Asana of the fortnight : Baddhakonasana

Baddha means “bound” and kona means “angle”. In this way, the posture means a bound angle. It is also known as a “butterfly” posture. This is how the cobblers in India sit and work.

Step-by-step
Sit on the floor on your hips with your legs stretched in the front.
Bend the knees and bring the feet closer to the perimium area.
Bring the soles of the feet together, and open the knees till they are close to the floor.
Hold the feet firmly and gently press the knees down towards the floor.
Keep your back straight and breath deeply.

Benefits
This is a good posture to work on the stiff inner thigh and lower back area.
Helps posture correction.
Allows for smooth labour during pregnancy
Helps in reduction of pre-menstrual cramps in women.
Helps in digestive disorders and concentration.

Slumdog Yogi

In the back alleys of South Bombay, a small Municipal school gives shelter to a “paper bag” making unit and a Dream. A dream, that’s growing slowly but steadily over the last 3 years. A small batch of 12 boys from economically difficult backgrounds started building steps towards empowering themselves through the path of Yoga. Over the last 3 years hope was baked in the furnace of diligent practice and hard work, and sincerity nurtured the spirits of these boys who have achieved the stuff dreams are made of.
Read more…

Asana of the fortnight : Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana
In Sanskrit adho means downward, mukha means face, and svana means dog. Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence.

Step-by-step
Come onto the floor on all fours. From the table position, curl your toes under. Spread your fingers wide apart. Keep your hands as wide as your shoulders and feet as wide as your hip. Exhaling lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press your tailbone upward and feel your spine elongating. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones upward.

Now exhaling, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels down toward the floor. Straighten your knees with out locking them. Expand your chest by pressing out through your chest points. Press the crown of your head away from your shoulders. Bring the chin closer to the chest to relax the back of the neck.

Retain this position for 30 sec. to 1 minute. To release, bend your knees and return to the starting position/all fours.

Benefits
This Asana has a lot of corrective and curative effects.
The shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands are stretched, energizing whole body.
It calms the brain, relieve stress, mild depression, headache, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue.
It is good for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis.
It also helps to relieve the symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort when done with the head supported.
With its proper practice osteoporosis is also prevented.

Video of the Month – March 2009

Prasad’s live Yoga performance at The Festival of India held in Toronto, Canada in August 2007 where Prasad was invited as a guest and speaker on the topic of Yoga and Yoga Therapy. (Part 2 of 3)