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