Agnisara Benefits: This asana is extremely helpful to the digestive system and excretory system. In addition this also has all the benefits of the Tadagi mudra.
Agnisara Description and Technique:
1. The beneficial effects of Tadagi mudra can be greatly improved if it is followed by Agnisara.
2. In this asana abdominal wall is moved back and forth while the body is in Tadagi mudra. This asana improves the agni or fire of the digestive system.
3. For maximum benefit Tadagi mudraor Uttan mandukasana and first stage of Gomukhasanashould be done in a sequence.
4. Agnisara can be practiced as a separate exercise after doing Pranayama and Kapalabhati.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Badrasana
Bhadrasana - Yoga Posture and Pose
Bhadrasana Benefits: This asana is very good for respiratory system, digestive system, skeletal system especially the vertebral column, nervous system because it involves stretching of the spine. It also benefits and the muscle tissues of the large muscle groups of legs.
Bhadrasana Description and Technique:
1. The word Bhadra means auspicious. It is good to begin yoga with this asana. It is a sitting posture and for the people who are not used to sitting on the ground it may be difficult to achieve as it requires considerable stretching.
2. Sitting on the seat the feet are placed in front with heels near the body and the toes pointing forward. The soles of the feet should touch each other from toes to heels.
3. Then the toes are held with the hands and brought as close to the body as possible so that the heels touch the perineum, which is the soft portion between the anus and the genital organs.
4. Care is taken to keep the knees touching the ground. Initially it may be very difficult owing to the stretching of muscles felt in the legs. One can relax a bit keeping one knee touching the ground. But complete posture should be achieved in some time.
5. The back and head should be kept straight with the eyes closed. But some texts say that the chin should be set below the throat and one should fix the gaze at the tip of the nose.
6. This asana has to be held tightly and exhaled totally and this position is to be held without letting the air enter the system again. The anus should be contracted. The thorax and abdomen should be sucked in tightly. This forms a part of pranayama called bahya-kumbhaka with three bandhas. The process is repeated for a few times but the body should not be over exerted. Generally all yogic exercises have to be repeated in sets of multiples of seven or nine, starting with three or five sets and increasing gradually.
Bhadrasana Benefits: This asana is very good for respiratory system, digestive system, skeletal system especially the vertebral column, nervous system because it involves stretching of the spine. It also benefits and the muscle tissues of the large muscle groups of legs.
Bhadrasana Description and Technique:
1. The word Bhadra means auspicious. It is good to begin yoga with this asana. It is a sitting posture and for the people who are not used to sitting on the ground it may be difficult to achieve as it requires considerable stretching.
2. Sitting on the seat the feet are placed in front with heels near the body and the toes pointing forward. The soles of the feet should touch each other from toes to heels.
3. Then the toes are held with the hands and brought as close to the body as possible so that the heels touch the perineum, which is the soft portion between the anus and the genital organs.
4. Care is taken to keep the knees touching the ground. Initially it may be very difficult owing to the stretching of muscles felt in the legs. One can relax a bit keeping one knee touching the ground. But complete posture should be achieved in some time.
5. The back and head should be kept straight with the eyes closed. But some texts say that the chin should be set below the throat and one should fix the gaze at the tip of the nose.
6. This asana has to be held tightly and exhaled totally and this position is to be held without letting the air enter the system again. The anus should be contracted. The thorax and abdomen should be sucked in tightly. This forms a part of pranayama called bahya-kumbhaka with three bandhas. The process is repeated for a few times but the body should not be over exerted. Generally all yogic exercises have to be repeated in sets of multiples of seven or nine, starting with three or five sets and increasing gradually.
BASTRIKA
Sit in a comfortable Asana. Breathe in through both the nostrils forcefully, till the lungs are full and diaphragm is stretched. Then breathe out forcefully also, but see that the abdominal cavity does not blow up due to the air breathed in. Depending upon the capacity and health of an individual, this Pranayama can be done in three variable speeds viz. slow speed, moderate speed and at high speed. Individuals with weak lungs and heart should do this at a slow speed while performing Recak and Puraka A healthy individual and one used to doing it, should do it initially at a slow speed and then gradually increase the speed to moderate and then high. This Pranayama should be done for 5 to 10 minutes.
Shiva Sankalpa (Vow) at the time of performing Bhastrika:
While inhaling in the process of doing Bhastrika make a vow and focus in your mind as if all the divine powers, purity, peace and joy, all that is good in the universe around you is entering inside your body and that you are getting filled with the divine powers. Pranayama done with this kind of vow in mind imparts a special benefit to the individual.
Special Notes:
Those suffering from high blood pressure or from any heart disease should not do this Pranayama.
While breathing in the abdominal area should not blow up. You have to fill the air in the chest area, i.e. up to diaphragm, so that the part of the chest with its ribs swells.
In summer season, reduce the number of repititions of this Pranayama.
Incase both the nostrils do not open on account of ailments like severe cough or sinus etc., for such persons they should first close the right nostril and do respiration (exhalation as well as inhalation) through the left nostril. Then the left nostril should be closed and respiration should be done by the right nostril. This method of alternate breathing should be continued at the desired speed viz. slow, moderate or fast, till both the nostrils open simultaneously. Then at the end Pranayama should be completed by doing Recak and Pruaka through both Ida and Pingala.
One must do this Pranayama for the duration of three to five minutes every day.
While doing this Pranayama keep both the eyes closed and mentally chant the mantra “OM” throughout the exercise of Pranayama.
Benefits:
Diseases like cold, cough, allergy, asthma, respiratory diseases of all kinds, are cured. Lungs become strong and due to the heart and head getting adequate quantity of pure and fresh air, health is improved.
Diseases of the throat like thyroid, tonsils and other ailments of throat are cured.
This Pranayama brings about a proper balance of the three Doshas i.e. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and maintains their balance. Blood is purified and the body gets rid of foreign objects and toxins.
Stabilizes Prana and calms mind, and helps the upward journey
Stabilizes Prana and calms mind and helps the upward journey of Prana from Muladhara Chakra (Base Chakra) to Sahsrar Chakra(Cerebral Gland) and helpful in the Kundalini Jagran.
Shiva Sankalpa (Vow) at the time of performing Bhastrika:
While inhaling in the process of doing Bhastrika make a vow and focus in your mind as if all the divine powers, purity, peace and joy, all that is good in the universe around you is entering inside your body and that you are getting filled with the divine powers. Pranayama done with this kind of vow in mind imparts a special benefit to the individual.
Special Notes:
Those suffering from high blood pressure or from any heart disease should not do this Pranayama.
While breathing in the abdominal area should not blow up. You have to fill the air in the chest area, i.e. up to diaphragm, so that the part of the chest with its ribs swells.
In summer season, reduce the number of repititions of this Pranayama.
Incase both the nostrils do not open on account of ailments like severe cough or sinus etc., for such persons they should first close the right nostril and do respiration (exhalation as well as inhalation) through the left nostril. Then the left nostril should be closed and respiration should be done by the right nostril. This method of alternate breathing should be continued at the desired speed viz. slow, moderate or fast, till both the nostrils open simultaneously. Then at the end Pranayama should be completed by doing Recak and Pruaka through both Ida and Pingala.
One must do this Pranayama for the duration of three to five minutes every day.
While doing this Pranayama keep both the eyes closed and mentally chant the mantra “OM” throughout the exercise of Pranayama.
Benefits:
Diseases like cold, cough, allergy, asthma, respiratory diseases of all kinds, are cured. Lungs become strong and due to the heart and head getting adequate quantity of pure and fresh air, health is improved.
Diseases of the throat like thyroid, tonsils and other ailments of throat are cured.
This Pranayama brings about a proper balance of the three Doshas i.e. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and maintains their balance. Blood is purified and the body gets rid of foreign objects and toxins.
Stabilizes Prana and calms mind, and helps the upward journey
Stabilizes Prana and calms mind and helps the upward journey of Prana from Muladhara Chakra (Base Chakra) to Sahsrar Chakra(Cerebral Gland) and helpful in the Kundalini Jagran.
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
If you don't do anything else, this is a simple yoga breathing exercise that can be done virtually anywhere, anyplace. You will be glad you did. It is simply dynamic!
The name alternate nostril breathing is due to the fact that we alternate between the two nostrils when we do the breathing. Yogis believe that this exercise will clean and rejuvenate your vital channels of energy, thus the name nadi sodhana (purification of nadis or channels).
Nadi Shodhana
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
With this exercise, we breathe through only one nostril at a time. The logic behind this exercise is that normal breathing does alternate from one nostril to the other at various times during the day. In a healthy person the breath will alternate between nostrils about every two hours. Because most of us are not in optimum health, this time period varies considerably between people and further reduces our vitality. According to the yogis, when the breath continues to flow in one nostril for more than two hours, as it does with most of us, it will have an adverse effect on our health. If the right nostril is involved, the result is mental and nervous disturbance. If the left nostril is involved, the result is chronic fatigue and reduced brain function. The longer the flow of breath in one nostril, the more serious the illness will be.
Benefits of Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
The exercise produces optimum function to both sides of the brain: that is optimum creativity and optimum logical verbal activity. This also creates a more balanced person, since both halves of the brain are functioning property.
The yogis consider this to be the best technique to calm the mind and the nervous system.
The Scientific Confirmation of Alternate Nostril Breathing
Medical science has recently discovered the nasal cycle, something that was known by the yogis thousands of years ago. Scientists have recently found that we don't breathe equally with both nostrils, that one nostril is much easier to breathe through than the other at any particular time and that this alternates about every three hours. The yogis claim that the natural period is every two hours, but we must remember these studies were done on people who do not have an optimum health level.
Scientists also discovered that the nasal cycle corresponds with brain function. The electrical activity of the brain was found to be greater on the side opposite the less congested nostril. The right side of the brain controls creative activity, while the left side controls logical verbal activity. The research showed that when the left nostril was less obstructed, the right side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects were indeed found to do better on creative tests. Similarly when the right nostril was less obstructed the left side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects did better on verbal skills.
Medical science has not quite caught up with the ancient yogis yet. The yogis went one step further. They observed that a lot of disease was due to the nasal cycle being disturbed; that is, if a person breathed for too long through one nostril. To prevent and correct this condition, they developed the alternate nostril breathing technique. This clears any blockage to air flow in the nostrils and reestablishes the natural nasal cycle. For example, the yogis have known for a long time that prolonged breathing through the left nostril only (over a period of years) will produce asthma. They also know that this so-called incurable disease can be easily eliminated by teaching the patient to breathe through the right nostril until the asthma is cured, and then to prevent it recurring by doing the alternate nostril breathing technique. The yogis also believe that diabetes is caused to a large extent by breathing mainly through the right nostril.
Technique
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Nadi Sodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
1.Close the right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Do this to the count of four seconds.
2.Immediately close the left nostril with your right ring finger and little finger, and at the same time remove your thumb from the right nostril, and exhale through this nostril. Do this to the count of eight seconds. This completes a half round.
3.Inhale through the right nostril to the count of four seconds. Close the right nostril with your right thumb and exhale through the left nostril to the count of eight seconds. This completes one full round.
Start by doing three rounds, adding one per week until you are doing seven rounds.
Alternate nostril breathing should not be practiced if you have a cold or if your nasal passages are blocked in any way. Forced breathing through the nose may lead to complications. In pranayama it is important to follow this rule: under no circumstances should anything be forced. If you use the nostrils for breath control they must be unobstructed. If they are not, you must practice throat breathing.
The name alternate nostril breathing is due to the fact that we alternate between the two nostrils when we do the breathing. Yogis believe that this exercise will clean and rejuvenate your vital channels of energy, thus the name nadi sodhana (purification of nadis or channels).
Nadi Shodhana
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
With this exercise, we breathe through only one nostril at a time. The logic behind this exercise is that normal breathing does alternate from one nostril to the other at various times during the day. In a healthy person the breath will alternate between nostrils about every two hours. Because most of us are not in optimum health, this time period varies considerably between people and further reduces our vitality. According to the yogis, when the breath continues to flow in one nostril for more than two hours, as it does with most of us, it will have an adverse effect on our health. If the right nostril is involved, the result is mental and nervous disturbance. If the left nostril is involved, the result is chronic fatigue and reduced brain function. The longer the flow of breath in one nostril, the more serious the illness will be.
Benefits of Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
The exercise produces optimum function to both sides of the brain: that is optimum creativity and optimum logical verbal activity. This also creates a more balanced person, since both halves of the brain are functioning property.
The yogis consider this to be the best technique to calm the mind and the nervous system.
The Scientific Confirmation of Alternate Nostril Breathing
Medical science has recently discovered the nasal cycle, something that was known by the yogis thousands of years ago. Scientists have recently found that we don't breathe equally with both nostrils, that one nostril is much easier to breathe through than the other at any particular time and that this alternates about every three hours. The yogis claim that the natural period is every two hours, but we must remember these studies were done on people who do not have an optimum health level.
Scientists also discovered that the nasal cycle corresponds with brain function. The electrical activity of the brain was found to be greater on the side opposite the less congested nostril. The right side of the brain controls creative activity, while the left side controls logical verbal activity. The research showed that when the left nostril was less obstructed, the right side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects were indeed found to do better on creative tests. Similarly when the right nostril was less obstructed the left side of the brain was predominant. Test subjects did better on verbal skills.
Medical science has not quite caught up with the ancient yogis yet. The yogis went one step further. They observed that a lot of disease was due to the nasal cycle being disturbed; that is, if a person breathed for too long through one nostril. To prevent and correct this condition, they developed the alternate nostril breathing technique. This clears any blockage to air flow in the nostrils and reestablishes the natural nasal cycle. For example, the yogis have known for a long time that prolonged breathing through the left nostril only (over a period of years) will produce asthma. They also know that this so-called incurable disease can be easily eliminated by teaching the patient to breathe through the right nostril until the asthma is cured, and then to prevent it recurring by doing the alternate nostril breathing technique. The yogis also believe that diabetes is caused to a large extent by breathing mainly through the right nostril.
Technique
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Nadi Sodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
1.Close the right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Do this to the count of four seconds.
2.Immediately close the left nostril with your right ring finger and little finger, and at the same time remove your thumb from the right nostril, and exhale through this nostril. Do this to the count of eight seconds. This completes a half round.
3.Inhale through the right nostril to the count of four seconds. Close the right nostril with your right thumb and exhale through the left nostril to the count of eight seconds. This completes one full round.
Start by doing three rounds, adding one per week until you are doing seven rounds.
Alternate nostril breathing should not be practiced if you have a cold or if your nasal passages are blocked in any way. Forced breathing through the nose may lead to complications. In pranayama it is important to follow this rule: under no circumstances should anything be forced. If you use the nostrils for breath control they must be unobstructed. If they are not, you must practice throat breathing.
Kapalbathi prnayama
Pranayama is the regulation of breathing cycle in accordance with one's Capacity. In another world 'Prana' means vital energy and ayama means 'to expand' So that actual meaning of the word is 'Expansion of the range of the vital energy'.
Bhastrika, Kapalbhati, Bahya, anulom-vilom. Bhramari, udgeeth and ujjayi these are seven pranayama reintroduce and popularize by PP Swami Ramdev ji Maharaj. Kapalbhati is one of the most important pranayama among all.
In Sanskrit the Kapal means 'skull', 'forehead' and bhati means 'luminous' and also 'perception' or 'Knowledge', Kapalbhati is the practice which bring a state of 'luminary', or 'Clarity' in mind as well as in body.
How to Practice:- It Should be practiced empty stomach or 2-3 hours after meal. one should sit in padmasana, sukhasana or siddhasna and those who are unable to sit they can perform it on chair, keeping the spine straight and body firm.
dominant inhalation through nostrils which results contraction of abdominal muscles and proper aeration to blood circulation.
So in Kapalbhati more attention is to be given on act of forceful exhalation while the inhalation is passive, Silent and short, during abdominal contraction force is applied to the Manipura, Swadhisthan and muladhar chakra.
Healthy person can practice it 10-15 minutes regularly. Patients with obesity, Vitiligo, leukaemias, breast carcinoma, Fallopian tube blockage, hepatitis etc. should practice it 20 minutes to half hour twice daily.
Benefits of Kapalphati
1.Mental well being :- In Kapalbhati while exhaling you are throwing all –ve thoughts out and while breathing in all the +ve thoughts get way to enter in mind, this makes mental wellbeing.
2. Improves Vitality of Abdominal organs:-
1. Kapalbhati stimulates pancreas to release insulin thereby helps to control diabetes mellitus.
2. By improving liver and spleenic functions it presents and cures hepatitis (A.B.C), Cirrhosis of liver and Anaemias.
3. If done regularly it relieves constipation, acidity and anorexia etc.
4. Regularize endocrine and exocrine systems
- Being helpful in regulation of all glandular secretions it is highly effective in azoospermia, oligospermia and fallopian tube blockage etc.
- It also helps in eradicating cysts and tumours.
3. Helps in relieving Backache -The most common cause of backpain includes improper posture, weak muscles, emotional stress and psychological disturbances. Not only weak back muscles but weak abdominal muscles are the major cause of backache, especially it is compounded by protruding belly. A Distended abdomen pulls the buck forward, distorting spinal alignment and stretching the back-muscle resulting in spasm. Muscular spasms are also caused and aggregated by emotional stress
Now how 'Kapalbhati' helps in relieving backache is explained as:
1. Strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen.
2. Maintain and increase the flexibility of the muscle ligaments and tendons.
3. It improves posture.
4. Increase bone density and strength.
4. Helps in blood purification - Kaplabhati helps in blood purification which provides glorious and lustrous skin. It also helps in curing skin disorder like psoriasis, eczema. Vitiligo, leucoderma etc. Thus, Kapalbhati prevents disorder and treats a wide range of physical as well as mental disorder but it should be practiced with rest all six types of pranayama.
Bhastrika, Kapalbhati, Bahya, anulom-vilom. Bhramari, udgeeth and ujjayi these are seven pranayama reintroduce and popularize by PP Swami Ramdev ji Maharaj. Kapalbhati is one of the most important pranayama among all.
In Sanskrit the Kapal means 'skull', 'forehead' and bhati means 'luminous' and also 'perception' or 'Knowledge', Kapalbhati is the practice which bring a state of 'luminary', or 'Clarity' in mind as well as in body.
How to Practice:- It Should be practiced empty stomach or 2-3 hours after meal. one should sit in padmasana, sukhasana or siddhasna and those who are unable to sit they can perform it on chair, keeping the spine straight and body firm.
dominant inhalation through nostrils which results contraction of abdominal muscles and proper aeration to blood circulation.
So in Kapalbhati more attention is to be given on act of forceful exhalation while the inhalation is passive, Silent and short, during abdominal contraction force is applied to the Manipura, Swadhisthan and muladhar chakra.
Healthy person can practice it 10-15 minutes regularly. Patients with obesity, Vitiligo, leukaemias, breast carcinoma, Fallopian tube blockage, hepatitis etc. should practice it 20 minutes to half hour twice daily.
Benefits of Kapalphati
1.Mental well being :- In Kapalbhati while exhaling you are throwing all –ve thoughts out and while breathing in all the +ve thoughts get way to enter in mind, this makes mental wellbeing.
2. Improves Vitality of Abdominal organs:-
1. Kapalbhati stimulates pancreas to release insulin thereby helps to control diabetes mellitus.
2. By improving liver and spleenic functions it presents and cures hepatitis (A.B.C), Cirrhosis of liver and Anaemias.
3. If done regularly it relieves constipation, acidity and anorexia etc.
4. Regularize endocrine and exocrine systems
- Being helpful in regulation of all glandular secretions it is highly effective in azoospermia, oligospermia and fallopian tube blockage etc.
- It also helps in eradicating cysts and tumours.
3. Helps in relieving Backache -The most common cause of backpain includes improper posture, weak muscles, emotional stress and psychological disturbances. Not only weak back muscles but weak abdominal muscles are the major cause of backache, especially it is compounded by protruding belly. A Distended abdomen pulls the buck forward, distorting spinal alignment and stretching the back-muscle resulting in spasm. Muscular spasms are also caused and aggregated by emotional stress
Now how 'Kapalbhati' helps in relieving backache is explained as:
1. Strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen.
2. Maintain and increase the flexibility of the muscle ligaments and tendons.
3. It improves posture.
4. Increase bone density and strength.
4. Helps in blood purification - Kaplabhati helps in blood purification which provides glorious and lustrous skin. It also helps in curing skin disorder like psoriasis, eczema. Vitiligo, leucoderma etc. Thus, Kapalbhati prevents disorder and treats a wide range of physical as well as mental disorder but it should be practiced with rest all six types of pranayama.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)