6 Yoga Asnas that can change your life

6 Yoga Asnas that can change your life



1. Shavasana ( Dead body pose )

1. Lie flat on your back, feet comfortably part, arms and hands extended about six inchesfrom the body, palms upwards and fingers half-folded.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Begin by consciously and gradually relaxing every part and each muscle of the body ; feet, legs, calves, knees, thighs, abdomen, hips, back, hands, arms, chest,shoulders, neck, head and face.
4. Relax yourself completely feeling as if your whole body is lifeless. Now concentrate your mind on breathing rhythmically as slowly and effortlessly as possible.
5. This creates a state of complete relaxation. Remain motionless in this position,
6. relinquishing all responsibilities and worries for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Discontinue the exercise when your legs grow numb.

This asana helps bring down high blood pressure, and relieves the mind, particularly for those who are engaged in excessive mental activity. This exercise should be done both at the beginning and at the end of the daily round of yogic asanas. During a fast, shavasana soothes the nervous system.

2. Padmasana ( Lotus pose )

1. Sit erect and stretch your legs out in front of you.
2. Bend one leg to place the foot on the thigh of the other, the sole facing upwards. Similarly, bend the other leg too, so that the heels are opposite each other and placed in such a way that they press down on the other side of the groin.
3. Keep your neck, head and spine straight. Place your palms one upon the other, both turned upward and cupped, and rest them on the upturned heels a little below the navel.

Padmasana is a good pose for doing pranayama and meditation. It helps in the treatment of many heart and lung diseases and digestive disorders. It also calms and refreshes the mind.

3. Yogamudra

1. Sit erect in padmasana. Fold your hands behind your back, holding your left wrist with the right hand.
2. Take a deep breath. While exhaling, bend forward slowly keeping your hands on your back.
3. Bring your face downwards until your nose and forehead touch the floor. While inhaling , slowly rise back to the upright position

The practice of this asana tones up the nervous system, builds up powerful abdominal muscles and strengthens the pelvic organs.
It helps pep up digestion, boosts the appetite and removes constipation. It tones up and relaxes the nerves of the head and face. It also strengthens the sex glands.

4. Vajrasana ( Pelvic pose )

1. Sit erect and stretch out your legs.
2. Fold your legs back, placing the feet on the sides of the buttocks with the soles facing back and upwards.
3. Rest your buttocks on the floor between your heels.
4. The toes of both feet should touch.
5. Now, place your hands on your knees and keep the spine, neck and head straight.

Vajrasana can be performed even after meals. It improves the digestion and is beneficial in cases of dyspepsia, constipation, colitis, seminal weakness and stiffness of the legs. It strengthens the hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles and toes.

5. Shirshasana ( Topsyturvy pose )

Shirsha means head . In this asana, one stands on one's head. Kneel on the ground,
interlocking the fingers of both hands.

1. Place the fingerlock on the ground in front of you, keeping the elbows apart. Support your head on the fingerlock.
2. Start raising your knees one at a time, to chest level. Then raise your feet slowly so that the calf muscles touch the thighs.
3. Breathe normally. This is the first stage which should be done perfectly as the balance of the final posture depends mainly on this stage.
4. Next, raise your knees first and then slowly raise the feet so that the whole body is straight, like a pillar. This is the final pose.
5. Return to the original position by reversing the order, step by step.

Warning

This asana should not be done jerkily. The important factor in shirshasana is mastering the balance, which comes through gradual practice. For proper balance, elbows should be placed firmly on the ground, alongside the fingerlock. Initially the asana should be done for 60 seconds only. The duration may be gradually increased by a further 10 seconds each week.

Regular practice of shirshasana will benefit the nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory and endocrine systems. This asana helps cases of dyspepsia, seminal weakness, varicose veins, arteriosclerosis, jaundice, renal colic and congested liver. Those suffering from oozing from the ears, iritis, high blood pressure or a weak heart should not practice this asana.

6. Viparitakarani ( Inverted action pose )

1. Lie flat on your back, with your feet together and arms by your side.
2. Press your palms down, raising your legs to a perpendicular position without bending the knees.
3. Your palms should touch the waist. Then straighten your legs. The trunk should not make a right angle with the ground but simply an upward slanting position.
4. The chest should not press against the chin but be kept a little away. To return to the ground, bring your legs down slowly, evenly balancing your weight.

Through this asana, the muscles of the neck become stronger and blood circulation is improved. The functioning of the cervical nerves, ganglia and the thyroid also gets improved.

Top 4 Yoga Kiryas

Top 4 Yoga Kriyas

A disease-free system should be the starting ground for yogasanas and pranayama. There are six specific cleansing techniques, known as Shat Kriyas, which eliminate impurities and help cure many ailments. Of these, the following four can be practised safely.


1. Jalaneti

Most diseases of the nose and throat are caused by the accumulation of impurities in thenasal passage.

Jalaneti is a process of cleansing the air passage of the nostrils and the throat by washing them with tepid saline water.


METHOD

1. Take a clean jalaneti pot.
2. Put half a teaspoonful of salt in the pot and fill it with lukewarm drinking water.
3. Stand up and tilt your head slightly to the right.
4. Insert the nozzle of the pot in the left nostril and let the water flow into it.
5. Inhale and exhale through the mouth, allowing the water to flow out through the right nostril.
6. Reverse this process by tilting your head to the left and letting the water flow from the right to the left nostril.

Jalaneti should be practised only in the morning. It will relieve sore throat, cold, cough, sinusitis, migraine, headache and cases of inflammation of the nasal membranes. It keeps the head cool and improves vision.

2. Vamana Dhouti or Kunjal


This is a process of cleansing the interior of the stomach.


METHOD

1. Drink four to six glasses of tepid water, with a little salt added to it, early in the morning on an empty stomach.
2. Then stand up, bend forward, insert the middle and index fingers of the right hand into the mouth until they touch the uvulva.
3. Tickle it until you feel a vomiting sensation. The saline water thus ejected will bring up bile and other toxic matter with it.
4. Repeat the process till all the water is vomitted out. This should be done once a week or as and when necessary.

It is beneficial for cleansing the stomach in cases of excessive bile, constipation, and gastric troubles. Persons suffering from hyperacidity should perform kunjal with unsalted water. It gives relief from headaches, nervous weakness, chronic cold, cough andasthma.

WARNING
It should not be practised by those suffering from high blood pressure, ulcers and heart trouble.



3. Kapalbhati

Kapala means skull and bhati means shine. This is a respiratory exercise for the
abdomen and diaphragm. The channels inside the nose and other parts of the respiratory system are purified by this exercise. In the process, the brain is also cleared.


METHOD

1. Sit in a comfortable position, preferably in padmasana.
2. Exercise the diaphragm by exhaling suddenly and quickly through both nostrils, producing a hissing sound.
3. Inhaling will be automotive and passive.
4. The air should be exhaled from the lungs with a sudden, vigorous inward stroke of the front abdominal muscles.
5. The abdominal stroke should be complete and the breath should be expelled fully. While inhaling, no willful expansion is necessary and the abdominal muscles should be relaxed.
6. This exercise should be done in three phases, each consisting of 20 to 30 strokes a minute. A little rest can be taken in between .
7. Throughout, the throacic muscles should be kept contracted.

Kapalbhati enables the inhalation of a good amount of oxygen which purifies the blood and strengthens the nerve and brain centres. This kriya provides relief in many lung, throat and chest diseases like chronic bronchitis, asthma, pleurisy and tuberculosis.

4. Trataka

In yoga, four exercises have been prescribed for strengthening weak eye muscles,
relieving eye strain and curing of eye disease. They are known as Trataka ,which in sanskrit means gaze at a particular point." or looking at an object with awareness.


The four tratakas are

1. Dakshinay jatru trataka in which, with face forwards, the eyes are fixed on the tip of the right shoulder
2. Vamajatru trataka, in which the eyes are fixed on the tip of the left shoulder
3. Namikagra trataka, in which the eyes are focussed on the tip of the nose, and
4. Bhrumadhya trataka, in which the eyes are focussed on the space between the eyebrows.
5. These exercises should be practiced from a meditative position like padmasana or vajrasana. The gaze should be maintained for as long as you are comfortable, gradually increasing the period from 10 to 20 and then to 30 seconds.

Instructions
The eyes should be closed and rested after each exercise. Persons with acute myopia should perform the tratakas with their eyes closed.

Yoga Therapy for Beginners

The Yoga Therapy

Ychikitsa refers to the treatment of diseases by means of yogic exercises which may be physical or mental or both.
It is a specialised form of yogic culture. This mode of treatment has been practised in India from very ancient times.

Many references to yoga have been made in the Upanishads. It was, however, Maharishi Patanjali who in about the first century B.C. gave a systematic account of the traditional yogic teaching.

The term Yogais derived from the Sanskrit root yug which means "to join" . It signifies union between the individual soul (jivatma) and the universal soul (parmatma). It aims at obtaining relief from pain and suffering.

Basically, human evolution takes place on three different planes,namely physical, mental and spiritual.


Basic Facts about Yoga For Beginners

• Yoga is a means of attaining perfect health by maintaining harmony and achieving optimum functioning on all three levels through complete self-control.
• Yogic kriyas, asanas and pranayama constitute the physical basis ofyoga.
• The practice of kriyas and asanas leads to excellent circulation. It also energises and stimulates major endocrine glands of the body. Yogic exercises promote inner health and harmony, and their regular practice helps prevent and cure many common ailments.
• They also help eliminate tensions, be they physical, mental or emotional.
• Pranayama slows down the ageing process.
• In ordinary respiration, one breathes roughly 15 times a minute, taking in approximately 20 cubic inches of air. In pranayama the breathing rate is slowed down to once or twice a minute and the breath inhaled is deep and full, taking nearly 100 cubic inches of air.
• All yogic exercises should be performed on a clean mat, a carpet or a blanket covered with a cotton sheet.
• Clothing should be light and loose-fitting to allow free movement of the limbs.
• The mind should be kept off all disturbances and tensions.
• Regularity and punctuality in practicising yogic exercises is essential.
• Generally, 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. is the ideal time for yoga practices.
• Yoga asanas and pranayama should be practised only after mastering the techniques with the help of a competent teacher.
• Asanas should always be practiced on an empty stomach.
• Shavasana should be practiced for a brief period before starting the rest of the exercises as this will create the right mental condition. Asanas should be performed at a leisurely slow-motion pace, maintaining poise and balance.
• Herein are described certain yogic kriyas, asanas and pranayama which have specific therapeutic values and are highly beneficial in the maintenance of health and the healing of diseases.

13 Basic Body Building Tips

"the straight skinny on diet and nutrition for the body building athlete"

Nutrition:

• Nutrition is the most important part of athletic/fitness achievement. A proper nutrition program is eighty percent of an effective fitness program!

Water

• Water is the most important nutrient in your body, and is essential to a good, healthy diet.You must drink at least 80-100 oz. (10-12 glasses) every day. No exceptions!

Foods

• Your daily food intake should consist of 30% protein, 50% carbohydrates and 20% fats.
• Eat good, lean sources of protein such as fish, chicken breast, turkey breast, egg whites, or any of numerous protein powders/shakes that are on the market.
• Its best to consume complex carbohydrates such as white and brown rice, sweet and white potatoes, fresh fruit and vegetables,
• Low-fat whole wheat bread or wheat/oat bagels. You do need to allow for some fat in your diet, but try to avoid saturated fat from animal protein.
• Try to get you fat from monounsaturated sources like, olive oil, walnuts, peanuts, almonds and various others. Allow yourself one small dessert daily (

Avoid

• High calorie foods and dishes containing fatty dairy products, and high saturated fat.
• If you must eat something really fattening, eat only small, cautious and infrequent portions.
• Whenever possible avoid rich dressings and dips altogether. Don't eat desserts before bed and avoid anything two hours before bedtime if possible.
• You do not burn a lot of calories while sleeping. Calories in your stomach during sleep risk being stored as fat.

Multivitamin/mineral and Protein supplements

• A power/shake mix is another useful aid in your quest for a faster, more efficient metabolism. It is an easy way to get in a quick meal replacement, but don't make these the bulk of your diet.
• Try to limit yourself to around two liquid meals daily with the other 2-4 meals being solid meals.
• The shakes contain high quality protein; some even contain carbohydrates, so pick one you like and use it in conjunction with your food.
• Supplement shakes are a quick alternative to eating a meal. A shake can be blended up on the run, quickly and efficiently.

Meal Frequency

• Meals need to be eaten more frequently and in smaller portions, three to four hours apart.
• Frequent meals are important in helping to speed up your metabolism.
• Speeding up your metabolism is the only way to permanently lose body fat and obtain lean muscle mass.
• When you begin eating your meals more frequently your body will begin to burn energy at a faster rate.
• A faster metabolism will result in more calories being burned during the day, as well as giving you higher levels of energy. Eat 4-6 small meals each day!

The Cooler Plan

• Avoid eating out at all cost! This may be extremely hard for some and easier for others.
• The bottom line is you don't always know what you are getting. It is amazing how it always taste better at the restaurant.
• Have you every wondered why? Fat and sodium that's why! Good old grocery store food will be leaner every time (nobody said it would taste better!).

Challenge

• Getting and maintaining a consistently low body fat is something that requires a certain amount of personal challenge and sacrifice.
• Eating a small meal every three to four hours can be done. It may require a bit more time, but if you learn to think and plan your grocery store visit and your meals, well ahead of time, you are certain to be successful. I recommend making a priority list.

Effective Time Management

• Many people fail in their quest to get lean because they do not utilize time better, and more efficiently.
• Allocating time to eat in frequent intervals and to religiously perform cardiovascular work combined with weight training is the core to lowering your body fat.
• It is simply a matter of giving up leisure time to prepare meals and workout!
• Certainly, a learner healthier body is worth a few hour of your leisure time.
• If you are going to get lean, you must plan your day thoroughly. Spontaneity will kill your lean and frequent eating habits every time. Plan out your day, everyday, and work your plan!

Eliminate Negative Influences

• Getting away for those negative influences in your life is a huge part of getting lean. This bad influence could be anyone, brother, husband, wife, best friends, etc.
• Do not let anyone, or anything sideline you. Stay focused on your goals!

Cardiovascular Exercise

• (Running, Walking, Stepper, Treadmill, Bike, etc.) Consistently performing cardiovascular exercises is essential to speeding up your metabolism and effective in burning away fat, as well as strengthening the heart.
• Your card exercise is best done when blood sugar is low.
• First thing in the morning or after you workouts, are the best and most effective times to do your cardio.

Recovery

• Your body will need rest to achieve your fitness goals.
• Never workout more than 4 days a week and be sure to get 6-8 hours of sleep nightly.
• One of the most common mistakes among gym patrons is over training! Don't fall victim to over training. Too much of a good thing can be bad.

Consistency

• is the most important thing of all, in both your eating habits as well as your weight training and cardiovascular exercise.
• You must perform at least three days of each in order to see results! Less than three days a week just doesn't cut it for most.