ADHO MUKHA VRIKSHASANA, ARDH CHANDRA ASANA AND ARDH MATSYENDRASANA

 

ADHO MUKHA VRIKSHASANA

ADHO MUKHA VRIKSHASANA CAN BE TERMED AS THE TILTED TREE POSE WHEREIN YOUR HANDS ARE SUPPORTING THE ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT. THE BEGINNERS HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AS BALANCING YOURSELF ON YOUR HANDS CANNOT BE THAT EASY.

TO MAKE IT EASIER IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR YOU TO TAKE SUPPORT OF A WALL, HELPING YOU TO OVERCOME YOUR FEAR TO FALLING WHILE DOING THIS ASANA. IN DOING THIS ASANA, YOU RELAX YOUR CHEST AND BUILD POWER IN YOUR ARMS AND WRISTS. ASIDE FROM THAT, THIS ASANA HELPS TO IMPROVE YOUR COORDINATION AND SENSE OF BALANCE. WHEN YOU MAKE PROGRESS AND ARE FINALLY ABLE TO STAND LOOSE FROM THE WALL, THIS EXERCISE WILL GIVE YOU A GREAT MENTAL REVIVER.

STEPS 

 

• START THIS EXERCISE BY DOING A DOWNWARD FACING DOG POSE.
• BEND YOUR KNEES AND DRAW THEM CLOSER TO YOUR ARMS.
• SUPPORT YOURSELF ON YOUR LOWER ARMS AND WALK OR HOP INWARDS UNTIL YOU HAVE YOUR BACK STRAIGHT.
• SWING ONE LEG UP. LET YOUR LOWER BACK CONTINUE THE MOVEMENT. THE PELVIS THEN FOLLOWS AND YOUR OTHER LEG MOVES UPWARDS.
• BRING BOTH FEET TOGETHER AND LOOK AT YOUR FOCAL POINT, WHICH HELPS YOU TO MAINTAIN YOUR BALANCE.

BENEFITS

THERE IS FRESH SUPPLY OF BLOOD DUE TO THIS TILTED POSE. IT STRETCHED YOUR ARMS, MUSCLES, SHOULDER AND WRISTS MAKING IT MORE FLEXIBLE AND AGILE. THIS ASANA TESTS YOUR STRENGTH AT THE SAME TIME HELPS IN INCREASING YOUR STAMINA. THIS BALANCING ACT YOU REMAIN CALM AND COOL DUE TO THE STABILITY IT PROVIDES. A SENSE OF BALANCE IS ACHIEVED IN YOUR MIND AS WELL AS YOUR SOUL. THERE IS A CALMING EFFECT OVERALL IN YOUR MIND WHICH HELPS THE BRAIN TO RELAX.

ARDH CHANDRA ASANA

IN SANSKRIT ARDHA MEANS "HALF" AND CHANDRA MEANS "MOON", THUS, THIS IS THE "HALF MOON" POSTURE. THIS POSE IS ALSO ONE OF THE POSTURES THAT ARE SEQUENCED IN SURYA-NAMASKAR (THE SUN SALUTATION).

THE ARDHA-CHANDRA-ASANA IS A BASIC STRETCHING AND BALANCING POSE THAT BENEFITS PRINCIPALLY THE LOWER BACK, ABDOMEN AND CHEST. IT IS EQUALLY SUITABLE FOR USE IN YOUR STRETCHING ROUTINE AS WELL AS FORMAL ASANA PRACTICE.

STEPS

1. FROM VAJRASANA, RISE UP ON THE KNEES. BRING THE RIGHT FOOT FLAT ONTO THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE BODY.

2.BRING THE PALMS TOGETHER AT THE CHEST IN PRAYER POSITION. HOLD THIS POSE FOR A FEW MOMENTS TO ACHIEVE YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BALANCE, IN PREPARATION FOR THE CRESCENT MOON POSE.

3. STRAIGHTEN THE ELBOWS, STRETCHING THE BACK AND THE ARMS UP OVER THE HEAD. AS THE ARMS ARCH BACK, ALLOW THE BODY TO FOLLOW. BE AWARE OF KEEPING THE PALMS FLAT AGAINST EACH OTHER AND THE ARMS STRAIGHT ALONGSIDE THE EARS. HOLD FOR AS LONG AS IT FEELS COMFORTABLE. REPEAT ON THE OTHER SIDE.

BENEFITS 

1. THE ARDHA-CHANDRA-ASANA IS THE BASIC STRETCHING AND BALANCING POSE THAT MAINLY BENEFITS THE LOWER BACK, ABDOMEN AND CHEST.
2. THIS ASANA MAKES THE RIB CAGE SUPPLE AND FLEXIBLE. IT MASSAGES, LOOSENS AND STRENGTHENS THE WAIST AND BRINGS BALANCE IN THE BODY POSTURE.

ARDH MATSYENDRASANA

AFTER THE FORWARD AND BACKWARD BENDING OF THE SPINE, THE SPINAL TWIST GIVES A LATERAL STRETCH TO THE VERTEBRAE, BACK MUSCLES, AND HIPS. THIS IMPORTANT ASANA TAKES ITS SANSKRIT NAME FROM THE GREAT SAGE. MATSYENDRA, ONE OF THE PIONEER TEACHERS OF HATHA YOGA.

STEPS

1. SIT ON YOUR HEELS, WITH THE BACK ERECT. KEEPING BOTH KNEES BENT, LOWER THE HIPS TO THE GROUND SO THAT YOU ARE SITTING TO THE LEFT OF THE FEET.

2. RAISE THE RIGHT KNEE AND PLACE THE RIGHT FOOT FLAT ON THE FLOOR. ALLOW THE LEFT LEG TO TURN ON ITS SIDE, WITH THE LEFT FOOT BELOW THE RIGHT LEG.

3. PLACE THE RIGHT FOOT ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE THE LEFT THIGH. PLACE THE RIGHT HAND FLAT ON THE FLOOR BEHIND THE BACK, BUT NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE BODY, AS THIS WILL MAKE YOU LEAR RATHER THAN TWIST, COMPRESSING THE SPINE INSTEAD OF GIVING IT A LATERAL STRETCH. RAISE THE LEFT ARM STRAIGHT UP OVER THE HEAD.

4. BRING THE LEFT ARM OVER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE KNEE. REACH AROUND TO CATCH HOLD OF THE RIGHT ANKLE. HOLD THE POSE FOR AT LEAST 30 SECONDS, WORKING UP TO 1 MINUTE, BREATHING DEEPLY. RELEASE, AND REPEAT ON THE OTHER SIDE.

BENEFITS 

• STIMULATES THE LIVER AND KIDNEYS.
• STRETCHES THE SHOULDERS, HIPS AND NECK.
• ENERGIZES THE SPINE.
• STIMULATES THE DIGESTIVE FIRE IN THE BELLY.
• RELIEVES MENSTRUAL DISCOMFORT, FATIGUE, SCIATICA, AND BACKACHE.
• THERAPEUTIC FOR ASTHMA AND INFERTILITY.
• TRADITIONAL TEXTS SAY THAT ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA INCREASES APPETITE, DESTROYS MOST DEADLY DISEASES, AND AWAKENS KUNDALINI.