SHIRSHA-ASANA AND SURYA NAMASKAR PRACTICE.

SHIRSHA-ASANA 

STANDING ON HEAD

THE SANSKRIT WORD "SIRSHA" MEANS HEAD. THIS POSTURE IS THE WELL-KNOWN HEADSTAND POSTURE. SIRSHANA-ASANA IS AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL ASANA. ITS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS DERIVE BOTH FROM EMPHASIS ON BALANCE AND THE BODY'S INVERTED POSITION. IT IS CALLED THE "KING OF ASANA' BECAUSE OF ITS OVERALL EFFECT ON THE WHOLE BODY.

STEPS

1. STAND ON YOUR KNEES ON YOUR YOGA MAT. TWINE YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AND KEEP SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN THE HAND PALMS AS IF YOU ARE HOLDING A TENNIS BALL IN THE BASIN OF BOTH HANDS.
2. THE SHOULDERS WILL FORM THE BASIS OF SHIRSHA-ASANA. TRY TO LET YOUR UPPER ARMS "INTERLOCK" WITH THE SHOULDER BLADES SO THAT THEY SUPPORT THE SHOULDERS. LET YOUR UPPER BACK SINK DOWN ANS STRETCH YOUR NECK OUT FROM THE CROWN, RAISE YOUR KNEES.
3. SUPPORT YOURSELF ON YOUR LOWER ARMS AND WALK INWARDS UNTIL YOU HAVE YOUR BACK STRAIGHT.
4. STEP IN WITH ONE LEG AND BRING YOUR CROWN TO THE FLOOR AND JUMP UP ONE LEG AT TIME. PUSH YOUR WRISTS AGAINST THE FLOOR. THERE IS HARDLY ANY WEIGHT ON YOUR ELBOWS AND AS MUCH WEIGHT AS POSSIBLE ON YOUR CROWN. 
5. STAND PERPENDICULAR ON YOUR HEAD AND TRY TO PLACE YOUR HIPS, CHEST AND LEGS IN SUCH WAY THAT YOUR UPPER BACK DOES NOT FORM A BUMP AND YOUR NECK DOES NOT GET SUNKEN. ALSO, SEE TO IT THAT YOU DO NOT LET THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY FALL IN YOUR LOWER BACK INSTEAD OF UPPER BACK WITH THE MUSCLES OF YOUR LOWER BACK. NOW, FOCUS ON A POINT IN FRONT OF YOU. BREATHE IN AND OUT QUIETLY AND TRY TO GET COMPLETELY STILL AND EXPERIENCE THE EXERCISE IN A MEDITATIVE WAY.
6. FOCUS ON A POINT IN FRONT OF YOU. BREATHE IN AND OUT QUIETLY AND TRY TO GET COMPLETELY STILL AND EXPERIENCE THE EXERCISE IN MEDITATIVE WAY.

BENEFITS 

• IT STIMULATES FOUR OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ENDOCRINE GLANDS - THE PITUITARY, THE PINEAL, THE THYROID, AND THE PARATHYROID GLANDS. IT HAS A VERY BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON THE WHOLE BODY.
• IT IMPROVES MANY AILMENTS, SUCH AS NERVOUSNESS, TENSION, FATIGUE, SLEEPLESSNESS, DULLNESS, FEAR, POOR BLOOD CIRCULATION, BAD MEMORY, ASTHMA, HEADACHE, CONSTIPATON, CONGESTED THROAT, LIVER OR SPLEEN, FOR FEMALE DISORDERS, THE INITIAL STAGES OF EYE AND NOSE TROUBLES, AND GENERAL LACK OF ENERGY, VITALITY OR SELF CONFIDENCE.
• IT PROMOTES HAIR GROWTH BY INCREASING CIRCULATION TO THE SCALP, IMPROVED BRAIN FUNCTION (INTELLEGENCE AND MEMORY) AND INCREASED VITALITY AND CONFIDENCE.
• IT KEEPS THE SPINE INTO CORRECT ALIGNMENT.
• IT RESTORES THE POSITION OF VITAL ORGANS BY REVERSING GRAVITY.
• IT IMPROVES SLEEP.

SURYANAMASKAR

SALUTATION TO THE SUN

THE SANSKRIT WORD "SURYA" MEANS SUN AND NAMASKAR IS THE HINDI WORD FOR NAMASTE, FROM THE ROOT NAM, TO BOW, THAT IS SALUTATION.

THE SERIES OF POSES WHICH COMPRISE SURYANAMASKAR ARE EXECUTED CONTINOUSLY. THIS ASANA HAS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL EFFECT ON THE ENTIRE BODY. ALL THE PLEXUS OF THE BODY ARE STIMULATED. CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IS REJEVENATED. THE PULMONARY, NERVOUS SYSTEMS, DIGESTIVE ORGANS AND THE LARGE MUSCLE GROUPS ARE ALL AFFECTED. IT AFFECTS EACH SECTION OF THE SPINE AND ALL THE OTHER JOINTS OF THE BODY. IT IS USED IN HATHA YOGA AS A WARM UP EXERCISE AND FOR ENHANCING THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM.

STEPS

1. AS YOU EXHALE, BRING YOUR PALMS TOGETHER AT THE CHEST IN THE PRAYER POSITION. THIS IS A POWERFUL PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND PSYCHIC WAY OF CENTRING THE BODY.
2. INHALE AND STRETCH YOUR ARMS UP OVER YOUR HEAD. ARCH YOUR BODY BACKWARDS, KEEPING THE ARMS ALONGSIDE THE EARS, AND THE KNEES STRAIGHT.
3. EXHALE AS YOU BEND FORWARDS AND BRING THE HANDS DOWN TO THE FLOOR NEXT TO THE FLOOR. IF YOU CANNOT PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE FLOOR WITH THE KNEES STRAIGHT, BEND THE KNEES SLIGHTLY.
4. WITHOUT MOVING YOUR HANDS, INHALE AND STRETCH THE RIGHT LEG BACK AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. DROP THE RIGHT KNEE TO THE FLOOR AND THEN STRETCH THE HEAD UP.
5. RETAINING THE BREATH, BRING THE LEFT LEG BACK AND PLACE THE LEFT FOOT NEXT TO THE RIGHT, WITH THE TOES POINTING FORWARDS. YOUR BODY SHOULD NOW BE IN A STRAIGHT AS THE PUSH-UP POSITION.
6. EXHALING, DROP THE KNEES STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. KEEP THE HIPS UP. WITHOUT ROCKING THE BODY BACKWARDS, BRING THE CHEST STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE FLOOR BETWEEN THE HANDS. BRING THE FOREHEAD TO THE FLOOR, BEGINNERS MAY PLACE THE CHIN ON THE GROUND IF THIS IS DIFFICULT TO DO.
7. INHALE AS YOU SLIDE THE BODY FORWARDS UNTIL THE GROIN TOUCHES THE GROUND. ARCH  THE CHEST UP AND BRING THE HEAD BACK INTO THE COBRA POSE. DO NOT MOVE THE HANDS. THE ELBOWS ARE SLIGHTLY BENT, WITH THE SHOULDERS DOWN AND BACK, SO THAT THERE IS NO TENSION IN THE NECK OR SHOULDER AREA.
8. EXHALE AS YOU TUCK THE TOES UNDER. WITHOUT ALLOWING THE HANDS OR FEET TO MOVE FROM THEIR POSITIONS, BRING THE HIPS UP. PUSH THE HEELS TOWARDS THE FLOOR AND KEEP THE KNEES STRAIGHT. DROP THE HEAD DOWN BETWEEN THE ARMS. THIS IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE INVERTED "V" POSE.
9. INHALE AND BRING THE RIGHT FOOT FOWARDS BETWEEN THE HANDS SO THAT THE FINGERS AND TOES FORM A STRAIGHT LINE. DROP THE LEFT KNEE TO THE FLOOR AND STRETCH THE HEAD UP. THIS IS THE SAME AS THE POSITION IN STEP 4.
10. WITHOUT MOVING THE HANDS, EXHALE AS YOU BRING THE LEFT FOOT FORWARDS NEXT TO THE RIGHT FOOT. THE FOREHEAD IS DOWN TOWARDS THE KNEES. THIS IS THE SAME POSITION AS THAT SHOWN IN STEP 3.
11. INHALE AS YOU SLOWLY REACH THE ARMS FORWARDS AND THEN STRETCH THEM UP OVER THE HEAD. WITH THE ARMS ALONGSIDE THE EARS, AND THE WEIGHT CENTRED ON THE BALLS OF THE FEET, GIVE A COMPLETE BACKWARD BEND TO THE BODY. THIS IS THE SAME POSITION AS IN STEP 2.
12. STAND FACING THE DIRECTION OF THE SUN WITH BOTH FEET TOUCHING. BRING THE HANDS TOGETHER, PALM-TO-PALM, AT THE HEART.

BENEFITS 

• TONES UP THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM BY THE ALTERNATE STRETCHING AND COMPRESSION OF ABDOMINAL ORGANS. IT ACTIVATES DIGESTION AND GETS RID OF CONSTIPATION AND DYSPEPSIA.
• STRENGTHENS ABDOMINAL MUSCLES.
• THOROUGHLY VENTILATES THE LUNGS, AND OXYGENATES THE BLOOD.
• ACTS AS DETOXIFYING AGENT BY GETTING RID OF ENORMOUS QUANTITY OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND OTHER TOXIC GASES.
• TONES UP THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND IMPROVES MEMORY.
• PROMOTES SLEEP AND CALMS ANXIETY.
• NORMALIZES THE ACTIVITY OF THE ENDOCRINE GLANDS- ESPECIALLY THE THYROID GLAND.
• REFRESHES THE SKIN. PREVENTS SKIN DISORDERS.
• IMPROVES MUSCLE FLEXIBILITY.
• IN WOMEN, STMULATES THE BREASTS TO HELP FIRMNESS NORMALLY. RESTORES ANY LOST ELASTRICITY, THROUGH STIMULATION OF GLANDS AND THE STRENGTHENING OF PECTORAL MUSCLES.
• SUPPRESSES MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITY AND ASSISTS IN EASY CHILDBIRTH.

• PREVENTS LOSS OF HAIR AND GRAYING.
• HELPS REDUCE FAT.
• REDUCES ABNORMAL PROMINENCE OF THE ADAM'S APPLE.
• ELIMINATES UNPLEASANT SMELLS FROM THE BODY.
• LENDS GRACE AND EASE OF MOVEMENTS TO THE BODY.
• REVIVES AND MAINTAINS THE SPIRIT OF YOUTHFULLNESS.
• BROADENS CHEST AND BEAUTIFIES ARMS.
• MAKES THE SPINE AND WAIST FLEXIBLE.
• PRODUCES HEALTH, STRENGTH, EFFICIENCY AND LONGEVITY.

CAUTION

• PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD NOT PRACTICE THIS AFTER THIRD MONTH OF PREGNANCY.
• PATIENTS OF HERNIA AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ARE WARNED AGAINST THIS PRACTICE.
• PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM BACK CONDITIONS SHOULD SEEK PROPER ADVICE BEFORE COMMENCING SURYA-NAMASKAR.
• WOMEN SHOULD AVOID SURYA-NAMASKAR DURING MENSES.