Yoga and its Relevance in the Modern Times

Y ogasana We all know that asanas are beneficial for our physical and mental development. Some of the asanas are explained here: Tadasana Tadasana is named after the Tada (Palm tree) as in the final posture, the body remains erect in standing position like a palm tree. •• Stand with your feet inches apart. •• Inhale and raise your arms up to shoulder level, interlock your fingers and turn the wrist outwards.

•• Raise the heels off the floor. •• Try to balance on the toes. •• While exhaling, slowly bring arms down along with the heels. •• Remove the interlock.

•• Relax for a while in the standing position. •• Breath becomes slow and deep. •• Raise the legs slowly without any jerk. •• Avoid this practice in case of knee pain and ankle injuries.

•• This āsana stretches the muscles and nerves, thereby improves functioning of various systems of the body. •• The muscles become strong. It gives strength to the toes. •• It is helpful in increasing the height of young growing children.

It is helpful for the patients of sciatica. Vrikshasana Vriksha means tree. The final position of this asana is a stand- still position which resembles the shape of a tree, hence the name. •• Stand with feet inches apart.

Focus on a point in front. •• Exhale, bend the right leg and place the foot inside the left thigh. The heel should be touched to the perineum. •• Inhale and extend the arms up and join the palms in namaskara mudra .

•• Stay in the position for to seconds and breathe normally. Fig. . : Vrikshasana Activity .

Teacher can conduct a competition between students in classroom and measure the holding time of yogasana . Fig. . : Tadasana •• Exhale and bring the arms and the right foot down.

Relax and repeat the asana by bending the left leg. •• Normal breathing should be continued in the final posture. •• Avoid this practice in case of knee pain and ankle injuries. •• It increases the flexibility of joints of knees and ankles and strengthens them.

•• It tones up the leg muscles and rejuvenates the ligaments also. •• It helps to cure rheumatic pain and the problem of numbness. •• it improves concentration. Padahastasana Pāda means feet, and hasta means hands.

Therefore, Pādahastāsana means taking the palms down towards the feet. •• Stand straight with feet inches apart. •• Inhale slowly and raise the arms up. •• Stretch up the body from the waist.

•• Exhale and bend forward until the trunk is parallel to the ground. •• Exhale, and bend forward until the entire palm rests on the ground near to feet. •• Maintain this final posture for – seconds. •• Now inhale, come up slowly to the vertical position and stretch the arms above the head.

•• Exhale and slowly return to the starting position in reverse order. •• Relax in the standing posture. •• Bend from the lower back while performing Padahastasana . •• Bending should be according to their capacity.

•• In the final stage, avoid hunch in the back. •• Avoid performing this asana in case of severe back pain. •• It makes the spine flexible, improves digestion, and prevents constipation and menstrual problems. Fig.

. : Padahastasana •• It helps to improve blood circulation in the head and heart region. •• It helps to stimulate the glands, i.e., thyroid, endocrine and pituitary gland. Ardha Chakrasana In Sanskrit language, Ardha means half and Chakra means wheel.

In this posture, the shape of the body takes the shape of half wheel, therefore it is called Ardha-chakrasana . •• Stand erect on the ground with feet together. •• Keep your hands by the side. Keep your elbows parallel to each other.

•• Now slowly inhale and bend backwards as much as possible. •• Try to maintain the posture with normal breathing and without losing the balance. •• Inhale and slowly come up to the original position. Relax in standing position.

•• While bending backward, eyes should be kept open. •• Maintain the final position with the normal breath. •• Avoid this practice in case of vertigo and high BP. •• Do not bend knees in the final position.

•• This asana gives relaxation to the neck and back muscles, especially of lower back. •• It improves flexibility of the spine. •• It helps to remove fat from the waist. •• It also removes stiffness from the hip joints.

•• It improves the breathing and lung capacity. Trikonasana Trikona means triangle. Tri means three and kona is an angle. As the asana resembles three arms triangle made by the trunk and the limbs, it has been named as Trikonasana .

Activity . Students prepare a record book and write their physical and mental experiences of asanas. Do You Know? Bending should always be followed by counter-bending.

Example: Performing back bending after a forward bending and vice-versa. Fig. . : Ardhachakrasana Fig.

. : Trikonasana Activity . Practice asanas daily for days. Write your holding time in final position and analyse the improvement.

•• Stand on your legs – feet apart. •• Slowly raise both the arms sideways up to shoulder level. •• Turn your right foot towards the right side. Exhale, slowly bend to the right side and place the right hand just behind the right foot.

•• The left arm is straight up, in line with the right arm. Turn your head and gaze at the tip of the left hand middle finger. •• Remain in the posture for – seconds with normal breathing. •• As you inhale, slowly come up.

Repeat it from the left side. •• Bend from the waist. •• Keep the knees straight in the final position. •• Avoid bending forward while bending sideways.

•• Avoid this practice in case of severe back pain. •• Strengthens calf, thigh and waist muscles. •• Makes the spine flexible, and improves lung capacity. •• Prevents flat foot, and reduce fat.

•• Kyphosis and Scoliosis patients can also do this practice. Parshvakonasana Parsva means side or flank and Kona means angle. In the final pose of this asana , the body forms a lateral angle, hence it is called Parsvakonasana . •• Stand erect.

•• Inhale and spread feet approximately – feet apart. Raise the arms sideways at the shoulder level. •• Turn right foot to the right side and bend the knee, form a right angle with the thigh and calf. •• Exhale and bend from the waist to the right side and bring the right arm down, place the right palm on the floor by the inner side of the right foot.

Fig. . : Parshvakonasana •• In the final posture, spine must be kept straight and the left foot flat on the floor. Hold the posture for seconds, and breathe normally.

•• Inhale and come back to the starting position. •• Repeat it from the other side. •• In the final position, the knee of the bend leg should be in line with the heel. •• Avoid forward bend in the final posture.

•• Avoid in case of severe back pain. •• It strengthens the heart muscles. •• It improves digestion. •• It helps to reduce fat from waist and hips.

•• It increases harmony between the body and mind. Padmasana In Sanskrit language, Padma means lotus. This asana is a traditional posture. In this asana , the feet look like the shape of lotus petals.

That is why, it is called as Padmasana . Fig. . : Padmasana •• Sit on the ground.

•• Fold the right leg and place the right foot above the left thigh. •• Fold the left leg and place it above the right thigh. •• Place hands on the knees in Jnanamudra . •• Keep the spine straight.

Breathe normally. Activity . Students should practise Vajrasana after dinner, daily for days and write their experiences in the record book. The teacher will check it.

•• Place the foot on the opposite thigh. •• Both the knees should ideally touch the ground in the final pose. •• Avoid leaning forward. •• Avoid this practice in case of knee pain and ankle injuries.

•• Padmāsana induces mental calmness and tranquillity. •• It tones up the nerves of coccyx and sacral region by supplying them with more blood. •• It improves the digestive process and helps to relieve constipation. •• It improves the concentration and memory.

•• It is helpful for people suffering from shortness of breath. Vajrasana Vajra means adamantine. It is believed that the body becomes like adamantine by practising it. This can be considered as a meditative posture.

While practising it for meditative purposes, students should close their eyes at the final stage. This is the only posture that can be practised just after having meal. •• Sit with legs extended together, hands by the side of the body, palm resting on the ground, and fingers pointing forward. This is dandasana .

•• Fold the right leg at the knee and place the foot under the right buttock. •• Similarly folding the left leg, place left foot under the left buttock. •• Place both the heels apart and the big toe touch and overlap each other. •• Position the buttocks in the space between the heels.

•• Keep the hands on respective knees. Keep the spine erect. •• While returning to the original position, bend a little towards right side, take out your left leg and extend it. •• Similarly extend your right leg and return to the original position.

•• Keep the knees and thighs together while sitting in Vajrasana . Fig. . : Vajrasana •• Heels should be outside.

•• Avoid excessive arching of the spine. •• Avoid this practice in case of ankle injury and knee pain. •• This āsana strengthens thigh muscles and calf muscles. •• This āsana is good for digestion.

•• It provides firm base to the spine and keeps the spine erect. •• It helps to improve concentration. Bhadrasana In Sanskrit language, Bhadra means noble. Which is the grace in the form of awakening that takes place.

•• Sit on the ground stretching both the legs together in front. •• Place your hands by the side, with palms resting on the ground. •• Fingers should remain together pointing forward. This is dandasana .

•• Fold the legs slowly at knees; and join both the soles with each other. •• Hold the ankles. •• Slowly bring the heels towards perineum. •• The knees should touch the ground.

Head, neck and back should be straight. •• Maintain the final position for – seconds. •• Come back in dandasana and relax. Fig.

. : Bhadrasana •• Spine should be kept straight. •• Knees should be touched to the ground. •• Avoid excessive arching of the spine.

•• One should avoid pushing the foot inside beyond one’s capacity. •• This asana is good for lumber region and keeps it healthy. •• It is beneficial in women’s physical problems and facilitates easy child birth. •• It helps in improving concentration.

•• It calms down the mind. Ushtrasana Ushtra means camel. The body in this posture resembles the posture of a camel, hence the name. Fig.

. : Ushtrasana •• Sit in Vajrasana . •• Kneel down on the floor. Keep your thighs and feet – inches apart, toes pointing back and resting on the floor.

•• While inhaling bend backward. Be careful not to jerk the body while bending backwards. •• With exhalation place the right palm on the right heel and left palm on the left heel. •• In final position, thighs will be vertical to the floor and the head tilted backwards.

•• Weight of the body should be evenly supported by the arms and legs. •• Inhale, slowly come back to normal position and relax in Vajrasana . •• Keep the thighs vertical to the ground. •• Avoid jerking the body while bending backward.

•• Avoid in case of hernia, vertigo, and frozen shoulder. •• Proceeding to the final stage of asana should be gradual. •• This is useful in back pain and neck pain. •• It helps to reduce fat over the abdomen and hips.

•• It helps to strengthen the back muscles and leg muscles. •• It is beneficial in respiratory disorders. Shashankasana Shashanka means rabbit. The body in this posture takes the shape of a rabbit, hence the name.

•• Sit in Vajrasana . Keep the spine erect. •• Spread both the knees wide apart with the toes remaining together. •• Place the palms between the knees.

•• Exhaling, bend forward from the waist with the arms straight. Fig. . : Shashankasana •• Chin and chest should be resting on the floor.

•• Look in front and maintain the position. •• Inhale and come back in Vajrasana . •• Keep the back straight in the final pose. •• Don’t raise hips while practising this asana.

•• It tones up the reproductive organs. •• It strengthens the abdominal and pelvic region. •• This āsana relieves sciatica nerve. •• It helps to reduce stress, anger, etc.