PARSVA BAKASANA

Also known as: Side Crane Pose
Type of pose: Arm balance
Benefits: Strengthens the wrist, forearms and abdomen. Improves balance.
Instructions:
1. Come to a squatting position with the knees into the chest.
2. Come up on to the balls of your feet and bring your palms flat on the floor in front of you about shoulder's distance apart.
3. Keeping the palms in place, turn your knees to face the right side.
4. Start to lean forward, keeping the head lifted, and place your hips on top of the left arm and your knees on top of the right arm.
5. Take one foot and then the other off the floor so you come to balance with both feet up.
6. Come down and try the other side.
Beginners: Try lifting one foot up at a time to get a feel for how far forward you need to bring yourself. Do not let your head drop! This will cause you to tip forward and lose balance. Put a blanket in front of you so you won't be afraid of hitting your head if you fall. Everyone falls when learning this pose.
Advanced:

Try the following variations:
Straighten both legs, keeping the feet in line with the hips.
Straighten both legs, and move the right leg to the back (see photo).
Come down and this time center the thighs on the left arm bringing all your weight onto the left arm when you come up. Jump back to chaturanga.

EKA PADA KOUNDINYASANA I

EKA PADA KOUNDINYASANA I
Eka means one. Pada means a leg or foot. Koundinya is the name of a sage.
1. Perform Salamba sirsasana.
2. Exhale, lower the legs staight together until they are parallel to the floor. Pause here and take a few breaths.
3. Exhale, bend the legs and move the left leg sideways to the right. Place the left leg over the back of the upper right arm so that the outer side of the left thigh above the kneerests as near the right armpit as possible. Take a few breaths and balance.
4. Stretch the left leg straight sideways and the right leg straight back Take two breaths.
5.
Exhale,raise the head above the floor, extend the arms and balance on the hands. Keep both legs straight and taut at the knees. This is the final positon. Remain in the pose as long as you can up to 10 to 30 seconds with normal breathing.
6. Bend both knees, exhale, rest the head on the flooor and again go up to Sirsasana. Rest here for some time with normal breathing.
7. Repeat the asana on the other side for the same length of time as above, rading left for right and vice versa. Here the right thigh wil rest on the back of the upper left arm and the left leg will be strecthed staight back. Then again go up to Srsasana as as stated in position 6.
8. To complete the pose, either lower the legs to the floor and relax, or do Urdhva Dhanurasana and stand up in Tadasana. When on has mastered Viparita Chakrasana, this exercie is exhilarating after Urdhva Dhanurasana.

EFFECTS :-
The pressure of lthe leg on the abdomen in this pose massages the abdominal organs. The spinal twist rejuvenates and strengthens the spine .The arms and neck grow powereful.

AKARNA DHANURASANA:

AKARNA DHANURASANA:

Karna means the ear. The prefix a expresses the sense of near to, towards. Dhanu means a bow. In this posture, the left foot is pulled up till the heel touches the ear as an archer pulls the bow-string, while the othe hand holds the right big toe, this leg lying straigh on the floor. In the second movemebt the raised leg is straightened until it is almost perpendicular,the big toe being held throughout by the hand like an extended bow.

The asana is given below in two movements.

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

2. Hold the right big toe between the right thumb and the index and middle fingers. Similarlyhold the left big toe.

3. Exhale,bend the left elbow and lift the left foot up by bending the knee. Take a breath. Now exhale and pull the left foot up unitl the heel is close to the left ear. At the same time draw the let arm back from the shoulder. D o not let go of the right big tow. Keep the right leg extended through out and see that the back of the entire leg rests on the floor. The extended right leg should not bend at the knee.

4. Hold tis position from 15 to 20 seconds with normal breathing This is the first movement.

5. Now exhale andstretch the left leg up vertically. Take a breath. Exhale, draw the leg further back until it touches the left ear. Continue to grip the toes of both feet and fully extend both legs Do not bend the at the knees. It takes fome time to learn to balance in this second movement. Remain in this postion from 10 to 15 seconds, breathing normally.

6. Repeat the pose on the right sede, pulling the right foot twoards the right ear and raising it up vericallynear the right ear, while keeping the left leg straight on the floor. Do not relax the hand grip of the toes. Maintain the position on bnoth sides for an equal length of time. Then release the hands and relax.

EFFECTS :-

The practice of this posture makes the leg muscles ver flexible. The abdominal muscles are contractd and this helps tomove the bowels. Minor deformities in the hip joints are adjusted. The lower porition of the spine is exercised. The pose is full of grace. It should be practised unitl it comes effortlessly andgives the appearance of a trained archer discharging arrows from his bow

How Yoga Calms the Mind and Body

What's the difference between a cheerleader and a yogi practicing backbends and splits? From a distance, the two would appear to be doing the same thing. But if you looked a bit closer, you might notice that the yogi is breathing more smoothly, slower, and more evenly. You might even observe that while the cheerleader is looking around, smiling at everyone, the yogi's face is relaxed and his or her gaze is focused. While externally the differences between the yogi and the cheerleader may seem slight, the internal differences are significant.

Most yoga classes in the West focus exclusively on asana, the physical postures of yoga. While it's a good thing to stretch and tone, it's an even better thing to stretch and tone while slowing down the breath and incorporating other yogic meditation techniques. One such technique is the use of drishti, focusing the gaze, which helps to quiet the mind. When the gaze is fixed on a single point, the mind is less likely to be distracted by thoughts provided by visual stimuli (the carpet in here is ugly . . . I can't believe that guy is wearing those pants...). These thoughts distract and pollute the mind, causing it to constantly churn and fluctuate.

Yoga is famous for its ability to heal and bring peace of mind. But how does the practice of yoga accomplish this?

There are two nervous systems in the human body: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic, commonly known as the "fight or flight" system, causes the blood pressure to rise, the breath rate to quicken, and stress hormones to flood into the body. Historically, this occurred to prepare the body for fighting dangerous animals. But in today's world, we experience this response while we are sitting in traffic or feeling stressed at the office. When this system is overly stimulated, we can experience health consequences such as ulcers, migraines, and heart disease.

The parasympathetic nervous system lowers blood pressure and slows the pace of the breath. When the blood no longer has to rush to the muscles, it is free to travel to the digestive, reproductive, glandular, and immune systems - systems made up of organs that are more necessary to long-term survival. The body now has time to heal the damage accumulated during our daily battles. Studies have shown that long, deep breathing encourages the actions of the parasympathetic nervous system and allows relaxation and healing to occur. The yogi practices breathing meditations called pranayama, which encourage the actions of the parasympathetic nervous system.

So while the yogi and the cheerleader both gain strength and flexibility from practicing backbends and splits, the yogi is able to reap additional health rewards from the addition of pranayama. But even more is happening within the yogi. The yogi is working to calm the fluctuations of the mind.

Try this little exercise: take a break from reading this article and spend the next five minutes concentrating on the breath and nothing else.

You probably discovered that your mind wants to think about everything but the breath. Our minds have a tendency to wander, to disconnect from our bodies, to daydream and fret about the future, to reminisce and stew over the past. Humans have evolved the ability to automatically breathe even while sleeping. While breathing does not require conscious awareness, focusing your attention on your breath will force you to focus on what's happening right now, at this very moment. Focusing on your breath doesn't allow your conscious mind to drift away, but encourages it to stay connected in your body and in the now.

But why shouldn't we allow ourselves to daydream or reminisce, it seems harmless? Well, frequently when we are reminiscing about the good old times we begin fear to these events won't occur again. The more time we spend in reverie, the less open we are to the good things that are happening right now. Often, even when we are the midst of a good time, we begin to worry about it ending and start plotting to make it happen again. We miss out on embracing the moment fully while it is unfolding. And while having goals in life is a good thing, spending hours daydreaming won't get you any closer to making your dreams come true. Being lost in fantasy can often lead to disappointment when reality hits.

The quality of the breath reflects the quality of the mind. There is a connection between our mental, emotional, and psychological states and the pace and depth of our breath. For example, when we are frightened, we take short, quick, shallow breaths. When we are deeply relaxed or asleep, we take long, deep breaths.

While our mental state influences our breathing pattern, we can choose to change our breathing pattern and thereby change our mental state. When you relax and slow the pace of the breath, the pace of the mind is similarly calmed and quieted. Over time, you begin to act and think from a state of peace. The more time you spend in this place, the more likely you are to act with patience, understanding, and compassion.

The breath also helps us to stay connected to the present moment. Staying in the now frees us. We can move on from past grievances and sorrows and can view the world as it really is, without false expectations. We learn to accept ourselves and others as we and they currently are. Being in the moment allows you to be fully present when you spend time with the people you love.

Our mood is also affected by how we feel physically. Ever try to be friendly when you have a stomach ache? Asana helps to keep our muscles, joints, and fascia strong and flexible. The practice of asana also helps reduce blood pressure, stimulate the immune and glandular systems, reduce insomnia, and heal the body in innumerable other ways.

The simple practices of asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breathing), and drishti (focusing) lead the yoga practitioner to not only a state of optimal physical health, but to a state of peace. These practices help to connect you to the present moment, to others and to your true self.