Yoga benefits for health and better postures

• • First sit on the floor. Then spread out your legs.

• • Fold your left leg. Keep the sole of your left leg against the inner thigh of your right leg.

• • Now bend your right leg. Keep your right foot in the space between left thigh and calf muscles.

• • Now hold your left foot by the toes. Try to pull it up. Place it between the right calf and thigh.

• • See that your knees firmly touch the floor. Relax. Your body and trunk should be erect. Place your hands on your knees on any mudra. Control your breath and breathe slowly and normally.

• • You can either focus on the tip of the nose or center of the eyebrow.

• Initially, sit for 10 -15 minutes and increase the time day by day.

Benefits

• • Good for people who cannot sit comfortably.

• • Helpful for vericose veins.

• It also gives you peace of mind.

• • Sit comfortably in a meditative posture. Sit erect.

• • Keep the palms on your knees.

• • Observe your natural breathing process. Feel your breath flowing in and out of the lungs.

• • Let the breathing be natural. Feel the abdominal movement while breathing.

• • While taking a breath in, allow the abdominal wall move out. While exhaling, let it move in.

• • Put in complete concentration on breathing.

• While inhaling, feel the power of energy flow and try to throw out stress and tension while exhaling.

Benefits

• • Gives deep relaxation to body and mind.

• • Strengthens the nervous system.

• Improves concentration and relieves from stress, depression and hypertension.

• • Stand on the floor, feet joined together, back and head erect.

• • Keep your hands on your body, with palms resting on thighs.

• • Taking a deep breath, bring your hands overhead. Join the palms to namaskarsa mudra.

• • Bend your back slightly. Fix look on finger tips.

• • Taking a breath out, taking a deep breath, stretch as much as possible.Keep the feet firm and flat.

• • Slowly lift your heels and balance yourself on toes.

• • Inhaling in deep, take a normal breathing. Hold the pose till you count 20.

• • Taking a deep breath out, relax.

• • Release the pose and come back to normal position.

• Repeat the pose 10 times. Relax for a count of 10 in between.

Benefits

• • Strengthens thighs, knees and ankles.

• • Firms up abdomen and buttocks.

• • Relieves sciatica, flat feet.

• • Relieves tension, aches and pains throughout the body.

• • Improves blood circulation.

• • Encourages healthy digestion and elimination.

• Leaves you refreshed and energetic.

• • Sit on the floor.

• • Fold your legs and the legs must touch your butt.

• • Place your hands on your lap.

• • Hold the sitting posture for two minutes.

• • When you feel a pain in your legs,stretch your legs, rest for a while and start again.

• • Sit for a minimum of two minutes.

• • You should increase the minutes overtime.

• Through practice you can sit in the pose for half an hour also.

Benefits

• • Helps in digestion.

• • It increases the blood circulation.

• • It cures urinary problems.

• • Makes the lower body flexible.

• Helps in various body ailments, like vericose veins and joint pains.

• First, sit down on the floor. Bend your legs at the knees and fold them backwards.
• Place both the palms on the ground ahead. The knees must touch each other.
• Push the neck backwards,chest outwards and waist downwards.
• Relax and breathe normally.

Caution: People with stiff joints should avoid this asana.

Benefits

• • Useful for joint pains.

• • Hypertension can be cured.

• • Improves blood circulation.

• It is very much useful for meditation and concentration.

• • After taking vajrasana you take hasta shirasana.

• • Bend forward in waist.

• • Place both the elbows on the ground with 6 to 8 inches apart ahead of the knees with palms supporting head.

• In this posture relax all muscles and breathe normally.

Benefits

• • Fights arthritis.

• Aids in affected limbs and joints.

• • Lie down on stomach by keeping legs together.

• • Put your palms beside your shoulder. The head should rest on the ground.

• • Inhale and raise your head to the naval region. Try to see the roof.

• • Wait till 10 to 60 seconds. Exhale and inhale steadily.

• • Come to normal position slowly with deep exhalation.

• Repeat the process 3 to 5 times.

Benefits

• • Relieves back ache.

• • Good for kidneys.

• • Eases stress.

• • Good help in rheumatism.

• Good for digestion.

• • Lie down on your stomach.

• • Stretch your arms above the shoulder. Palms must face downward.

• • Forehead should touch the floor and elbow , the ears.

• • Keep the neck straight.

• • Maintain comfortable distance between the legs.

• • Relax torso.Arms must be straight.

• Concentrate rhythmically by concentrating on the stomach. Return back to normal position.

Benefits

• • Good for stiffness of the back.
• Good relaxation pose. Effective for stooping back.

• • Lie down straight on your stomach.

• • Join your elbows. Place your arms under the chin.

• • Lift your chest up.

• • Keep your elbows and legs together.

• • Inhale and fold one leg at a time and both legs together.

• • Ankles should touch hips while folding.

• • Exhale with feet and head steady.

• Repeat 20 to 25 times.

Benefits

• • Beneficial in cervical, slip disc, spondylitis

• Helpful in spine related problems.

• • Lie down on the floor in shavasana posture.

• • Bend your left knee near to stomach as much as possible.

• • Exhale and push your left knee to touch the chest with both hands by interlocking fingers below the knee.

• • Raise your head, touch the nose with the knee as near as possible.

• • Stay for 10 to 30 seconds.

• • Repeat the same with the other leg.

• After one cycle is over, repeat for 3 to 5 times.

Benefits

• • Removes unwanted gas from the stomach.

• Helpful in waist pain, slip disc, heart problems and acidity.

By Pradeepa Polineni