0 PAPER – 10 YOGA PRACTICES PRACTICAL – II Unit - I : SPECIAL ASANAS: Trikona asana – Tadasana – Dhanurasana – Sukasana – Chakkarasana - Siddhasana – Utkadasana – Mandukasana – Mahamudra – Janusirasasana – Artha bhavana mukthasana – Sabthavajrasana – Savasana. Unit – II: PRANAYAMA: Nadi Suddhi, Ujjaii, Seetali, Seetkari, Kapalapathi. Unit - III : MUDRA AND BANDHA: Gnana 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. Bhandha: Jalandhara Bandha - Uttiyana Bandha – Moola Bandha, Maha Bandha UNIT - IV : HIGHER MEDITATIVE PRACTICES: Panchendriya Meditation – Pancha Bhootha Navagraha Meditation – Nine Centre Meditation – Vipasana Meditation – Divine Meditation. UNIT - V : INTENSIFYING BIO-MAGNETISM: Mirror Gazing – Passes for curing diseases. 1 YOGA The word 'Yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj', meaning 'to join' or 'to yoke' or 'to unite'. Yoga is a 5000-year-old tradition. As per Yogic scriptures the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, Man & Nature. History Several Thousand years ago, on the banks of the lake Kantisarovar in the Himalayas, Adiyogi poured his profound knowledge into the legendary Saptarishis or "seven sages”. The sages carried this powerful yogic science to different parts of the world, including Asia, the Middle East, Northern Africa and South America. Interestingly, modern scholars have noted and marvelled at the close parallels found between ancient cultures across the globe. However, it was in India that the yogic system found its fullest expression. Agastya, the Saptarishi who travelled across the Indian subcontinent, crafted this culture around a core yogic way of life. BENEFITS When performed properly, in conjunction with proper related breathing techniques, Yoga helps stimulate the circulatory system, the digestive process as well as the nervous and endocrine system. Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough manner this stimulation assist in keeping away the onset of disease or disorder. Yoga is that it can be practiced by anyone. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what shape you are in. If you desire a more limber body, Yoga is one of the quickest ways to attain it. Yoga also increases an individual’s physical coordination and promotes better posture. And it does all this without potentially hazard negative effects that are often incurred in high- impact forms of exercise. “It is not recommended to practice yoga at home without any proper training /instructor. Consult any yoga instructor before practicing.” 2 TRIKONASANA Stand in Samastithi Asana. Jump with the feet two to three feet apart and stretch the arms to the sides so that they are pulling the chest in opposite directions. Turn to the right side and slowly bring the hand down to the right foot and place the palm of the right hand on the floor in front of the right foot. Look up at the middle finger of the left hand. Let the entire torso get a good twist and stretch. Hold the position for 30 seconds. Release and come back in the same manner as you have gone into the pose. Repeat on the opposite side and then relax in Samastithi Asana with a few rounds of deep breathing. Benefits Stretches legs, muscles around the knee, ankle joints, hips, groin muscles, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest and spine Strengthens legs, knees, ankles, abdominals, obliques and back Stimulates function of abdominal organs Relieves stress Improves digestion and constipation Helps to alleviate back pain and symptoms of menopause Used therapeutically for anxiety, infertility, neck pain and sciatica 3 TADASANA (Palm Tree Posture) Tada in Sanskrit means 'palm tree'. This is called Tadasana because in this asana the student stands straight like a palm tree. Hence, it has been named Tadasana. Procedure: 1. Stand erect, feet together, hands by the side of the thighs. Keep the back straight and gaze in front. 2. Stretch the arms upward, keep them straight and parallel with each other in vertical position, with the palms facing inward. 3. Slowly raise the heels as much as you can and stand on toes. Stretch body up as much as possible. Maintain the position for 5-10 seconds. 4. To come back, bring the heels on the floor first. Slowly bring down the hands by the side of the thighs and relax. Benefits • It gives vertical stretch to whole body muscles. • It strengthens thighs, knees and ankles. • It helps improve height of the children. • This posture plays an important role in increasing one’s self-awareness. • It helps to remove laziness and lethargy. 4 DHANURASANA (Bow Posture) In Sanskrit Dhanur means 'bow'. This is called the bow posture because in this posture the body resembles a bow with its string attached to it. The trunk and the thighs represent the bow, whereas the hands and legs take the place of the string. Procedure: 1. Lie down in prone position. 2. Exhaling, slowly bend the legs backwards at the knees. 3. Hold the toes or ankles firmly with hands as per your capacity. 4. Inhaling, raise thighs, head and chest as high as possible. Stretch and bring the toes or ankles towards head. Look upward. Maintain the position comfortably for 5-10 seconds. 5. To come back, release the arms and keep them beside the body. Straighten the legs. Bring the legs, head, shoulders and chest slowly on the floor and relax in starting position. Benefits • Dhanurasana is a good exercise for joint of the shoulders, knees, ankles and entire backbone. • It is beneficial for management of diabetes mellitus as it massages the liver and pancreas. • It helps to reduce excess fat around the belly, waist and hips. • It strengthens the ligaments, muscles and nerves in the back, arms, legs, shoulders, neck and abdomen. • It stimulates and regulates thyroid and adrenal glands. • It helps in reducing backache pain. • It is good for the conditions of hunched back and drooping shoulders. 5 SUKHASANA The Sukhasana is very simple to perform for people of all ages and levels of physical wellness. The term Sukhasana is gotten from the Sanskrit word Sukham which signifies delight or bliss and asana signifies posture. Procedure: Sit on the floor with legs stretched out. Always use a yoga mat or a cushion or a carpet while sitting on the floor. Fold the left leg and tug it inside the right thigh. Then fold the right leg and tug in inside the left thigh. Keep the hands on the knees. Jnana mudra or Chin mudra can be used if you are using this posture for meditation. Sit erect with spine straight. Relax your whole body and breathe normally. Maintain this position for as long a comfortable. Benefits Gradually strengthens muscles of the back and improves body posture. Being a meditative pose it has relaxing effects on mind and body. Works as a preparatory pose for more difficult meditative poses. Builds physical and mental balance. Helpful in reducing stress and anxiety. Excellent for people having a stiff body. Creates flexibility in ankle, knee and hip joints. Improves concentration for achieving an effective meditation practice. 6 CHAKRASANA Chakrasana is a strong back-bending yoga asana. It is popular in many forms of yoga and is part of the primary series of Ashtanga yoga. As well as being a back bend, chakrasana is seen in yoga as a heart opening posture and is thought to work on the heart chakra. The name comes from the Sanskrit chakra, which means “wheel,” and asana, which means “posture” or “seat.” It is so called because the body forms the shape of a wheel when in this posture. Chakrasana may also be referred to simply as wheel pose. Chakrasana is also sometimes known by an alternative Sanskrit name, urdhva dhanurasana, which means upward-facing bow pose. Procedure: There are many reported benefits of chakrasana. It is thought that as well as releasing physical tightness in the spine and body, the heart opening effects of the posture can help release emotional disturbances. Some describe this effect as unblocking energy that has become stuck in the heart chakra. Others see the posture as having more of a balancing effect on the energy of the heart chakra. Chakrasana is mentioned very early on in ancient yogic texts. It was one of the 84 asanas of Lord Shiva’s classic yoga, referenced in the "Hatha Ratnavali" around 1600 C.E. 7 SIDDHASANA Siddhasana is called Siddhasana when practiced by a man and Siddayoniasana when practiced by a woman because of their different physical structure. It is assumed as one of the purely meditative postures. Siddhasana For Man Procedure: Step 1: Sit in dandasana with your legs stretched out straight in front. Bend your left knee and press your left heel in a way that it presses the perineum (the area between the anus and the genital organ). Step 2: Bend your right leg and place the right heel just above the left heel so that right heel presses the pubis. Step 3: Push the toes and the upper edges of both the feet in between the opposite thigh and the calf muscles (right foot between the left thigh & calf muscles and vice versa). Step 4: Both the ankles are stacked one at the top of the other. Step 5: Maintain the spine in an upright position with chest slightly elevated and shoulder blades close by. SIDDHAYONIASANA For Woman Procedure: It follows almost the same process as described above a slight deviation due to one’s structural variances. In case of a woman, the heel of the lower leg presses against the opening of the vagina and the leg of the upper heel is placed in a way that it rests against the clitoris.