Noukasana - The Boar pose

The Naukasana posture has been named after the shape it takes - that of a boat.  Here is a step by step procedure to practice Naukasana.

How to do Boat Pose (Naukasana)

1. First lie down  on your back with your feet together and arms beside your body.
   
2. Now take a deep breath in and as you exhale, lift your chest and feet off the ground, stretching your arms towards your feet.  Your eyes, fingers and toes should be in a line.
3. Feel the tension in your navel area as the abdominal muscles contract.
   
4. Keep breathing deeply and easily while maintaining the pose.
   
5. As you exhale, come back to the ground slowly and relax.
   

Benefits of Boat Pose (Naukasana)

Naukasana improves the functioning of the lungs, is useful in treating disturbed navel and relieves body stiffness and back pain. It also reduces excess fat from the abdomen. It improves digestion and relieves constipation. Hernia and Ulcer patients should not do this asana. 

Precautions

• Do not practice this yoga pose if you have low blood pressure, severe headache, migraine, or if you have suffered from some chronic diseases or spinal disorders in the recent past
  
• Women should avoid doing Boat pose (Naukasana) during pregnancy and during the first two days of the menstrual cycle.
  
  

Here is a video showing how to practice Naukasana

 

Yoga breathing techniques for weight loss

Increased weight is one of the most faced problems in the modern world.  Lot of people are putting up weight and they do not have time to practice any exercise to reduce weight.  People are trying to eat less, eat healthy food, dieting, aerobics, dance, and many more to cut down the weight.  Is it really required to do so much in order to reduce weight?  There are some breathing techniques that help you to reduce weight and slim down.  Unbelievable, isn't it?  It was really unbelievable for me too when I read one article about breathing techniques to reduce weight.  I thought there is no harm in trying out these breathing exercises to reduce weight.  It really works..   Unlike gymming and hard exercises which give muscle cramps and body pains, these breathing exercises are very easy and painless techniques to lose weight easily.  So start practicing these breathing exercises and reduce your weight.....

There are lot of expensive equipments and weight loss work outs for reducing weight.  So you may have a doubt how can a simple and inexpensive breathing helps us to lose weight?  Here are some reasons which will convince you of the fact behind weight loss associated with breathing techniques in Yoga.

• Deep breathing increases the oxygen intake into the blood and rate at which carbon-di-oxide leaves the body slows down, thus giving us more energy to work out.
• Deep breathing promotes weight loss, because deep inhalation fills your lungs with fresh oxygen which gets transferred to all body cells. This increases oxidation and helps in burning fat cells.
• Breathing exercises boosts up metabolism.  The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating metabolic rate.  The deep breathing in Yoga triggers release of hormones from thyroid which stimulate metabolism and thereby indirectly leads to weight loss
•  Some yogic breathing exercises massage your abdomen and helps burn fats faster around the stomach.

Let us now start with some yoga breathing techniques combines with yoga poses which will accelerate weight loss.

Yoga breathing exercises for weight loss

 Pranayam :   

 Pranayam is a deep breathing technique.  There are a set of breathing exercises to reduce weight.  Here is a list of those exercises.


1. Kapalbhati : This is also known as breath of fire technique, this breathing technique is very much helpful to reduce weight.  Let us see how to practice it.

1.  Sit cross legged on your yoga mat
2. Keep your body straight, an elongated spine and chin up
3. Close your eyes and place your hands on your knees in a comfortable position
4. Your abdomen muscles should be completely relaxed, do not strain them
5. Now breath in deeply and exhale the air out of your nose as if in a sniff.  When you sniff out  the air, you will feel your abdomen pulling inwards
6. If you are a beginner, practice this breathing exercise 30-50 times.  Slowly increase the pace and continue for 10 minutes at a stretch.

If you have any heart disease,  please do not practice this exercise.



2. Bhastrika Pranayama : This is a breathing exercise which is meant to provide enough amount of fresh oxygen to the body.  Here is a procedure to practice Bhastrika Pranayama.

1. Sit comfortably on a yoga mat.  Keep your legs crossed one over the other as in Padmasana.
2. Place your hands on the knees with palms facing upwards, the tip of your thumb and ring finger pressing one against other
3. Now take normal breath and relax
4. Breath in deeply with all your strength so that your lungs are filled with oxygen
5. Now breath out forcefully through the nose such that a hissing sound is made
6. Repeat this for 10 times

You should not practice this breathing technique if you are suffering from a heart disease.

3. Anulom Vilom  Pranayama : This breathing technique is also known as alternate nostril breathing.  Let us see how to practice this breathing technique.

1. Sit with cross legged on a mat and relax
2. Close eyes and keep all the muscles relaxed
3. Now press the right nostril with the thumb of right hand and breathe in through the left nostril
4. Count until 5 to retain the breath
5. Now close the left nostril with ring finger of your right hand and leave the right nostril  to let the air exhale through the right nostril
6. Now again inhale through the right nostril while still keeping the left nostril pressed
7. Retain the breath for 5 counts and release the air through the left nostril
8. This completes  one round of Anulom Vilom Pranayama
9. Repeat this for 10 to 15 times

This exercise should be done in fresh air before taking breakfast.

4. Bramari pranayama : The word "Bramari" means Bee.  During the practice of this pranayama the sound produced imitates the sound of a humming bee.  So it is called as Bramari pranayama.  Let us see how to practice Bramari Pranayama.

1. Sit cross legged on a mat and relax with straightened spine
2. Close both the ears with thimbs.
3. Use middle finger of both hands to press lightly on the closed eyes
4. With the index finger, press the temples lightly
5. Place ring fingers and little fingers on the bridge of your nose
6. Now breath in deeply through the nose and exhale slowly through nose while making a humming sound and chanting OM in your mind
7. Do this exercise for 10 to 20 times

5. Surya Namaskara : The next yoga asana which is very much helpful for reducing weight is the Surya Namaskara or Sun salutation.    There are 12 steps in Surya Namaskar.  Each of these poses is accompanied with a sequenced breathing which if done with concentration promotes weight loss.

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.