KALA BHAIRAVASANA

KALA BHAIRAVASANA
Bhairava is Siva in his terrible aspect as destroyer of the univers. Evel of the destructive principle.
Technique:
1. Parform the Eka Pada Sirsasana. The palms should be kept by the side of the hips.
2. Move the right leg siodeways to the right.
3. Exhale, take the right arm off the floor, turn the trunk right and place the right arm along the right thigh.two breaths.
4. Now stretch the right arm up vertically.
5. The wholebod is balanced sideways on theleft palm and outer side of the right foot, the right leg forming an angle of 30 degrees from the floor.

6. Stay in the pose for about 20 seconds with deep breathing.

Effects:
This asana tone up the muscular, nervous and circulatory systems of the entire body. The spine receies a rich supply of blood, which increase the nervous energy in the chakras (the various nerve plexuses situated in the spine),the flywheels in the human body machine. These poses develop the chest and make the brweathing fuller and the body firmer; they stop nervous trembling of the body and prevent the diseases which cause it; they also help to eliminate toxins by supplying pure blood to every part of the body and bringing the congested blood back to the heart and lungs for purification. By the practice of these asanas the haimoglobin content of the blood improves, the body and mind become vigorouas and the capacity for work increases

EKA PADA SIRSANSANA:

EKA PADA SIRSANSANA:
Eda menas one. Pada means a leg or a foot. Sirsa means the head.
Technique
1. Sit on the floor with the legs stretched straight in front.
2. Bend the knee, lift the left foot and bring it near the trunk by holding the left ankle with both hands.
3. Exhale, pull the left thigh up and back, bend the trunk a little forward and place the left leg on the back of the neck.The outer side of the lower left leg just above the ankle will touch the back of the neck.
4. Raise up the neck and head, keep the back straight, let go of the left ankle and fold the palcs in front of the chest.The back of the left thigh will then touch the back of the left shoulder. If the head is not held up properly, the leg will slip off the neck. The rith leg should lie straioght on the floor. The back of the entire leg should touch the floor and the toes point forward.

5. Remain in this position from 15 to 60 seconds with deep breathing.
6. Unfold the palms, hold the left ankle with both hands, lower the left leg to the ground and straighten it.
7. Repeat the pose on the right side, placing the right leg behind the neck. The left leg should lie straight on the floor. Keep the pose on bioth sides for the same length of time.

Effects:
The asanas given below can be done in continuation of Eka Pada Sirsasana on e after another at a stretch. There is no need to do them separately. First, perform the entire cycle of asanas doing Eda Pada Sirsansana with one leg placed on the back of the neck. Then rest for a minute on two and repeat the cycle with the other leg placed on the back of the neck. These poses are strenuous and require long practice to master.

KASYAPASANA:

KASYAPASANA:

This asana is dedicated to the sage Kasyapa, son of the sage Marichi, a son of Brahma. He boreA an important share in the work of creation. It is said that Kasyapa married the thirteen daughters of Daksa. He beggot by Aditi the twelve Adityas(the gods0 and by Diti the Daityas (the demons), By his other wives he had diversified and numerous progeny such as serpents, reptiles, birds and nymphs of the lunar constellations. He was thus the father of Surya ( the sun god) and all living beings and is often called Prajapati(the Progenitor).

Techinque:

1.Stand in Tadasana.Bend forward, rest the palms on the floor as in Uttanasana and take the legs back about 4 to 5 feet, I Adho Mukha Svanasana.

2. Turn the whole body sideways to the right and balance on the right hand and foot. The outer side of the rifght foot should rest firmly on the floor. Place the left foot over the right foot, rest the left palm on the left hip and balance keeping the body straight

.3. Exhale, bend the left knee and place the left foot at the root of the right thigh as in half Padmasana. Swing the left arm from the shoulder behind the back and with the left hand catch the left big toe. This is the final position. Balance in it for some time with deep breathing. The entire chest and the extended right arm should be in one plane.

4. Exhale,.release the right foot and place it again over the right one and put the left hand o the left thigh. Take a few deep breaths.

5. Exhale, turn the body over to the left so that it balances only on the left hand and foot. Place the right foot at the root of the left thigh in half Padmasana and catch the ritght big toe from bwehind the back with the right hand. Balance on the both sides for an equal length of time.

6. Exhale, relaese the right foot and place it over the left foot and the right hand on the right thigh.

7. Rest the right palm on the floor and come back to Uttanasana, take a few breaths and with an exhalation return to Tadasana.

Effects:

This asana strengthens the hands and relieves pain and stiffness in the sacreal region of lthe spine.

ARDHA BADDHA PADMA PASCHIMOTTANASANA

ARDHA BADDHA PADMA PASCHIMOTTANASANA

1. EXHALE. Place the right foot on the left thigh. Raise your right arm up and bring it back grab the right foot with the right hand. Bring left arm up and down grab the outside of the left foot. Look to the toes, as in A. XOr place the sole of the right foot in the inside of the left leg and grab as far as possible with your hands, as in A1.
2. INHALE. . Look half the up to the horizon keeping the grip. Lengthen the spine.
3. EXHALE. Bend forward. STAY HERE FOR 5 LONG DEEP BREATHS
4. INHALE. Look half the up to the horizon. Lengthen the spine.
5. EXHALE. Release the legs. VINYASA

-REPEAT ALL THE STEPS IN THE LEFT SIDE-
-VINYASA-

EFFECTS:

Due to the half lotus pose,the knees become flexible enough to execute the full lotus pose. While placing the chin on the knee of the extended leg, the bent knee is brought close to the stretched leg. This gives a good pull to the navel and abdominal organs. Blood is made to flow round the the navel and the geniytal organs. The navel is considered top be a nerve centre, and the Svadhisthana Chakra, one of the purificatory fly-wheels in the human vervous system, is situated there. This chakra corresponds to the hypo-gastric plexus. The pose is recommended for persons with rounded and drooping shoulders.

BHARADVAJASANA

Bharadwajasana

Alternate spelling:

BharadvajasanaThis Asana has been named after Sage Bharadwaja

Who was sage Bharadwaja?

Sage Bharadwaja belongs to the Brahmin clan which was known for its physical activities and practice of the martial arts. He was the father of sage Dronacharya, the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas in Mahabharata.The birth of Drona is quite interesting which has been recounted in the Mahabharata quite elaborately. Since in this case Drona was not born out of a woman, but a clay pot.Sage Bharadwaja's other son was sage Garga - who was also a vedic scholar as his father. Garga was also a renowned astrologer who gave Krishna his name.I found this Asana very useful in progressing to Ardha-MatsyedrasanaBreathing: Breath in when twisting the torso to the back. I am still, as usual, still to go a long way grappling this Asana. The twist here should be even more pronounced.

BHARADVAJASANA

This asana is dedicated to the sage Bharadvaja whose son, Dronacharya, was the military preceptor of both the Kauravas and Pandavas.

technique

1. Sit on the floor with both legs stretched straight in front of you.

2. Flexing the knees, draw the legs back and bring both feet to the right, beside the right hip. Rest the ankle of the right foot on the arch of the left foot.

3. Rest buttocks on the floor. Cup your palms. Place the left hand's fingertips behind the left hip and the right hand's fingertips outside the left thigh. Pressing fingertips on the floor, lift the trunk, extending the spine upwards. Do not sit on your feet; ensure that the buttocks are firmly on the floor.

4. Exhale and turn your trunk about 45° to the left. Place your right hand on the left thigh near the knee. Using the pressure of the right hand against the left knee, exhale and turn further. Then, straightening the right arm, insert the right palm under the left knee so that the face of the palm is on the floor.

5. Exhale. Turn left arm backwards from the shoulder. Bend at the left elbow and clasp the right upper arm with the left hand.

6. Tuck your shoulder-blades in and lift the sternum. Rotate the trunk till the right side of the body is in line with the left thigh. keep the left hip and the left shoulder in the same line. Do not lean backwards.

7. Turn your neck to the right and gaze over the right shoulder.

8. Hold this position for half a minute with deep breathing.

9. Loosen the grip of your palms and return to the first position. Then repeat the pose on the other side, taking both legs to the left and rotating the trunk to the right. Stay for the same duration of time on both the sides.

specialtechnique

• If you experience difficulty in practicing this pose, sit on a blanket 2 inches thick. The feet should rest on the floor.

• A beginner can also practice this asana using the wall as support, so that the hips can twist around more easily.

• Sit with your left buttock touching the wall.

• Place both feet near the right buttock and the left knee and thigh against the wall.

• Put your right hand under the left thigh. Place left palm on the wall in line with the shoulders. Pressing left palm against the wall, raise the trunk and turn it to the left.

• Repeat the pose on the other side, with the right buttock against the wall.

Benefits

• The asana works on the dorsal and lumbar regions of the spine, making the back supple. • Regular practice of this asana relieves arthritis.

YOGA FOCUS ON WOMEN HEALTH

YOGA FOCUS ON WOMEN HEALTH
Yoga does not promote post-menopausal convalescence because this phase in a woman's life is not considered an illness, just a very normal part of an aging woman's existence. During menopause, different women will experience unique symptoms for varied amounts of time and severity, and yoga is not tangible the way medicinal treatments are. Drugs work precisely to regulate the body's hormones and minimize or eliminate a woman's discomfort. Peri-menopause cannot be remedied by yoga alone and, although there is not a specific set of postures for a woman to do for the symptoms, yoga performed with combined postures is beneficial to the body.
Yoga enables a person to relax and achieve a positive mind set as well as a steady body during the practice, which often carries into the rest of a yogi's life. As people are told to "watch their thoughts" during meditation, women can visualize this internal change that is occurring to better accept this difficult part of life.
All yoga should begin in a class so an instructor can demonstrate to you the correct way to pose, explain the way in which these very specific postures are beneficial to the body, and help you with your breathing and meditation which are essential to yoga if you wish to see maximum benefits. Books and DVDs are a great way to learn more about yoga, but instruction is important for beginners. You may find yourself in a compromising position - literally - if you begin difficult poses before you are ready.
A few yoga facts about asanas, or poses in yoga, can help women to know which ones to do to improve some of their symptoms. For example, to gain energy and lift one's spirits, the back bend is recommended; for stress and anxiety, a forward bend. There are quite a few of these bends present in yoga. There are postures that prepare the body for other postures, and there are counter postures that balance the body. Each type of posture is important to the body as they help prevent it from becoming damaged during yoga and after yoga.
Book advice for menopausal women is different than the advice a yoga instructor will give you, but keep in mind the fact that many female instructors will or have been through the same stage in life. Writings suggest that women should not push their bodies and use soothing poses instead; the yogi will tell you differently. Slower, softer poses have increased the rate of weight gain and mood swings in some women, therefore yoga has taken this idea in the opposite direction.
As mentioned earlier, individual women feel symptoms that are unique to their bodies. If fatigue and body ache are not soothed by active poses, restorative poses may better suit these types. Symptoms of menopause are ever changing with the changing levels of hormones, so each type of posture may be beneficial.
For women who prefer more rigorous asanas, there are many others available. The shoulder stand, headstand, and forward bends that require one to stand and double over, as well as other inversion poses, help the body a great deal. Other postures in which one is required to stand, including the extended side angle, triangle, and half moon poses, relax the body especially when it is tense.
The female menstrual cycle is an occurrence of the female anatomy that no man could ever fully understand. The first period a young woman experiences signifies her body's physical maturity so she can begin to reproduce, and the last period a woman has means she may no longer bear children. Each individual woman feels a certain way before, during, and after this week due to the hormonal changes in her body.
Mood swings, abdominal cramping, fatigue, and bloating are common yet uncomfortable symptoms women must tend to. Luckily, there are treatments such as medicines and heating pads that help with these issues, but this week is still difficult to endure.
There are specific types of foods (no, I don't mean chocolate, ladies!) that a woman can eat to keep her body in balance before and after she menstruates. Foods that are high in fiber should be consumed before the period begins so the body can continue to cleanse its system. A teaspoon of sesame seed oil should be taken daily before, during and after the period so the body feels strong during this time of blood loss. During the days of menstruation, it is advised that women eat lightly so food can enter and exit the body with ease. The week after the period, women should eat as they did before this time - a diet high in fibrous foods.A simple tea can be concocted by any woman to lessen the effects of PMS. One cup of water and a teaspoon of basil and ground cinnamon mixed in and boiled for 20 minutes or so is all that PMS Tea consists of. This tea should be consumed at specific times: upon waking, noon, 4PM, and 8PM for maximum effectiveness. If your symptoms seem to subside, drinking this tea twice daily is enough. Natural cures are the best option to treat menstrual pains and symptoms because man-made drugs can cause side effects that would only add to those already present. YOGA FOCUS ON WOMEN HEALTH
Yoga does not promote post-menopausal convalescence because this phase in a woman's life is not considered an illness, just a very normal part of an aging woman's existence. During menopause, different women will experience unique symptoms for varied amounts of time and severity, and yoga is not tangible the way medicinal treatments are. Drugs work precisely to regulate the body's hormones and minimize or eliminate a woman's discomfort. Peri-menopause cannot be remedied by yoga alone and, although there is not a specific set of postures for a woman to do for the symptoms, yoga performed with combined postures is beneficial to the body.
Yoga enables a person to relax and achieve a positive mind set as well as a steady body during the practice, which often carries into the rest of a yogi's life. As people are told to "watch their thoughts" during meditation, women can visualize this internal change that is occurring to better accept this difficult part of life.
All yoga should begin in a class so an instructor can demonstrate to you the correct way to pose, explain the way in which these very specific postures are beneficial to the body, and help you with your breathing and meditation which are essential to yoga if you wish to see maximum benefits. Books and DVDs are a great way to learn more about yoga, but instruction is important for beginners. You may find yourself in a compromising position - literally - if you begin difficult poses before you are ready.
A few yoga facts about asanas, or poses in yoga, can help women to know which ones to do to improve some of their symptoms. For example, to gain energy and lift one's spirits, the back bend is recommended; for stress and anxiety, a forward bend. There are quite a few of these bends present in yoga. There are postures that prepare the body for other postures, and there are counter postures that balance the body. Each type of posture is important to the body as they help prevent it from becoming damaged during yoga and after yoga.
Book advice for menopausal women is different than the advice a yoga instructor will give you, but keep in mind the fact that many female instructors will or have been through the same stage in life. Writings suggest that women should not push their bodies and use soothing poses instead; the yogi will tell you differently. Slower, softer poses have increased the rate of weight gain and mood swings in some women, therefore yoga has taken this idea in the opposite direction.
As mentioned earlier, individual women feel symptoms that are unique to their bodies. If fatigue and body ache are not soothed by active poses, restorative poses may better suit these types. Symptoms of menopause are ever changing with the changing levels of hormones, so each type of posture may be beneficial.
For women who prefer more rigorous asanas, there are many others available. The shoulder stand, headstand, and forward bends that require one to stand and double over, as well as other inversion poses, help the body a great deal. Other postures in which one is required to stand, including the extended side angle, triangle, and half moon poses, relax the body especially when it is tense.
The female menstrual cycle is an occurrence of the female anatomy that no man could ever fully understand. The first period a young woman experiences signifies her body's physical maturity so she can begin to reproduce, and the last period a woman has means she may no longer bear children. Each individual woman feels a certain way before, during, and after this week due to the hormonal changes in her body.
Mood swings, abdominal cramping, fatigue, and bloating are common yet uncomfortable symptoms women must tend to. Luckily, there are treatments such as medicines and heating pads that help with these issues, but this week is still difficult to endure.
There are specific types of foods (no, I don't mean chocolate, ladies!) that a woman can eat to keep her body in balance before and after she menstruates. Foods that are high in fiber should be consumed before the period begins so the body can continue to cleanse its system. A teaspoon of sesame seed oil should be taken daily before, during and after the period so the body feels strong during this time of blood loss. During the days of menstruation, it is advised that women eat lightly so food can enter and exit the body with ease. The week after the period, women should eat as they did before this time - a diet high in fibrous foods.A simple tea can be concocted by any woman to lessen the effects of PMS. One cup of water and a teaspoon of basil and ground cinnamon mixed in and boiled for 20 minutes or so is all that PMS Tea consists of. This tea should be consumed at specific times: upon waking, noon, 4PM, and 8PM for maximum effectiveness. If your symptoms seem to subside, drinking this tea twice daily is enough. Natural cures are the best option to treat menstrual pains and symptoms because man-made drugs can cause side effects that would only add to those already present. YOGA FOCUS ON WOMEN HEALTH
Yoga does not promote post-menopausal convalescence because this phase in a woman's life is not considered an illness, just a very normal part of an aging woman's existence. During menopause, different women will experience unique symptoms for varied amounts of time and severity, and yoga is not tangible the way medicinal treatments are. Drugs work precisely to regulate the body's hormones and minimize or eliminate a woman's discomfort. Peri-menopause cannot be remedied by yoga alone and, although there is not a specific set of postures for a woman to do for the symptoms, yoga performed with combined postures is beneficial to the body.
Yoga enables a person to relax and achieve a positive mind set as well as a steady body during the practice, which often carries into the rest of a yogi's life. As people are told to "watch their thoughts" during meditation, women can visualize this internal change that is occurring to better accept this difficult part of life.
All yoga should begin in a class so an instructor can demonstrate to you the correct way to pose, explain the way in which these very specific postures are beneficial to the body, and help you with your breathing and meditation which are essential to yoga if you wish to see maximum benefits. Books and DVDs are a great way to learn more about yoga, but instruction is important for beginners. You may find yourself in a compromising position - literally - if you begin difficult poses before you are ready.
A few yoga facts about asanas, or poses in yoga, can help women to know which ones to do to improve some of their symptoms. For example, to gain energy and lift one's spirits, the back bend is recommended; for stress and anxiety, a forward bend. There are quite a few of these bends present in yoga. There are postures that prepare the body for other postures, and there are counter postures that balance the body. Each type of posture is important to the body as they help prevent it from becoming damaged during yoga and after yoga.
Book advice for menopausal women is different than the advice a yoga instructor will give you, but keep in mind the fact that many female instructors will or have been through the same stage in life. Writings suggest that women should not push their bodies and use soothing poses instead; the yogi will tell you differently. Slower, softer poses have increased the rate of weight gain and mood swings in some women, therefore yoga has taken this idea in the opposite direction.
As mentioned earlier, individual women feel symptoms that are unique to their bodies. If fatigue and body ache are not soothed by active poses, restorative poses may better suit these types. Symptoms of menopause are ever changing with the changing levels of hormones, so each type of posture may be beneficial.
For women who prefer more rigorous asanas, there are many others available. The shoulder stand, headstand, and forward bends that require one to stand and double over, as well as other inversion poses, help the body a great deal. Other postures in which one is required to stand, including the extended side angle, triangle, and half moon poses, relax the body especially when it is tense.
The female menstrual cycle is an occurrence of the female anatomy that no man could ever fully understand. The first period a young woman experiences signifies her body's physical maturity so she can begin to reproduce, and the last period a woman has means she may no longer bear children. Each individual woman feels a certain way before, during, and after this week due to the hormonal changes in her body.
Mood swings, abdominal cramping, fatigue, and bloating are common yet uncomfortable symptoms women must tend to. Luckily, there are treatments such as medicines and heating pads that help with these issues, but this week is still difficult to endure.
There are specific types of foods (no, I don't mean chocolate, ladies!) that a woman can eat to keep her body in balance before and after she menstruates. Foods that are high in fiber should be consumed before the period begins so the body can continue to cleanse its system. A teaspoon of sesame seed oil should be taken daily before, during and after the period so the body feels strong during this time of blood loss. During the days of menstruation, it is advised that women eat lightly so food can enter and exit the body with ease. The week after the period, women should eat as they did before this time - a diet high in fibrous foods.A simple tea can be concocted by any woman to lessen the effects of PMS. One cup of water and a teaspoon of basil and ground cinnamon mixed in and boiled for 20 minutes or so is all that PMS Tea consists of. This tea should be consumed at specific times: upon waking, noon, 4PM, and 8PM for maximum effectiveness. If your symptoms seem to subside, drinking this tea twice daily is enough. Natural cures are the best option to treat menstrual pains and symptoms because man-made drugs can cause side effects that would only add to those already present. YOGA FOCUS ON WOMEN HEALTH
Yoga does not promote post-menopausal convalescence because this phase in a woman's life is not considered an illness, just a very normal part of an aging woman's existence. During menopause, different women will experience unique symptoms for varied amounts of time and severity, and yoga is not tangible the way medicinal treatments are. Drugs work precisely to regulate the body's hormones and minimize or eliminate a woman's discomfort. Peri-menopause cannot be remedied by yoga alone and, although there is not a specific set of postures for a woman to do for the symptoms, yoga performed with combined postures is beneficial to the body.
Yoga enables a person to relax and achieve a positive mind set as well as a steady body during the practice, which often carries into the rest of a yogi's life. As people are told to "watch their thoughts" during meditation, women can visualize this internal change that is occurring to better accept this difficult part of life.
All yoga should begin in a class so an instructor can demonstrate to you the correct way to pose, explain the way in which these very specific postures are beneficial to the body, and help you with your breathing and meditation which are essential to yoga if you wish to see maximum benefits. Books and DVDs are a great way to learn more about yoga, but instruction is important for beginners. You may find yourself in a compromising position - literally - if you begin difficult poses before you are ready.
A few yoga facts about asanas, or poses in yoga, can help women to know which ones to do to improve some of their symptoms. For example, to gain energy and lift one's spirits, the back bend is recommended; for stress and anxiety, a forward bend. There are quite a few of these bends present in yoga. There are postures that prepare the body for other postures, and there are counter postures that balance the body. Each type of posture is important to the body as they help prevent it from becoming damaged during yoga and after yoga.
Book advice for menopausal women is different than the advice a yoga instructor will give you, but keep in mind the fact that many female instructors will or have been through the same stage in life. Writings suggest that women should not push their bodies and use soothing poses instead; the yogi will tell you differently. Slower, softer poses have increased the rate of weight gain and mood swings in some women, therefore yoga has taken this idea in the opposite direction.
As mentioned earlier, individual women feel symptoms that are unique to their bodies. If fatigue and body ache are not soothed by active poses, restorative poses may better suit these types. Symptoms of menopause are ever changing with the changing levels of hormones, so each type of posture may be beneficial.
For women who prefer more rigorous asanas, there are many others available. The shoulder stand, headstand, and forward bends that require one to stand and double over, as well as other inversion poses, help the body a great deal. Other postures in which one is required to stand, including the extended side angle, triangle, and half moon poses, relax the body especially when it is tense.
The female menstrual cycle is an occurrence of the female anatomy that no man could ever fully understand. The first period a young woman experiences signifies her body's physical maturity so she can begin to reproduce, and the last period a woman has means she may no longer bear children. Each individual woman feels a certain way before, during, and after this week due to the hormonal changes in her body.
Mood swings, abdominal cramping, fatigue, and bloating are common yet uncomfortable symptoms women must tend to. Luckily, there are treatments such as medicines and heating pads that help with these issues, but this week is still difficult to endure.
There are specific types of foods (no, I don't mean chocolate, ladies!) that a woman can eat to keep her body in balance before and after she menstruates. Foods that are high in fiber should be consumed before the period begins so the body can continue to cleanse its system. A teaspoon of sesame seed oil should be taken daily before, during and after the period so the body feels strong during this time of blood loss. During the days of menstruation, it is advised that women eat lightly so food can enter and exit the body with ease. The week after the period, women should eat as they did before this time - a diet high in fibrous foods.A simple tea can be concocted by any woman to lessen the effects of PMS. One cup of water and a teaspoon of basil and ground cinnamon mixed in and boiled for 20 minutes or so is all that PMS Tea consists of. This tea should be consumed at specific times: upon waking, noon, 4PM, and 8PM for maximum effectiveness. If your symptoms seem to subside, drinking this tea twice daily is enough. Natural cures are the best option to treat menstrual pains and symptoms because man-made drugs can cause side effects that would only add to those already present.

FIREFLY POSE (TITTIBHASANA):

FIREFLY POSE (TITTIBHASANA):

Type of pose: Arm balance
Benefits: Strengthens the wrists, forearms and abdomen; stretches the hamstrings
Instructions:
1. Come in to a wide squat.
2. Bring your palms flat on the floor just under your feet.
3. Bend the elbows back as you would in Chaturanga Dandasana.
4. Begin to shift your weight back to rest on your upper arms and bring the feet up off the floor.
5. Straighten the legs.
6. Begin to straighten the arms.
Beginners:

Like most arm balances, this is easier than it looks. For one thing, if you fall, you'll land on your butt instead of your head — as in some other poses! If you can lift the feet off of the floor but cannot straighten the legs, try crossing the feet at the ankles in front of you. Advanced: Work on straightening your arms and legs.

WHAT IS YIN YOGA:

WHAT IS YIN YOGA:

Yin Yoga contains the ancient, and some say original, form of asana practice. The sages who pioneered the path of yoga used asanas to strengthen the body, so that they could sit for long periods in contemplative meditation. If you have ever sat for a long time with legs crossed, you know the hips and lower back need to be strong and open. The sensations you felt were deep in the connective tissues and the joints. These are the deep yin tissues of the body, relative to the more superficial yang tissues of muscles and skin. Yin Yoga opens up these deep, dense, rarely touched areas. Recently Yin Yoga has been "re-discovered", and more and more students of yoga are adding this challenging form of practice to their regular sadhana. Years of a dedicated asana practice will make anyone healthier, stronger, and more flexible, but at some point the muscles will have reached their limit of flexibility. New depths in postures, deeper ranges of motion, or an increased flow of energy may only be achievable by focusing on the deeper tissues of the body. This is why so many students are finding Yin Yoga to be the perfect compliment and balance to their more active, yang practices. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika tells us"Success comes to him who is engaged in the practice. How can one get success without practice; for by merely reading books on yoga, one can never get success." [I-67].Swami Swatmarama, the fourteenth-century sage who wrote the Hatha Yoga Pradipika [1] might well add today 'or by reading a web page'. Still for many people a book or a web page may be their only means to learn a yoga practice. And so our journey down the Yin River reveals to us some guidance for the practice of Yin Yoga.We will begin by looking at how to practice Yin Yoga, and then proceed to describe the postures (also called "asanas" or poses) most commonly used in the practice. There are not nearly as many asanas required in the yin style of yoga as are found in the more active practices. There are perhaps three dozen postures at most (excluding variations). The yin areas of the body generally targeted in the practice are between the knees and navel, the lower body. Since the poses are held longer, there are fewer poses that one can even attempt in one session, compared to the yang styles of yoga where one pose may be held for as little as five breaths. We will discover the most common poses and see them in detail, including their variations, options, and some contraindications.
[2] After viewing the most common asanas we will discover several flows; a flow is simply a linking together of asanas in a logical sequence. These flows have been created with a central theme or purpose in mind. Just as the asanas presented will not exhaust the possible poses one can do in Yin Yoga, the flows will be even less exhaustive. [3] The last section on practice will concern the moving of energy. Suggestions will be offered on various movements, breathing patterns, and meditations designed to affect and stimulate the flow of energy (Chi or prana) in the body.
The Three Tattvas of Yin Yoga

PracticeA tattva is the reality of a thing, or its category or principal nature. Sarah Powers offers us three very simple and very effective principles for the yin practice.
Come into the pose to an appropriate depth
Resolve to remain still
Hold the pose for time
Remembering these three principles as you practice will simplify everything. We will look at each step of how to practice in more detail in a moment. Knowing when to practice is a different matter.
We could do our yin practice
When our muscles are cool (so they don't steal the stretch away from the deeper tissues)
To see a graphical demonstration of the difference between cold muscles and warm muscles visit this page
Early in the morning (when the muscles are more likely to be cool)

Last thing at night (to calm the mind before sleep)
Before an active yang practice (again, before the muscles become too warmed up)
In the spring or summer (to balance a natural yang time of year)
When life has become very hectic (to balance the yang energies in our lives)
After a long trip (traveling is very yang, even if we are sitting down a lot during the trip)
During your moon cycle (to conserve energies)
Yin Yoga deliberately targets the deeper connective tissues. To be most effective we want the muscles to be relaxed. If the muscles are warm and active they will tend to absorb most of the tension of the stretch. When we do our Yin Yoga practice early in the morning, the muscles have not yet woken up; this is why we feel so stiff when we first wake up. In the same way, doing our yin practice before an active yang practice allows the stretching to settle deeper into our tissues. By the end of the day our muscles have been warmed up and are at their longest. The physical benefits of a yin practice will be fewer at this time; however, the psychological benefits may be greater. The daytime is yang. A yin practice, before going to sleep, may balance this energy. Similarly the spring and summer are yang times of year. When life is busy, when we spend many hours traveling, these are all yang times of our life. Balance is achieved when we cultivate yin energies. During a woman's menstrual period she may naturally find a yin practice beneficial.On the other side of the coin, a yin practice is not recommended when we have already been very placid. After sitting at a desk for eight hours in the dead of a dull winter's day, a more active practice may create balance much better than a yin practice. Listening to your inner guide may give you the best answer to the question: is this a time for yin or yang?

MAYURASANA:

MAYURASANA:

Holding the ground with both the palms, supporting the (corresponding) sides of the navel by both the elbows and raising oneself like a horizontal stick, in the air, this is called Mayurasana.
Note:-'Mayur' means Peacock in Sanskrit. One has to hold his whole body like a stick on both his elbows, as shown in the picture. We assume the shape of a Peacock hence it is called Mayurasana.

Technique :-
1.Sit on both your upper scales. Knees should be plitced on the ground.
2.Stretch out fingers of your hands and place the palms on the ground, fingers will remain stretched pointing backward.
3.Place elbows gently on either side of the navel.
4.Slowly stretching both legs together, come little forward very cautiously, and then raise the upper part of the body.
5.If the upper part of the body is raised up, then straighten your legs also like a stick (horizontal) an keep straight your chest, neck and head also.
6.Maintain it for sometime then return to the origin position, slowly fold your legs and place the knees on the gorund.
7.Now raising your hands from the ground sit on the soles.

Remember :-
1.This is a very important balancing pose.
2.Full weight of your body remains on navel and it is possible to lose the balance at any moment, hence practise it with care.
3.Jerk should be avoided at any stage.
4.If during practice you feel like coughing or sneezing then return and start practising again.

Benefits and Limitations :-
1.This Asana is a very good measure against visceroptosis and dyspepsia.
2.It is useful in diabetes also.
3.Those suffering from cervical spondilitis should not practise it.

YOGA POSITIONS FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS

YOGA POSITIONS FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS
Yoga positions involve simple movements well within the performing capacity of the normal individual and for best results the mind and the body must work in phase and complement each other. All movements must be slow, gentle and relaxed to be meaningful, so never go beyond the limits of your endurance. Although there are several positions, the main categories are what we will confine ourselves to.
Standing Yoga AsanasMore often than not, when you simply think of the amount of work (physical and mental), which is pending, you feel exhausted. So, If you want to Increase the levels of your endurance and bring flexibility and suppleness to your joints and muscles, begin with the basic standing yoga positions like Tadasana and ardha chandrasana.
Forward bending and back bending
Asanas Having achieved a certain amount of pliability, you would need to correlate mental and physical activities and this is where these yoga positions help. A gradual stretching of the body helps to extend the back portion of spine and in the process certain elasticity is achieved that adds suppleness to the limbs. Paschimotanasana if done regularly will keep those aches at bay.
Back Bending Yoga Asanas achieve the opposite effect by extending the front portion of the spine, so it complements the forward bending asana. If the bhujangasana, which a back bending yoga position is combined with a Paschimotanasana, the end result is that you succeed in what you have set out to do. Since the spine is the pivot for all our movements, these two yoga positions can help us to achieve immense agility and nimbleness and consequently mental keenness, for a supple body houses a supple mind.
While the above 2 asanas focus on the front and back of the spine, more resilience and elasticity is achieved with twisting positions, which encompass lateral stretching and twisting of the spine. The internal organs are also toned and a sense of peace and harmony is achieved. Practicing the Matsyendrasana position in combination with the above 2 asanas ensures buoyancy of the spirit and a whole arrange of new body movements.
Postural defects are the bane of human beings. Over the years you misuse your body and limbs to such an extent that the muscles become inelastic and you are unable to hold yourself upright. Padmasana, Vajrasana, Simhasana are sitting and supine yoga positions that help to keep the body upright, firms and tones the muscles and corrects a defective posture. The inverted postures like the adho mukhasvasana help to combat the stress of everyday life. It rejuvenates and helps us to be balanced in all our actions, be it mental or emotional. While strengthening and toning the spine is fine, the pelvic and lumbar regions also need attention.
Abdominal and lumbar asanas like the marichyasana focus on these areas and the abdominal organs; the pelvic and lumbar areas are massaged and toned, keeping them in a good functional state. All the important parts of the body apparently seem to have been taken care of, but the arms and wrists. The Balancing Asanas do just that. The Sirsasana and the sarvangasana help to strengthen the forelimbs and also have a salutary effect on the abdominal organs.
That appears tiring? imagine going through all those yoga positions at one go. Never do that. Listen to your body and when it cries halt, just stop. Practice different sets of asanas each day for variety, or initially to start off with do it every alternate day for 15-20 minutes. Increased blood flow, removal of toxins, an invigorated spirit, a toned body, flexible joints and tendons, effective digestion, a sense of well being and a remarkable zest for life are just some of the benefits that accrue. A little time spent in exertion augurs good health and an increase in energy levels beyond compare.

YOGA FOR WOMEN AND MENSTRUAL DISORDER

YOGA FOR WOMEN AND MENSTRUAL DISORDER
The female menstrual cycle is an occurrence of the female anatomy that no man could ever fully understand. The first period a young woman experiences signifies her body's physical maturity so she can begin to reproduce, and the last period a woman has means she may no longer bear children. Each individual woman feels a certain way before, during, and after this week due to the hormonal changes in her body.
Mood swings, abdominal cramping, fatigue, and bloating are common yet uncomfortable symptoms women must tend to. Luckily, there are treatments such as medicines and heating pads that help with these issues, but this week is still difficult to endure.
There are specific types of foods (no, I don't mean chocolate, ladies!) that a woman can eat to keep her body in balance before and after she menstruates. Foods that are high in fiber should be consumed before the period begins so the body can continue to cleanse its system. A teaspoon of sesame seed oil should be taken daily before, during and after the period so the body feels strong during this time of blood loss. During the days of menstruation, it is advised that women eat lightly so food can enter and exit the body with ease. The week after the period, women should eat as they did before this time - a diet high in fibrous foods.A simple tea can be concocted by any woman to lessen the effects of PMS. One cup of water and a teaspoon of basil and ground cinnamon mixed in and boiled for 20 minutes or so is all that PMS Tea consists of. This tea should be consumed at specific times: upon waking, noon, 4PM, and 8PM for maximum effectiveness. If your symptoms seem to subside, drinking this tea twice daily is enough. Natural cures are the best option to treat menstrual pains and symptoms because man-made drugs can cause side effects that would only add to those already present.
yoga does not promote post-menopausal convalescence because this phase in a woman's life is not considered an illness, just a very normal part of an aging woman's existence. During menopause, different women will experience unique symptoms for varied amounts of time and severity, and yoga is not tangible the way medicinal treatments are. Drugs work precisely to regulate the body's hormones and minimize or eliminate a woman's discomfort. Peri-menopause cannot be remedied by yoga alone and, although there is not a specific set of postures for a woman to do for the symptoms, yoga performed with combined postures is beneficial to the body.
Yoga enables a person to relax and achieve a positive mind set as well as a steady body during the practice, which often carries into the rest of a yogi's life. As people are told to "watch their thoughts" during meditation, women can visualize this internal change that is occurring to better accept this difficult part of life.
All yoga should begin in a class so an instructor can demonstrate to you the correct way to pose, explain the way in which these very specific postures are beneficial to the body, and help you with your breathing and meditation which are essential to yoga if you wish to see maximum benefits. Books and DVDs are a great way to learn more about yoga, but instruction is important for beginners. You may find yourself in a compromising position - literally - if you begin difficult poses before you are ready.
A few yoga facts about asanas, or poses in yoga, can help women to know which ones to do to improve some of their symptoms. For example, to gain energy and lift one's spirits, the back bend is recommended; for stress and anxiety, a forward bend. There are quite a few of these bends present in yoga. There are postures that prepare the body for other postures, and there are counter postures that balance the body. Each type of posture is important to the body as they help prevent it from becoming damaged during yoga and after yoga.

Book advice for menopausal women is different than the advice a yoga instructor will give you, but keep in mind the fact that many female instructors will or have been through the same stage in life. Writings suggest that women should not push their bodies and use soothing poses instead; the yogi will tell you differently. Slower, softer poses have increased the rate of weight gain and mood swings in some women, therefore yoga has taken this idea in the opposite direction.
As mentioned earlier, individual women feel symptoms that are unique to their bodies. If fatigue and body ache are not soothed by active poses, restorative poses may better suit these types. Symptoms of menopause are ever changing with the changing levels of hormones, so each type of posture may be beneficial.
For women who prefer more rigorous asanas, there are many others available. The shoulder stand, headstand, and forward bends that require one to stand and double over, as well as other inversion poses, help the body a great deal. Other postures in which one is required to stand, including the extended side angle, triangle, and half moon poses, relax the body especially when it is tense.

EKA PADA GALAVASANA:

EKA PADA GALAVASANA:
Eka means one. Pada means a leg. Galava is the name of a sage.Type of Pose: Arm Balance
Benefits: Increases arm strength, core strength, and balance. Opens the hips.
Instructions:
1. Begin in Tree Pose, standing on the left leg.
2. Remove the right foot from the inner left thigh, and place the right ankle just above the left knee instead.
3. Come into a forward bend, bringing the palms of the hands to the floor.
4. Bend the left leg (the standing leg).
5. Hook the toes of the right foot around your upper left arm. Keep the right foot strongly flexed and the toes tightly hugging the arm.
6. Bend the elbows, coming into Chaturanga arms.
7. Bring the weight of the body forward as you lift the left foot off the floor keeping the knee bent at first.
8. Bring even more weight forward as you straighten the left leg behind you.
9. Flex the left foot strongly as you continue to hug the right foot to your upper arm.
10. Repeat on the other side.
Beginners:
This is an advanced pose. Beginners should stop at any point if the pose becomes too difficult. Advanced: People often get stuck on step 7. In order to straighten the right leg behind you, it is crucial to keep the head lifted and the weight of the body moving forward

MARICHYASANA:

MARICHYASANA:
Marichi is the great-grandfather of Manu ("man, thinking, intelligent"), the Vedic Adam, and the "father" of humanity.
(mar-ee-chee-AHS-anna) Marichi = literally a ray of light.
Step by Step
1.Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose). Bend your left knee and place the foot on the floor, with the heel as close to the left sitting bone as possible. Keep the right leg strong and rotated slightly inward, grounding the head of the thighbone into the floor. Press the back of the right heel and the base of the big toe away from the pelvis. Make sure the inner left thigh presses firmly against the left side of the torso.
2.As a preparation for the full pose, twist your torso to the right and press the back of the left shoulder against the inside of the left knee. Use this leverage to lengthen the left side of the torso along the thigh. Then gently unwind and face forward.
3.Reach your left arm forward and rotate it inwardly, so the thumb points to the floor and the palm faces out to the left. As you reach the left arm forward, lengthen your torso forward and snuggle the left shin into the armpit. Then on an exhalation, sweep the forearm around the outside of the leg. The left hand will press against the outside of the left thigh or buttock.
4.With another exhalation, sweep the right arm around behind your back. Clasp the right wrist in the left hand. Exhale and extend your torso forward from the groins, keeping the lower belly long. Lower the front torso as closely as possible to the right leg. Be sure the shoulders don't scrunch up into the ears; draw the shoulders blades actively down your back.

5.Stay in position for 30 seconds to a minute, then come up as you inhale. Repeat on the other side for the same length of time.

YOGANIDRASANA:

YOGANIDRASANA:

Nidra means sleep. Yoganidra is a state between sleep and wakefulness. It is also the name given to the sleep of Vishnu at the end of a Yuga,an age of the world.
In this pose the legs are interlaced behind the back of the neck and the hands are clasped behind the back which rests on the ground. The lgs form the Yogi's pillow and the back is his couch. The practice of this pose warms up the body very rapidly. It is therefore used by Yogis living at high altitudes to keep warm.

TECHNIQUEl:
1. Lie flat on the back on the floor.
2. Bend boththe knees andbringthe legs over the head.
3. Exhale, move the right leg from behid the right shoulder by holding the right foot with both the hands and placing it well behind the back of lthe neck, as in Eka Pada Sirsansana.
4.
Maintain the position of the right leg, breathing in several times.
5. Exhale and with the help of the left palm move the left leg hehind the left shoulder and place it under the right leg.Lock the feet at the ankles.
6. Lift the shoulders well up, move the arms behind the back and clasp the fingers. The back of lthe upper arms will be in contact with the back of lthe thighs. Take a few brweaths.
7. Exhale, lift the chest well up and stretch the neck back. This is the final position (which is the reverse positionof Supta Kurmsana). Stay in the pose for 30 to 60 seconds, trying to breathe normally.
8. Exhale and release the hand grip behind the back and the leg grip behind the neck.
9.
Relax on the floor, keeping the legs straight for some time.
10. Then repeat the pose for the same length of time,first placing the left leg behind the back of lthe neck with the right leg under it.
11. Loosen the hand and leg grips and relax on the floor.
12. Do not cross both legs first and then move them beyhind the necck This will not gie the corret feel of lthe asana. Remember to bring one leg behind the back of lkthe neck and then the other leg under the first one. Before resting the legs behind the neck, Riase the neck and dorsal region and also extend the shoulders, so that the latter do not get wedged between the chest and the legs. This will ensure that the pose is correct.
BENEFITS:
In this pose the spine is given is given a full forward stretch and one feels a pleasing sensation in thback. It is one of the best front bending poses. Even the maximum stretch of Paschimottanasana does not give the same feeling of right exercise, comfort and rest as the correxct practice of Yoganidrasana.
In the back bending poses the lungs and the abdominal muscles are given maximum expansion. In this asna the lungs and the abdominal muscles are contracted to the full. In a short time, the practice of lthe pose tones the kidneys, liver, splee, intestines gall bladder, prostates and the urine bladder. The abdominal organs will be free from diseases by continued practice of this pose. It also exercises the gonads and releases energy and vitality in the system. The nerves will be rested and energy will be stored in the body for better thinking and better work.

URDHVA KUKKUTASANA

URDHVA KUKKUTASANA

Urdhava means upwards. Kukkuta means a cock. In this posture the body resembles a strutting cock, hence the name.

Techinque
1. After securing steadiness, move into Padmasana by placing the right foot at the root of the left thigh and the left foot at the root of the right thigh, then with an exhalation bend the legs and rest them on the back of the upper arms as near the armpits as possible. Secure this position and balance with even breathing.
2. Exhale, press the palms firmly on the ground, pull the trunk up and raise the head off the floor followeing the stages of the movement as in photo ii. Stretch and straighten the arm and lift up the buttocks. Extend the neck and keep the head as high as possible.
3. Balance in this position on the hands for a few seconds by tightening the muscles in the region of the diaphragm. Try to breathe normally.
4. Exhale, bend the elbow, lower the head to the floor and return to Salamba Sirsasana by releasing the foot lock of Padmasana.
5. Again perform Padmasana. This time placing the left foot first at the root of the right thigh and the right foot at the root of the left thigh. Then repeat the asana as stated above.
6. After staying for the same length of time on both the sides, go back to Salamba Sirsasana , lower the legs to the floor and relax. Advanced

EFFECTS:
This pose strengthens the arms. By continued pactice the lateral mucscles of lthe adomen will develop and the intestines will grow stronger. The spine is stretched full and the effect of Paschinmottanasa is gained in a very short time. The arms and the abdominal organs will grow strong.
All these intricate and difficult positions bring results quicker than the simple ones. When the body becomnes more plaiable, the simple poses will have little or no effect. The wise therefore discard them and practise the intricate poses just as a scholar will not repeat the alphabet daily. But, just as dancers daily pactise some basic steps and do not discard them, so also pupils of uyoga should continue daily to perform Sirsasana and Saravangasana with their cycles.

DWI PADA KAOUNDINYASANA

DWI PADA KAOUNDINYASANA
Dwi Pada(dwi =two or both; pada=leg or foot) means both feet.
Koundinya was a sage belonging to the family of Vasistha and founded the Koundinya Gotra(sect). This asana is dedicated to him.
TECHINQUE
1. Perform Salamba Sirsansana .
2. Exhale and lower the legs straight together until they are parallel to the floor. Pause here and take a few breaths.
3. Exhale, turn the trunk slightly to the right and move both legs side ways to the right . Lower both legs together over the right arm so that the outer side of the left thigh above the knee rests on the back of the upper right arm as near the armpit as possible.
4. Balance and take a few breaths. Then exhale and firmly pressing down both palms to the floor, lift the head off the floor. Then raise the trunk and stretch the neck. This is the final position in which the legs will be in the air almost parallel to the floor, while due to the twist of lthe trunk, breathing will be fast. Balance as long as you can from 1o to 20 seconds. Greater pressure will be felt on the left shoulder and arm which are apparently free.
5. Bend the knees, rest the head on the floor and again go up to Salamba Sirsasana. Rest herer for a while land repeat the asana on the left side as described above, reading left for right and vice versa. Here the right thigfh will rest on the back of lthe lupper left arm. Stay for the same length of time on both sides. Go up to Sirsasana again.
6. To complete the pose, either lower the legs to the floor and relax or do Urdva dhanurasana and stand up. When one has mastered Viparita Chakrasana, this exercise is exhilarating after Urdhva Dhanurasana.
EFFECTS:
The pose tones the abdominal organs. The colon moves properly and toxins therein are eliminated. It requires experience to balance with the legs well Stretched. The spine will become more powerful.

BETTER HEALTH AND FITNESS BY REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA THERAPY:

BETTER HEALTH AND FITNESS BY REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA THERAPY:
Yoga therapy is a westernized form of yoga that was developed specifically to assimilate yoga and conventional medicine in the treatment of the diseases and for the recreation of optimal health.
According to the practitioners of yoga therapy it is safer and more effective for the treatment of common medical conditions. It takes only individual health and physical limitations into account.
The main aim of yoga therapy is the mind/body integration, which strike into the normal healing properties of the body and helps to restore functions of your body and health.
Then practice yoga therapy for your better health and fitness. Strictly speaking yoga therapy is not an alternative medicine.
Its daily practice is often seen as a way of gaining control over your health.
Most of the practices of yoga therapy are used as complementary practices to conventional medicine.
Some of these practices are exercise, meditation and massage.
The main intent and goal of yoga therapy is the enlightenment of the spirit, but its aim includes physical health and well-being.
Yoga therapy consists of three basic parts of your body which work together.
Physical posture:
It helps to stretch and strengthen your muscles. It also improves your mobility, flexibility and balance. The proper posture enhances your body's natural functions of circulation, elimination, respiration, and digestion.
Breathing technique:
It mainly focuses on awareness of breath and helps promote calm, focus the mind and relieve stress and fatigue.
Relaxation technique:
It mainly helps you to recharge and ease tension.
Benefits of yoga therapy:
Yoga therapy shows positive results in treating depression.
Deep breathing associated with yoga is beneficial in controlling premature ventricular complexes.
Yoga therapy is beneficial in post-treating strategy, breast cancer and other survivors.
Yoga therapy shows significant benefits that includes emotional functions, fitness variations and psychological benefits. It also shows variations in tension, mood disturbances, cognitive function and gastrointestinal disturbances.
Practice of regular yoga exercise increases your body's ability in using antioxidants. This is beneficial in the prevention of cancer.
If you are a diabetic patient then yoga therapy improves nerve function and lower blood sugar.
If you are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, the practice of yoga increases your hand grip strength.
Yoga helps in treating some problems like asthma, respiration problems, back pain, etc. it help in weight reduction.
Criticisms of yoga therapy:
The practice of yoga therapy is impossible if you have limited mobility and flexibility.
While attempting some of the postures of yoga without any pre-exercise preparation then there is a possibility of getting injured.
Before going to start a new treatment program, you must inform to your health care provider about any other fitness or alternative treatment programs that you have taken. Yoga therapy show promise in treating a number of conditions.

TITTIBHASANA

TITTIBHASANA * Fire fly pose):

Type of pose:

Arm balance
Tittibha is an insect like a firefly.
After staying in this position for a few seconds, bend the legs at the knees,lower the body to the floor, release the legs from the arms, stretch them straight in front and rest forr a few seconds..
Benefits:

Strengthens the wrists, forearms and abdomen; stretches the hamstrings. In this asana the lungs and abdominal muscles are most tightly contracted. The spine is given a full forward stretch and the abdominal organs benefit quickly from the exercise.
Instructions:
1. Come in to a wide squat.
2. Bring your palms flat on the floor just under your feet.
3. Bend the elbows back as you would in Chaturanga Dandasana.
4. Begin to shift your weight back to rest on your upper arms and bring the feet up off the floor.
5. Straighten the legs.
6. Begin to straighten the arms.
Beginners:

Like most arm balances, this is easier than it looks. For one thing, if you fall, you'll land on your butt instead of your head — as in some other poses! If you can lift the feet off of the floor but cannot straighten the legs, try crossing the feet at the ankles in front of you. Advanced:

Work on straightening your arms and legs.

UPAVISHTAKONASANA :-

UPAVISHTAKONASANA :-

Upavishta means seated. Kona means an angle.

STEP BY STEP :-
1 Sit on the floor with the legs stretched straight in front.
2.Move the legs sidewaysone buy one and widenthe distance between them as far as you can. Keep the legs extended throughout and see that the back ofthe entire legs rests on the floor.
3.Catch the big toes between the respective thumbs and index and middle fingers.
4.Keep the spine erect and extend the rigs.Pull lthe diaphhragm up and hold the pose for a few seconds with deep breaths
5.Exhale, bend forward and rest the head on the floor. Extendthe neck and place the chin on the floor.
6.Then, clasp the feet with the hands and try to rest the chest on the floor. Stay int his position from 30 yo 60 seconds with normal breathing.
7.Inhale, raise the trunk off the floor and releas the hold on the feet, bring them together and relax.

8. Hold the left foot with both hands,exchale and rest the chin on the left knee.Inhale and raise the head and trunk.Now catch the right foot and with an exhalatin rest the chin ont the right knee. Inhale, raise the head and trunk, release the hands, bring the feet together and relax. EFFECTS :-

The asana stretches the hamstrings and helps the blood to circulate properly in the pelvic region and keeps it healthy. It prevents the development of hernia of which it can cure mild cases and relieves sciatic pains. Since the asna controls and regularises the menstrual flow and also stimulates the ovaries, it is a boo to women.

What Is Yoga And How It Works?

What Is Yoga And How It Works?
Yoga is an ancient word. It comes from Sanskrit, the most ancient languag of India, the origin of most of lthe Indian languages and related to Indo European languages such as Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Latin, Greek, German, Russiabn etc. The word yoga has two menaings in Sanskrit; the first comes from the root 'YUJIR' or 'Union', the second is derived from a different root 'yuja' which means 'samadhi' - the highest state of mind, the absolute knowledge and the final realization. These two are the most important meanings of the word yoga according to PANINI, the most well known Sanskrit grammarian.
Yoga is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, focusing on meditation as a path to self-knowledge and liberation. In India, Yoga is seen as a means to both physiological and spiritual mastery. Outside India, Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga.Yoga used as a form of alternative medicine is a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation, practiced for over 5,000 years and is the form of Yoga most widely known in the West.A committed practitioner of yoga is referred to as a yogi, yogin (masculine), or yogini (feminine). Yoga as a means of spiritual attainment is central to the dharmic religions family and has influenced other religious and spiritual practices throughout the world.

What Can You Achieve With Yoga Exercises?
Increasing Flexibility -

yoga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body including those joints that are never really on the radar screen let alone exercised.
Increasing lubrication

of the joints, ligaments and tendons - likewise, the well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body.
Surprisingly it has been found that the body which may have been quite rigid starts experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts which have not been consciously work upon. Why? It is here that the remarkable research behind yoga positions proves its mettle. Seemingly unrelated non strenuous yoga positions act upon certain parts of the body in an interrelated manner. When done together, they work in harmony to create a situation where flexibility is attained relatively easily.
Massaging of ALL Organs of the Body -

yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough manner, including those such as the prostate - that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease and providing a forewarning at the first possible instance of a likely onset of disease or disorder.
Complete Detoxification - by gently stretching muscles and joints as well as massaging the various organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny as well as providing nourishment up to the last point. This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy and a remarkable zest for life.
Excellent toning of the muscles - Muscles that have become flaccid, weak or sloth are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess flab and flaccidity.

BAKASANA

(bahk-AHS-anna) baka = crane
The body in this pose resembles that of a crane wading in a pool of water, hence the name.
Step by Step
1)Squat down from Tadasana with your inner feet a few inches apart. If it isn't possible to keep your heels on the floor, support them on a thickly folded blanket. Separate your knees wider than your hips and lean the torso forward, between the inner thighs. Stretch your arms forward, then bend your elbows, place your hands on the floor and the backs of the upper arms against the shins.
2)Snuggle your inner thighs against the sides of your torso, and your shins into your armpits, and slide the upper arms down as low onto the shins as possible. Lift up onto the balls of your feet and lean forward even more, taking the weight of your torso onto the backs of the upper arms. In Bakasana you consciously attempt to contract your front torso and round your back completely. To help yourself do this, keep your tailbone as close to your heels as possible.
3)With an exhalation, lean forward even more onto the backs of your upper arms, to the point where the balls of your feet leave the floor. Now your torso and legs are balanced on the backs of your upper arms. As a beginner at this pose, you might want to stop here, perched securely on the bent arms.
4)But if you are ready to go further, squeeze the legs against the arms, press the inner hands firmly to the floor and (with an inhalation) straighten the elbows. Seen from the side the arms are angled slightly forward relative to the floor. The inner knees should be glued to the outer arms, high up near the armpits. Keep the head in a neutral position with your eyes looking at the floor, or lift the head slightly, without compressing the back of the neck, and look forward.
5)Stay in the pose anywhere from 20 seconds to 1 minute. To release, exhale and slowly lower your feet to the floor, back into a squat.
EFFECTS:

This asana strengthens the arms and abdominal organs since the latter are contracted.By continued practice the lateral muscles of the avbdomen will develop will develop and the intestines will grow stronger.

THE POWER OF OJAS

The Yogis say that the part of the human energy which is expressed as sex energy, in sexual thought, when checked and controlled, easily becomes changed into ojas. Ojas is stored up in the brain, and the more Ojas is in a man's head, the more powerful he is , the more intellectual, the more spiritually strong. One man may speak beautiful language and beautiful thoughts, but they do not impress people; another man speaks neither beautiful language nor beautiful thoughts, yet his words charm. Every movement of his powerful. That is the power of Ojas.

It is only the chaste man or woman who can make the Ojas rise and store it in the brain; that is why chastity has always been considered the highesty virtue. That is why in all the religious orders in the world which have produced spil giants, you will always find absolute chastity insisted upon. There must be perfect chastity in thought, word, and deed.

THE POWER OF THE MIND
The science of Raja-Yoga in the first place, proposes to give us such a menas of observing the internal states. The instrument is the mind itself. The power of attention, when properly guided, and directed towards the internal world,will analyse the mind, and illumine facts for us. The powers of the mind are like rays of light dissipated; when they are concentrated,they illumine. This is our only means of knowledge.

The world is ready to give up its secrets if we only know how to knock, how to give it the necessary blow. The strength and force of the blow come trough concentration. There is no limit to the power of the human mind. The more concentrated it is, the more power is brought to bear on one point; that is the secret.


THE MIND AND ITS ASPECTS

The internal organ or mind has four aspects:
First: Manas, the cogitating or thinking faculty, which is usually almost entirely wasted, because uncontrolled; properly governed, it is a wonderful power.
Second: Buddi the will (sometimes called the intellect).
Third: Ahamkara(Ego), the self-conscious egotism (from Aham).
Fourth: Chitta, te substance in and thourgh which all the substance in and through which all the faculties act, the floor of lthe mind as it were; or the sea in which the various faculties are waves. Yoga is the science by which we stop Chitta from assuming, or becoming transformed into, several faculties. As the reflection of the moon on the sea is broken or blurred by the waves, so is the reflectio of the ATMAN, The true Self, broken by the mental waves. Only when the sea is stilled to mirror-like calmness, can the refelction of the moon be seen, and only when the 'mind-stuff', the Chitta is controlled to absolute calmness, is the Self to be recognized.

HATHA YOGA

1. Salutation to adinatha (Siva) who expounded the knowledge of Hatha Yoga, which like a staircase leads the aspirant to the high pinnacled Raja Yoga.
2. Yogin Swatmarama, after saluting his Guru Srinatha explains Hatha Yoga for the attainment of Raja Yoga.
3. Owing to the darkness arising from the multiplicity of opinions people are unable to know the Raja Yoga. Compassionate Swatmarama composes the Hatha Yoga Pradipika like a torch to dispel it.
4. Matsyendra, Goraksa, etc., knew Hatha Vidya, and by their favor Yogi Swatmarama also learnt it from them.
5. The following Siddhas (masters) are said to have existed in former times:--
Sri Adinatha (Siva), Matsyendra, Natha, Sabar, Anand, Bhairava, Chaurangi, Mina Natha, Goraksanatha, Virupaksa, Bilesaya.
6. Manthana, Bhairava, Siddhi Buddha, Kanthadi, Karantaka, Surananda, Siddhipada, Charapati.
7. Kaneri, Pujyapada, Nityanatha, Niranjana, Kapali, Vindunatha, Kaka Chandiswara.
8. Allama, Prabhudeva, Ghoda, Choli, Tintini, Bhanuki, Nardeva, Khanda Kapalika, etc.
9. These Mahasiddhas (great masters), breaking the sceptre of death, are roaming in the universe.
10. Like a house protecting one from the heat of the sun, Hatha Yoga protects its practisers from the burning heat of the three Tapas; and, similarly, it is the supporting tortoise, as it were, for those who are constantly devoted to the practice of Yoga.
11. A yogi desirous of success should keep the knowledge of Hatha Yoga secret; for it becomes potent by concealing, and impotent by exposing.
12. The Yogi should practice Hatha Yoga in a small room, situated in a solitary place, being 4 cubits square, and free from stones, fire, water, disturbances of all kinds, and in a country where justice is properly administered, where good people live, and food can be obtained easily and plentifully.
13. The room should have a small door, be free from holes, hollows, neither too high nor too low, well plastered with cow-dung and free from dirt, filth and insects. On its outside there should be bowers, raised platform (chabootra), a well, and a compound. These characteristics of a room for Hatha Yogis have been described by adepts in the practice of Hatha.

14. Having seated in such a room and free from all anxieties, he should practice Yoga, as instructed by his guru .
15. Yoga is destroyed by the following six causes:-- Over-eating, exertion, talkativeness, adhering to rules, i.e., cold bath in the morning, eating at night, or eating fruits only, company of men, and unsteadiness.
16. The following six bring speedy success:-- Courage, daring, perseverance, discriminative knowledge, faith, aloofness from company.
17. The ten rules of conduct are: ahimsa (non-injuring), truth, non-stealing, continence, forgiveness, endurance, compassion, meekness, sparing diet, and cleanliness.
18. The ten niyamas mentioned by those proficient in the knowledge of Yoga are: Tapa, patience, belief in God, charity, adoration of God, hearing discourses on the principles of religion, shame, intellect, Tapa and Yajna.
HA means SUN, THA means MOON.
Foods injurious to a Yogi.
Bitter, sour, saltish, green vegetables, fermented, oily, mixed with til seed, rape seed, intoxicating liquors, fish, meat, curds, chhaasa pulses, plums, oil-cake, asafoetida (hinga), garlic, onion, etc., should not be eaten.
Food heated again, dry, having too much salt, sour, minor grains, and vegetables that cause burning sensation, should not be eaten. Fire, women, travelling, etc., should be avoided.
As said by Goraksa, one should keep aloof from the society of the evil-minded, fire, women, travelling, early morning bath, fasting, and all kinds of bodily exertion.
Wheat, rice, barley, shastik (a kind of rice), good corns, milk, ghee, sugar, butter, sugarcandy, honey, dried ginger, Parwal (a vegetable), the five vegetables, moong, pure water, these are very beneficial to those who practice Yoga.
A yogi should eat tonics (things giving strength), well sweetened, greasy (made with ghee), milk butter, etc., which may increase humors of the body, according to his desire.

Whether young, old or too old, sick or lean, one who discards laziness, gets success if he practices Yoga.
Success comes to him who is engaged in the practice. How can one get success without practice; for by merely reading books on Yoga, one can never get success.
Success cannot be attained by adopting a particular dress (Vesa). It cannot be gained by telling tales. Practice alone is the means to success. This is true, there is no doubt.
asanas, various Kumbhakas, and other divine means, all should be practiced in the practice of Hatha Yoga, till the fruit of Raja Yoga is obtained.