EKA PADA SIRASANA, GARUDA ASANA AND HALASANA

EKA PADA SIRASANA

ONE FOOT TO HEAD POSE

THIS "ONE FOOT TO HEAD" POSE IS AN ADVANCED POSITION, PROVIDING A FULL STRETCH FOR BOTH THE LUMBAR AND THORACIC REGIONS. BE SURE TO WARM THE BODY UP PROPERLY BEFRE ATTEMPTING IT. YOU SHOULD NEVER FORCE TO COME TO THE POSE WITHOUT PROPER PRACTICE.

STEPS

1. FROM THE EASY SITTING POSITION LIFT THE RIGHT LEG AND PLACE THE RIGHT FOOT INTO THE BEND OF THE LEFT ELBOW. BRING THE RIGHT ARM OUTSIDE LEG AND CLASP THE HANDS. GENTLY ROCK TO AND FRO FOR A FEW MINUTES.

2. RELEASE THE RIGHT LEG. TAKE HOLD OF THE RIGHT FOOT WITH BOTH HANDS AND GENTLY TRY TO BRING THE SOLE OF THE FOOT  FLAT AGAINST THE BREAST BONE. SLOWLY SLIDE THE FOOT TOWARDS THE CHIN, THEN THE NOSE, AND FINALLY UP TO THE FOREHEAD.

3. RELEASE THE HOLD ON THE FOOT. DROP THE RIGHT SHOULDER DOWN SLIGHTLY FOR A MOMENT, BRINGING IT UNDER THE RIGHT KNEE, AND THEN STRAIGHTEN THE BODY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

4. SLOWLY STRAIGHTEN THE KNEE BRINGING THE FOOT BEHIND THE HEAD. TRY TO BRING THE HANDS INTO THE PRAYER POSE AT THE CHEST. HOLD THE POSITION FOR A FEW SECONDS. REPEAT THIS SERIES OF EXERCISES WITH THE LEFT LEG.

BENEFITS 

 

• STRETCHES THE SHOULDERS AND CHEST.
• STRETCHES THE THIGHS, GROINS, AND ABDOMEN.
• STRENGTHENS THE LEGS AND ANKLES.
• IMPROVES BALANCE.

GARUDA ASANA

 THE EAGLE POSTURE

THE SANSKRTI WORD "GARUDA" MEANS EAGLE. IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY GARUDA IS KNOWN AS THE KING OF BIRDS. HE TRASPORTS THE GOD VISHNU AND IS SAID TO BE EAGER TO HELP HUMANITY FIGHT AGAINST DAEMONS.

STEPS 

 

 

1. STAND WITH FEET TOGETHER ON THE FLOOR. KEEP HANDS AT YOUR SIDES, EYES LOOKING FORWARD. BREATHE NORMALLY. DRAW THE LEFT FOOT UPWARD BENDING THE KNEE AND WRAP THE LEFT FOOT AROUND YOUR RIGHT LEG AS YOU REST THE BACK OF YOUR LEFT THIGH ON THE RIGHT THIGH.
2. CROSS YOUR ARMS AT THE ELBOWS, LEFT OVER RIGHT. JOIN THE PALMS OF YOUR HANDS TOGETHER KEEPING THE FINGERS POINTED UPWARDS. INHALE AND HOLD THE POSTURE FOR THE DURATION OF THE INHALED BREATH. EXHALE AND RETURN TO THE TADAASANA. REPEAT THE POSTURE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, WRAPPING THE RIGHT LEG OVER THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT ARM OVER LEFT.

BENEFITS

THE GARUDA ASANA STRENGTHENS THE LEGS, KNEES AND ANKLES, TONES MUSCLES OF THE LEG AND RELIEVES CRAMPS OF THE LEGS.

HALASANA 

THE REFERENCE OF THIS ASANA IS NOT FOUND IN ANY OLD TEXT. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT ASANA WHICH HAS COME THROUGH TRADITION. IT IS KNOWN AS HALASANA BECAUSE IN ITS FINAL POSITION THE BODY RESEMBLES THE SHAPE OF INDIAN PLOUGH.

STEPS

1. LIE DOWN WITH YOUR BACK WITH HANDS LYING ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD.
2. YOUR SHOULDERS SHOULD LIE ON THE EDGE AND YOUR HEAD RESTS ON THE MAT. YOUR LEGS ARE DRAWN IN AND STILL STAND ON THE MAT.
3. LIFT YOUR HIPS OFF THE FLOOR AND BRING YOUR LEGS UP, OVER AND BEYOND YOUR HEAD.
4. AT THIS POINT, LIFT YOUR BACK AND MOVE YOUR LEGS FURTHER BEYOND YOUR HEAD.
5. STRAIGHTEN YOUR SPINE AND KEEP YOUR BACK STRAIGHT. MOVE YOUR HANDS TOWARDS YOUR BACK.
6. PLACE YOUR ARMS AGAINST YOUR UPPER BACK AND TRY TO PLACE YOUR HANDS AS NEAR AS POSSIBLE TO THE SHOULDER BLADES. TRY TO PLACE YOUR ELBOWS AT SHOULDER WIDTH. IF YOU CANNOT DO THIS, PUT THEM AT A SOMEWHAT WIDER DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER.

BENEFITS 

 

 

• THIS IS THE BEST POSTURE FOR MAKING THE SPINE FLEXIBLE. IT STRETCHES THE SPINE AS NO OTHER EXERCISE CAN, OPENING UP THE SPINAL DISCS AND STRETCHING MOST OF THE SPINAL MUSCLES AND LIGAMENTS. THIS POSTURE IS VERY BENEFICIAL IF YOU SUFFER FROM BACK OR NECK STIFFNESS OR ARTHRITIS IN THESE AREAS. IT ALSO PREVENTS THESE CONDITIONS. SINCE THIS POSTURE REJUVENATES THE SPINE, AND BECAUSE THE SPINAL NERVES GO TO ALL PARTS OF THE BODY, IT HELPS TO REJEVENATES THE WHOLE BODY.
• IT BENEFITS THE THYROID GLAND, LIVER AND SPLEEN, STRETCHES AND PULLS THE VERTEBRAE.
• GOOD FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM STIFFNESS, OBESITY, MUSCULAR RHEUMATISM, ENLARGED AND SPLEEN. CONSTIPATION, INDIGESTION AND ARTHRITIS.