TRIKONASANA, TRIKONASANA AND TRIKONASANA

TRIKONASANA

TRIANGLE POSE

TRIKONASANA (TRI-CONE-AH-SA-NA), OR TRIANGLE POSE, IS AN IMPORTANT POSITION IN HATHA YOGA. THE POSITION IS THEN SOMETIMES REPEATED, BUT WITH THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES SWAPPED. ALSO, THE BODY IS SOMETIMES ALLOWED TO COME TO REST AT A STAR SHAPE INSTEAD OF AT A REST POSITION, OR THE POSITION IS PRACTICED SO THAT ONE HAND IS TOUCHING THE FLOOR INSTEAD OF PARALLEL TO THE GROUND.

THE TRIKONASANA STIMULATES BLOOD FLOW TO THE HEAD, AND HELPS TO STRETCH AND RELAX THE BACK, SHOULDERS, LEGS AND ARMS. THE MUSCLES OF THE THIGHS, CALVES HAMSTRINGS ARE STRETCHED. A SLIGHT TWIST OF THE SPINE IS INVOLVED.

STEPS

 

 

1. TO COME INTO THE POSITION, STAND ERECT FACING DIRECTLY FORWARDS. PLACE THE FEET SLIGHTLY MORE THAN SHOULDER WIDTH APART. BALANCE THE WEIGHT OF THE BODY EVENLY BETWEEN THE FEET.
2. INHALE AS YOU BRING THE RIGHT ARM UP ALONGSIDE THE RIGHT EAR. STRETCH THE ARM UP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE, AND FEEL THE STRETCH ALONG THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE.
3. EXHALE AS YOU BEND TO THE LEFT. SLIDE THE LEFT HAND DOWN THE LEFT LEG AS FOR AS POSSIBLE.  BREATHING REGULARLY, HOLDS THE POSITION FOR AT LEAST 30 SECONDS, AND GRADUALLY INCREASES TO 1 MINUTE. RETURN TO THE CENTRE AND REPEAT THE SAME TO THE OTHER SIDE. PERFORM THIS BASIC ASANA 2-5 TIMES ON EACH SIDE.

BENEFITS 

 

• IT REMOVES TENSION FROM THE NECK AND THE SIDE MUSCLES AND OPENS UP THE CHEST AND EXPANDS IT.
• IT EXERCISE THE HIPS AND THE BUTTOCKS.
• THIS ASANA REDUCES EXCESS FAT IN THE ABDOMEN, WAIST AND HIPS AND MASSAGES THAT AREA OF THE FLANK WHERE FAT ACCUMULATES. IT "THUS" GIVES THE BODY A GRACEFUL FORM WITH MINIMUM EFFORT.
• IT INCREASES THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE WAIST AND THE HIP JOINTS.
• IT BENEFITS WOMEN BY SLIMMING THE WAISTLINE AND GIVING SHAPE AND GRACE TO THE HIPLINE BESIDES EXERCISING THE PECTORAL MUSCLES WHICH HOLD THE BRASTS IN POSITION.
• THIS IS THE EXCELLENT EXERCISE FOR CORRECTING A FAULTY POSTURE AND FOR MAKING THE BODY WELL-PROPORTIONED.
• PERSONS WHO HAVE TO SIT FOR LONG PERIODS AT THE WORKPLACE WILL FIND THIS POSTURE INVIGORATING, IT IT IS PRACTICED DURING THE PERIOD OF WORK.
• PRACTISING TRIKONOSANA REGULARLY IMPROVES THE APPETITE. IT ALSO HELPS IMPROVE DIGESTION AND ASSIMILATION FOOD.
• IT RELIEVES CONSTIPATION BY INVIGORATING THE PERISTALTIC ACTION OF THE BOWELS.
• IT WILL HELP A PERSON ATTAIN FULL STATURE.

UPAVISTHA KONASANA

SEATED ANGLE POSE WITH GROIN STRETCH

UPAVISTHA KONASANA IS A GOOD PREPARATION OF MOST OF THE SEATED FORWARD BENDS AND TWISTS, AS WELL AS THE WIDE-LEG STANDING POSE.

THIS IS A PROFOUND INNER THIGH STRETCH BUT THE HAMSTRINGS ARE ALSO AFFECTED AS WELL AS THE GROIN AREA. THIS POSTURE ALSO PROMOTES  A SENSE OF BALANCE AND CONTROL. IF YOU FIND IT HARD TO STRAIGHTEN YOUR LEGS OR IF YOU TIP OVER DON'T BE DISCOURAGED TRY AGAIN ANYWAY.

STEPS

 

1. SIT WITH YOUR LEGS EXTENDED IN FRONT OF YOU, GRAB YOUR ANKLES, BEND YOUR KEES AND TURN THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET TOGETHER, PRESS DOWN GENTLY ON THE KNEES. NOW SIT UP STRAIGHT AND GAZE UPWARDS, PULL UP YOUR CHIN TO HELP ELONGATE THE SPINE.
2.  INHALE THEN EXHALE AS YOU GENTLY LEARN FORWARD LEADING WITH YOUR CHIN, DROP THE HEAD FORWARD AND ROUND THE BACK. NOW EXHALE COMPLETELY, BREATHE SOFTLY THROUGH THE NOSE. HOLD FOR A FEW BREATHS.
3.  INHALING LIFE YOUR HEAD AND GENTLY RETURN TO THE SEATED POSITION, BRING THE FEET INTO THE GROIN, HOLD ON TO THE BIG TOES, INHALE, THEN EXHALE AND LIFT ON TO THE TOE AND PULL THE TOE TOWARDS YOU EXHALE COMPLETELY, THEN BREATHE ABDOMINALLY. HOLD FOR FEW BREATHS. INHALE, THEN EXHALE AND BEND THE KNEE AND BRING THE HEEL BACK INTO THE GROIN.
4.  NOW MOVE TO THE STEP NUMBER TWO.
5. SIT UP STRAIGHT, CHECK THE SPINE, KEEP YOUR CHIN UP. REPEAT THE SAME CYCLE WITH THE OTHER LEG. THEN EXTEND THE LEGS KEEPING THE SOLES OF THE FEET TOGETHER. FOLLOW THIS WITH ANOTHER FORWARD BEND. THEN END THE SERIES BY BRINGING THE HEELPS UP TO THE GROIN, SITTING UP STRAIGHT, HOLDING YOUR CHIN UP.
6. THEN HOLD ON TO BOTH TOES AS YOU LEAN BACK A LITTL, INHALE, THEN EXHALE AS YOU LIFT BOTH LEGS OUT TO THE SIDES, KEEP THE TOES AT CHIN LEVEL, HOLD ON TO THE TOES THE PULL THEM TOWARDS YOU, EXHALE COMPETELY AND BALANCE ON THE BUTTOCKS. BREATHE ABDOMINALLY, HOLD FOR SEVERAL BREATHS. KEEP THE SPINE STRAIGHT AND GAZE UP. INHALE THEN EXHALE BEND THE KNEES, RETURN THE HEELS TO THE GROIN AND SIT UP. REPEAT THE WHOLE CYCLE THREE OR FOUR TIMES.

BENEFITS 

 

 

• IT OPENS THE HIPS WHILE STRRETCHING OUT THE ENTIRE BACK SIDE OF THE BODY-LEGS, BACK, ARMS.
• IT STRETCHES TEH INSIDES OF THE LEGS.
• IT STIMULATES THE ABDOMINAL ORGANS.
• IT STRENGTHENS THE SPINE.
• IT RELEASES THE GROIN.
• APPARENTLY IT CALMS THE BRAIN.

USHTRA-ASANA

CAMEL POSE

USHTA IS A SANSKRIT WORD WHICH MEANS CAMEL. THE USTRA-ASANA IS A POWERFUL POSTURE FOR STRETCHING THE SPINE, BACK MUSCLES, SHOULDERS AND ARMS. IT IS BEST TO PRACTICE IT IN YOUR ASANA ROUTINE AFTER MOST OF THE MUSCLES ARE LIMBER AND YOU HAVE WORKED THE BACK AND SHOULDERS.

ALTHOUGH FAIRLY SIMPLE TO PERFORM, IT HELSP GIVE FLEXIBILITY TO THE SPINE, STRENGTH TO THE CHEST AND ARMS AND STIMULATES THE LUNGS AND HEART. IT ALSO IMPROVES GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS SUCH AS GAS AND CONSTIPATION THROUGH ABDOMINAL STIMULATION. HOLD THE POSTURE FOR THE DURATION OF THE INHALED BREATH. IF YOU CHOOSE TO BREATHE WHILE HOLDING THE USHTRA-ASANA, HOLD IT FOR BETWEEN THIRTY SECONDS TO ONE MINUTE. REPEAT THE POSTURE THREE TIMES.

STEPS 

 

 

1. SIT UP ON THE HEELS WITH THE FEET, KNEES, AND LEGS TOGETHER. THIS IS VAJRASANA,  WHICH STIMULATES DIGESTION. TRY SITTING LIKE THIS WHILE EATING, OR AFTER A MEAL.
2. FROM VAJRASANA, INHALE AS YOU LIFT THE HIPS AND TRUNK, STANDING UP ON THE KNEES TO PREPARE FOR THE CAMEL. THE HIPS AND BODY RISE, BUT THE LEGS AND FEET DO NOT CHANGE POSITION.
3. WITH THE RIGHT HAND, CLASP HOLD OF THE RIGHT HEEL. IF YOU FIND IT DIFFCULT TO REACH THE HEEL, PLACE THE RIGHT HAND FLAT ON THE FLOOR BEHIND THE RIGHT FOOT.
4. ALLOWING THE HEAD TO DROP BACK, REACH DOWN WITH THE LEFT HAND TO GRASP THE LEFT HEEL (OR PLACE THE LEFT HAND FLAT ON THE GROUND PARALLEL TO THE RIGHT HAND). BREATHING GENTLY, HOLD FOR AT LEAST 10 SECONDS, GRADUALLY INCREASING TO 1 MINUTE. SIT BACK ON THE HEELS AND RELAX IN THE CHILD'S POSE.

BENEFITS 

 

• FOR THE ASTHMATICS USHTRA-ASANS BRINGS A GOOD EFFECT UPON THE WHOLE OF RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. THIS ASANA ACTIVATES THE FACIAL TISSUES, THE NASAL PASSAGES, THE PHARYNX, THE LUNGS AND THE WHOLE OF RESPIRATORY ORGANS AND THE NERVES. BECAUSE OF INTERNAL AS WELL AS EXTERNAL ACTIVATION DURING THIS ASANA, THE WEAKEND CONDITION OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION IS CORRECTED AND THEIR NORMAL HEALTH IS RESTORED.
• USHTRA-ASANA HAS SEVERAL GOOD BENEFITS FOR THE GENERAL PRACTITIONERS. IT CORRECTS ANY DISORDERS OF THE NECK, SHOULDERS AND THE SPINE. IT CURES VARIOUS TYPES OF VISIONARY DEFECTS OF THE EYES AND STRENGTHENS ALL THE SENSE ORGANS. PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM THROAT TROUBLE, TONSIL, VOICE DEFECT AND CHRONIC HEADACHE WILL FIND THIS ASANA VERY BENEFICAL. IT HAS ALSO A GOOD CONDITIONING EFFECT UPON THE MUSCLES OF THE CHEST AND IN MAKING THE CHEST AREA PROPORTIONATE IN SIZE. IT IS NOT A DIFFICULT ASANA. WITH A LITTLE PRACTICE ANY PERSON CAN DO IT.
• THIS ASANA BELONGS TO THE CATEGORY OF VAJRASANA. IT SHOULD BE PRACTICED AFTER PRACTISING VAJRASANA. "USTRA" MEANS A CAMEL. IN THIS ASANA ALMOST ALL THE LIMBS OF THE BODY ARE ACHED LIKE THOSE OF A CAMEL. SO IT IS CALLED USHTRA-ASANA.