Vamadevasana

Vamadevasana

This posture is dedicated to the great Sage Vamadeva.

Step-by-step
(To execute this posture, one needs a lot of flexibility in the area of hip and thighs, so warming up of the hip joint area is essential before this posture is performed.)

Start with a downward dog posture.
Stretch your hamstrings deeply and bend the right knee to get in the pigeon posture.
See to it that you are sitting on the right hip with knee bent in such a way that the right heel is close to the perineum.
Extend your left leg straight behind so that your upper body is straight and perpendicular to the floor.
Hold your right foot with your right hand and lift it off the floor, bend the left knee and hold the left foot in the left hand.
Gently try to bring the feet together. Make sure you don’t feel any discomfort in your knees and your lower spine.
Hold the posture for 10 counts and switch the side.

Benefits
This is an excellent posture to make the hip joint more flexible and to work on abdominal muscles.
The thighs and the gluteus muscles are stretched to their fullest degree and helps in strengthening and keeping these muscles supple.

Natarajasana

Natarajasana

This posture is dedicated to the Lord of Yoga himself- Lord Shiva. This posture is symbolic of the grace and the pulse of the universe which is the rhythm on which Lord Shiva dances. The name of the asana literary means “The Dancer”.

Step-by-step
Stand on both feet and focus on a point for concentration.
Thrust your body weight on the left foot and bend the right knee so the right foot is at the level of your hip.
Hold the right ankle with your right hand and raise the left arm up.
Become aware of your navel and start bending forward trying to balance the body weight on the left foot.
Keep bending forward, as you bend forward lift the right knee up and simultaneously balance the lift of the right knee with the weight of the forward bend.
Hold this balance for 10 counts, let go off the right foot and stand back again on both the feet.
Collect your breath and do the same asana on the right foot.

Benefits
This asana is very beneficial to develop ability of concentration and physical balance.
It works on the abdominal area, and helps make the thigh and hip joint strong and flexible.

Parivratta Janu Sirshasana

Step-by-step
Sit on the floor with right leg extended at 45 degrees outwards facing the corner of the room and the left leg folded so that the heal is in front of the perineum.
Extend the right hand and hold the right big toe, bring the right elbow either to the floor in front of the right knee or keep the elbow on the right knee depending on level of flexibility.
Raise the left arm up and stretch the arm towards the sky.
Slowly and with awareness bring the left hand closer to the right foot, so that the left elbow is pointing towards the sky.
See to it that you open up the rib cage by pushing the shoulder blades back and looking upwards.
Breath deeply and normally.
Retain the posture for 10 deep breaths.
Repeat on the other leg.

Benefits
Deeply stretches the sides of the body
Removes lethargy from the lower part of the body
Helps in developing hip flexibility

Eka Pada Sirshasana

Step-by-step
Sit on the floor with legs stretched out.
Bend the right leg and bring the right foot closer to the body by holding the right ankle.
Exhale and place the right foot behind the head gently without any jerk.
The right calf muscle should rest on the right shoulder and both the arms are brought in the front and joint together in a namaste position.
Straighten the back and look in the front with chin parallel to the floor.
The left leg is held straight with toes pointed up towards the sky.

Breath deeply for 10 breaths.

Hold the right foot again with both hands and take the foot off from behind your head and straighten the right leg.
Repeat on the left side.

Benefits  
Helps stretch the outer thigh to a very high degree.
Helps build strength in the back and spine area.

Parivrtta Parsvakonasana

This is also called as twisted angled posture because of the sharp look of the posture.

Step-by-step
Stand with your legs wide apart and outstretch your arms, the legs should be as wide as the distance between two wrists.
Look to your right and turn your right foot to the right side and bend your right knee so as to go into the Virabhadrasana.
Please see to it that your knee does not hyper-extend your toe and does not roll inward.
Twist your spine and lock your left elbow on the right side of the right knee.
Either join both the hands in Namaste position or extend the left arm from under the right thigh and hold the right hand from behind the back.
Look up at the ceiling.

Hold this posture for 10 breaths.

Twist back, raise the torso, straighten the right leg and turn the right foot in.
Repeat the same way on the left side in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute. To release, bend your knees and return to the starting position/all fours.

Benefits
This is a great posture to work on the suppleness of the spine.
It gently massages the internal organs of the Gastro intestinal Tract and aids in digestion.
Builds strength in the thighs.
Develops the ability to concentrate.

Gomukhasana

In Sanskrit, “Go” means Cow and “Mukha” means Face, so the posture is called a “Cow Face” posture because of the resemblance with the face of a cow. This is one of the postures mentioned in the sacred scriptures of Hatha Yoga.

Step-by-step
Sit on the hip
Bend your left leg in such a way that your left foot is placed on right side of the right hip
Bend your right leg in such a way that your right knee is on top of the left knee and the right foot is on the left side of the left hip
Keep your spine straight, neck relaxed and breath deeply
Take 10-15 deep breaths
Switch the side and repeat

Benefits
This is one of the best postures to stretch the tight muscles of the hip.
It increases the blood supply to the legs and makes them more flexible.
Helps in posture correction.

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.

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.

Bhujangasana

Bhujanga Asana is also known as the Cobra Posture.

Step-by-step
Lie down on your belly, keeping the palms on the floor below the shoulder and the elbows pointing up. Raise the chin off the floor.
Inhale and raise the head and chest, till the naval area, upwards. Tighten the legs allover from the waist down to the toes, join the feet.
Hold the posture and breath deeply and easily for about 10 seconds.
Exhale and simultaneously lower the head towards the floor. Relax your body and rest with your right or left cheek on the floor for about 10 seconds. This is one round.

Restrictions
Start with three rounds on the first day and increase to a maximum of five rounds. Take rest for sometime between each round. As you practice, you can increase the retention period of the position gradually from 10 seconds to 1 minute. Do not practice this asana while pregnant.

Benefits
Increases flexibility, rejuvenates spinal nerves and increases blood supply to the spinal region.
Activates and energizes the upper areas of the body like the chest, shoulders, neck, face and head.
Corrects various abnormal troubles like constipation, indigestion and increases appetite.

Trikonasana

One of the basic postures in Yoga , Trikon means a triangle. Trikonasana gets it name by the triangular shape the body forms.

Step-by-step
Stand with a 2 feet wide stance and focus on your breath.
Turn the toes of the right foot towards the right and inhale.
Raise the arms so that they are parallel to the floor.
Look at the right hand and start bending towards your right laterally sliding your right hand over your right leg
When you feel your body is not moving any further lower, hold the posture and turn your head so that you look at your left hand.
Retain the posture for one minute.
Slowly come back to the upright position.
Repeat the same on the left side.
Bring the legs together and come out of the posture.

Benefits
Helps increase the lateral flexibility of the spine.
Develops the muscles along the spine, strengthening the abdominal and waist region and neck, thus removing backaches and neck pain.
Aiding in the remedy of ailments of the lungs by opening up the ribcage area.
Stimulating the abdominal organs, thereby helping to relieve constipation and indigestion, restoring the digestive fire – ‘jatharagni’ and stimulating the appetite by increasing the metabolic rate.
Helps in re-aligning the hips and pelvic area.

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