Yog(a) exercises
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
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.
Benefits of Yog
The Times of India, Aug 21 2015
Jayant B Dave
Revisiting the benefits of practising Yoga
Yoga is essentially a spiritual practice and is an intensely practical approach for moving towards the eternal absolute reality, the very centre of our lives; it is therefore the heritage of all humanity. Like God, man also is absolute existence, knowledge and bliss in essence.Vinoba Bhave also describes yoga as appointment with the Self and its rightful identification. The pain and suffering perpetually experienced by man is due to ignorance of his true Self and attachment to mind and matter. Practice of yoga helps restore the lost link between man and his infinite source and mitigates the problems faced by him individually and collectively. The much sought after values of harmony and peace appropriately appear in the logo of International Yoga Day that was launched on June 21, 2015. The spontaneous response evoked throughout the country and rest of the world reflects our deep and abiding faith in the experience of yoga in our daily lives. The enthusiastic response across the globe vindicates the faith the United Nations and its member countries placed in accepting yoga as a universal science of Self that helps in bringing about physical, mental and social well-being, all essential ingredients of health as per the definition of the World Health Organisation. In this century, the concept of one world and oneness of humanity is gaining momentum leading to exchange and interchange of cultural values, scientific knowledge and many aspects of human life among the cultures of the East and West.The subject of yoga is of great importance in this regard.
Secondly , yoga should not be misconstrued as a religious cult, thereby curbing its nature and scope as a universal way to holistic living. Evolution of yoga as a body of practical techniques goes beyond theoretical concepts and despite its philosophy and history originating in Hindu and Eastern thought, yoga cannot be circumscribed to Hinduism as explained by Swami Chidananda. Yoga may be applied within the framework of religious life but it transcends religion and is therefore supra religious.
Thirdly , yoga is a science not only for the past, but for the present and distant future as well. Yoga is not a rigid science as it offers scope for infinite expansion. Anything that helps one in ascending towards truth, moving towards Selfrealisation, and is in accordance with one's need and temperament can be called yoga whether or not it has been stated in a yoga text or explained by a yoga teacher.Yoga in fact works as a mirror of body , mind and soul and helps us see ourselves as we are. Fourthly, yoga is much more than asanas, pranayamas, physical and mental health. Four systems of yoga are in vogue Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Kar ma Yoga and Raja Yoga. The last path referred to as Ashtanga Yoga (eight limbs) and pioneered by Maharshi Patanjali is commonly understood as yoga. Three aspects are of great importance in its practice. Ethical purity and ridding the mind of its impurities implied by yama and niyama are the prerequisites. Asana, pranayama and meditation complement one another as body, prana (vital force) and mind are closely interconnected.
Lastly , when the concentrated mind is absorbed in divine reality , meditation culminates in samadhi, a state of super consciousness, where consciousness is raised from physical or psychic level to the infinite, transcendental, spiritual level. Until this happens, practice of yogasana and pranayama is like conditioning of the stringed instrument before divine music is created.
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.
Factors that create hinderances
The Times of India, July 1, 2011
Yoga guru Surakshit Goswami describes the symptoms that Maharishi Patanjali had listed as factors that create hinderances in the regular practice of yoga
There is a reference by Maharishi Patanjali to several character traits that stop a person from practising yoga regularly.
Vyadhi :Fever caused due to imbalance in elements, juices and organs of the body is known as v y a d h i. According to ayurveda, imbalances of wind, bile and cough cause disorders in the body and improper digestion impedes the secretion of juices and the elements essential for it. This causes v y a d h i. It causes weakening of body organs.
Styaan :Lack of energy to perform a certain activity even when one is keen to do it is called s t y a a n.
Sanshaya :Uncertainties or anxieties like, “Would I be able to practise yoga?” or “Would I succeed?” are called s a n s h a y a. These uncertainties play in the mind and create confusion.
Pramaad :The inability to practise yoga even when one has the physical ability and the mental inclination to do it is called p r a m a a d.
Aalasya :Laziness to do something because of a sense of physical and mental heaviness is called a a l a s y a. The body becomes heavy due to the attack of cough, while the mind seems heavy because of an excess of the t a m a g u n a.
Avirati :Attachment with objects of desire or the lack of ascetic behaviour because of the wandering of the sense organs is called a v i r a t i.
Bhrantidarshan : False or untrue knowledge and lack of belief in the yogic discipline is called b h r a n t i d a r s h a n.
Alabdhabhumikatva :
When a person is unable to reach the samaadhi stage even after constant and regular practice of yoga, it is called a l a b d h a b - h u m i k a t v a.
Anavasthhitatva :This is a person’s inability to keep the mind calm and to concentrate even after attaining the stage of samaadhi.
Panchkoshas
The Times of India, July 22, 2011
In yoga, it is important to know the significance of the last two p a n c h k o s h as or receptacles that keep the sensitivity of the a t m a n intact and covered, says yoga guru Surakshit Goswami
The p a n c h - k o s h as — a n - n a m a y, p r a n m a y, m a n o m a y, vijn a n m a yanda n a n d m a y— are the five receptacles that keep the sensitivity of the a t m a nintact and covered, hence the term, k o s h. The first three p a n c h k o s h as were described earlier; the remaining two are described here.
Vijnanmay kosh
The mind enables one to experience knowledge. The sense organs are controlled by the mind, and the mind works with instructions from the a t m a n. Questions have been raised in the K e n o p a s h a dto determine how the mind is attracted towards objects of desire and how eyes and p r a n aperform their functions. It is said the mind has its own mind, the eyes their own eyes, the speech its own speech, the p r a n aits own p r a n aand the ear its own ear. This is the a t m a n. A resolute person attains immortality by being acquainted with his a t - m a n. The mind, however, cannot access the a t m a nbecause it functions under its influence. The mind is motivated by the a t - m a nto gather knowledge and this it makes available to the a t - m a n. Knowledge is classified into five categories, according to the organs through which acquired — vision, hairing, smelling, touching, tasting. Our mind’s reasoning ability should be resolute or we will be befuddled and will not be able to acquire knowledge. Meditation is prescribed for cleansing and invigorating the vijn a n m a y k o s hto improve reasoning ability so that we make prudent decisions.
Anandmay kosh
Acquiring knowledge is blissful and motivates the mind, p r a n a and a n n a m a y s h a rir. All beings pursue happiness because of their a t m a n. In B rih a d a r a n y a k U p a nis h a d, Yajn a v alk y asays that a t m a nis the dearest of all things. Only to provide happiness to the a t m a nis a husband dear to his wife, a father dear to his son, and so on. A n a n d aor bliss is also a k o s hor receptacle of the atman, but is not the a t m a n. These k o s h as envelop the a t m a nand are filled with consciousness only through a t m a n. A person usually experiences bliss only for a brief period of time, and it continues only in s a m a a d hi. After a person attains sid h hior perfection in s a m a a d hi, confusion and scepticism are resolved and love, hatred, passion, anger, greed, ego, and possessiveness vanish. In s a m a a d hi, a yoga practitioner remains blissful, detached and liberated.
Pranayama
The Times of India, Aug 6, 2011
The practice of yoga includes a s a n as, meditation, and p r a n a y a m a. Yoga guru Surakshit Goswami explains the importance of pranayama, which cleanses our 72,000 blood vessels
Stabilising the flow of life force in our blood vessels is called p r a n a y a m a. It is made up of two words, p r a n a and a y a m a. P r a n ais the breath or life force without which no one can survive. Ay a m ameans stabilising or expanding the p r a n a.The process of inhalation and exhalation begins at birth and ends with death. By practicing p r a n a y a m a, one can control the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. P r a n aenergy resides in the body and keeps body and mind fit. It is the basis of all activities of the body and mind. P r a n ais of five types. These are p r a n a, a p a a n, s a - m a a n, v y a a n, and u d a a n. P r a - n a y a m ais a scientific method of controlling the breath, leading to better health for mind and body. P r a n aor life force should be controlled in the same way as lions, elephants or tigers are tamed – gradually and with patience. Life force, when controlled under compulsion, has a negative impact. By doing p r a n a y a m ain a wrong way, you can suffer from hiccups, fever, breathing ailments, cough, headache, pain in the eyes and ears.
A natural cleanser
Pranayama cleanses all the body’s 72,000 blood vessels, besides curing diseases of mind and body. It helps you slim down and radiate vigour. In the process, your mind is filled with happiness and your k u n d alini power is awakened. Just as fire purifies gold, so p r a n a y a m apurifies and cures ailments of the sense organs. In yogic discipline, it is believed that an ailment occurs in an organ when the circulation of life force in that organ gets imbalanced and disorganized. P r a - n a y a m a, therefore, ensures optimum circulation of life force in every part of the body and helps to eradicate diseases.
The magic eight
H a t h y o g P r a dipik adescribes eight types of p r a n a y a m a. These are s u r y a b h e d a n, ujja a yi, sit k a a ri, s hitli, b h a s t rik a, b h r a a - m a ri, m o o r c h aand pla a vini. According to H a t h y o g, before doing these p r a n a y a m a s, the blood vessels of the body should be cleansed by n a d h - is h o d h a n p r a n a y a m a. This plays an important role in preventing and curing diseases and in keeping a person healthy. P r a n a y a m ais usually done after doing the a s a n as. You begin with n a d his h o d h a n p r a n a y a m a, also called a n ulo m - vilo m, as it cleanses the blood vessels and makes the three main n a a disof the body supple.
