Revision as of 00:43, 29 June 2015

Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, 15 Jun 2015

Asans

From the archives of The Times of India: 2008

For shoulders

1 Double Arm Raises

Stand straight with your legs about a foot apart and arms by your side. Keep your abdominal muscles tight, knees straight and chest relaxed. Imagine holding a rod in your hands and lift up hands, keeping arms and shoulders taut. Just as your arms are about to straighten out, bring them back to shoulder lever, with them bent at the elbows and the elbows in line with shoulders. Repeat this 12–15 times.

Benefits:

Tones and strengthens shoulder muscles, giving a nice shape to shoulders

2 Front Arm Raises

Stand straight with your legs shoulder-width apart and arms by your side. Clench your fists. Keeping your arms taut, raise them in front to reach shoulder level. Still keeping your arms taut, lower your hands till they touch your thighs. Then raise arms again. Repeat this motion 12–15 times.

Benefits:

Tones the fronts of the shoulders

For chest

Push-Ups

Lie on your stomach, facing down. Place your hands, palms down, next to your chest a little wider than s h o u l d e r width apart. As you inhale, raise your body, exerting pressure on your palms until your arms are straight and your entire body your palms and toes. Lower your body till it’s only a few inches off the ground. This completes one repetition. Do 12–15 repetitions, three times. Repeat this exercise with your feet up on a bench.

Benefits:

Broadens and builds chest muscles, giving the chest a nice shape

Uttanpadasana

Stretch your body and keep it taut. Inhale and raise both legs slowly, putting pressure on your hands. Hold your legs at an angle of 60° to the ground, for as long as you can. Breathe normally. Feel the strain on your legs and abdomen. Don’t tense your face or neck. Return legs slowly to the base position. Repeat 3–4 times. Benefits: Improves health of all the digestive organs, lungs, heart, stomach, liver, spleen and intestine; counters constipation; boosts blood circulation, thus countering low blood pressure.

Nabhyasana

Lie straight on your back, both hands on your thighs. As you inhale, raise your head, shoulders and upper back, and then also both your legs. Try to touch your raised feet with your raised hands. Stretch enough, so only your hips stay on the ground. Breathe normally and hold the position for as long as you can. Then slowly return to base position. Repeat this asana 3–5 times.

Benefits: Boosts functioning of all the digestive organs, lungs and heart

Caution:

If you suffer from backaches, avoid this asana.

Gomukh asana

Sit with both legs outstretched. Slide your left foot under the right knee to reach the right hip. Cross your right leg over the left, stacking the right knee on top of the left, and let the right foot reach the left hip. Try to keep the heels equidistant from the hips. Sit evenly, inhale, raise your right arm and bend it at the elbow behind your head. Tuck your left arm close to your chest, push the shoulders back slightly and stretch the arm straight up. Interlock fingers of both hands.The forearms should be parallel to your spine. Now stretch the arms in opposite directions. Hold the position for as long as you can. Interchange the leg and hand positions and repeat.

Benefits:

Eases shoulder stiffness; corrects upper body posture; strengthens all muscles

Ashtanga Namaskara

Lie on your stomach, facing down. Place your hands, palms down, next to your chest—a little wider than shoulder-width apart.Your feet, knees, hands, chest and forehead should all touch the ground. Raise your hips slightly, pivoting the entire pressure on your palms. Breathe normally.

Benefits:

Strengthens chest and arms; increases blood circulation to upper torso, thus rejuvenating the area’s nerves

Shalabhasana

Lie on your stomach, hands beside your thighs and palms resting on the ground. Your chin should touch the floor. Stretch your body and keep it taut. Now raise your legs as high as you can, keeping the knees straight. Make sure there’s no stress on your shoulders, arms or chest muscles; only your stomach and lower back should feel the strain. Hold this position for as long as you can. Return to base position and rest for a minute. Repeat 3–5 times.

Benefits:

Activates blood circulation in the abdomen region; boosts the digestive system; counters constipation; strengthens the intestines

Kunjal Kriya

Mix 1 tbsp of salt in 1 litre of lukewarm water. Squat in kagasana(see pic). Rest your arms on your knees. Drink the salty water till you feel nauseous. When you feel like throwing up place your left hand on your stomach. If all the water is not thrown out naturally, induce vomiting by inserting your index and middle fingers as far back as possible into your mouth. The vomiting should be forceful and should flush out most of the liquid. If any liquid is left in your stomach, it will be excreted as urine.

Benefits:

Effectively cleanses the body; also boosts immunity against allergies; also helps combat indigestion and breathing trouble

CAUTION:

Those who suffer from high blood pressure, slip disc or hernia or have had any stomach surgery recently should avoid this kriya.

Kapalbhati Kriya

Sit in sukhasanaor padmasana, your neck straight. Place both hands on the knees in gyan mudra, eyes gently closed. Exhale forcefully through both nostrils, as you pull your stomach in. Repeat this 40–50 times till you are tired. Keep your body still during the kriya. Then breathe out completely and relax. Increase the process gradually to 80–100 times.

Benefits

Eliminates all toxins from air passages, cleansing body and mind; combats asthma and also massages the abdominal muscles and organs

Caution

If you have any heart disease, high blood pressure or hernia, try to exhale slowly.

Sheetkari Pranayama

Sit in a comfortable position, like sukhasanaor padmasana. Place both your hands on the knees in gyan mudra, eyes gently closed. Roll your tongue inside your mouth and keep your jaws closed. Now inhale with your mouth to your lungs’ capacity. As you inhale, make a sound. Exhale through your nose. Repeat the process 20–30 times.

Benefits

One of the best and easiest ways to purify blood; very helpful in fighting gum problems and bad breath; doesn’t let one feel too thirsty

Kaki Mudra

Sit in sukhasanaor padmasana. Raise your hands to the nose level. Inhale to your lungs’ capacity through your mouth. Close your mouth. Now join your fingertips and close your nostrils with your thumbs. Hold your breath for as long as you can with your cheeks bulging out. Exhale through the mouth. Repeat 3–5 times.

Benefits

Usually associated with longevity; excellent for fighting stress-related disorders; stimulates digestive organs and rids the body of impurities; helps fight low blood pressure

Bhastrika Pranayama

Sit in a comfortable position like padmasana or sukhasana, with your back straight and eyes closed. Form the gyan mudra and place your hands on your knees. Exhale to max capacity through both nostrils, then inhale through both with force. Repeat this continuously till you feel tired. Start slowly, and speed up gradually. Maintain a rhythmic pattern; inhalation time should equal exhalation time. When you breathe in, your lungs should expand—not your belly. Repeat according to your capacity, 30–40 times.

Benefits

Supplies maximum pran vayu to the body; removes impurities and also purifies blood.

Yog(a) and digestion

From the archives of “The Times of India”: 2008

HARD TO DIGEST

• Stress can hamper your digestion and this may adversely affect your skin. Stay stress-free!

• A weak digestive system doesn’t produce enough hydrochloric acid, which is essential for liver function. If the liver function is affected, toxins accumulate in the body tissues and organs. It may also cause hormonal imbalance in the body, thus only worsening any acne condition.

IMPORTANT TIPS

• Keep a strict check on your diet. Eat lots of fibre-rich food. Also eat raw fruit and vegetables; their nutrients are easily processed and assimilated by the body.

• Avoid fried, spicy and nonvegetarian food; digesting it puts a lot of strain on the digestive system.

• Have wheat-based breads.

• Avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol; they stimulate hormone production.

• Dairy products like cheese, cream and yoghurt should be avoided as they are acidic in nature and not readily digested.

• Chew 2–3 neem leaves everyday; neem acts as a natural blood purifier.