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Exercise

Tense After a Jog or Bike Ride? Loosen Up Those Muscles

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To counter the effects of cycling, hiking or jogging, perform this exercise to release tension that creeps into your hips, legs and lower back from repetitive movements. Tightness in your iliotibial band, which runs down the outer thigh, can cause knee pain, so do this move after every workout.

Step 1-> Begin on your hands and knees. Bring your right foot between your hands, bend your left leg on the floor behind you (place a towel or mat under your knee for more comfort.) Inhale, lift up on your fingertips raising your chest off your right thigh. Exhale, lower your hips toward the floor as low as you can.

Step 2
-> For a more intense stretch, raise your chest and place your hands on your front thigh. Be careful that you don’t raise your hips when you bring your hands to your thigh. Remember to slide your shoulder blades down your back and keep the muscles around your neck relaxed. Hold for three breaths and repeat with your left leg in front.

Sources:
Los Angeles Times

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Yoga

Pranayama – A Yoga Breathing Exercise

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Breath and Prana
Breathing is a vital process which starts at the time of birth and stops at the death. The important Oxygen is provided to all the parts, organs and cells of the body. The maximum time a person can survive without oxygen is about 4 minutes. All the metabolic processes require oxygen. Oxygen is life, a vital force. This vital energy is called Prana(the sprit of life)

Definition of Pranayama:
The process of controlling the Prana(life) is called Pranayama. So pranayama is the science related to vital force supplying energy and controlling the body mind complex.Two Sanskrit words are combined in the word ‘Pranayama’ – Prana and Ayama. ‘Prana’ means life or life force. ‘Ayama’ means development or control. Therefore Pranayama is the development and control of life force. It is a form of breathing exercise, very important in yoga. It goes along with the asanas or exercise.

Breath is the life force that sustains life. Nobody can survive more than a few minutes without air. When the breath stops, life ends. The Forefathers of Yoga developed a special system- ‘Pranayama’ to increase, develop and control this life force. Normal breathing use only a fraction of our potential respiratory capacity. Pranayama helps to control this life force in a superior and extra ordinary way to reap maximum benefits.

Breathing is the process of taking in this vital energy and removing the waste products out of our body and mind. Generally breathing includes inhalation and exhalation but pranayama includes retention of breath (known as “Kumbhaka” in Sanskrit) as well. This is a very important process. The air can be retained in the lungs or out of the lungs. The ancient texts say that retention of air, increases the level of prana (energy) in the body, also it regulates the flow of pranic energy through out the body. So pranayama helps remove all the ailments and also can stop the aging process of the body.

All the inside activities of the body are due to the ever going process of combustion or oxidation in the body. And this process of combustion works with the help of the respiration and the blood circulation. Therefore, the moment there is internal or external movement of the body, it affects the process of blood circulation and respiration. As a result of this increasing the speed of the breathing provides the needed oxygen for the concerned movements.

Mind and breath
The mind, consisting of thoughts and emotions is closely related to the breath. When the mind is calm and relaxed, the breathing is smooth and slow. If you are stressed breathing is fast & shallow but mostly through chest. When one gets angry, the breathing becomes fast and forceful, in depressed states sighing, when in pain gasping, in anxiety shallow and rapid. In this way, the mental and emotional states affect breathing.

Since we want to control the breathing after studying the process or system of respiration, it is better to try deep breathing as the first state in that direction. We do not control the process of quiet breathing. But the control is to be exercised while practicing deep breathing. For this, two things are to be considered chiefly:First, the movements concerned with inhaling and exhaling are to be controlled in order to further slow down the breathing, at the same time the need of oxygen for the body is to be lessened, so that the speed of breathing can further, slowdown. The constitution of the body is such that if the need or use of oxygen is not reduced, it becomes difficult or rather impossible to control the process of breathing. The easy way to reduce the need of oxygen is to stop the movements of the body and try to relax all the muscles. Obviously, while practicing deep breathing, it is necessary to keep the body in the stable and relaxed position.

Rhythmic Breathing is Pranayama 

All the processes and organs like heart, brain, digestive organs, endocrine glands in the body have rhythms. Also the breathing has specific rhythms. Pranayama is Rhythmic breathing, bringing the breath in natural rhythm by controlling the process of inhalation, exhalation and retention.

After examining and understanding these basic systems of breathing, we may turn to the supplementary types of breathing: The breathing passage in the nasal cavity is divided into two owing to the mid partition between two nasal cavities, viz. the left and the right.

In Yoga, the left nasal cavity is called Chandra Nadi (The moon passage) or œIda Nadi” and the right nasal cavity is known is “Suryanadi” (The sun passage) or “Pingala Nadi”. Inhaling (Puraka) and Exhaling (Rechaka) can be done either through one of these nasal cavities or with both of them.

Physiology of Yogic breathing

In process of breathing, one uses diaphragm, intercostals muscles in the chest. The diaphragmatic breathing is called vertical breathing and is considered a more efficient way to inhale air than inhaling while expanding the chest which is called horizontal breathing. .
In pranayama, one should utilize the diaphragm efficiently to get more oxygen without making more efforts. The diaphragm is attached to the organs like heart and lungs, also the liver, spleen, pancreas and stomach from the bottom side. Efficient movement of the diaphragm makes the functioning of these organs more efficient.

There are various types of Pranayama. Some of the popular forms are Ujjayee, Shitali, VilomaKapalabhati, Anuloma, Suryabhedana Bhastrika etc. There are variations in performing different Pranayamas. Some of them can be done in a sitting position while others in a standing line or sitting position. Some of the Pranayama are difficult and complicated to perform while others are easy.

Pranayama can be mastered only gradually. It may take months or even years before the practitioner mind becomes receptive to the regulated flow of breath and he experiences the full benefits of pranayama. Proper practice of pranayama can control almost any disease but improper practice may give rise toall sorts of respiratory ailments. So one should take care to acquire control over his breath gradually.

Click to see:->

*Yogic Breathing & Pranayama
*The Proper Technique Of Brahmari Pranayama
*All About Power Pranayama
*Breathing Is An Integral Part Of Pranayama
*How To Do A Brahmari Pranayama
*brahmari-pranayama-for-migraineurs
*To Beat The Heat, Practice Pranayam
*7 Steps To Complete Pranayam
*Different Types Of Pranayams : The Correct Way To Perform Them
*Eight Supreme Benefits Of Pranayam

Resources:
*yogapoint.com
*http://yoga.am/2009/12/15/one-can-master-the-art-of-pranayama-only-gradually/

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Yoga

Vajrasana Yogomudra-1 (Yoga Exercise)

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Posture : This Asana is performed in Vajrasana Position.
Pre position : Vajrasana Position

How to do the Exercise:

1. Inhale and take both the hands back and keep the palms facing outside interlocking the thumbs. Keep both the hands straight.
2. Exhailing bend in the waist and rest the forehead on the floor. Continue smooth breathing.

Position:

In this Asana one has to sit in Vajrasana and bend in the waist fully. In this process the abdomen gets folded and that is expected, too. Further in order to get the abdomen folded properly, one should try to set the forehead on the ground quite away from the body. Once the bending process is over, continue smooth breathing.

After some practice, while bending in the waist, keep the back bone straight to experience its nice results. After taking the position, try to relax the body.
Releasing

1. Exhale and inhaling be straight in the waist.
2. Restore the hands on the knees and take up Vajrasana Position.

Duration : This Asana being simple can easily be maintained for two minutes and even more.
Benefits: As the belly gets folded in this Asana, there comes tremendous pressure on intestines, liver, spleen, certain glands, etc., and this pressure improves their functioning and removes complaints regarding digestive system & constipation. This Asana is also used to awaken the kundalini shakti, which, however, requires its prolonged practice.
Precaution One should take care while bending in the waist. Bending process should be slow and should go with the exhailing process or else one may suffer from air or gas accumulation in the belly. The people with back problem should practice this Asana only after consulting some Yoga Expert.

Reference Book:- Yoga Pravesh

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Yoga

Dhanurasana-Type1(Yoga Exercise)

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Posture : This Exercise(Asana ) involves another system of pulling the leg which gives the impression of a bow with an arrow to be shot and hence, the name Dhanurasana.

Technique of doing the exerciise:
Pre position Sitting Position.

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1. Bend the left leg in knee and keep the foot on the thigh of right leg. Keep the right leg straight.
2. Hold the big toe of the left leg with left hand, and that of the right leg with the right hand.
3. Exhale, and inhaling start lifting the left leg with the left hand and pull it up to the left ear, and stabilize it at that point.
4. Continue normal breathing.

Position : When one leg is lifted, the other leg and hand should be kept straight. The sight should be fixed on the other end of the straight hand.
Once the Exercise Position is taken, smooth breathing should continue.
Releasing Technique:

1. Inhale, and exhaling bring the left leg on the thigh of the right leg.
2. Restore both the hands to their place.
3. Straighten the left leg and take the sitting position.

Note: Do this Exercise in the above mentioned manner by taking up the right leg on the thigh of the left leg bringing in relevant changes in the position.
Duration : This latter Asana exerts more strain than the former. It should also be maintained for thirty seconds to experience its benefits.
Benefits: In this Exercise the direction of strain is towards the joints of the waist.
Precaution :The person with weak waist joints should not do this asana as it brings great strain to the joints.

Reference Book:- Yoga Pravesh

Categories
Yoga

Basic Breathing (Pranayama)

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PRANAYAMA :    A BREATHING EXERCISE:Yogic breathing or pranayaam revitalises the body steadies the emotion and creats great clarity of the mind. Yoga breathing exercises are performed sitting down with the spine neck and head in a straight line in the lotus pose.

Kalpabhati is a kriyas of purification besides being a pranayama. The forced exhalation rids the lower lungs of the stale air making way for a fresh intake of oxygen rich air in cleansing the entire respiratory system. This is a wonderfully invigorating exercise to begin your pranayam. By increasing the amount of oxygen in the body its effect is to clear the mind and improve concentration.

Kalpabhati ..click to see

Benefits

Effective for cardiovascular problems.
To clear the mind and improve the concentration
Description of the asana

1. Sit in ardha padmasana (lotus )–But if you have knee ache,sit on a bench or chair.Keep the feet crossed on a rug or a carpet.

2.Take two normal breaths.

3.Inhale, Now exhale, pulling in your abdomen and inhale, relaxing your abdomen.

4.Repeat 20 times, keeping a steady rhythm and emphasising the exhalation each time.

5.Inhale fully and hold your breathe as long as you can.

6.Slowly exhale.
Anuloma Viloma  click to see

In this alternate nostril breathing exercise, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, then exhale through the other nostril in a ratio of 2:8:4. If you are really healthy, you the will breathe predominantly through the Ida nostril for about one hour and fifty minutes, then through the other nostril. But in many people this natural rhythm is disturbed. Anuloma Viloma restores an equal flow, balancing the flow of prana in the body.

Description of the asana

Close your right nostril with your thumb and keeping it closed breathe in through the left nostril counting up to four.
Hold your breath and count to sixteen while opening the right nostril and closing your left with your third finger.
Breathe out slowly through the right nostril to a counterfiet.
Repeat the exercise but breathe in through the right nostril and out through the left.
Brahmari:-

It’s a kind of meditation which improves concentration memory and confidence. This extended exhalation makes it a very beneficial exercise for pregnant women, in preparation for labour. Sometimes known as the humming breath, Brahmari also gives a sweet clear voice and is highly recommended for singers.

Description of the asana

To practise Brahmari….click to see

1.You partially close the glottis as you inhale through both nostrils, making a snoring sound
2.Then exhale slowly, humming like a bee.
3.The inhalation clears and vibrates the throat area.

4Humming while you breathe out, enables you to spin out the breath and make a longer exhalation.

5.You should repeat Brahmari five to ten times.

Source: www.allayurveda.com

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