In Yoga for Human Excellence

DIRECTORATE OF DISTANCE & CONTINUING EDUCATION B.Sc. (3rd Year) in Yoga for Human Excellence Manual of Yoga Practices – 3 Prepared by Dr.S.Arumugam, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Department of Physical Education and Sports Manonmaniam Sundaranar University Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli – 627012 2020-2021 B.Sc. YOGA FOR HUMAN EXCELLENCE Yoga Practices – III (Syllabus) UNIT I: SPECIAL YOGASANAS Makkarasana, Uthana Padasana, Utkadasana, Mandukasana, Subdha Vajrasana, Parvadhasana, Ustrasana, Mahamudhra, Yoga Mudhra, Artha Bhavana Muktasana, Komukasana. UNIT II: SPECIAL EXERCISE Thyroid – Asthma – Hip pain – Back pain – Healing Exercises – Tortoise Asana. UNIT III: MUDRA Gnana mudra (Chin mudra) - Vaayu Mudra – Soonya Mudra – Prithvi Mudra – Surya Mudra – Varuna Mudra – Prana Mudra – Abana Mudra – Abana Vaayu Mudra – Linga Mudra – Adi Mudra – Kesari Mudra – Aswini Mudra. UNIT IV: BANDHA Moola Bandha - Uttiyana Bandha – Jalandhara Bandha. UNIT V: CORE LIFE SKILLS Social Skills: - Self-awareness skills – Communication skills – Interpersonal skills – Empathy skills. Mental Skills: - Critical Thinking skill – Creative thinking skill – Problem Solving skill – Decision making skill – Coping with emotions – Coping with Stress, Art of Speech. References: 1. Yoga Practices 3 – VISION 2. Yogasanas – VISION 3. Arumugam, S., Chandren., S., & Kumar, V. (2020) Theories of Yoga, Shanlax Publications, ISBN:978-93-89658-78-1 Yoga is a practice of the mind, body and the spirit which starts on an endless journey to authentic self. Yoga is for all ages and gives you a range of benefits - lose or gain weight, have healthy hair, glowing skin, improved immunity, increased strength, flexibility, mindfulness, and so much more. Yoga has various other aspects to it like chanting, pranayama, meditation, mudras, asanas, etc. When you become a practitioner of yoga, although one’s journey may start with the physical aspect through asanas, make sure that you are engaging your mind too. This will provide with more holistic benefits. Here are a few practices consisting of asanas, pranayama, meditation and tools of spirituality. This manual has to support to learn the simple techniques of yoga asana and other things that can be done by everyone. YOGA ASANA PRACTICE MAKKARASANA Procedure First, lie down on your stomach and stretch your hands forward. Before going to next steps, breathe normally for few seconds to let your body relax. Now while inhaling raise your upper body up as shown in above image. Place your chin in your palms and keep breathing deeply. Hold this position for few minutes. Now while exhaling release your pose. Remove your palms and bring down your shoulders and chin on the ground. Repeat this for few more times. Benefits It is an excellent yoga exercise for relieving back pain. Effective to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Improves blood circulation. Much effective to prevent constipation and indigestion. Beneficial in the treatment of high blood pressure and heart disease. Stretches your spine and brings flexibility. UTHANA PADASANA Procedure Inhaling make an arch of the neck with the help of the fore arms or palms. Exhale. Inhaling raise the legs together towards an angle of 450 Join the palms together above the thighs maintain the pose for 5 breaths Fix the gazing on the nose tip Exhaling bring down the legs Inhaling relax into Supine position Benefits It enhances the lung capacity and breathing efficiency Tones the cardio respiratory systems The stimulation of the throat centre improves the function of thyroid glands for the healthy body metabolism. Improves the functional capacity of the digestive organs The stretch on the intestines relieves the problems of constipation due to the stimulation of peristaltic activity. The musculoskeletal health is restored with this pose particularly the whole spine and the neck region are toned along with the spinal nerves. Prevents the possibility of the drooping or frozen shoulders One of the best practices for the good postural health as it overcomes the imbalances in body postures through the mechanism of tractions. Helps to maintain the health of the reproductive system both for male and female It is one of the excellent preparations for the practice of fish pose. UTKADASANA Procedure Stand straight with an erect spine and your arms at your side. Keep some distance between your feet. Stretch your hands forward to keep them parallel to the ground. Hands should be straight and palms should be facing downward. Now bend your knees and bring your pelvis down like sitting on a chair. Try to brings your thighs parallel to the ground. Hold this position for one minute and keep breathing normally. Bring a smile on your face. Now release your pose to come to the starting position Repeat it for 3-4 times. Benefits Stretches your thighs, hips, hands and spine. Strengthens abdomen area. Strengthens thighs, knees, ankle, leg, hands, and torso. Improves balance of the body. Boosts immune system. Stimulates heart and diaphragm. MANDUKASANA Procedure . Sit in Vajrasana. Now, make fists where thumbs should be inside. Put the fists at the naval region. Inhale deeply. Exhale bend forward and put maximum pressure on the naval area. While bending forward, your chest should touch your thigh and see ahead with open eyes just like a frog. Maintain the pose as long as you can do. Inhale-exhale slowing while maintaining the pose. Come to Vajrasana with a deep inhale. Perform it 3 to 5 times. Benefits It massages the entire abdominal organs. Thus, good for the smooth functioning of these organs. It controls weight. Thus effective for those who are longing for weight loss and making the stomach flat. It is beneficial in case of constipation and indigestion. It is helpful to release unwanted gases from the stomach thus making you feel relaxed and calm. It helps to control diabetes by stimulating the pancreas. Dislocated naval can be corrected by performing this asana. It should be practiced by those who have asthmatic conditions. It strengthens the back if practice technically right. It is good for the chest and shoulders. Regular practicing the asana is helpful to minimize the impact of menstrual cramps. It can be practiced to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. In traditional texts, it has also been said that the asana helps to awaken Kundalini. SUBDHA VAJRASANA Procedure Sit in vajrasana. Placing the palms on the floor beside the buttocks, fingers pointing to the front Slowly bend back, placing the right forearm and the elbow on the ground and then the left. Bring the crown of the head to the ground while arching the back. Place the hands on the thighs. Try to keep the lower legs in contact with the floor. If necessary, separate the knees. Make sure that you are not overstraining the muscles and ligaments of the legs. Close the eyes and relax the body. Breathe deeply and slowly in the final position. Release in the reverse order, breathing in and taking the support of the elbows and the arms raise the head above the ground. Then shift the body weight on the left arm and elbow by sliding the body, then slowly coming to the starting position. Never leave the final position by straightening the legs first; It may dislocate the knee joints. Benefits It massages the abdominal organs alleviating digestive ailments and constipation. It tones the spinal nerves, makes the back flexible and realigns rounded shoulders. The nerves in the neck, the thyroid and parathyroid glands are particularly stimulated. The ribcage is stretched and expanded fully, which helps to fill the lungs to its maximum capacity and bringing more oxygen into the system. It enhances courage and confidence level in the personality. It is beneficial for those suffering from asthma, bronchitis and other lung ailments. It loosens up the legs and strengthens them in preparation for sitting in meditation asanas. It enhances creativity and intelligence as it increases the circulation in the brain. This asana stretches the back muscles and separates the individual vertebrae from each other, releasing pressure on the discs. Often nerve connections emanating from the spinal cord are squeezed by these discs, giving rise to various forms of backache. This posture helps to relieve this problem and encourages the discs to resume their correct position. It regulates the functioning of the adrenal glands. It tones the pelvic muscles and the sciatic nerves and is beneficial for women who have an underdeveloped pelvis. It helps to alleviate disorders of both the male and female reproductive organs. Regular practice relieves constipation. It helps to eliminate anger, aggression and relax the mind, similar to Shashankasana (Rabbit Pose) PARVADHASANA Procedure First, sit on the floor in Dandasana Position (staff pose) with legs stretched in front of you and hands kept freely beside the body. Now, sit in the action of Padmasan means that your right leg is on the left thigh and the left leg is on the right thigh. (cross-legged pose) After this, inhaling slow and deep about 3 seconds and join the palms in namaskar mudra and stretch the hands upward over the head. Now pull the body and hands well upwards with keeping your hips on the floor and feel the deep stretch in the body. Maintain the final pose for 30-40 seconds. With the breathing normally and then release the pose and slowly return to the starting pose. Benefits The health benefits of Parvatasana are improving body balance and posture. The practice of Seated Mountain Pose works to the spine and straightens the muscles of the back and enhances the functioning of the internal organs. When you practice this regularly, then your body becomes strong and the looseness of the body also removes. Parvatsana also removes tension in the shoulders and back. This asana benefits both men and women alike, and full benefit can be obtained in the disease of premature ejaculation.

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