Yoga Practice--Back to Basics Srinivasan Nenmeli (Iyengar)
From time to time, we have to return to basics. Yoga offers many challenges..We wish to try and master more difficult It is like scaling
poses or asanas .
mountains of greater and
greater heights, as we gain strength, stamina and greater flexibility . But then , we may miss out on certain basic stuff--the kind of practice that checks your foundations..It is in this spirit, this article is written.
1 Start with Tadasana --the Mountain Pose
Spend a couple of minutes doing the simple standing pose--the mountain pose...It checks and restores your balance...Do you wobble while
doing this pose?....Are you really steady like a mounta mou ntain, in, that tha t is, i s, with w ithout out tremors trem ors? ? Is I s your y our breath bre athing ing smooth smo oth and regula reg ular? r? This T his is the pose pos e you should do in the morning soon after you get up and later when you start your daily routine of yoga.
The relaxing poses
No one is enti e ntirel rely y free fr ee from fro m stres st resses ses of dail d aily y life. 2 Sit in Sukhasana[ half lotus] and stretch your legs and then fold in Bhadra pose.
[Your foot
palms pal ms touch touc h each e ach other.] othe r.] Watch Wat ch your y our breath bre ath and stay in this pose for at least 5 minutes. 3
Another great relaxing pose is that of
"supta baddha kona asana" -- the reclining pose with wit h legs l egs touchi tou ching ng each e ach other oth er and a nd your you r back b ack
resting on a pile of pillows. Breathe slowly and regularly. Close your eyes if you like. Think of pleasa ple asant nt sigh s ights. ts.Stay Stay for 5 to t o 10 minute min utes. s.
4
Eka padangustana asana
Lie flat on the mat. Slowly raise one leg at a time to vertical position; hold for a few seconds and then lower slowly --very slowly-- to
the ground. Then do with the other leg. [ This pose strengthens the abdominal muscles and improves digestion; it releases gases from the tummy and if you are repeat a few times, can reduce the belly fat. Every one knows that the 'belly fat' is the worst offender for a slim, healthy body. You may also get a beautiful hip.]
5 The Cobra pose-Bhujanga asana
If you find Cobra pose difficult, practice for a few days the simpler "sphinx pose". Lie flat on your tummy and lift up the front of your chest, while supporting yourself with the arms. I cannot too strongly recommend the Cobra for any student of yoga. After all, we start buildi bui lding ng our o ur spine spi ne as as
small sma ll childre chil dren n
doing doin g the t he
Cobra hundreds of time; watch any 6
child!
dho mukha svana asana] dho The Downward dog [A
A grea g reat t stret st retch, ch, as dogs d ogs do from time tim e to t o time ti me ,and relaxing for the chest and the heart by its downward position. This is the staple of all yoga lovers..Dont miss out on this;do this at least three times a day.
Downward Dog Pose If you have
a pet dog, count how many times it
does this stretch in a day. Your pet knows better bet ter. .
The Cobra Pose
7 The Corpse pose [Savasana]
This is a great relaxing pose; it is not easy; B K S Iyengar stated that it is one of the toughest poses. Note Not e that t hat you have hav e to relax rel ax every ever y musc m uscle le and a nd joint and what is more ,even the skin. It requires intense concentration to do this right. You must lie down for at least 10 minutes to get
excellent benefits....Indeed, the benefits are great! Every yoga teacher stresses this pose for lowering your hypertension ; try this . This may be the last pose pos e you y ou do d o ever e very y day.. da y..
Summary
To sum up, do not miss out on these seven basic poses pos es
with your you r pract p ractice ice or even when whe n you y ou are a re
on vacation or traveling ; spend a few moments; keep your yoga practice well grounded!! Your feedback can come to this mailbox:
[email protected] References: 1 B K S Iyengar-- Light on Yoga [Yoga deepika] 2 Swami Vishnudevananda --The complete book of yoga;
---------------Happy Yoga Practice------------
