1. Tada Asana
(Mountain)
Stand
erect, take a few deep and long breaths. Maintain pose for three
minutes. |
2. Mahavir Asana (Hero) |
stand
erect. lift your right foot and place it in front of you as for as
possible with the toes for left foot and stand on toes. Both the feet
should be in a straight line. Bend the right knee. Lift your right arm
and bend the elbow. Bend the wrist keeping the palm upward. Take your
left arm backward by twisting the spine at the waist and bend the arm at
the elbow and hand at the wrist, keeping the palm upward. Now start
swinging up and down with bent right knee while lifting the right heel.
Stop and remain in the posture for 10 seconds. Repeat on opposite side,
and hold posture for 10 seconds. Bring both feet together and lie down
in Shav Asana for about 2 minutes. |
|
3.Veerabhadra Asana (Warrior) |
Stand
erect. Take one or two deep breaths. Spread you feet three or four feet
apart and raise you arms horizontally to shoulder level. Now turn your
right foot to the right and bend the right knee fifty degrees keeping
the left leg straight. Now turn your head to the right side and look
towards the right arm. Hold the posture for ten seconds and repeat on
the left side.
|
|
4. Trikon Asana (Triangle)
|
Stand
erect. Place the right foot in front with heel pointing in. The distance
between right and left feet should be about two feet. The heels of both
the feet should be in one straight line, keeping the left foot slightly
slanted. Twist the chest towards the left and bend the upper body so
that the right fingers touch the right toe and the left hand goes over
the head in a straight line above the left shoulder. Turn your face
toward the left hand and gaze at the left palm. Be careful that your
knees do not bend. Remain in this pose for 5 seconds and raise the body
up straight with the legs apart as before. Bring the left arm down on
your buttock. Practice three times. Repeat this pose three times
starting with the left foot forward. Stand at ease. |
|
5. Padhast Asana (Hands to Feet) |
Join the heels together and keep the toes four or five inches apart.
Without lifting the heels, inhale and raise your arms up sideways,
keeping them straight to the fingertips, pressing the elbows to both
sides of the head. Exhale, and bend forward touching the right foot with
the right hand, and the left foot with the left hand. Try to touch your
forehead to your knees. Inhale and lift the body up, bringing the arms
straight over the head. Exhale and bring your arms down to your sides.
Stand at ease for 10 seconds. |
|
6. Bhujang Asana (Cobra) |
Lie
face down. Keep the legs and feet close together and stretch them
backward by keeping the toes pointing back. Keep the forehead on the
ground. Bend your arms at the elbows, keeping the palms on the ground on
both sides next to your shoulders. With a slow inhalation, raise your
head and then chest bending the neck and spine and look up. Retain the
breath for 10 seconds and then bring your head back down. Repeat 3
times. In this practice the weight placed on the hands should be as
little as possible. |
|
7. Dhanur Asana (Bow) |
Lie
face down. Bend the knees and lift them over your back. Grasp the ankles
with the hands. Inhale, raise your head up and bend the neck back. Raise
the knees as far as possible. Hold your breath, and hold the posture for
10 seconds. Exhale, bringing the body back on the ground. Repeat three
times. Last, turn over and rest in Shav Asana.
|
|
8. Shalabha Asana (Locust)
|
Lie
face down with your chin resting on the ground and your hands palms up
under the thighs. Press together the heels and toes and stretch your
legs backwards. Inhale, raise the legs together as far as possible
without bending the knees. Hold for 10 seconds. Bring down the legs and
place them on the ground. Exhale and rest for a few seconds. Repeat 3
times, then rest. |
|
9. Ardha Matsyendra Asana (Spine Twist)
|
Sit
erect and stretch your legs forward. (Dandasana). Bring the right foot
over the left thigh. Place the right palm on the ground right behind the
back, the fingers pointing backwards. With the left arm, keep straight,
push the bent leg towards the left. If possible place the left palm on
the ground near the right knee. Pressing against the right bent leg and
ground, twist the head and the shoulders as far back as possible. While
returning, first bring back the head and shoulders. Hold the posture for
30 seconds and repeat on the other side. |
|
10. Akarna DhanurAsana (Shooting Arrow) |
Sit
erect and stretch your legs forward. (Dandasana). Place the right foot
on the left thigh. Catch hold of the right toe with the left hand and
raise the right toes up to the left ear. Then grasp the left foot with
the right hand and bend your head a little. Hold the posture for 30
seconds and repeat on the other side. |
|
11. Janu Shira Asana (Head to Knee) |
Sit
erect and stretch your legs forward. Slowly bend the left leg and place
the left heel under the perinium. Bend forward and grasp the right foot
with both hands and try to touch the right knee with the forehead. Hold
the posture for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. |
|
12. Pashchimotan Asana (Forward Bend)
|
Lie
on your back with feet together. Bring your arms straight overhead and
rest them on the ground. Inhale, raising the arms, head, chest and belly
and sit erect with legs stretched in front. Exhale, lowering the arms,
chest and belly forward and grasp your big toes. Keeping the legs
straight, place the forehead on the knees. Let the body lean forward as
far as is easily possible. Do not strain. Inhale, lifting the hands,
head, chest and belly and sit erect. Repeat three times. |
|
13. Sarvang Asana (Shoulder Stand) |
Lying
face up, place your feet together and place the palms facing down at
your sides. Raise the legs 30 degrees and pause. Raise more to 60
degrees and pause again. Raise more to 90 degrees and hold. Now raise
the legs up, raising the buttocks and back until the body is resting on
the shoulders in a straight line, while supporting your back with your
hands behind your waist. Press your chin down on your throat. Hold for
30 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on your ability. Now bring the body
slowly back, with control, to the ground. Relax in Shav Asana.
|
|
14. Hal Asana (Plough) |
Lie
on your back with feet together and palms facing down. Raise your legs
as in the Shoulder Stand, but without pausing. Keeping the legs
straight, lower them over your head, until the toes touch the ground, or
as far as you can go comfortably. When the toes touch the ground
overhead, remove the hands from your back and stretch forward and put
your palms on the ground. Remain in this pose up to 2 minutes. Now lift
the toes from the ground and bring the body back slowly and smoothly so
that each vertebra of the spine touches the ground one by one while .
Relax in Shav Asana. |
|
15. Matasya Asana
(Fish Pose) |
Sit
up with the left foot resting on the right thigh, and the right foot
resting on the left thigh. Lie down on your back, keeping the knees on
the ground. Press the shoulders back, and place the center of the head
on the ground. Left the trunk to form an arch on the support of the head
and buttocks. Grasp the big toes with both hands. Hold for 30 seconds to
1 minute. Release, bringing the head back, and lifting the feet from the
thighs. Relax in Shav Asana pose. |
|
16. Pavan Mukta Asana (Gas Removing) |
Lie
down, facing upward, with the feet together, palms at your sides.
Inhale, and raise the right leg up to an angle of about 30 degrees. Bend
the right knee, catching the knee with both hands and pressing into the
chest. Exhale, and raise your head, touching the forehead to the knee.
Inhale and bring the head back to the ground. Stretch the right leg
forward at an angle of about 30 degrees. Exhale, and bring the right leg
back to the ground. Repeat the steps with the left leg. Next do the
steps with both legs together. Repeat a second time first with the right
leg, then with the left leg, and finally with both legs together. Rest
in Shav Asana. |
|
17. Padma Asana (Lotus Pose) |
Sit
erect, then lift the right leg and place the right foot on the left
thigh so that the heel touches the joint of the abdomen and the thigh.
Lift the left leg and place in a similar way on the right thigh. Place
the right palm on the right knee, and the left palm on the left
knee.Keeping the backbone, neck and head all in a straight line, fix
your gaze at the tip of the nose. Remain in this pose for one minute.
When meditating one can sit in this asana for one hour. |
|
18. Shav Asana (Blissful Relaxation) |
Lie
on your back with hands a little apart from the body with palms upward
and with feet a little bit apart. You can use a pillow under the head if
you so desire. Close your eyes, take two or three deep and long breaths.
Feel that you are growing lighter and lighter and also feel that you are
floating in the "blue sky". Enjoy this "blissful relaxation" technique (Shiv
Asana) for five or ten minutes. |
|
:: Surya
Namaskar, The Sun Salutation
:: Jeevan
Tatav Sadhan (Development of Life Force)
:: Traditional Yoga Postures
:::
Hindu Yoga |