Pranamasana

Villagers used to worship Sun, early morning. Then they start their field work, which they continue till sunset.

Stand erect facing east, the morning sun. Place palms in namaskar mudra in front of the chest.
Think about the supreme power, the sun, concentrate on the power .
Look at the direction of the sun, not straight, breath in slowly and deeply, breath out slowly.
Imagine, you inhale travelling from your toes to forehead with pure air and exhaling impurities
out, from forehead to toes.Do this inhale, and exhale 11 times.
 Then close your eyes and imagine, the sun rays are showering on you, filling with full off energy
and removing all tensions, stress, strain and pain if any from your body and mind.
You can experience, positive thoughts and attitude.
Benefits
Makes one active throughout the day.
Solar energy, energises mind and body.
Ventilates lung, regularises blood, air and heat circulation .

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a relaxation. It is a state between sleep and wakefulness. Due to the fast life
pattern, people feel exhausted, depressed and tensed. Yoga Nidra provides mental, physical
and intellectual energy.
Guidelines
Let the mind become calm and quiet.
Let the body be still, just as you are before falling asleep.
Let your mind be alert and aware.
Do Yoga Nidra for 15 to 20 minutes.
Care should be taken, to wake up from Yoga Nidra, before going to sleep.
Steps to follow
Lie on your back, with feet 18 inches apart, hands 45 degrees, and in Chin Mudra.
Relax the body completely.
Make a simple and easy resolve with the supreme power, of your choice.
Rotation of consciousness with right side of the body to the left, both front and back.
Slow and deep breathing with the feeling of calmness and quietness.
Visualise a natural beauty spot of your choice, or a worship place, feeling cool breeze
and nature's sound, like birds singing /flow of a stream.
The last moment of Yoga Nidra must bring about a feeling of merging the consciousness
with the super consciousness.
Feel completely tranquil and detached.
Become aware and return to normal breathing.

Benefits
Helps to achieve mental and physical strength.
Offers positive attitude.
Removes tension and relaxes the whole body.
Consciousness pays steady dividends in terms of harmony and happiness.

Child pose relaxation...

After yoga, a best relaxation pose, those who prefer to lie on their stomach. This is the
sleeping posture of an innocent child.
Lie on your stomach. Bend any one of the leg, at hip, and again bend 45 degrees at knee.
 Keep hands bended at elbow and place near the head, with face to the side of the bended leg.
The other leg should be straight as in the picture. Breathe normally.Relax for 10 to 15 minutes.
Benefits
Calms down with ease.
Reduces hypertension.
Relieves stress and strain.

Gentle massage before bed for sound sleep.....

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 Lie on your back, comfortably
and totally relaxed. Place your


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right palm over the left lung,

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 and massage around clockwise, anticlockwise and

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again clockwise 5 times each 
 as in pic 1.
 Then place left palm over right lung and do the massage as above, as in pic 2.

Place your right palm above the navel. Massage as above as in pic 3.
Fix thumbs in the ear-pit of each side. Then rotate the thumbs, clockwise, anticlockwise and again clockwise, as in pic 4. After press and massage all parts of the external ears, using thumbs and forefingers.



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Place the palms on your eyes,
as in pic 5.Massage the nose, pressing by the
the sides of the little fingers, from
up and down 5 times.







Place your thumbs on the temples.

Rotate them, clockwise, anticlockwise

and again clockwise, 5 times as in pic 6.

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Place the palms on the corresponding sides and massage

up and down 5 times.

Benefits

Concentrating your mind on the parts, massaging,

Strengthens and soothes the parts,

Relieves pain if any,

Increases blood circulation.

Calms down and offers sound sleep.

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Modified Vipareethakarani...

Sit with your right side close to the wall. Then raise your right leg through the wall turning,
your body to the right, and with help of the hands on floor, balancing your weight, raise left
leg also on the wall. Again balancing your weight with help of the hands on the floor, keep
  both the legs on the wall, 2 feet apart and place your buttocks close  to the wall.
 In this position, place your hands on sides of the head, as in the picture, bended at elbow.
 Lie in this pose for 5 to 10 minutes. To come out of the pose, slide both legs to the left,
and with the right palm on the floor raise up. Regular practice eases one to do this exercise.
Benefits
Calm your nerves.
Balance the endocrine system. Increases blood flow to the pelvic region.
Relieves fatigue and offers the body complete relaxation.

Pelvic Twist

Stand erect with feet 12 inches apart. Place your palms on the waist. Breathe in and out gently
for a minute. Then concentrate  on sacral chakra, which is centred in the pelvis, lower abdomen and lower back. It symbolizes creativity and sexuality and is also the chakra of feeling. Concentrating
on sacral chakra, rotate the point/ part, clockwise, anticlockwise and again clockwise, each 7 times.
Feel the point is rotating. Though very simple, this is a wonderful exercise to me personally.
Benefits
 Relieves hip pain.
Strengthens pelvis and lower back.
Soothes spinal cord at pelvis.

Vajrasana

Stand on knees and sit down on the heels. The right big toe should be over the left big toe.
Adjust the feet so that the hips fit in between the heels. Place the hands on the knees .Keep
the spine, neck and head straight. This the final position. Those who are comfortable with
this posture can sit in this pose for pranayama and meditation.
Benefits
Improves digestive capacity. Those who suffer from gas trouble, should practice this asana
and do it after meals.
Increases concentration, relieves muscle and knee pain.
Strengthens knees, pelvis, and ankles.
Activate the pancreas to produce the correct quality and requisite quantity of insulin.
 

Veerabhadrasana II - Warrior Pose II

pic 1

 Stand facing front with feet 40 inches apart. Raise the hands on it's sides at shoulder level. Stretch the hands maximum without tension. While inhaling, bend the right leg at knee level, pointing the feet to right as in pic 1. Turn your face also to right, stretching your left leg, to the maximum, looking ahead to the right.
 Stand for a few seconds, while exhaling return to the original position. Then inhale, bent your left leg at knee level, stretching right leg maximum and turning your face to the left looking ahead as in pic 2. Hold for a while, exhale and return to the original position. Feel the stretch of the legs and sides. Do this 5 times.
 
Benefits
Promotes stability, strength and balance.
Opens your chest, improving respiration and circulation.
Helps relieve depression and fatigue.
Strengthens legs and tones up abdominal region.
Reduces fat around your hips and waist.

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Adhomukha swanasa -Downward facing dog

Sit comfortably on vajrasana. Inhale deeply and raise your hands over the head. Exhale slowly, bend the trunk at waist and place hands on the ground. Care should be taken not to raise from your back as in pic 1.

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Then inhale gently and deeply and raise your waist from the ground, with soles and palms on the ground. Stretch up as far as possible, with your head in between the hands. Then exhale and stand in the posture for a minute in normal breathe as in pic 2. Then after an inhale ,exhale, lower down your waist and come to the posture as in pic 1. This complete the asana. Do this for 5 times.

pic 2

Benefits

Increases blood supply to brain.

Energises the entire body.

Balances endocrine system.

Regulates menstruation, digestion and relieves urinary problem if any.



Padmasana - Lotus pose

Sit keeping both the legs stretched in the front. Bend any one of the legs and place the foot on the opposite thigh, so that the sole faces upward. Fold the other leg and placed on the other thigh.
Keep your body straight. Join thumb and first finger of the hands in Chin mudra and place the hands
on the knees. Be and feel comfortable. Practise to sit in padmasana comfortably.
This posture is an excellent one for pranayama and meditation.
Benefits
Mind will get relaxed and feel tranquil.
Strengthens and lubricates lumbar region.

Marjarasana

pic1

 Sit comfortably on vajrasana posture as in pic 1.

Then stand on knees. Place hands in front of you, pressing palms on the ground.  Spacing in between  your hands and knees should be almost same. In this posture inhale strongly and deeply, bending

in the spinal cord  to the maximum. Keep head and neck bend backward as in pic 2.

Now raise your spinal cord and exhale strongly through your mouth at once with a strong sound 'hah', bending your neck and head downwards as in pic 3. This completes the exercise. Then inhale strongly through your nose and come back to the posture as in pic 2 , then exhale through your mouth as in pic 3. Do this exercise 15 times.

Benefits

Strengthens spinal cord.

Removes stiffness in spinal cord and makes it more flexible.

Ventilates lungs.

 





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Chakrasana - lateral bending pose

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Stand erect, keep feet together and hands on the sides as in pic 1.Raise the right arm slowly up to shoulder level, palm facing downwards with the elbow straight. Then inhale and turn the palm upwards and raise the hand so that it will be a straight line, touching the ear as in pic2 . Hold for few seconds. Then, exhale and bend as far as possible to the left as in pic 3. Then inhale, bring back the hand straight touching the ear. Again exhale and bring back the hand to the original position. These complete one side.


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Repeat this bending as far as possible on the right side as in pic 4 following the steps as explained above. This completes the process. Do this 5 times. The lateral stretch should be felt in every stretch.
Benefits
Strengthens lateral region.

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Vitalises liver, pancreas and kidney.
Makes the spine flexible.



Side stretching breathing exercise

Stand straight, with feet together, and hands on the sides as in pic 1.Eyes closed or opened. Breathe in gently and deeply. While inhaling raise your hands above your head and place in namaskar mudra as in pic 2. Hold for 5 seconds.

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Then exhale and stretch the right side of the trunk as far as possible to the left , hands in namaskar mudra, as in pic 3. Inhale and return to the posture as in pic 2, hold for 5 seconds.

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Then exhale and repeat the exercise to right side, stretching left side of the trunk as in pic 4. Do this exercise 7 times.

Benefits

Body stretches well at sides and become flexible.

Trims fat of the sides of the trunk.

Ventilates the lungs and increases the vital energy.

pic 4

Simple Breathing exercise with hands stretched

pic 1

 Stand erect, with feet 12 inches apart. Keep the hands in front of your chest folded at elbow. Look straight. Palms facing down, right hand up and left hand down, as in pic 1.





pic 2

Breath in gently and deeply. While inhaling, fully stretch out right hand to the right side, at shoulder level. Turn your head along with your hands, fixing eyes at the fingers tips. While inhaling return to the original position.

Then inhale, stretch left hand fully out to left side, turning your head to left, fixing eyes at finger tips as in pic 3. While exhaling return to original position. Do this exercise on both sides 12 times.

Benefits

Ventilate lungs.

Hands and shoulders are strengthened.

Strengthens eye and neck muscles.

 



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Neuromuscular Breathing exercises in sukhasana posture

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 Sit comfortably in sukhasana posture. Cover the navel with right palm, and the right ear with left palm as in pic 1. Keep the head centred. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply without retention of breath.
Cover the navel with the left palm and the left ear with the right palm as in pic 2. Inhale and exhale slowly. In both postures do 5 deep breaths.


pic 3

 Cup your hands and do palming of the eyes, with the left hand over the left eye and right hand over the right eye as in pic 3.
( The eyes should be closed.) Inhale slowly and deeply and exhale slowly. Do this breathing 5 times.



pic 5

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Cover the right ear with the right palm and the left ear with the left palm as in pic 4. Do deep breathing 5 times. Cover right ear with left palm and left ear with right palm as in pic 5. Do deep breathing 5 times. 





Benefits

Ventilates the lungs, purifies the blood and increases the vital energy.

Regulates the endocrine system and oxygenate all glands and organs.

Helps in curing headache, asthma and other bronchial troubles.



Neuro-Muscular Breathing exercises in vajrasana posture

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 Sit in vajrasana with the right big toe over the left big toe. Rest your bottom comfortably over the heels. Join the index finger and thumb of each hand, the other fingers stretched as in pic 1. Fix the joined fingers in the joint between the thighs and the abdomen as in pic 2. Inhale slowly and deeply, while exhaling slowly, bent forward from the waist as in pic 3 without raising your bottom. Bend forward as much as possible without any strain.
The spinal cord, neck and head should be in a straight position. Then while inhaling raise the body from the waist and exhaling bend forward. Do this exercise 5 times.

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pic 5

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 Bend the thumb over the palm, in both the hands. Close the four fingers over the thumb. Keep the fists joined under the navel as in pic 4 and inhale. Exhale and bend forward as in pic 5. Do this exercise 5 times.
Benefits
Strengthen the abdominal muscles, activates the pancreas, ventilate the lungs and relieves from menstrual disorder.
 

Wrist exercises

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 Stand erect .Stretch hands fully without tension in front with palms facing outward. Bend right palm at wrist level as in pic 1,then bend left palm at wrist level while raising right palm up as in pic 2.
Do this exercise 7 times.

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Return to the original posture, then join fingers together and rotate the fist at wrist, clockwise, then anticlockwise and again clockwise 7 times as in pic 3.
Benefits
Strengthen wrists and hands.
Removes stiffness and pain if any in wrists.

Kapalabathi

pic 1

Sit comfortably on the ground with trunk straight. Close the left nostril with the thumb of the left hand. Exhale forcefully and then inhale through the right nostril as in pic 1.

Then close the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand as in pic 2. Exhale forcefully and then inhale through the left nostril. Now one cycle is completed. Do this 4 more times.

Benefits

Clears nasal passage.
Helps doing pranayama easily.
Relieves ENT disorders.


pic 2

Eye exercises

pic 1

 Sit straight on the ground
comfortably. Clasped your hands
with thumbs up to be in a level with your eyes, while elbows remain slightly bend.
Draw your hand as close as to your eyes up to the nose tip bending the elbows. Then extend the hands away from the eyes fully straightening the arms. Repeat this to and fro movement 7 times, all the while keeping the eyes on the thumb nails as in pic 1.



pic 2

With your eyes fixed firmly on your thumb nails, horizontally swing your hands right and left as in pic2 ,following the movement with your eyes, so that your eyes turn right and left. Give a slight swing to your trunk and neck to follow your hands. Do it 7 times.



pic 3

In the same posture with eyes fixed on the thumb nails, lift the

hands vertically as far as you can as in pic 3  and bring the down to your lap as in pic4.



pic 4



With eyes fixed on the thumb nails, slowly move the stretched hands in a circle clockwise direction 7 times as in pic 5. The eyes should freely move, following the direction of the thumb. Move your head slightly with the rotation. Repeat this in anticlockwise direction 7 times.

Benefits

Tones up eye muscles.

Corrects defective eye sight.

Prevents eye strain.

pic5