yoga positions
With the growing awareness of physical fitness, all of us resort to some form of exercise or the other, and when the going gets tough many of us give it up. You want to tone your body but do not want to go through the rigors of daily disciplined exercise. It is here then that Yoga steps in, for it helps to control the mind, create self-awareness and in the process helps you to achieve mental and emotional well being in addition to physical fitness. It encompasses within its purview factors that contribute to good health and vitality. Yoga positions or Asanas as they are called inculcate discipline in temperament, help to regulate the respiratory process, soothes the turbulent mind through meditation, and helps you to focus and channelise our lives. That sounds vague, doesnt it? A bird’s eye view of some of the basic positions will dispel any doubts that you may entertain.
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Yoga positions involve simple movements well within the performing capacity
of the normal individual and for best results the mind and the body must
work in phase and complement each other.
All movements must be slow, gentle
and relaxed to be meaningful, so never go beyond the limits of your
endurance. Although there are several positions, the main categories are
what we will confine ourselves to. |
Standing Yoga Asanas
More often than not, when you simply think of the amount of work (physical
and mental), which is pending, you feel exhausted. So, If you want to
Increase the levels of your endurance and bring flexibility and suppleness
to your joints and muscles, begin with the basic standing yoga positions
like Tadasana and ardha chandrasana.
Forward bending and back bending Asanas
Having achieved a certain amount of pliability, you would need to correlate
mental and physical activities and this is where these yoga positions help.
A gradual stretching of the body helps to extend the back portion of spine
and in the process certain elasticity is achieved that adds suppleness to
the limbs. Paschimotanasana if done regularly will keep those aches at bay.
Back Bending Yoga Asanas achieve the opposite effect by extending the front
portion of the spine, so it complements the forward bending asana. If the
bhujangasana, which a back bending yoga position is combined with a
Paschimotanasana, the end result is that you succeed in what you have set
out to do. Since the spine is the pivot for all our movements, these two
yoga positions can help us to achieve immense agility and nimbleness and
consequently mental keenness, for a supple body houses a supple mind.
While the above 2 asanas focus on the front and back of the spine, more
resilience and elasticity is achieved with twisting positions, which
encompass lateral stretching and twisting of the spine. The internal organs
are also toned and a sense of peace and harmony is achieved. Practicing the
Matsyendrasana position in combination with the above 2 asanas ensures
buoyancy of the spirit and a whole arrange of new body movements.
Postural defects are the bane of human beings. Over the years you misuse
your body and limbs to such an extent that the muscles become inelastic and
you are unable to hold yourself upright. Padmasana, Vajrasana, Simhasana are
sitting and supine yoga positions that help to keep the body upright, firms
and tones the muscles and corrects a defective posture. The inverted
postures like the adho mukhasvasana help to combat the stress of everyday
life. It rejuvenates and helps us to be balanced in all our actions, be it
mental or emotional. While strengthening and toning the spine is fine, the
pelvic and lumbar regions also need attention.
| Abdominal and lumbar asanas like the marichyasana focus on these areas and the abdominal organs; the pelvic and lumbar areas are massaged and toned, keeping them in a good functional state. All the important parts of the body apparently seem to have been taken care of, but the arms and wrists. The Balancing Asanas do just that. The Sirsasana and the sarvangasana help to strengthen the forelimbs and also have a salutary effect on the abdominal organs. |
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That appears tiring—imagine going through all those yoga positions at one go. Never do that. Listen to your body and when it cries halt, just stop. Practice different sets of asanas each day for variety, or initially to start off with do it every alternate day for 15-20 minutes. Increased blood flow, removal of toxins, an invigorated spirit, a toned body, flexible joints and tendons, effective digestion, a sense of well being and a remarkable zest for life are just some of the benefits that accrue. A little time spent in exertion augurs good health and an increase in energy levels beyond compare.~ Editor K Bajaj.
Guide Picks. copyright data 2004 Indianchild.com
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