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)

Supta Padangusthasana

Supta Padangusthasana
Supta (adj.) = Asleep
Pada (n.) = Leg
Angushtha (n.) = Thumb
Asana (n.) = Posture

Together the above should mean "Lying big toe posture"

I find this Asana to be one of most difficult in the Padangusthasana series. It really is the graduating Asana in the series. There's only one which I can think of more challenging than or as challenging as this Asana which is Parsha Padangusthasana.

 

Right Leg

As ususal, I still have a lot to achieve in this Asana (I am just a student :)) - the comfort that I seek while practicing this Asana, I hope would come in about a year or thereabouts.

 

Left Leg

Breathing: Breathe in as the legs are extended
Drishti: Nasagre

Naukasana

Naukasana

Nauka (n.) = Boat
Asana (n.) = Posture

Naukasana is also known as Navasana. But the latter, I feel, is a Hindi, and not a Sankrita word.

Hence I prefer to call it as Naukasana

 

One friend asked me how to do a Naukasana. I assume that it would be in the mind of my visitors too. Well, I have seen multiple ways of doing this Asana. However, the easiest way I find is as provided below:

1. Sit with your back straight
2. Extend both your legs forward as you would when you are doing the Paschimottanasana
3. Place your hands, palm down on yor knees;
4. Breathe in
5. Breathe out and tilt backwards, and extend your arms towards the knees

Supta Urdha Pada Vajrasana

Supta Urdha Pada Vajrasana

Supta (adj.) = Asleep
Urdha (n./adj.) = High
Pada (n.) = Leg
Vajra (n.) = Thunder
Asana (n.) = Posture

In this pose I am entering into the Supta Urdha Pada Vajrasana. The full Supta Urdha Pada Vajrasana is much tougher, and is not shown here. Let me overcome the challeges in this Vinyasa entry, then perhaps I shall be able to do that Asana.

 

Vinyasa entry to Karandavasana

Vinyasa entry to Karandavasana

Karandava (n.) = Duck
Asana (n.) = Posture

After nearly a year long practice, Vrischikasana is now kind of comfortable for me. Much much better than what I published about a year ago in this blog. The next step therefore I thought, would be Karandavasana. And the Pincha version of Vrischikasana, both of which I understand are now a couple of years away.

Let me publish my approach to the entry to Karadhavasana.

 

Any person with a keen eye would be able to figure out that I am just a beginner in this entry. My arms are still not strong enough to hold the balance when the legs have executed a Padmasana.

Now, this I find is one of the most talked about Asana on the Net. I liked Lucas' informal and funny way of talking about Yoga, which hid the spiritual and profound intent of his in the yoga way - the rigour he employs is pretty much obvious in the Asanas he is shown to have executed. Here's his web page House of Lucas.

Upavishta Konasana

Upavishta Konasana

Upavishta (adj.) = Seated
Kona (n.) = Angle
Asana (n.) = Posture

Upavesan (v.) = Sit

To me, this Asana is a natural extention of the all Padangushthasanas.

 

Well, I have a lot of miles to go in this Asana. It is nowhere near the way it should be.

 

Nirlamba Sarpasana

Nirlamba Sarpasana

Nirlamba (adj.) = Without support
Sarpa (n.) = Snake
Asana (n.) = Posture

Quite a few days ago I published the Bhujangasana. Nirlamba Sarpasana is the next step to it.

 

Everything remains the same - the breathing, the drishti.

Utthanapadasana

Utthanapadasana / Utthitapadasana

Utthana (n.) = Raising up (not in the sense of bringing up, however - which is nurturing), Rise up
Utthita (adj.) = Raised, Risen
Pada (n.) = Leg
Asana (n.) = Posture


Sometime ago I published the Utthitapadasana, and Utthanapadasana which are what I learnt as a child. The word Utthita has the noun form as Utthana.

 

Now, I see Utthanapadasana being performed as it is performed in the above picture. Kind of interesting I would say, for it takes in the benefits from Utthitapadasana and Matsyasana both at one go.



For the grammar enthusiasts: Ut = This sound is not a word, it is called Upasarga in Sanskrita grammar - which is close to a preposition. Upasarga adds additional meaning to a word root.

Ut means up.
Thana this word root means place.

All Upasargas preceds a word root to form a word. Here Ut + thana together formed this word Utthana

If you add a different Upasarga, for example aba to Thana it will form Abasthana (n.) = Placement. Similarly Pra + thana = Prasthana (n.) which means to go away.
Again, Abhi+ Ut+thana = Abbhutthana (n.) Germination

Asanas Fighting Hypothyroidism

Visitors coming to this this site looking for Hypothyroidism fighting Asanas.

Best approach would be: to go to a Yogacharya who specialises in Therapeutic Yoga. Someone like Yogananth - who, despite his being so young has attracted admiration from all corners, including mine. :)

Here is his official site http://www.yogananth.com/

Well,if you are looking for a ready reckoner, in my limited knowledge of the Yoga postures, let me give the following Asanas which would be good in fighting Hypothyroidism.

Matsyasana
Ardha Chakrasana
Greevasana / Viparita Dandasana
Setubadhasana (Shirsha-Pada-Bhumi-Sparshasana)
Ushtrasana

To be complemented by the following Asanas

Kavandhasana
Halasana
Sarvangasana
Sasangasana


Pranayama
Ujjayee pranayama(Jalandharbandha),

Matsyasana - the plain vanilla one

Matsyasana - the plain vanilla version


Over the last three posting I progressed from the Saral version of Matsyasana to this version of Matsyasana, which is the most standard version.

However, there is a more difficult version too, which I am not able to do as of now, may be in about two years in future I shall be able to do it. That is the Baddha Padma version - which is: perform a Baddha Padmasana , then perform Matsyasana.

 

Drishti: Nasagre, or Bhru-Madhye

Breathing: As you raise your body from the floor and go into Matsyasana, inhale. Breathe normally as you hold the posture.

Benefits: Matsyasana is one of the Asanas that benefits hypothyroidism cases to a good extent. To achieve the full benefit, however, a complementary Asana - that is one of the following Asanas: Sasangasana, Sarvangasana, or Kavandhasana/Kandharasana needs to be executed.

Of all the above Asanans I have posted only the Kandharasana, which is also known as Kavandhasana, in this blog.

Approaching Matsyasana - Part II

Approaching Matsyasana - Part II

Well, this manuever helped me in Matsyasana practice, as well as in Kukkutasana and Garbhapindasana practice. It also helped me in the Karandavasana practice.

 

It also helped me in a big way to get rid of the back pain.

The good news... thanks to my relentless practice of Yoga, the back pain is almost gone. So much so that, the other day I tried to do the Sarvangasana - and wonder of wonders, I felt no pain. Have been doing Sarvangasana since then regularly.

Approaching Matsyasana

Approaching Matsyasana

Matsya (n.) = Fish

Asana (n.) = Posture

Someday before I talked about Saral Matsyasana.

This picture below is the first step toward the Matsyasana. Lie on your back and do a Padmasana. The legs in Padmasana assume the shape of the tail of a fish - perhaps more specifically a Rohu fish.

 

When I started relearning Matsyasana (lost after a long non-practice since the childhood days) about three years ago, I found it tough to do exactly what has been done in the photograph above. Though I was able to do the padmasana, and lie down, but the legs would stay up, without touching the ground. Even now I am not able to do it if I am doing Padmasana with my right leg first.

Saral Matsyasana

Saral Matsyasana

Saral (adj.) = Simple
Matsya (n.) = Fish
Asana (n.) = Posture

The regular Matsyasana may be tough for beginners. For them the starting point is Saral Matsyasana.

 

Here you go.

Breathing: Breathe in as you raise the chest

Drishti: Nasagre - tip of the nose

Saral Dhanurasana

Saral Dhanurasana

Saral(adj.) = Simple
Dhanuh(n.) = Bow
Asana(n.) = Posture

It's quite sometime ago I published the Dhanurasana. I talked about Saral Dhanurasana but did not publish the same in that post. However, a few visitors actually came to the site looking for that pose.

Here you go dear visitors.

 

As I mentioned earlier, even this Saral Dhurasana may be difficult for some - particularly, I have seen people not able to catch hold of their legs.

 

Drishti: on the third eye
Breathing: inhale while raising head from the ground. Normal as you hold the position.

Vajrasana

Vajrasana

Vajra(n.) = Thunder/ thunder bolt
Asana (n.) = posture

Vajra has a mythological meaning in India. It is the weapon of Indra - the king of gods. This particular weapon has a genesis. When Vritrasura became the king of Asuras (demons) he attacked the Suras (gods). Indra approached Vishnu for help who told him that the weapon that would kill Vritra would have to be manufactured from bones of a sage.

Sage Dadhichi (who was a king before he became a sage) consented to donate his bones of his rib cage. Dadhichi started to meditate intending to die; when he died, the gods collected his bones and thereafter Indra manufactured the thunder-weapon out of it.

 

Vajrasana can therefore be associated as an Asana which strengthens the bones.


Indeed, I have seen my Granma, who is close to 90 years, still walking about with no difficulty and no gout or other old-age related problems. She is used to sitting on the Vajrasana for an hour after every meal. Whereas her eldest daughter, who is about 20 years junior to her suffers from gout, and finds it difficult to move effortlessly.

Once you are adept at Vajrasana the next step is to proceed to Supta Vajrasana which does a lot of good to the thighs, to the lumbers and to the spine.

Trikonasana

Trikonasana

Tri (n.) = Three
Kona (n.) = Angle
Trikona (n.) = Triangle
Asana (n.) = Posture

It is said that the beginner and the intermediate Asanas are the toughest asanas. Because they are the toughest to overcome when the body is just about getting used to the way of Yoga.

I firmly second that. For the last two years I have been practising the Tirkonasana, and I am yet to do it well. It is so tough since it calls for alignment of the chin in the line of the shoulder.

 

I am kind of doing the Trikonasana well when when I am required to align my chin with my left shoulder (as in the above photograph). But, still there's a lot to achieve.

 

But I am yet to achieve the alignment in for the right shoulder (as in the above photograph). Hence, the above is an incorrect posture.

To note: when the straightline alignment between the shoulder and chin is achieved, the alignment between the chest and the legs/ground are achieved at the same time. The chest then normal/perpendicular to the ground as if if you draw a straight line from one shoulder to the other, the line would be perpendicular to the ground, and not inclined at an acute/obtuse angle. This imparts the posture a yogic beauty. this beauty is somewhat achieved in the first photograph. However, it is not there in the second photograph.

Perfection, how true it is, is not easily reached. I have seen a lot of yoga instructures too did not achieve the perfection an intermediate Asana (trikonansana is a typical case) demands.

Mukta Hasta Shirshasana - Variation 4

Mukta Hasta Shirshasana - variation 4

In this variation balancing is done on the elbows. This is also a standard variation (unlike the Dwi-anguli and the Tiryak versions) and a part of the Ashtanga intermediate series.


However, right now I haven't any photograph for this version. For me it is a challenging version - I find it tough to balance myself on the elbows.

I shall have myself shot doing this posture later and upload the same presently.

Dwi Anguli Seershasana

Dwi Anguli Seershasana

Dwi (n.) = Two
Anguli (n.) = Finger
Seersha (n.) = Head
Asana (n.) = Posture

Well this is not a standard Seershasana posture. However, this is an approach to finally reaching the target of Nirlamba Seershasana. Which is without any hand support.

Even the dwi-anguli version feels quite tough for me!!! I am, though an old-timer in Seershasana, not that advanced - it feels :).

 

The weight is not balanced on exactly the tip of the fingers. So, proceed to the tip in the next photo.

 

Wow! the moment I try to advance to the tip, the centre of gravity changes and the body tilts to the back!

 

Now balanced a little more, but still a long way to go - the position does not look elegant as it should.