How to practice Makarasana

The meaning of 'Makar' in Sanskrit is Crocodile.  Makarasana is an important pose for all round stretching of the body.  The Makarasana straightens and stretches the muscles of the back, legs, buttocks and the back of the arms and legs.    This pose releases the strain caused by other asanas.  While doing this asana, the body looks similar to a crocodile and hence the name Makarasana.

Step by step to practice Makarasana

Here is a step  by Step procedure to practice Makarasana.

• First lie down on the floor on your stomach with the hands on the sides.  The chin and chest should be touching the ground.
• Now stretch both the legs to full length
• Separate both the legs and put them on the floor such that the toes are pointing outwards and heels inwards
• The feet should be at right angles to the legs
• Now raise your head and trunk and take your right hand under your left shoulder
• Hold the left shoulder gently with the right hand and take the right shoulder with left hand.
• The two hands should be making a double triangle one above the other
• Now place your forehead on the triangle.  Your face should be within the space created by both the arms.
• Now close your eyes and relax your body completely
• Practice abdominal breathing and remain in this position as long as you are comfortable.  It can be 2 to 3 minutes or even more.
• Turn over and lie on your back.  Start again.
 

Here are some of the benefits of Makarasana 

1. Makarasana is very good asana pose for complete relaxation of mind and body
2. Makarasana relieves fatigue after strenuous yoga session
3. Makarasana controls high blood pressure
4. Breathing problems are cured by Makarasana.

Here is a video on how to practice Makarasana.

Adhvasana

Adhvasana is also called as Reversed Corpse pose.  The Adhvasana is very useful to relax each and every muscle and provide them a deep repose.   The Adhvasana can be practiced with the following steps.   The Adhvasana is very useful if you have back pain related problems.  In the Adhvasana, the body stretches completely.  The two arms should be joined together ahead of the head and the legs should be stretched.  The body should lie on the stomach with normal breathing.   Here is a step by step method to practice Adhvasana.

Step by Step method to practice Adhvasana

• First lie down on your stomach over a clean yoga mat
• Now stretch your hands above the shoulder with palms facing downward
• The forehead should touch the floor and the elbow should touch both the ears
• You should keep your neck straight
• Now maintain comfortable distance between legs
• Now try to relax your spinal chord and lower torso
• The arms should be straight and you should not put any pressure on your stomach
• Concentrate on your stomach and breath rhythmically.
• Count reverse way like 27 to 1
• Once counting is over, return back to corpse pose.

How Yoga is beneficial in curing diseases?

Yoga helps us in having a healthy body and mind, but it also helps in curing certain diseases which can not be cured even the most advanced medicines.  Yoga is being practiced from thousands of years for various diseases.

Yoga is very much helpful for people suffering from Diabetes and Heart problems.  Diabetes is controlled to a great extent by practicing Yoga.  One Yoga asana which is very effective in controlling diabetes is the Surya Namaskara.  Nadi Shodhana or alternative nostril breathing is one of the pranayama technique which helps to decrease glucose levels in our body.  Meditation also helps to be effective against diabetes.  The Pranayamam reduces the stress levels.   Some more yoga asanas which help people against diabetes are Shavasana, single leg raises, Surya Namaskara, double leg raises, shoulder stretches and Matsyasana. 

Yoga is also helpful for people suffering from cardiac disorders.  Yoga enhances the flexibility in the body and therefore controls blood pressure.  Yoga provides relief from stress and anxiety.   The Bhujangasana  stimulates the heart.  Kapalabhati is very much beneficial for various cardiac diseases.   Kapalabhati increases the oxygen absorption in the blood stream thereby nourishing the organs. 

There are some yoga asanas which bring stability in the posture and the mind of the individual.  Th yoga asanas help in increasing oxygen intake of the body.  Also the capacity of oxygen intake by the body is increased by yoga asanas.  Yoga asanas builds up physical strength, flexibility and stamina of the body.  Yoga also increases self control and concentration.    

Yoga asanas boost up immunity of the body.   Yoga can cure some of the medical problems like arthiritis, anemia, acidity, allergies, skin diseases, facial wrinkles, alzheimer disease, blood pressure, depression, obesity, stress and many more diseases.  So we can conclude that yoga not only cures common ailements but also chronic disorders which cannot be cured by most advanced medicines.

Matsyasana

Matsya, the Fish, was one of the incarnations of the Hindu God Vishnu.  Vishnu assumed this form to save the world from the floods.    

This asana is called as Matsyasana because the posture is in the shape of fish ( Matsya).  The shape of the body appears similar to a fish in the water.   It is possible to float on the water without any movement in this asana.  Matsya is a Sanskrit word which means fish.  The other asanas imitate the poses of creatures they are named after, but the fish pose does not actually look like a fish.  But if you perform this pose in water, the person can float like a fish.

Normally the Fish pose is performed with the legs in Padmasana.  But Padmasana is a little bit difficult for beginners, we will practice the Matsyasana with the knees bent, feet on the floor, or with the legs straight pressed against the floor.

Steps to perform Matsyasana

• First lie down on your back on the floor with knees bent and the feet on the floor.   Inhale and lift your pelvis slightly off the floor and slide your hands, palms down, below your buttocks.  Now rest your buttocks on the back of your hands ( don't lift them off your hands while performing this asana).  Your fore arms and elbows should be close to the sides of your body.
•  Now inhale and press your forearms and the elbows against the floor.  Now press your scapulas ( shoulder blades) into your back, and with an inhale, lift your upper body and head away from the floor.  Now release your head back onto the floor.  Either the back of your head or its crown will rest on the floor depending on how high you arch your back and lift your chest.  Try to have minimal amount of weight on your head.
• Your knees can be either bent or straight on the floor. 
• Stay for 15 to 30 seconds breathing smoothly.  Now with an exhalation, lower your body and head to the floor.  Draw your thighs up into your belly and sqeeze.

Benefits of Matsyasana

Here are some of the benefits of Matsyasana
 

Matsyasan is called traditionally as the "Destroyer of all diseases"

Matsyasan strengthens the muscles of upper back and neck

This asana stretches the muscles of the belly and front of the neck

 Improves the quality of your breath

 Relieves you of back spinal tension

You can see a video of Matsyasana below.
 

Lower your Blood Pressued by Yoga practice

High blood pressure is one of the most prevailing ailments in the world right now.  High blood pressure is affecting people of all ages now a days. There are many methods to reduce high blood prssure.  Many people are now opting to reduce high blood pressure naturally like herbs, exercises and diet.  Yoga is one of the best proven method to increase low blood pressure and reduce high blood pressure.



Do you know that your blood pressure can be lowered by practicing yoga asanas?  Yoga asanas help to lower your blood pressure and keep it stable.  Yoga asanas have favorable effect on the nervous system.   You can not only reduce the B.P. but also reduce the effects of hypertension on other parts of your body by practicing Yoga.  There are some yoga asanas to reduce blood pressure.  Some categories of asanas to reduce high blood pressure are forward bends, sitting, supine and inversion groups.

The forward bends have the best effect to reduce blood pressure.  The forward bending exercises have a calming effect on the brain and the blood circulation to the brain is normalized and they help to reduce the stress from sense organs.  So the brain, nervous system and the sense organs are relaxed and so the blood pressure will be normal and stabilizes.

The yoga asanas which are beneficial to nervous system are the Uttanasana and Adhomukha Savasana which are to be practiced with the head resting.  The Baddhakonasana and Virasana are some of the sitting yoga asanas which you can practice to lower your blood pressure.  These poses eliminate the tension from the ribs and the muscles so they help to breathe without any difficulty and lower blood pressure.

The other poses of asanas which help to reduce blood pressure are the supine poses like Supta Baddhakonasana which by relaxing the abdominal region calms the nerves.  The inversion asanas like Viparita Karanti and Halasana revitalize the nerves and lowers the blood pressure. 

Here are some of the yoga poses for hypertension.

• Sukhasana :   Sukhasana is one of the meditative poses and can be practiced after doing the corpse pose. The sukhasana helps in making the spine straight and slows down the metabolism and keeps your mind calm.
• Bidalasana ( Cat pose) : This pose is very ideal for loosening and stretching of the spine and hips.  This pose initiates movement from your center and to coordinate your movement and breath.  
• Anuloma viloma :  This is one of the breathing exercise.  It is also called as alternate nostril technique.  In this breathing technique, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, and exhale through the other nostril.  Repeat the same for other nostril.
• Shoulder stretches : The shoulder stretches are very good for relieving stress and tension in your shoulders and also in upper back.  You can practice shoulder stretches for several weeks and notice the changes.

 There are many more yoga poses to control blood pressure  like pavan mukhtasana and double leg raises etc.

Chakrasana - The whel pose

How to practice Chakrasana - the wheel pose

The body is bent towards back in a circular pose in this asana, hence this asana is called as chakrasana.  This asana is very much similar to the gymnastic back-bend.   In the Chakrasana pose, the person practicing this asana has his / her hands and feet on the floor, and his / her abdomen arches up towards the sky.    Chakrasana is a very good asana for improving the elasticity of the spinal cord.  Chakrasana is one of the best asanas to reduce weight.   Please perform this asana in the morning or afternoon but not in the evening.  

Here are the steps on how to do chakrasana with proper technique and approach to obtain the best results.

Step by step procedure for Chakrasana

• First lie down comfortably on a mat on your back in Shavasana pose.
• Now bend your knees until the feet touches the buttocks.
• Now bend your arms at elbows over the head and put your palms just under the shoulders on floor such that the fingers are pointing towards your back.
• While inhaling slowly raise your hands, chest, stomach and waist by arching the spine.  Continue to press the ground by feet and hands.  Try to raise your body as high as possible in wheel pose.
• If you are comfortable in this pose, they try to bring your hands and feet as closer as possible to make a wheel type pose.
• After completing the process, reverse down the process for returning back to normal position in Shavasana posture.
• Maintain slow and rhythmic breathing throughout the whole process of staying in Chakrasana.

Benefits of Chakrasana

• Chakrasana strengthens the liver, pancreas and kidneys
• Makes the spinal cord flexible and strengthens stomach and instestine
• Chakrasana strengthens the neck, wrists, finger tips, spin, thighs, ankles, feet and the back
• This asana is very good for people suffering from back pain
• Cures problems of throat, tonsils and even chronic head ache
• Improves vision power of eyes

Duration of Chakrasana

Chakrasana pose can be held for 15 seconds if you are a beginner.  With more practice, you can gradually increase it to 2 minutes.

Precautions during Chakrasana

• Avoid Chakrasana if you have recent chronic injury to legs, arms, hips, shoulders, back etc.
• Chakrasana should b avoided in cases of un medicated hyper tension or high blood pressure or detached retina.
• Chakrasana should not be prcticed by people with heart problems

 

Please see below a video showing the steps to perform Chakrasana

Shalabhasana

How to practice Shalabhasana ( Locust Pose)

'Shalabha' means Locust or the Grasshoopper.   This asana is named as Shalabhasana because the position of the body in this asana appears like that of a grasshopper.  Shalabhasana strengthens the muscles of spine, buttocks and backs of arms and legs.  Here is a step by step guide to practice Shalabhasana.

Step by step for Shalabhasana

• Lie down on your stomach with your arms along side of your body with palms facing up.  Your forehead should rest on the floor.  Turn your toes towards each other to inwardly rotate your thighs and firm your buttocks.
• Now exhale and lift your head, upper torso, arms and legs away from the floor.   Now you are resting on your lower ribs, belly and front pelvis.  Firm your buttocks and keep your arms parallel to the floor.
• Raise your arms parallel to the floor and stretch back actively through your finger tips.  Assume that there is a weight pressing down on the backs of the upper arms, and push up toward the ceiling against this resistance.
• Gaze forward or upwards slightly.  be careful not to jut your chin forward and crunch the back of your neck.  Keep the base of your skull lifted and the the back of the neck long.
• Stay in this position for 30 seconds to a minute. Now release with a exhalation.  Take few breaths and repeat the asana 2 or 3 times.

Benefits of Shalabhasana

• Strengthens the muscles of the spine, buttocks, and backs of the arms and legs
• Stretches the shoulders, chest, belly, and thighs
• Improves posture
• Stimulates abdominal organs
• Helps relieve stress

See the video below for practicing Shalabhasana.