Kapotasana

Kapotasana

Kapota (n.) = Pigeon
Asana (n.) = Posture




Well, after a long time I am posting another entry. All these days I have been busy perfecting the new Asanas I have been learning. I hope to publish them soon.

Ardha Chandrasana

Ardha (adj.) = Half
Chandra (n.) = Moon
Asana (n.) = Pose



Ardha Chandrasana

 

I am still a novice in this Asana, though the picture was shot in Mar, 2008. Hence I would group it with the "incorrect Asana" tag.

Critique
1) the neck is still not flexible enough to have the chin aligned with the hand. ( I am able to do the Parshva Konasana with the chin is alinged with the arm now)

2) The knee is still not facing forward, it's facing downward.

3) the raised leg is still not in one straight line with the trunk of the body.

Sarvangasana

Sarvangasana

Sarva (n.) = All
Anga (n.) = Limb
Asana (n.) = Posture

Together these words will mean the posture which exercises all limbs

 

Self Critique:

Well, thanks to my back pain which is almost gone now, I have not been doing this Asana or any other forward bending Asana for a long time. As I reported sometime earlier, I recently started doing Sarvangasana regularly. But years of non-practice has led to reduce the quality that I seek in everything. First defect in this posture that I see, that the body is not as perpendicular to the ground as I would like it to be. Second, the weight of the body is still borne by wrists and hands here - the force applied by the hands and the waists can be clearly seen. Ideally, the palms should merely rest on the back, they should not exert pressure of the waist to hold the torso straight.

Breathing: Breathe in as you raise the legs to the position, breathe normal as you hold the position, and breathe out as you lower the limbs to the ground.

How to execute the posture:

1) Lie in Savasana
2) perform Ardha halasana
3) Raise your back from the ground with the help of the hands and legs moving from Ardha halasana without resting and in one sweeping motion

Approaching Baddha Padmasana

Approaching Baddha Padmasana

Baddha(adj.) = Bound
Padma (n.) = Lotus
Asana (n.) = Posture

Baddha Padmasana is one of those Asanas that work on the shoulders,chest, back, stomach, genitals, arms, figures, legs, knees. Now, for a beginner this Asana is tough. The puzzles to solve here is how to get those arms sneak around the back and catch hold of the big toes?

I heard such solutions as "your arms/legs are proportionally longer than those of mine". Not quite sir, it's a three piece puzzle.

i) Straighten the back - this is the last piece actually
ii) Increase the reach of your arms - by exercising your back muscles and the ball and socket of your shoulders
iii) Learn to do a tight Padmasana - by moving the foot touch your waist region

In here we are dealing with the second problem.

 

See? Hold the fingers of your right hand by your left hand and continuously exert a pulling pressure on it. Count twenty breaths. Release your arms lock. Now do the same stuff changing your arms - exert a pulling pressure on the fingers of left hand by your right.

 

Ardha Halasana

Ardha Halasana

Ardha (n.) = Half
Hala (n.) = Plough
Asana (n.) = Posture

Balarama brother of Krishna in Mahabharata (Devaki and Vasudeva's son but who was born in Rohini's womb by somethe miraculous method which sounds like embryo transplantation procedure of today's medical science) was called Haladhara - who holds or carries a plough. Balarama's weapon was a plough.

 

I talked about this simple, yet so beneficial Asana for treating back pain last year. I practiced this Asana and got wonderful results. Of course, if you have acute back pain, so much so that lifting legs like this is painful. In which case desist doing this Asana. I went through this acute pain too :). With time, and as a result of doing other back pain Asanas as pain is reduced, you can start doing this one.

Kanochee Muktahasta Seershasana

Kanochee Muktahasta Seershasana

Kanochee (n.) = Elbow
Seersha (n.) = Head, crown, pinnacle
Asana (.) = Posture

This is the fourth variation of Muktahasta Seershasana of which I spoke sometime Ago. Here, the balance is on the elbows.

 

I find this Asana quite tough. Balancing on the elbows!!! I would be considering myself successful if I were able to balance on the elbow points, with no part of the forearm supporting me.

Bharadwajasana

Bharadwajasana

Alternate spelling: Bharadvajasana

This Asana has been named after Sage Bharadwaja

Who was sage Bharadwaja?
Sage Bharadwaja belongs to the Brahmin clan which was known for its physical activities and practice of the martial arts. He was the father of sage Dronacharya, the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas in Mahabharata.

The birth of Drona is quite interesting which has been recounted in the Mahabharata quite elaborately. Since in this case Drona was not born out of a woman, but a clay pot.

Sage Bharadwaja's other son was sage Garga - who was also a vedic scholar as his father. Garga was also a renowned astrologer who gave Krishna his name.

 

I found this Asana very useful in progressing to Ardha-Matsyedrasana

Breathing: Breath in when twisting the torso to the back. I am still, as usual, still to go a long way grappling this Asana. The twist here should be even more pronounced.

Vatayanasana

Vatayanasana

Vata (n.) = Wind, air, breeze
Ayana (n.) = Direction, Phase
Vatayana (n.) = Window
Asana (n.) = Posture

Now, why this particular Asana is named in this way, I am not sure. Does it have something to do with wind such as Pavanmuktasana has? Not sure again.

 

Breathing: Inhale as you raise your arm (picture above), exhale as you touch your toes (picture below)

 

Well, I have given it a practice label, since, I am only tentatively doing forward bends these days. Didn't do it for more than two years - courtesy my back pain. As the back pain recedes, reclaims my forward bend its lost territory. yet, I have miles to go in here too. Not only the finger tip will touch the ground, but the full plain of the palm (karatal)