Vrikshasana - Tree Pose

"Vriksha" means 'tree' in Sanskrit language. In this pose the practitioner holds his/her body and stays like a tree.

Sequence:

1. Stand erect in Tadasana with your feet joined together.
2. Keep your legs straight and your arms on either side.
3. Lift your right leg and fold it at the knee.
4. Hold the ankle with both hands, pull the leg up.
5. Rest your right foot on  upper part of your left thigh.
6. The toes of the right foot must be pointing down.
7. The folded right leg must be perpendicular to the left leg.
8. Balance your body properly on your left leg.
9. Join the palms of both hands in front of your chest, fingers pointing up.
10. Inhale slowly and gradually raise both your hands up above your head.
11. Keep your arms slightly bent.
12. Stretch your hands and body further up to your maximum limit.
13. Gaze ahead.
14. Keeping your balance, relax for as long as possible.
15. Bring down your hands to the chest level.
16. Lower your right leg.
17. Repeat the above steps with the opposite leg.

Benefits:

• Muscles in the legs become stronger and get toned.
• This asana also strengthens the ligaments of arches, feet, and tendons.
• Nervous system gets boosted by practicing this yoga pose.
• Patients suffering from rheumatic disorder should practice this pose to alleviate the pain.

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Vakasana - Crane Pose

"Vaka" connotes 'crane' in Sanskrit. The final posture of the body resembles a crane.

Sequence:

1. Stand erect in Tadasana.
2. Squat down with your soles flat on the floor.
3. Spread your knees apart wider than your hips.
4. Lean your body forward between your thighs.
5. Place your palms on the floor.
6. Support your elbows on the shins.
7. Place your knees in the armpits and the thighs against the sides of the trunk.
8. Lift your feet up gradually and keep leaning forward.
9. Shift your weight to the upper arms.
10. Lift your feet completely off the floor.
11. Also raise your waist and buttocks to the maximum limit.
12. Look in front or gaze down.
13. Stay in this position for about 10-20 seconds.
14. To return, exhale and bring your feet down to the floor.

Caution:

• People suffering from spondylitis should not perform this pose.
• Pregnant women should not practice Vakasana.

Benefits:

• Arms and wrists attain power.
• The biceps get stronger and toned.

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Ugrasana - The Difficult Pose

The word "Ugra" refers to 'difficulty' or 'frightening'. This posture poses difficulty to the practitioner and hence the name.

Sequence:

1. Sit down erect on the floor with the legs stretched out in front.
2. Spread both your legs as far apart as you can.
3. Stretch your arms to hold the big toes of the respective feet.
4. Slowly bend your trunk forward and touch your forehead on the ground.
5. Keep both legs straight without bending the knees.
6. Hold this position for a few seconds.
7. Return to sitting position by first raising your head and then releasing the big toe.
8. Note: Beginners should not strain in order to touch the forehead to the ground.

Caution:

• If you suffer from ulcer or chronic constipation, do not practice this pose.

Benefits:

• This pose makes the abdomen stronger.
• The back muscles get stretched and toned.
• It tones up kidneys, stomach, liver and other abdominal organs.
• The excess fat around the abdomen is reduced by practicing this asana.

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Tolangulasana - Weighing Scale Pose

"Tolangul" means 'weighing balance' in Sanskrit. In this pose the body posture is balanced on your waist and resembles a weighing scale..

Sequence:

1. Sit erect on the floor and assume Padmasana.
2. Take your arms back and rest the elbows on the ground.
3. Taking support of the elbows lean back gradually, until you are lying on your back.
4. Raise the foot-lock and the buttocks off the ground. Elbows should be touching the ground.
5. Raise your head, neck and back.
6. Balance the body at the waist with your fists or palms.
7. Remain in this posture for as long as you can.
8. To return to the starting posture, bring your head and neck back to the ground taking the support of the elbows.
9. Remove the fists from the waist and return to Padmasana.

Caution:

• If you have pain in the neck or back, do not practice this pose.

Benefits:

• This pose improves digestion and can cure flatulence.
• The spinal column becomes flexible and toned.
• Diabetes and piles patients can get relief with this yoga pose.
• Blood circulation improves.
• The biceps and back muscles strengthen and get toned.

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Simhasana - Lion Pose

"Simha" means 'lion' in Sanskrit. In this pose you assume the posture of a seated lion.

Sequence:

1. Sit erect in Vajrasana.
2. Keep your palms on the respective thighs.
3. Raise your buttocks and criss-cross your legs, right leg over the left leg.
4. Keep your head, neck and spine erect.
5. Spread out your fingers on the knees.
6. Inhale deeply.
7. Open your mouth gradually.
8. Exhale slowly and take out your tongue and stretch it out as much as possible. Make a "ha" sound like the roar of a lion from the back of your throat.
9. Look up at your eyebrows.
10. Make the roaring sound 2-3 times.
11. Exhale and come back to starting posture.
12. Alternate the cross of the legs and repeat.
13. Note: Beginners can perform this posture in Vajrasana.

Caution:

• Do not perform this pose if you have a knee injury.

Benefits:

• It helps clear the air in the chest.
• It can cure bad breath.
• Blood circulation of neck muscles improves.
• Simhasana helps relax chest and facial muscles.

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Shalabhasana - The Locust Pose

In Sanskrit "Shalabha" connotes 'locust'. The final posture resembles a feeding locust, head lowered and tail up, hence the name.

Sequence:

1. Lie down on your stomach with legs close together and hands on the sides.
2. Make sure your abdomen, chest and chin are touching the ground.
3. Clench your fists and keep them facing upwards.
4. Inhale and hold your breath.
5. Taking support of the fist, raise both legs backwards straight up, without bending the knee.
6. The body from navel upwards should be on the ground. The chin should be touching the ground.
7. Raise your legs as much as you can.
8. Hold the legs in the raised position for five seconds.
9. Exhale slowly and bring your left leg down. Complete exhalation.
10. Relax.

Caution:

• Beginners should refrain from straining the legs while raising them.
• Practice Ardha Shalabhasana first before graduating to Shalabhasana.
• The clenching of fist should neither be too tight nor too loose.
• Hernia and cardiac patients should not perform Ardha Shalabhasana.
• The asana should not be practiced by expectant mothers.

Benefits:

• Muscles of lower back and legs get strengthened.
• It helps reduce flab from thighs, hips, waist, abdomen and buttocks.
• Waist becomes supple and resilient.
• Heart muscles get massaged and function well.
• Regular practice of the pose can get rid of a bulging tummy.
• Edema of ankles and feet can be treated with Shalabahsana.
• Regular practice of the pose increases lung capacity.
• Faulty spinal curvature is corrected.
• Person suffering from bronchitis can get relief with this yoga pose.

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Oordhwa Padahastasana

In Sanskrit, "Oordha" means 'lifted', "Pada" means 'feet' and "Hasta" means 'hand'. In this pose the hands touch the raised feet of the practitioner.

Sequence:

1. Lie down on the floor on your back with your legs stretched out and close together.
2. Place your palms on the respective thighs, the fingers pointing towards the feet.
3. Bring the two legs closer so that the big toes and heels are joined.
4. Keep your knees tight and straight.
5. Inhale slowly and now raise the upper and lower part of your body above the ground.
6. Keep both the legs and arms straight.
7. Point the toes outwards.
8. As you do so, slide the palms up the raised legs.
9. Stretch your arms and raising your trunk further up, try to touch the ankles with the finger tips.
10. The upper and lower part of your body should be above the ground, the entire body weight resting on your buttocks.
11. Fix your gaze on the toes.
12. Continue to breathe normally.
13. Maintain this posture as long as you comfortably can.
14. Exhale and with exhalation return to the starting posture.

Benefits:

• The pose makes the back, hips and pelvic region suppler.
• Muscles of thighs and knees get strengthened.
• The feet, calves, knees, thighs, posterior, arms, diaphragm, shoulders and the neck are simultaneously exercised with Oordhwa Padahastasana.
• The abdomen as well as solar plexus attains strength with practice of this pose.
• Women should perform the pose for a healthy uterus.
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Gomukhasana - Cow Face Pose

In Sanskrit, "Go" means 'cow' and "Mukh" means 'face'. The final position of the legs in Gomukhasana looks like the face of a cow. 

Sequence:

1. Sit straight up in Sukhasana.
2. Stretch out your legs in front.
3. Bend the left leg at the knee and pull it closer to the body. Raise your right knee and tuck the left foot under the right thigh, such that it just touches the buttock.
4. The toe and side of the foot should be touching the ground, with toes pointing away from the body.
5. Draw in your right foot and cross it over the left thigh.
6. Place the right foot close to the left buttock. The right heel should be touching the left buttock.
7. Place the right and left knees above one another.
8. Straighten your posture.
9. Turn the left elbow and bring the left forearm up behind the back such that the elbow is pointing down.
10. Push the forearm further up the spine as far as you can.
11. Raise the right arm straight up so that it touches the right ear.
12. Bending the elbow bring the forearm down over the right shoulder.
13. Try to reach the left hand.
14. Lock the forefingers of both the hands.
15. Try keeping the neck, head and spine erect.
16. Look in front and hold the pose for a few seconds.
17. Return to the starting position.
18. Perform the pose again with the arms and legs in a reversed position.

Benefits:

• Muscles of the thighs, hips, upper back, upper arm and shoulders are strengthened.

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Gavasana - The Cow Pose

"Gau" means 'cow' in Sanskrit.

Sequence:

1. Get down on all fours with your palms and knees on the floor and the back straightened out, forming a table top.
2. Keep your knees straight below the hips.
3. Straighten your arms, so that the wrist, elbow and shoulder are in one straight line.
4. Keep your head in the center. Do not let the head hang down.
5. Fix your gaze on the floor.
6. Inhale.
7. As you inhale, raise your chest and buttocks towards the ceiling.
8. Push your belly downwards towards the floor so that it forms a curve.
9. Exhale and raise your spine so that it forms an arc.
10. Raise your head and look straight ahead.
11. Exhale and bring the spine back to the table top position.
12. Repeat 10-12 times.

Note: It is better to combine Cow pose with Cat pose for exhalation.

Caution:

• People with neck injury should avoid this pose.

Benefits:

• The neck and upper part of the body get stretched.
• The abdominal organs benefit from this pose.
• The spinal column gets massaged.

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Dhanurasana - Bow Pose

In Sanskrit the word "Dhanus" means 'bow'. The final posture assumed in this pose resembles a tightly drawn bow. Your trunk and thighs represent the curve of the bow and the hands and legs the bowstring. 

Sequence:

1. Lie flat on the floor with the abdomen, chest and chin touching the ground.
2. Keep your hands on both sides.
3. Keep both legs a bit apart.
4. Relax your whole body.
5. Bend your legs backward and grasp the ankles firmly with your hands..
6. First raise your chin and then bend your head and neck backwards. The chest should still be touching the ground.
7. Inhale slowly and pull your legs up.
8. Keep raising your head, neck, chin, chest, thighs and knees backwards, such that only the navel region is touching the ground
9. Balance your body on the navel region.
10. Pull your legs and arms arching your body as much as possible.
11. Gradually, bring your knees, feet and toes together.
12. Look up and fix you gaze on the ceiling.
13. Holding your breath maintain this posture until you feel the strain in your back.
14. Start exhaling slowly and gradually return to the starting position.

Caution:

• Pregnant women should not practice this pose.
• If you are suffering from slipped disc, hernia, colitis, stomach ulcer, heart problems, and high blood pressure, do not perform the pose.

Benefits:

• Pain in the neck, back and lumbar region can be treated with this pose.
• Diabetic patients should perform this pose.
• Dhanusasana can relieve you of rheumatic pain.
• The pose benefits women a lot in reducing flab of abdomen, waist, hips and thighs.
• The pose improves the flexibility of the entire body.
• If you suffer from constipation or flatulence, Dhanurasana can give you relief.
• The pose improves the digestive system.
• Urinary problems and dyspepsia can be cured with this pose.
• The buttocks and thigh muscles are both strengthened.
• Muscles of the pelvic region, lumbar region, and the abdominal area are made stronger and suppler.
• Sciatica can be treated with regular practice of Dhanurasana.
• The heart, liver, spleen, bladder, the genital organs and the solar plexus also benefit form this pose.

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Padmasana - The Lotus Pose

 

"Padma" means 'lotus' in Sanskrit. In this pose the feet and hands are akin to the petals of a blooming lotus, hence the name.

Sequence:

1. Sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out in front.
2. Grasp the ankle of your right leg with the right hand and the big toe with the fingers of the left hand.
3. Pull the right leg closer to the root of the left thigh, folding the right leg at the knee.
4. Without straining the muscles of the knee place the right foot atop the left thigh.
5. Similarly hold the left leg and place it on top of the right thigh.
6. Press your knees with your palms to ensure they touch the ground.
7. The soles of both feet should face upwards.
8. Bring your head, neck and spine in one straight line.
9. Place palms on the heels of both feet. The palms should be curved in the form of cups and rest one on top of the other.
10. Maintain this posture until you feel the strain in your legs.
11. You may close your eyes if you want.
12. Open your eyes and unlock the feet.
13. Return to the starting posture.

Caution:

• Sciatica patients should avoid this pose.
• Padmasana should never be performed immediately after meals.
• Sitting posture should be erect.

Benefits:

• Padmasana helps to get rid of flab around abdomen, thighs and buttocks.
• The thigh and calf muscles become stronger.
• Arthritis of knee, ankle and hip joints is relieved with practice of Padmasana.
• The pose helps attain a straight posture.
• Padmasana ensures the required blood supply to the abdomino-genital and pelvic areas.
• All muscles, tendons and ligaments are flexed and extended during Padmasana. They are then relaxed when you relax.
• Padmasana tones up the abdomen and spine.
• The erect spine attained in this posture prevents compression of the abdominal viscera.

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