performed after doing the Corpse Pose.The Easy Pose helps in straightening the spine,

slowing down metabolism, promoting innertranquility, and keeping your mind still.

Sit down on the floor or a Yoga Mat.

Cross your legs, placing your feet below yourknees.

Clasp your hands around your knees.Keep your head and body straight.
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Hand Clenching Exercise.

Do a seated pose where you feel most

comfortable or sit straight on a chair.Bring your arm in front of you at shoulder level,

keeping it straight and parallel to the floor.Make a fist with your thumb side up, your

thumb inserted into your other fingers.Open your hand as you inhale then stretch all

your five fingers.Fold your hand back into a fist as you exhale,

your thumb tucked in.Repeat this exercise for about 8 times then do

the same with your other hand. After somepractice, you may be able to do Hand Clenching

on both hands at the same time.

Follow the breathing pattern of exhalingwhen closing the hands and inhaling when

opening the hands. Also remember to

concentrate on the breathing, the mentalcounting, the stretching sensation and themovement itself. In no time, the hands will

work more vigorously than before.

Repeated strain or sprain in the ankles can

contribute to the occurrence of Ankle

Arthritis. Manage stress and keep yourankles in good condition through therapy,

having enough rest, and by doing theAnkle Bending Exercise.

Sit on the floor, your legs outstretched, your

palms on the floor behind you. Your fingersshould point out your hips or lean back against

a wall.Bend your right foot back toward you.

Exhale as you point your right foot and toesforward and down.

As you inhale, bring your foot back toward you.Repeat 10 times.

Do the same with your left foot. You can maketwo rounds of this exercise and after some

practice, exercise both foot at the same time.

Therapy is very helpful in the early stagesof Ankle Arthritis. Resting is also advisable.

Weight reduction and regular low levelexercise that does not stress your joint are
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also beneficial. Following the exercise

above can help reduce your chances ofgetting Ankle Arthritis.

Your wrists can also be affected byarthritis, specifically Osteoarthritis and

Rheumatoid Arthritis. Take good care of

your wrists through stretching andbending. Learn how to improve the range

of motion of your wrists by doing the WristBending Exercise.

Sit comfortably on the floor or Yoga Mat.At shoulder height and parallel to the floor,

straighten your hand in front of you.Turn your palm down and extend your fingers

and thumb forward and close together.Inhale as you bend your hand at the wrist

backward as if you are pressing hard against anobject.

Then, exhale as you bend your hand down atthe wrist. You should feel a light pull all the way

to your forearm.Repeat this exercise eight times, then do it with

your other hand. After some practice, you willbe able to exercise both hands at the same

time.

Remember to inhale during the backward

movement and exhale during the forwardmovement. A careful and correct practice

of the exercise will surely increase the

flexibility and strength of the wrists. Onceyou get into the habit of doing this

exercise, you can avoid certaincomplications and will realize that you can

now put more weight on them.

Pay attention to your ankles to avoid

muscle or tendon strain due to too muchtraining. Perform the Ankle Rotation

Exercise and make your ankles moreflexible. This is also ideal for people who
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are suffering from arthritis.

Sit on the floor, you may lean your back

against a wall. Extend your legs fully infront of you.

Tightly roll your Yoga Mat or Yoga Blanketand put it under your knees, then place

your palms on the floor. Your fingers mustbe pointing towards your hips.

Breathing freely and slowly, bend yourright foot towards you, creating a right

angle with the floor. Slowly rotate yourfoot clockwise for about 10-15 times then

rotate it counterclockwise. Do not allowthe knees to move.

Repeat twice on the same foot then do thesame to your left. After constant practice,

you can do this Ankle Rotation Exercise onboth feet at the same time.

Perform the Boat Pose to strengthen yourabdominal area and hip flexor, tone

muscles in the midsection, improvedigestion, and relieve stress. You can use a

Yoga Strap to aid you in holding the poselonger or if you cannot keep your legs

straight.

STEP 4: Stretch

your legs and

feet together.See to it that

your backremains

straight. When

you find theposition easy,

you can reducethe stretching

power of yourarms without

changing the

position.Eventuallybring your

arms along thebody parallel

to the floorand focus on a

particular spotfor your

balance.

STEP 1: Sit down on your

Yoga Mat. Pull in your legs and

grab your upper legs on theback side below the knees. Tilt

your upper body backwards sothat your lower back carries

your weight and the entire

upper back is aligned in astraight perpendicular line.
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Quietly

breathe in andout through

your belly and

try to maintainyour relaxation

during your

efforts. STEP3: Extend yourarms forward

and parallel tothe floor.

STEP 2: Slightly pullyour legs with your

arms to maintain theposture.

Your lower back is important in thisexercise. You should therefore see to it

that both your back (upper and lower)remains straight. Otherwise, this can affect

your breathing.


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This Asana makes the ankles more suppleand provides a good stretch to the back of

the lower legs, the back, and the neckmuscles. It also offers a nice moment of

rest for the legs during intense Yogasessions. Learn how to assume the

Garland Pose in this section.

STEP 3: If your

back has the rightdynamism, it feels

as if you can liftyour fingers from

the ground. Thismeans that you

hardly rest on your

arms. As yourankles and yourback begin to relax

more, your heelswill move more

and more towardsthe ground. Quietly

steer you breath tothe stiff parts of

your body and letthe relaxation do

the work.

STEP 1: Bring your feet

together and assume asquatting position. Turn your

knees outside.

STEP 2: Lengthen yourback by stretching your

arms forward and bowyour head. Try to find

your balance in such away that there is a

stretching towards thepelvis and the upper

back is stretched
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lengthwise as a result of

the fact that the back isstretched towards the

floor. If you lose any of

these stretches, itmeans that your

position is not well-

balanced. You canregain this subtlebalance by changing the

height of your heelsabove the ground.

The lengthening of the body focuses

particularly on the front part of the body(chest). Try not to lose the dynamism and

supportive power of the lower back at alltimes. When your lower back loses its

supportive function, the upper back andthe chest will sink down and the sensation

of relaxation will be lost.

The Child Pose is a gentle way ofstretching your shoulders, hips, thighs,

ankles, and back muscles. It is a relaxationposture which is done to normalize the

ciruclation after performing the Headstandand to serve as counterpose after

Backbends.

STEP 3: Rest yourforehead on the floor,

then bring your armsaround and to your

sides, palms facing

STEP 1: Kneel and siton your feet with your

heels pointing outward.Your knees should be

separated, about thewidth of your hips.
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upward.

STEP 2: Place your

forehead on the floor,then swing your arms

forward.

If you experience any difficulty doing theChild Pose, you may try using Yoga Props.

Placing a Yoga Bolster or thickly folded

Yoga Blanket between the back of yourthighs and calves will definitely make youfeel more comfortable.

Relax your body and mind, stretch your

hamstrings, shoulders, and spine, relievestress, and improve your posture and

concentration by practicing the SeatedForward Bend. Learn how to do this

properly and achieve maximum results.

STEP 6: Sit

straight upagain, just like

your original

position. STEP5: Slowly raise

your upper

STEP 1: Sit down with your

legs stretched. The legs lie sideby side and the toes point

upwards. Stretch your lower

back and raise your arms. Lookforward, lengthen your back,

and keep the chest and your
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body. Keep

your legs lyingside by side

and the toes

pointingupwards. STEP

4: Stretch out

your armsforward. STEP3: The moment

you notice thatyou can only

bend further bybending the

lower back,move your

hands to yourlower legs,

ankles or feet.Lightly pull your

legs, ankles orfeet and

continuestretching.

breathing free.


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Keep your

shoulders down.Breathe in and

out across the

entire length ofyour spinal

column deeplyand in a relaxed

way. Everytime

you exhale, you

should bendfurther towardsyour legs

without losingthe length in

your back andthe dynamism in

the lower back.When you lose

the dynamism inthe lower back,

you will noticethat you lose a

major part of thestretching and

you will have ahard time

breathing.

STEP 2: Slowly bendforward, stretch your

crown upward and trynot to lose the

supporting dynamism ofthe lower back. See to

it that your legs do not


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move or tilt.

Try to relax as you perform this forward

bend and do not pull your feet forcibly.When you pull too hard, the body hardens

itself, your thinking and breathing becomeunquiet and you run a risk of injuring

yourself.

The Lotus Yoga Pose is usually done inMeditation. It is a classic seated posture

which strengthens your ankles and knees,enhances concentration, and improves

flexibility of your legs. Know how toperform the Lotus Pose in this section.

STEP 5: Youhave now

achieved a

full LotusAsana. You

can have

your palmspositioned

upward,which is

energizing

or put themdown whichhelps in

groundingyourself.

STEP 4:While your

right foot isfirmly

placed over

STEP 1: With your palms down,sit on the floor with your legs fully

stretched.
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your left

thigh, holdyour left

foot with

both hands.Place your

left foot

over yourright thigh.Your foot's

outer edgeshould also

reach yourhip's crease.

STEP 3: Holdyour right

knee usingyour right

hand whilethe other

hand claspsyour right

foot.

STEP 2: Hold your right

foot with your handsand put it over your left


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thigh until it reaches

the groin. Your foot'souter edge should reach

your hip's crease.

Beginners are recommended to begin

doing Half Lotus first before proceedingwith the full Lotus Asana. Once you are

already a regular practitioner of thisAsana, you can try walking using the

palms of your hand while both feet areperfectly crossed.

The Lotus Pose is one of the most popular

Yoga Asanas around. Aside from the

physiological benefits if offers, the LotusPose also helps in developing and

maintaining a good posture.

One of the fundamental seated postures is

the Hero Pose. This serves as the initial

position for several Asanas. It strengthensthe arches of the feet, stretches the

ankles, and improves posture. This Yoga

Pose is ideal for people who have flat feet.

STEP 3: Sit tall.

Counteract thetendency to

slump byadjusting the

buttock musclessideways and

back with yourhands, and tilting

the pelvis slightlyforward so you

STEP 1: Start with your hands

and knees on the floor as inthe Cat Pose. Have your knees

hip-width apart so the thighsare parallel with one another,

and separate your feet untilthey are slightly wider than

your hips. Check that yourfeet are pointing directly

backward, not turning in or
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are positioned on

the frontal edgeof each sitting

bone. Then draw

the abdomenbackward toward

the spine and

delicately adjustyour hips towardcat tilt to

establish neutralalignment of your

center, yourpelvis making a

ninety-degreeangle with the

thighs. You arenow on the tips

of the sittingbones.

Rest your hands

in your lap, onyour thighs, or on

your ankles, then

close your eyes.Elevate and freeyour chest, relax

the shouldersback and down

away from yourears, then lift or

lower your chin

until your headfeels perfectly

balanced,

weightless on topof the spine. Sit

quietly for atleast a minute.

out.


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STEP 2: Sit between

your feet by firstsupporting yourself with

your hands and then

slowly lowering yourhips to the floor. If you

are unable to sit

comfortably, or if youfeel any pain in yourknees, elevate your hips

by placing a folded YogaBlanket or Zafu (Zen

pillow) beneath you.Use this support until

you experience a feelingof ease (this may take

several months).Eventually, you will be

able to sit between yourfeet with no discomfort

with your buttocksfirmly on the ground.

Spread Leg Forward Fold (Upavista

Konasana)

The Spread Leg Forward Fold is a YogaPosture which works primarily on the

hamstrings and adductors. This energizes thebody and promotes inner calmness. In this

section, know more about this exercise andlearn how to perform it properly.

STEP 5: Lean forward andplace your hands on the

floor. Have your handsshoulder-width apart and

your fingers spread.Snuggle your palms into

the floor. Then wriggle

STEP 1: Sit on thefloor with your

legs spread wide.
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the buttocks backward

and position yourself onthe frontal edge of the

sitting bones, in dog tilt,

This will help propel youforward into the pose.

STEP 4: Align your torso

and elongate your core.First, bring your lowerback forward into your

body so your spine iserected, not rounded.

Then lift your chestupward away from the

pelvis, move theshoulders backward,

tugging gently downwardwith the shoulder blades,

and then bring the navelbackward toward the

spine. Bring your palmstogether in Namaste,

prayer position. STEP 3:Sit tall. Establish the leg lines

first. Turn the legs in or outuntil the kneecaps face the

ceiling and the inner edges of

your feet are vertical. Be onthe center of the back of

each heel. Press the back of

each thigh firmly down intothe floor, extending the heels

away from you, then spreadyour toes and press outward

through the ball of each foot.


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STEP 2: Place one hand

on the floor in front ofyou, one hand on the

floor behind you, thenlift your hips and scoot

forward to yourcomfortable maximum.

Then use your hands topull the buttock flesh

backward so yoursitting bones can merge

with the floor.

In doing this posture, know your limitationsin order not to hurt the legs, hamstrings or

torso. Consult your doctor before practicingthis pose.
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Finishing Moves

Yoga Exercise - Corpse Pose (Savasana)

The Corpse Yoga Pose is considered as a

classic relaxation pose and is practiced

before or in between Asanas as well

Yogasan and Pranayam

Documents

Transcript of Yogasan and Pranayam