PASHARAKANASANA, NIRLAMBA, ARDHABADHA, HASTHA PADANGUSHTASANA (YOGA)

 

                                   PASHARAKANASANA 

                             (EXTENDED SIDE ANGLE POSE)

                         THIS ASANA HELPS RELIEVING THE DISORDERS OF FEET, KNEES AND JOINTS, ALSO LOWER THE STRESS ON THEM. GIVES RELIEF IN THE STRESS ON ABDOMEN DUE TO ACIDITY, GAS. BESIDES, IT ENHANCES PATIENCE.

                       METHOD : STAND STRAIGHT ON THE MAT.  WITH RIGHT KNEE BENT, BRING THE RIGHT ELBOW DOWN TO THE RIGHT KNEE AND MOVE THE LEFT ARM UP TOWARDS THE CEILIND AND THEN PUT THE ARM OVER THE EAR, MAKING A STRAIGHT LINE WITH THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR BODY. KEEP THE RIGHT KNEE BENT DIRECTLY OVER THE ANKLE, SINK HIPS DOWN TOWARDS THE FLOOR, AND REACH THE LEFT FINGERS UP AND STRAIGHTEN THE LEGS. REPEAT ON OTHER SIDE.

                     BENEFITS : THIS ASANA ENHANCES AND STRENGHTHENS THE FEET, KNEES, THIGHS AND ANKLES. IT STRETCHES THE GROIN AND WAIST AND TWISTS THE SPINE. TWISTING CLEANSES AND REDUCES STRESS IN THE ABDOMINAL AREA LEADING TO BETTER DIGESTION.

                      NIRLAMBA PARSVAKONASANA

          (BOUND SIDE ANLGE STANDING BALANCE POSE)

                           THIS POSE STRENGTHENS INNER THIGHS AND HAMSTRINGS. IT TONES THE FEET AND ANKLES, OPENS THE GROINS. THIS POSTURE ENERGIZES THE CHEST AND LUNGS. THIS HELPS WITH ACTIVE EXTENSION OF THE SPINE WHICH PRESENTS A CHALLENGE TO BOTH FLEXIBILITY AND STRENGTH OF THE SPINAL EXTENSORS.

                       METHOD : THIS IS A CHALLENGING ASANA. STAND STRAIGHT ON A MAT AND PUSH ALL OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT ON RIGHT LEG. BEND YOUR BACK FORWARD AND MOVE LEFT LEP UP IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. TAKE BOTH OF YOUR HANDS UNDER THE WAIST AND JOIN THEM. LOOK STRAIGHT IN THE SKY. THEN DO THE SAME IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TOO.

                       BENEFITS : PROVIDES STRENGTH TO YOUR THIGHS, CHEST AND LUNGS.

                          ARDHABADHA PADMOTTASANA

                (HALF BOUND LOTUS INTENSE STRETCH)

                           IT MASSAGES ALL THE ORGANS OF THE STOMACH. IN THE FULL POSTURE, THE HEEL PRESSESS INTO THE LOWER ABDOMEN, STIMULATING BLOOD FLOW IN THAT AREA. IT ENHANCES THE WORK OF THE LARGE INTESTINE.

                              METHOD : STAND STRAIGHT ON A MAT AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH. BEND DOWN FORWARD FROM WAIST PART. LIFT THE RIGHT LEG AND REACH AROUND THE BACK TO TAKE HOLD OF THE BIG TOE OR THE TOP OF THE FOOT. ON THE NEXT INHALE AND REACH AROUND TO TAKE HOLD OF THE INNER ARM OR PASS THE FOOT INTO THE RIGHT HAND. WHILE INHALING, RAISE THE RIGHT HAND TO LENGTHEN THE FRONT OF THE BODY. EXHALE AND FOLD DOWN OVER THE ERECTED LEG AND PLACE THE FINGERS AND TOES IN LINE. KEEP THE HIPS SQUARE AND LEVEL. USE THE HAND TO STABLISE THE BODY AND AVOID HYPEREXTENSION THROUGH THE BACK OF THE ERECTED KNEE. DRAW THE SHOULDER BLADES AND LEVEL THE COLLARBONES. RELAX THE NECK. REPEAT THE SAME IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TOO.

                            BENEFITS : THE ABDOMINAL ORGANS GET CONTRACTED WITH IMPROVES DIGESTION AND ENHANCES THE ELIMINATION PROCESS, BY WORKING UPON THE LARGE INTESTINE.

                            HASTHA PADANGUSHTASANA

                       (EXTENTED HAND TO TOE POSE)

                           THE EXTENDED HAND TO TOE POSE IS A VERY CHALLENGING AND INVIGORATING BALANCE POSTURE THAT COMES WITH SEVERAL BENEFITS INCLUDING EFFECTIVE STRETCHES TO HAMSTRINGS, HIPS, AND ADDUCTORS.  IT ALSO STRENGTHENS BACK AND ARM MUSCLES AND IMPROVES SENSE OF BALANCE. THIS ASANA IS BENEFICIAL IN PARKINSON DISEASE.

                           METHOD : BEGIN STANDING IN MOUNTAIN POSE (TADASANA) WITH YOUR FEET TOGETHER AND ARMS AT YOUR SIDES. BREATHE DEEPLY. LET YOUR MIND BE CALM. SHIFT YOUR WEIGHT TO YOUR LEFT FOOT. VERY SLOWLY, MOVE YOUR RIGHT KNEE UP TOWARDS YOUR CHEST. BRING YOUR RIGHT ARM TO THE INSIDE OF YOUR RIGHT THIGH. THEN LOOP YOUR INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS AROUND YOUR RIGHT FOOT'S BIG TOE. PLACE YOUR LEFT HAND ON YOUR LEFT HIP. STRAIGHTEN YOUR SPINE. STRONGLY ENGAGE YOUR ABDOMINAL MUSCLES AND THE MUSCLES OF YOUR LEFT LEG. STRAIGHTEN YOUR LEFT LEG, BUT DO NOT LOCK YOUR KNEE. ON AN EXHALATION, EXTEND YOUR RIGHT LEG FORWARD. STRAIGHTEN YOUR LEFT LEG, BUT DO NOT LOCK YOUR KNEE. ON AN EXHALATION, EXTEND YOUR RIGHT LEG FORWARD. STRAIGHTEN YOUR RIGHT LEG AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. KEEP BOTH HIPS SQUARED FORWARD AND KEEP YOUR SPINE STRAIGHT. DO NOT SCRUNCH YOUR NECK OR SHOULDERS, KEEP THEM SOFT AND RELAXED. DROP YOUR RIGHT HIP SLIGHTLY SO IT IS IN LINE WITH YOUR LEFT HIP. HOLD FOR 5-20 BREATHS. TO RELEASE, DRAW YOUR KNEE BACK INTO YOUR CHEST, THEN SLOWLY LOWER YOUR FOOT ON THE FLOOR. COME BACK TO MOUNTAIN POSE. THEN REPEAT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME.

                                BENEFITS : IT PROVIDES RELIEF FROM STRESS AND TENSION IN MUSCLES.

                                       NATAJASANA  

                        (LORD OF THE DANCE POSE)

                            THE ASANA IS DEDICATED TO LORD SHIVA. THIS ISA BALANCE ASANA THAT STRENGTHENS THE LEGS. IT WORKS AS A FULL BODY STRECH THAT ENGAGES THE SHOULDERS, CHEST AND ABDOMEN, STRENGTHENS THE THIGH AND CALF MUSCLES, KNEES AND ANKLES, HIPS AND SPINE, AND DEVELOPS CONCENTRATION AND GRACE. IT COORDINATES PSYCHOSOMATIC SYSTEM OF BODY. IT STRENGTHENS CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.

                              METHOD : STAND STRAIGHT AND SHIFT YOUR BODY WEIGHT TO THE LEFT FOOT AND LIFT YOUR RIGHT HEEL TOWARDS YOUR BUTTOCK. PUT ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON THE STRAIGHT LEFT LEG, HIP AND KNEE TO ENSURE YOUR LEGS ARE PROPERLY BALANCED. NOW EXTEND YOUR RIGHT HAND BEHIND THE RAISED LEG AND HOLD THE TOE. LIFT YOUR HIP AND PUBLIC AREA ACCORDINGLY TO AVOID ADDITIONAL STRAIN. WITH THE HELP OF YOUR RIGHT HAND, PULL YOUR RIGHT LEG FURTHER UP AND EXTEND YOUR LEFT HAND IN FRONT OF YOU. TRY TO SEE FINGERS OF YOUR LEFT HAND. KEEP BREATHING NORMAL.

                                     BENEFITS : IT REDUCES STRESS.