Yoga
Exercises
There are
many different types of yoga exercises and it
is important to choose a form that is appropriate
for each individual's level of fitness, goals,
and medical condition. Some of the most popular
and widely available forms are briefly explained
below.
Iyengar
yoga exercises
This type of yoga focuses on proper alignment
and precise movements. Props such as blocks or
straps are often used as part of Iyengar yoga
for those who are not as flexible or to compensate
for injuries. Because of this attention to detail
and the modification of poses, Iyengar yoga is
often a good form of yoga for people with back
pain or neck pain, as they are likely to benefit
from modification to the poses.
The following descriptions
indicate some common yoga poses with modifications:
Yoga - Down dog:A common
yoga pose that promotes stretching of the entire
back of the body, and also helps develop arm and
shoulder strength.
Yoga - Modified down dog:
A modification of the pose for beginners using
a wall. This pose is less intense, but still stretches
the back of the body and engages the arms.
Yoga - Modification of
a leg stretch for those who are less flexible
by using a belt while the back rests.
Yoga - triangle with block:
A slight modification of a classic pose that promotes
flexibility of the legs, spine, and shoulders,
and also trains balance.
Yoga - triangle with chair:
The same pose made easier for beginners by using
a chair for balance and decreasing the stretch,
as well as modifying the twisting of the trunk.
Ashtanga
yoga exercises
This form is commonly called "power yoga"
because it focuses on powerful flowing movements,
such as push-ups and lunges, which take strength
and stamina. Ashtanga yoga may be appropriate
for those who have successfully rehabilitated
from a back injury and are looking for a more
strenuous practice, and people who are already
athletic, such as runners and cyclists, who want
to add flexibility, balance and concentration
to their exercise routines.
Bikram
yoga exercises
This form is also known as "hot yoga"
because it is done in a very warm room. Bikram
yoga is excellent for increasing flexibility because
the heat helps tissues to stretch. This type of
yoga is not appropriate for those with cardiovascular
disease because of the strain placed on the body
when vigorously exercising in the heat.
Viniyoga
yoga exercises
This form links breath and movement in flowing
exercises that are adapted to each individual.
Viniyoga is often a good form of yoga for those
with back problems or neck problems because it
is easily adapted for each person.
There are many other schools
of yoga. Before taking a class, it is a good idea
to discuss with the teacher his or her philosophy
and emphasis in order to find the most appropriate
and personally appealing form of yoga.
Yoga can become a rewarding,
life-long activity that promotes health and maintains
function as one ages. Because of the many modifications
available and the different types of yoga, it
can be a part of almost everyone's fitness plan,
and the opportunities to advance and improve are
endless.
Find a yoga class
that's right for you, learn about the best poses
for beginners, and study basic yoga history and
philosophy.
Hanumanasana (Monkey
Pose)
Hanuman literally means
"having large jaws." Hanuman, a figure
in Hindu mythology, is the semi-divine chief of
an army of monkey warriors in India's great epic,
the Ramayana. As the son of the wind god, Vayu
(or Pavana), Hanuman is able to fly.
"It was the greatest
leap ever taken. The speed of Hanuman's jump pulled
blossoms and flowers into the air after him and
they fell like little stars on the waving treetops.
The animals on the beach had never seen such a
thing; they cheered Hanuman, then the air burned
from his passage, and red clouds flamed over the
sky . . ." (Ramayana, retold by William Buck).
This pose then, in which the legs are split forward
and back, mimics Hanuman's famous leap from the
southern tip of India to the island of Sri Lanka.
(hah-new-mahn-AHS-anna)
Benefits
Stretches the thighs, hamstrings, groins
Stimulates the abdominal organs
Contraindications
Groin or hamstring injuries
Practice this pose on a bare floor (without a
sticky mat) with folded blankets under the back
knee and front heel.
Step by Step
Kneel on the floor. Step
your right foot forward about a foot in front
of your left knee, and rotate your right thigh
outwardly. Do this by lifting the inner sole away
from the floor and resting the foot on the outer
heel.
Exhale and lean your torso forward, pressing your
fingertips to the floor. Slowly slide your left
knee back, straightening the knee and at the same
time descending the right thigh toward the floor.
Stop straightening the back knee just before you
reach the limit of your stretch.
Now begin to push the right heel away from your
torso. Because we started with a strong external
rotation of the front leg, gradually turn the
leg inward as it straightens to bring the kneecap
toward the ceiling. As the front leg straightens,
resume pressing the left knee back, and carefully
descend the front of the left thigh and the back
of the right leg (and the base of the pelvis)
to the floor. Make sure the center of the right
knee points directly up toward the ceiling.
Also check to see that the back leg extends straight
out of the hip (and isn't angled out to the side),
and that the center of the back kneecap is pressing
directly on the floor. Keep the front leg active
by extending through the heel and lifting the
ball of the foot toward the ceiling. Bring the
hands into Anjali Mudra (Salutation Seal) or stretch
the arms straight up toward the ceiling.
Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to a minute.
To come out, press your hands to the floor, turn
the front leg out slightly, and slowly return
the front heel and the back knee to their starting
positions. Then reverse the legs and repeat for
the same length of time.
Anatomical Focus
Thighs
Hamstrings
Abdomen
Groins
Chest
Shoulders
Therapeutic Applications
Sciatica
Modifications & Props
Students just beginning to learn this pose are
often unable to get the legs and pelvis down on
the floor, which is usually due to of tightness
in the backs of the legs or front groins. While
in the starting leg position then (as described
in Step 1 above), place a thick bolster below
the pelvis (with its long axis parallel to your
inner legs). As you straighten the legs, slowly
release your pelvis down onto the bolster. If
the bolster isn't thick enough to comfortably
support your pelvis, add a thickly folded blanket.
Variation
From the position described in step 4 above, lean
the torso into a forward bend over the front leg
and take hold of the foot with your hands. Hold
for 10 to 15 seconds, then come up on an inhalation.
Preparatory Poses
Baddha Konasana
Janu Sirsasana
Paschimottanasana
Prasarita Padottanasana
Supta Virasana
Supta Baddha Konasana
Supta Padangustasana
Upavistha Konasana
Urdhva Prasarita Padasana
Uttanasana
Virasana
Subsequent PosesEka
Pada Rajakapotasana
Natarjasana
Paschimottanasana
Upavistha Konasana
Beginners Tip
To increase the length of the torso and spine,
press the back foot actively into the floor and,
from this pressure, lift the shoulder blades firmly
into your back.
Deepen the Pose
The arms are raised overhead from the "trigger"
of the lower back ribs. Take the back ribs away
from the top of the pelvis, and use this lift
to reach the arms closer to the ceiling. Lengthen
along the backs of the arms, stretching your pinkies
a little closer to the ceiling than the index
fingers. Then pin the fingertips against the ceiling
and release or "hang" the ribs from
the arms.
Yo-yo the ribs between
the arms and the pelvis: relative to the pelvis,
the ribs lift, boosting the arms closer to the
ceiling; relative to the arms, the ribs drop toward
the floor, increasing the stretch in the armpits.
Partnering
The partner can help you create a lift through
the arms in the completed pose. Perform Hanumanasana
with the arms raised. Have your partner stand
straddling your pelvis. She should then press
her hands against the outsides of your upper arms
(just above the shoulders) and scrub up along
the arms toward the hands. Press out against your
partner's resistance and release the side ribs
downward, away from the arms.
Hot Buddha, Cold Buddha
Commitment to practice
is evidenced by your willingness to be present
on the mat for whatever comes up right now.
No matter how hard it may
be to drag yourself to yoga class at the end of
a busy day, inevitably you feel better when it's
over, walking fluidly out the door with your sticky
mat rolled neatly under your arm. At that moment
it may seem inconceivable that you would ever
resist practicing again. But somehow even the
very morning after a great class, resistance to
practice can arise. You may experience a mental
struggle as you lie in bed, trying to decide if
and when to get out of bed and onto your mat for
that first Downward-Facing Dog Pose.
This experience of resistance is not just a modern
phenomenon plaguing our overly congested culture.
Throughout the history of yoga, students have
struggled with exactly what it means to practice,
what discipline is, and how to overcome recurrent
resistance to practicing.
Very early in his classic
Yoga Sutra, Patanjali provides a few verses that
speak directly to these questions. After defining
yoga as "control over the fluctuations of
the mind" (Chapter 1, verse 2) and describing
the basic categories of these fluctuations, he
says, "Control over the mind's fluctuations
comes from persevering practice and nonattachment"
(1.14). These two guiding concepts—abhyasa
(persevering practice) and vairagya (nonattachment)—are
not just the key to overcoming your resistance;
they are also the key to yoga. On the surface,
abhyasa and vairagya would seem to be opposites:
Practice requires the exercise of the will, while
nonattachment seems more a matter of surrender.
But in fact they are complementary parts of yoga,
each requiring the other for its full expression.
Cultivate Compassion
Abhyasa is usually translated as "practice,"
but some have translated it as "determined
effort," or what I am choosing to call "discipline."
Unfortunately, there are few words as off-putting
to most of us as "discipline." It brings
back memories of being told to sit on that piano
stool for 30 minutes and practice no matter what.
Or in our minds we may have connected discipline
with punishment. But the kind of disciplined effort
Patanjali means by abhyasa is very different from
the sense of force and even violence people associate
with the word "discipline."
Office Yoga Tips
I am desk-bound for most
of the day. Are there any yoga poses I can do
in a confined space?
Yes! In fact, depending
on your desk setup, clothing, and the level of
comfort with your co-workers, you can practically
do an entire yoga practice at your desk.
Begin by sitting on the
edge of a chair with your feet placed squarely
on the floor about hip distance apart. Place your
palms flat on your thighs, and feel length in
your spine--head balanced over heart, heart balanced
over hips. Inhale and exhale evenly for five counts
each. Repeat as many times as you'd like.
Inhale and lift your arms
overhead, taking hold of your left wrist with
your right hand. On an exhalation, bend to the
right. Stay there for three breaths. As you inhale,
come back up to vertical and change wrists. Exhale,
and bend to the left. Stay there for three breaths.
Inhale back up to a tall spine. Exhale, release
your arms. Circle your shoulders a few times,
sensuously rolling them up, back and down. On
the fourth roll, interlace your fingers behind
your back with your arms as straight as you are
able to make them. If you don’t have room
behind you, reach back and hold onto the outside
edges of the back of your chair. On an inhalation,
lift your chest, making a high backbend. Stay
here and draw three full, rich breaths into your
body. As you exhale, release your hands, place
them on your knees and round your spine. Tuck
your pelvis and pull your navel away from your
knees, coming into a seated cat pose. Breathe
deeply and feel the broadness of the back body.
Let your head dangle to open the back of the neck.
From where you are, begin
to fold forward, letting your upper body fall
through your thighs. You may be able to reach
the floor with your palms flat. Otherwise, try
to hold onto your ankles or shins. The idea is
to let your head drop lower than your hips--this
is an inversion.
Slowly roll up and find
length in your spine. On an exhalation, twist
to the right. You can place your left hand on
the outside of your right thigh and your right
hand on the back of your chair. Check to make
sure that your right armpit-chest area is lifted.
Remember to include your head in the twist as
well. As you look over your right shoulder, move
your eyes to the upper right corner of your eyes
and then the lower right corner. Repeat this eye
exercise two times. Then close your eyes as you
untwist back to center. Repeat to the other side.
This should take five minutes or less and be quite
refreshing. Good luck!
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