Easy breathing exercise

In this article, you can see how to practice breathing easily.  Here is a step by step procedure for easy breathing.

• Sit cross-legged in Padmasana.  
• Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale very, very slowly through the left nostril. 
• Then with the little and ring fingers of the right hands close the left nostril. 
• Retain breath as long as you can. 
• Then exhale very slowly after removing the thumb. This stage constitutes one process.

Again, inhale through the right nostril, retain the breath and exhale through the left nostril. This ends the process. One can do 20 in the morning and 20 in the evening.

Benefits of breathing exercise

• This breathing exercise cleanses the body of diseases.
• It steadies the mind and helps in concentration.
• It improves digestion.
• It increases appetite.

Halasana - the plough pose

This yoga pose is also called as plough pose.   The pose got its name from the plow - a popular farming tool commonly used in Indian agriculture to prepare the soil for sowing crops.  Similarly the Halasana prepares the 'field' of the body and mind for deep rejuvenation.

The abdominal  muscles are strengthened and the halasana ensures healthy condition of the spine.  The halasana increases the flexibility of the spine and all 31 pairs of spinal nerves are well nourished.  It may be difficult in the beginning to lift the legs touch the ground above the head but it will be possible after some practice.   Till then you can try to do as much as you can.  Let us now see how we can practice the halasana - the plow pose

How to practice halasana

Here is a step by step procedure to perform the halasana.

•  First lie down on your back with your arms besides you, with palms down
• Now as you inhale, use your abdominal muscles to lift your feet off the floor, raising your legs verticaly at 90 degrees angle
• Now continue to breath normally and supporting your hips and back with your hands, lift them off the ground
• Allow your legs to sweep in a 180 degree angle over your head till your toes touch the floor.  This would be difficult in the beginning but try to make an attempt.
• Hold this pose and let your body relax with each steady breath
• After a minute of resting in this pose, you can gently bring your legs down on exhalation

Plow Pose (Halasana) usually follows Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana) in Padma Sadhana sequence, and could also be followed by Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) and gently rocking the body in Pavanamuktasana.

Pavana Muktasana - Practice and Benefits

The Pavana Muktasana is also called as Wind Removing Pose.   Pavanamuktasana is a yoga pose in which the body is positioned in a supine position. Everyone, regardless of whether he or she is a beginner or advanced practitioner, can practice this pose. The Pavanamuktasana (Wind Removing Pose) massages the organs of the abdomen and also eases tension that occurs in the area of the belly and lower back.

It is beneficial to cure gas problems and poor digestion. Regular practice of  Pawanmuktasana help to stimulate bowel movement which is very necessary for removing waste material.  Here is the step by step procedure to perform Pavanamuktasana.

How to practice Pavanamuktasana

•  Lie flat on your back and keep the legs straight and relax.  Breath deeply and rhythmically.
• Inhale slowly and lift the legs and bend the knee.  bring upwards to the chest till your thigh touches the stomach
• Hug your knees in place and lock your fingers
• Now try to touch the knee with the nose tip.  This may be difficult at the beginning but with practice, it is possible. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds.  It can be extended to 1 minute as per your capacity.
• Now exhale slowly and come back to the original position ( Shavasana).
• Practice 3 to 5 cycles per day

 Precaution :   People who have undergone an operation on belly or suffering from hernia and piles etc. should perform this asana after consulting some Yoga expert.  Pregnant women should not practice this asana.

Benefits of Pavanamuktasana

Here are some of the benefits of practicing Pavanamuktasana.

• This asana cures acidity problems, indigestion and constipation.
• Pavanamuktasana is very good for the abdominal organs
• Regular practice of this asana cures gastric problems
• This asana is very helpful for people suffering from arthritis pain, heart problems, waist pain and acidity.
• This asana gives flat stomach.  So every one can practice this asana for flat stomach
• This asana strengthens the digestive system, purifies impure air, helps in diabetes, high blood pressure.

Here is a video showing how to practice Pavanamuktasana.

Ashwini Mudra - Practice and Benefits

The Ashwini Mudra came from the word "Ashwa" means Horse.  There are many spellings for this mudra : Asvini, Ashwini, Ashvini.  The most common one is the last one.   The meaning of Ashwini Mudra is a Horse pose or Horse Gesture.,

Ashwini is not an asana in full sense, because this mudra is performed in Padmasana or the Lotus pose.  Also this can be done in Viparita Karani,  when practiced within the frame work of Kriya Yoga.

The real meaning of Ashwini Mudra lies in its definition:  the practice of a rhythmic contraction of anal sphincter ( a ring shaped muscle), which allows directing the prana (apana) flow upward the spine through the main energy channel called Sushumna Nadi.   Ashwini Mudra is a beginners technique in Yoga.  So it is relatively easy to perform.

The basic technique for the Ashwini Mudra is very simple and makes the mudra one of the essential parts of many internal yoga exercises such as Mula Bandha or Viparita Karani.  It is a common practice to perform Ashwini Mudra and Vajroli Mudra together.

How to perform Ashwini Mudra

Ashwini Mudra practice is a rhythmic contraction of anal sphincter.  Even though it may look simple, it is an important part of many advanced yoga practices.  Ashwini mudra can serve as a mudra for beginners  before they proceed to mula bandha, maha mudra or similar.    The purpose of Ashwini Mudra is to pump prana into internal organs to prepare them for higher techniques of Yoga.  Ashwini Mudra makes your organs healthy and more resistant to unfavorable conditions.  Now let us see how to practice Ashwini Mudra.

• First of all take a comfortable asana, the best pose would be the Padmasana or Vajrasana
• Relax for a minute after getting into the posture, breathe freely and deeply.  Now inhale fully, hold your breath, and contract the anal sphincter muscles with 1 - 2 seconds interval. For men 4 contractions and 5 contractions for women.  These are average quantity of anal muscles contractions required to push prana inside the body.  
• Try to completely relax the anal muscles between contractions.
• Ok,  you are holding your breath and made the required number of contractions.  Now press your chin against the bottom of the neck, touch the palate ( The roof of the mouth, separating the cavities of the nose and the mouth ) with the tip of your tongue and start releasing your breathe ( exhaling ), then release the mudra and after that slowly raise your head.   

The success in this practice comes when you feel like shivering wave goes through your body.  This wave is actually the prana which has been stimulated by your practice.   You can repeat this mudra 3 to 5 times or as much as you want.

Benefits of Ashwini Mudra

The mudra works both externally and internally.  Here are the list of benefits of Ashwini Mudra.

•  Ashwini Mudra stimulates the abdomen area including digestive organs.  
• The practice of Ashwini Mudra helps you to get rid of constipation, deals with diseases of rectum and hemorrhoids.
• Since this mudra stimulates the prana flow towards upper part of the body, it slows down the aging process and improves the health in general.  
• This mudra makes the body resistant to diseases
• It increases the awareness, makes your mind more peaceful and gives you more energy.

Here is a video showing how to practice Aswini Mudra.

How to practice Sarvangasana

Sarvangasana means a yoga pose for all the parts of the body.  Sarvangasana is one of the many inverted poses of Yoga which is extremely useful and beneficial.  Sarvangasana is also called as the queen or mother of all the asanas.

Sarvangasana also called as Shoulder Stand is a yoga pose which involves the muscles of the entire body.  It is one of the inverted yoga poses which helps to tone and stretch the body by working against the force of gravity.  There are a number of health benefits of practicing Sarvangasana on a regular basis.  Sarvangasana is one of the poses which improves blood circulation throughout the body.  

The blood flows from lower part of the body to the heart when you perform this asana.  This pose prevents the occurence of vericose veins in the legs.  The lungs are also strengthened by performing the Sarvangasana.   This pose helps to divert the flow of oxygen to the upper parts of the lungs thereby strengthening the lungs.

The Sarvangasana also helps in improving the health of Thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located in the neck.  Due to lack of proper blood circulation, the thyroid gland starts to deteriorate.  The sarvangasana pushes healthy oxygen-rich blood directly into the neck strengthening the thyroid glands.

Steps to perform Sarvangasana

 Here are the important steps and the correct way to do this asana.

• Lie down  flat on the floor, on your back, palms by your side facing
• Exhale and lift your legs up 30, then 60, then 90 and then around 130 degrees so they are extended behind your head.
  
• Stay in this position, breathing normally, for a few seconds.
• Now, gradually, exhale again, and straighten your legs up to 90 degrees, lifting your buttocks as well. Support the back of your trunk with your palms, keeping elbows on the floor. Gradually, walk your hands towards your shoulder blades, as you lift your body higher.
• Your elbows may tend to move outwards. Bring them in, so they are straight in line with your shoulders.
  
• You will notice that your hips tend to jut out backwards, while your feet tend to come forward over the head. This is not the right way to do it. Work at it so your body is in a straight line. Your hips, feet and shoulders should be aligned, so push your feet back and bring your hips and tailbone forward. Remember, this exercise is not as much about effort as it is about balance.
  
• Lift your body as high up as possible. Sarvangasana is a shoulder stand, so your body should be resting on your shoulders and not on your back.
  
• Hold this position for as long as possible.
  
• Remember to exhale while lifting your body up, but once your body is up, you can breathe normally. There is no need to hold your breath.
  
• Time yourself, so you can see how long you can remain in this position. The next time, try and balance your body for a little longer.

Benefits of Sarvangasana

Sarvangasana is considered to be the Queen of Yoga Asanas.  This is because of the number of benefits it provides to us.  The Asana helps the body, mind and soul.  The Sarvangasana is very effective for people suffering from Thyroid problems.  The complete relief of the nervous system is another benefit from this asana.  

The Sarvangasana also provides relief from asthma, shortness of breath  and digestive problems due to junk food.   This asana is normally performed in early morning hours.  The asana relieves you from fatigue associated with less sleep.  Here are some of the benefits of Sarvangasana.

• The Sarvangasana provides good sleep if practiced in the evening hours
• The asana helps in treating back problems and back ache
• Provides relief from sore throats, head ache and congestion of nose also
• Thyroid efficiency is improved
• Blood circulation through out the body is improved
• The Sarvangasana helps in respiratory functions
• Improves digestive system
• Improves blood circulation to brain
• Sarvangasana helps in reducing Blood Pressure by acting on the carotid sinuses in the neck.  So this asana helps people with slightly high blood pressure.  How ever people who have excessively high blood pressure should not practice this asana as this initially increases blood pressure.

Here is a video showing the way on how to practice Sarvangasana.

 

How to practice Viparita Karani

The Yoga posture Viparita Karani is also called as Inverted Lake posture.  It is called as Inverted Lake posture because in this posture, the body is inverted or is made to stand upside down.  The word "viparita" in Sanskrit means 'inverted'  and the word "karani" means action.

There are lot of health benefits of the Viparita Karani Yoga pose.  This yoga pose hides wrinkles in addition to banishing old age and death.   This yoga posture gets blood flowing to the parts of the body which need it, making it good for most of the diseases like arthritis, high blood pressure, respiratory ailments etc. 

It is very good to devote your entire session each week for doing Viparita Karani asana.  If you have any fatigue, anxiety or depression, it will be removed by this asana.  If you are exhausted from your day, it is time for you to go upside-down.   Here is a step by step procedure to practice viparita Karani asana.

Step by step procedure to practice Viparita Karani asana

• First sit down with your support about 5 to 6 inches to your right side.  Now place a two folded blanket close to your waist so that they will support you when you tilt backwards.
• Now take a deep breath and while exhaling, tilt your torso slightly towards the blanket while swinging your legs up against the wall for support.
• Allow the front portion of your torso to round up gently as you tilt yourself backwards and lie down.The blanket or pillow should support your waist.  If you feel you are slipping off, re adjust your position and try again.   You may need to move a little closer to the wall
• Keep your legs straight up
• Release the base of your skull and lift it away so that you soften the stretch that you feel on your throat.  Tilt your head downwards
• Open your shoulder blades and allow your arms to freely rest on the sides, with both palms facing upwards.
• Release the weight of your torso and feel it weighing deep into back of your pelvis in order to keep your legs straight and firm.
• Hold the pose for at least 5 minutes.  You can even keep the pose for 15 to 20 minutes after practice.  Keep breathing normally during the pose.

Caution :  Please do not perform this asana if you have serious optic problems like glaucoma. Even if you experience tingling in your feet or legs, come back to normal position immediately.  

Health benefits of Viparita Karani asana

Some of the health benefits of Viparita Karani asana are given below.

• Regulates blood flow
• Improves digestion
• Restores tired feet or legs
• Reduces anxiety
• Relieves symptoms of depression
• Relieves mild back ache

Here is a video showing how to practice Viparita Karani Asana.

How to practice Hasthashirasana

Hasthashirasana  also called as Hand to Head pose is very easy to practice.   The Hasthashirasana is very useful for fighting the effects of arthritis.  The arthritis patients can be benefited by moving their joints in a slow and controlled manner. Hasthashirasana which is very useful Yoga pose for Arthritis helps to improve blood circulation in the joints and removes waste products and toxins.  But arthritis patients experience pain while practicing movements of their joints. 

How to practice Hasthashirasana

• Sit comfortably in Vajrasana first.  
• Now in Vajrasana, bend forward in waist and place both the elbows on the ground 6 to 8 inches apart and ahead of knees with palms supporting the head.  
• Relax  all the muscles in this posture and continue normal breathing.
• You can see the posture in the picture shown at the right.