Virabhadrasana - Warrior Pose

"Virabhadrasana" is a warrior incarnation of Lord Shiva.

Sequence:

1. Stand erect in Tadasana with legs together and hands joined in front of the chest.
2. Spread apart your legs.
3. Turn your right foot in to make an angle of 45 degrees and your left foot out to the left 90 degrees.
4. Make sure the left and right heels are in alignment.
5. Stretch out your arms and make them parallel to the floor at shoulder level.
6. Exhale and bend your left leg at the knee. The shin should be straight and thigh should be parallel to the floor so as to make a right angle.
7. To maintain balance press your right heel firmly into the floor.
8. Keep the trunk erect.
9. Rotate your arms so that the left hand is pointing in front and the right hand is extended backwards.
10. Stay in this position and look ahead.
11. Maintain this posture for about 30 seconds, breathing normally.
12. Inhale and come up.
13. Return to standing position in the reverse order.
14. Repeat by changing the limbs and side.

Caution:

• Hypertension and high blood pressure patients should not perform this pose.
• If you have a history of hips, knees, back or shoulders, do not practice Virabhadrasana.

Benefits:

• Pregnant women can get relief from backaches.
• Virabhadrasana can boost your energy.
• The stretching involved tones the body and makes it flexible.
• Regular practice can build your concentration power.
• Blood circulation as well as respiration capacity improves.
• Legs and ankles get strengthened.
• The yoga pose is beneficial to people with carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Infertility and insomnia can be treated with Virabhadrasana.

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Samasana - Equilibrium Pose

"Sama" connotes 'balance' or 'equilibrium' in Sanskrit. In this posture the body is in such a position that it can be divided vertically into two identical parts.

Sequence:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front and palms resting on the floor by your sides.
2. Spread your legs apart.
3. Get into Padmasana.
4. Place your wrists on the respective knees. Take Gyana Mudra with your fingers.
5. Close your eyes and relax. Continue breathing normally.
6. Return to starting posture in the reverse order.

Benefits:

• Functioning of spine improves with practice of this posture.
• The pose is good for meditation and concentration.
• The relaxing effect of the pose helps in stabilizing heart beats.
• It helps in healing the strained muscles of the heart.

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Natarajasana - Lord of Dance Pose

"Nat" refers to 'dance' and "Raja" to 'king'. Lord of Dance is one of the attributes used for Lord Shiva. The final posture is a representation of the dance of Lord Shiva.

Sequence:

1. Stand erect with your legs together and hands by the sides as in Tadasana.
2. Shift your body weight to the right leg.
3. Inhaling raise your left leg off the ground and take it backwards.
4. Bend the left leg at the knee.
5. Raise the leg further up and catch hold of the big toe with your left hand. Simultaneously extend the right arm in front so that it is parallel to the ground.
6. Now raise the right arm further so that it makes an angle of 45 degrees with the floor.
7. Pull your left leg with your left hand to raise it as high as possible.
8. Look in front and fix your gaze.
9. Maintain this posture for a minute.
10. Exhaling slowly, bring your left leg and right hand down to the starting posture.
11. Repeat the same steps as above alternating the legs and hands.

Caution:

• People with lower back and knee injury should not perform this pose.
• To avoid cramping of the thigh keep the raised foot flexed.

Benefits:

• Natarajasana helps in increasing your concentration power.
• Hips and legs get toned up.
• Natarajasana can induce stimulation of the chest.
• The pose helps you attain balance as well as stability of mind and body.
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Dhyana Mudra

"Dhyana" connotes 'meditation' in Sanskrit. This mudra is assumed during meditation.

Sequence:

1. Sit cross-legged.
2. Open out your palm.
3. Join the tip of the thumb and index finger to form a ring.
4. Relax the other three fingers keeping them together.

Benefits:

• This mudra increases the ability to focus.
• Dhyana Mudra is the mudra of meditation and concentration.

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Bhastrika Pranayama - Bellow Breathing

Sequence:

1. Sit down in Padmasana.
2. Place your left hand on your left knee.
3. Place your right hand on your nose.
4. Take a few shallow breaths in quick succession.
5. Close off both nostrils.
6. Hold your breath and perform both Jalandhara and Moola Bandha.
7. Raise your head.
8. Exhale through the right nostril keeping the left nostril closed.
9. Immediately after exhalation apply Uddiyana Bandha.
10. This completes one round of Bhastrika.
11. Beginners can start off with three rounds of ten pumpings.
12. Later you can increase it to eight rounds of 100 pumpings.

Caution:

• Stop practicing if you feel dizziness.

Benefits:

• This pranayama increase your concentration power.
• The abdominal muscles gain strength.
• Bhastrika provides relaxation and revitalization.

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