BAKASANA (CRANE POSE), BALA ASANA, AND BHUJANGASANA

 

BAKASANA (CRANE POSE)

 

THE BAKASANA IS A YOGA POSE, THE NAME OF WHICH COMES FROM THE SANSRIT WORD "BAKA" WHICH LITERALLY MEANS CRANE, MEANING CRANE POSE. HOWEVER, SOME PEOPLE KNOW IT AS THE CROW POSE.

BY DOING THIS ASANA, YOUR BACK BECOMES STRETCHED IN ITS ENTIRE LENGTH. WITH THAT, YOUR ARMS, JOINTS AND SHOULDERS ARE STRENGTHENED AND YOU DEVELOP YOUR SENSE OF BALANCE, COORDINATION AND CONCENTRATION.

THIS ASANA IS NOT ONLY A POSITION OF POWER AND BALANCE, BUT IT ALSO GIVES AN ACTIVE STRETCHING TO THE BACK. TRY TO LET GO TO THE TENSION IN THE BACK, TO LET YOUR BACK LIE DEEPER AND DEEPER AND TO LENGTHEN THE BACK TOWARDS BOTH THE CHIN AND PELVIS.

STEP TO BAKASANA

1. PUT YOUR HANDS FLAT ON THE GROUND. LIFT YOUR HEELS AND SHIFT YOUR WEIGHT TO YOUR HANDS.

2. LIFT YOUR FEET AND KEEP YOUR BALANCE ON YOUR HANDS. TRY STRETCHING YOUR BACK IN ORDER TO KEEP YOUR CHEST FREE. BREATHE IN AND OUT QUIETLY AND CONCENTRATE ON A SPOT IN FRONT OF YOU. AS YOU PROGRESS, TRY TO KEEP UP THIS EXERCISE LONGER AND LONGER AND TO WORK OUT THE STRETCHINGOF THE BACK FURTHER AND FURTHER.

BENEFITS

THIS POSTURE HELPS TO TONE ARM AND HAND MUSCLES. IT ALSO STRENGTHENS THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES AND ORGANS. SOME PEOPLE FEEL THAT THE BOWEL PRESSURE IS EASED BY THE CONSTANT PRACTICE OF THIS POSTURE.

BALA ASANA

CHILD POSE

 

THE CHILD POSE IS A RELAXATION POSE WHICH IS USED TO NORMALIZE THE CIRCULATION AFTER THE HEAD STAND TO THE SPINE AFTER THE BACKWARD BENDS. IT IS A RESTING POSE THAT CAN BE DONE TO PRECEDE OR FOLLOW ANY POSE.

PERFORMING THE CHILD POSE STRETCHS THE HIPS, THIGHS AND ANKLES GENTLY. IT ALSO HELPS RELIEVES STRESS AND FATIGUE, AND CALMS THE MIND. HOWEVER, YOU NEED TO OBSERVE CAUTION IN PRACTISING THE BALA ASANA WHEN YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM DIARRHOEA OR KNEE INJURY AS IT MAY WORSEN YOUR AILMENT WHEN NOT DONE PROPERLY. PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD ALSO AVOID DOING THE CHILD POSE. PRACTISING UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN EXPERIENCED YOGA TEACHER IS ADVISED.

STEPS

1. KNEEL AND SIT ON YOUR FEET WITH YOUR HEELS POINTING OUTWARD. YOUR KNEES SHOULD BE SEPARATED, ABOUT THE WIDTH OF YOUR HIPS.

2. PLACE YOUR TOREHEAD ON THE FLOOR, THEN SWING YOUR ARMS TOWARD.

3. REST YOUR FOREHEAD ON THE FLOOR, THEN BRINGYOUR ARMS AROUND AND TO YOUR SIDES, PALMS FACING UPWARD.

BENEFITS 

BALA ASANA GENTLY STRETCHES AND RELAXES THE SHOULDERS, NECK, BACK MUSCLES, HIPS, THIGHS, AND ANKLES. IT CALMS THE BRAIN AND HELPS RELIEVE STRESS AND FATIGUE. IT RELIEVES BACK AND NECK PAIN WHEN DONE WITH HEAD AND TORSO SUPPORTED.

BHUJANGASANA

 

 

BHUJANGASANA IS KNOWN AS THE SNAKE OR COBRA'S POSE BECAUSE IT REFLECTS THE LOOK OF A RAISED HOOD. THE COBRA POSE IS A GREAT EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE WITH LOWER BACKACHES. THIS POSTURE DECREASES STIFFNESS IN THE LOWER BACK, ENLARGE THE CHEST, AND STRENGTHENS THE ARMS AND SHOULDERS. THIS ASANA IS ALSO GOOD TO COMBAT MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES, AND IT HELSP RELIEVE STRESS.

STEPS 

1. THIS IS THE RELAXATION POSITION BEFORE AND AFTER EACH OF THE NEXT FEW ASANAS. AS YOU RELAX ON YOUR ABDOMEN, BREATHE AS YOU DID YOU ON YOUR BACK IN THE CORPSE POSE.

2.  BRING THE LEGS TOGETHER AND THE FOREHEAD TO THE GROUND. PLACE THE HANDS, PALMS DOWNWARDS ON THE GROUND DIRECTLY BENEATH THE SHOULDERS.

VISUALIZE HTE SLOW, GRACEFUL MOVEMENT OF THE SNAKE AS YOU PREPARE TO ROLL THE BODY UPWARDS.

3. BEGIN WITH THE HEAD BEND DOWNWARDS AND THE FOREHEAD TOUCHIG THE GROUND.

4. AS YOU INHALE, SLOWLY RAISE THE FOREHEAD AND BRING THE NOSE TO THE GROUND.

5. ROLL THE HEAD UPWARDS, RAISING THE NOSE AND BRUSHING THE CHIN ON THE FLOOR.

6. PUSHING THE CHIN FORWARDS, SLOWLY ROLL THE BODY UP AND BACK. WHEN YOU HAVE COME UP AS FAR AS IS COMFORTABLE, BREATHE AS YOU HOLD THE POSITION FOR AT LEAST 10 SECONDS. GRADUALLY INCREASE TO 1 MINUTE. TO COME DOWN, UNROLL THE BODY FROM THE BASE OF THE SPINE, VERTEBRA BY VERTEBRA, KEEPING THE HEAD BACK UNTIL LAST. END IN THE POSITION SHOWN IN STEP 2, WITH THE FOREHEAD ON THE GROUND. REPEAT 3-6 TIMES.

BENEFITS

 

• AFFECTS THE ADRENAL GLANDS, SENDING THEM A RICHER SUPPLY OF BLOOD.
• TONES OVARIES, UTERNUS AND LIVER.
• MUSCLES OF THE BACK, ABDOMEN AND ENTIRE UPPER BODY ARE STRENGTHENED BY THE PRACTICE OF THE COBRA POSE.
• AIDS IN RELIEF AND ELIMINATION OF MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES.
• RELIEVES CONSTIPATION.
• LIMBERS CONSTIPATION.
• PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM GAS AFTER MEALS WILL FIND THIS POSE VERY USEFUL.
• EXCELLENT FOR SLIPPER DISCS. IT ADJUSTS DISPLACEMENT IN THE SPINAL COLUMN AND TONES THE SYMPATHETIC NERVES.
• BENEFICIAL FOR BACKACHE DUE TO OVERWORK OR LONG HOURS OF STANDING.