Chakrasana or the wheel pose

Chakrasana or the wheel pose:-

How to do?????

• Lie down on your back with hands on the side.
• Bend your knees and bring your heels as close to the buttocks as possible. The heels should be about 1 foot apart.
• Now raise your hands and bring it back next to the ears. Place the palms on the floor with the fingers pointing towards the shoulders.
• Life your body up with the support of the palms and the feet.
• Rotate the head slightly, so that your gaze is towards the floor.
• Stretch your thighs and shoulders. In the final position your body looks like an arch almost like a wheel.
• Maintain the pose for as long as you are comfortable.
• To release the position, lower your body till it touches the floor. Straighten your legs. Hands can go back to the original position to the sides.
• It should be followed by  forward bending poses to counteract the pressure created by the back bend.

It's benefits......

• It stretches  back and spine.
• It stimulates thyroid gland.
• It energize the body.
• It promotes the weight loss.
• It strengthens arms, shoulders, wrist and legs.
• It cures asthma and osteoporosis.
• It relieves tension, fatigue and anxiety.

Contradictions........

• Avoid this pose if you have any back injury.
• If you have heart problem, then do not try this pose.
• Do not try this, if you are suffering from hernia.
• Do not try this pose, if you are suffering from headache, diarrhea.
• Avoid this pose, if you are suffering from any spinal or cardiac diseases.

Dandasana or the staff pose

Dandasana or the staff pose:-

How to do???????

• Sit on the floor and stretch your legs in fefro of you.
• Place the hands on the sides on the floor.
• Bring the two legs together with both the feet touching each other.
• Put slight pressure on the floor with your palms and raise your spine up. The back and the head should be held straight and gaze forward.
• Flex the feet backwards so feel a slight tug under the legs muscles.
• Broaden the chest so that the two shoulder blades are pulled towards each other in the back. If you have a weak back, you may use the support of the wall to do this pose.
• Push the thighs to the floor and make sure the legs are straight. If your hamstring are tight, then you may use a blanket under your legs.
• Breathe normally and maintain this position for as long as you are comfortable.

It's benefits.........

• It provides stretch to the hamstring.
• It relieves tension and stress.
• It provides stretch to the shoulder.
• It helps to improve posture.
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Contradictions.......

• Anyone suffering from injury should avoid this.
• Person suffering from heart disease should avoid this.

Brahmacharyasana or continence pose

Brahmacharyasana or continence pose:-

How to do??????

• Sit in the floor with the legs stretched out in the front of you.
• Keep the hands on the sides with the palms touching the floor. The palms should face forwards. Keep the hand and elbow straight.
• Tense the entire body to make the legs, abdomen and chest stiff.
• Now raise yourself up with the aid of the palms alone. This needs some strength in the beginning. With practice one will be able to lift oneself up entirely by using the palms. The weight is borne entirely by the hands and shoulders.
• The entire body is balance on the hands. This is the final position.
• Remain in this position for as long as you are comfortable. Retain your breath in the final position.
• Return to your base position on the floor. Exhale after touching the floor. Take few normal breaths before repeating the process. Practice up to 3 times in each session.
• After this pose, take rest in shavasana or corpse pose.

It's benefits.......

• This asana strengthens forearms, wrist and shoulders.
• It helps to reduce belly fat.
• This asana strengthens back, abdomen, legs and hips.
• It helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
• It makes better digestion.

Contradictions.....

• Avoid it, if you have any kind of shoulder, back and hip injuries.

Bhujangasana or cobra pose

Bhujangasana or cobra pose:-

How to do??????

• Lie down on your stomach with hands on the side, toes touching together.
• Bring your hands to the front at the shoulder level, with palms resting on the floor.
• Slowly raise your trunk and head with the support of the palms alone. The arms should be bent at the elbows.
• Arch your neck slightly backwards, so that the pose looks like a cobra with raised hood.
• Breathe normally and feel the stomach press against the floor.
• Hold the pose for few seconds in the beginning stages. One may go up to 2 minutes as one progresses.
• You can release the pose by bringing the hands back to the sides and resting your head on the forehead. Then, place the hands under your head like pillow. Bend and rest your head on one side and breathe normally.

It's benefits..........

• It tones the buttock muscles.
• It increases flexibility of the spine and the muscles around it.
• It tones the organs in the lower abdomen.
• It stimulates the digestive, reproductive and urinary systems.
• It helps to regulate metabolism, thus it balance body weight.
• It relieves stress and fatigue.
• It improves the circulation of blood and oxygen.
• It improves menstrual irregularities.

Contradictions.......

• Women who are pregnant or menstruating should avoid this pose.
• If you have any neck injury or pain, its better to avoid this pose.
• Someone suffering from stomach disorders should do this pose under the guidance of expertise.
• Someone suffering from back pain should clearly avoid this pose.

Bhadrasana or gracious pose

1.   Bhadrasana or gracious pose:-

How to do???????

• Sit on the floor with legs stretched out.
• Fold both the legs and bring them close to each other. The souls of the feel must touch each other. 
• Use the hands to hold the toes of the feet. Pull the legs towards the perineum. The legs should rest on the ground, touching the floor. This will require a good amount of flexibility in the beginning.
• Keep the spine straight and relax the trunk especially the shoulders.
• Maintain this final position for as long as you are comfortable. The breathing can be slow and rhythmic. For physical benefits, practice the final pose. For spiritual benefits one may also practice awareness of the mooladhara chakra.
• This pose include this much only.

It's benefits.........

• It strengthens the thighs, hips and buttocks.
• It develops flexibility in legs.
• It calms the brain and reduces mental activity.
• This posture directs the pranic energy upwards.
• It is an excellent posture  for meditation.
• It improves focus and concentration.
• It combats fatigue.

Contradictions......

• Don't practice this pose if you have any kind of knee and hip injuries.

Balasana or child pose

Balasana or child pose:-

How to do ??????

• Start with the kneeling position. Keep the feet and toes together.
• Now, spread your knees slightly apart. Inhale slowly and deeply.
• Slowly bend forward and let your chest rest between the thighs. Exhale as you are bending down. Let your hands be in the front of you and resting on the floor, palms facing the mat.
• Adjust your pelvis and sacrum in such a way that your abdomen rests between the inner thighs and the back is stretched forward.
• The forehead should rest on the floor and palms facing downwards. Fully touching the mat. The arms should be in line with knees and fully stretched out and relaxed. If you have difficulty resting the forehead on the floor, you may use a pillow for support.
• Breathe normally in this position and feel the peace. Remain in this position for as long as you are comfortable.
• To release the pose, move your hands back and slowly raise yourself up to the kneeling position. To rest further, one can lie in the supine position to relax the legs and lower back if required.

It's benefits..........

• It stretches the hips, thighs and ankles.
• Relieves neck and lower back pain when performed with the head and torso supported.
• It is a good relaxation pose and relieves fatigue.
• It relieves tension and stress.
• It stretches the spine and lengthen it.

Contradictions.........

• Pregnant women should avoid this pose.
• Those who are suffering from any injury of knees should avoid this pose.

Dandayamana Bharmanasana or table balancing pose

Dandayamana Bharmanasana or table balancing pose:-

How to do?????

• Start with sitting in kneeling position or in vajrasana.
• Now assume the table possess follows. Place both your hands in front with palms on the floor facing forward. Raise yourself up and support yourself up and support yourself on the palms and knees. Adjust and bring the palms under your shoulders. Take the tail bone backwards and stretch your neck forwards to make the spine straight. This is a simple table pose.
• Inhale and slowly raise your right leg up backwards making it parallel to the ground. Breathe normally now.
• Keep the gaze focussed between the palms. Again inhale and raise the left arm and make it parallel to the ground.
• Spread out the fingers of the left palm and let it point towards the front wall.
• Breathe normally and maintain this pose for as long as you are comfortable.
• To release the pose bring back the arms to the ground and simultaneously, bring back the right leg to the floor and come back to the simple table pose.
• Repeat the same process with left leg.

It's benefits.......

• It strengthens the abdominal and lower back.
• It can relieve tension and stress, when awareness of breath is maintained.
• This pose helps to correct some postural defects.
• It strengthens the core muscles.

Contradictions...........

• It should be avoid by the pregnant ladies.
• If your neck is under pressure during practice,  you should avoid this.
• If you are suffering from any knee, shoulder or any other injuries, you should avoid this.
• Those who have undergone a recent surgery of knee, shoulder, leg, back, spine then you can do this after full recovery.

Baddha konasana or the bound angle pose

Baddha konasana or the bound Angle pose:-

How to do??????

• Sit on the floor with legs stretched out.
• Bend the knees and bring the feet together.
• Hold the ankles with the hands and pull it towards the groins.
• Wrap your interlaced fingers around the feet and hold it.
• Pull the feet towards you as much as possible. Do not strain.
• Try to keep the knees as close to the ground as possible, but do not force it.
• Keep the chest open and the back straight. Relax the arms and shoulders and gaze straight ahead. Breathe slowly and steadily with awareness.
• Hold the position as long as you are comfortable.
• To release the position, free the hands and stretch the legs. In front of you. Gently massage the thighs and groin muscles if there is any pain and if  needed, lie in shavasana as a relaxation pose.
• The knees can also moved up and down in the final position, also popularly known as the butterfly pose .

It's benefits.....

• Baddha konasana improves the flexibility of groin muscles, the hips and the thighs.
• The pose is good fot preparation to sit in other meditative postures like the lotus pose or padmasana.
• Helps to open up the pelvic area and can alleviate sciatica.
• It can help women to  regulate their menstrual cycle.
• It can relieve hernia.

Contradictions.........

• Women should avoid this during menstruations.
• It should not be done by those suffering from any groin, hip or knee injury.
• Those who have high blood pressure and heart problems should avoid this.

Bakasana or crow pose

Bakasana or crow pose:-

How to do??????

• Squat on the floor with legs slightly apart.
• Place the hands on the floor and let the palms feel the floor.
• Raise the heels and balance yourself on the toes.
• Slowly bend forward and shift the weight of the body to the palms.
• Lift yourself up using the palms. The elbows will be bent. Raise yourself up further till the hands are perpendicular to the ground.
• Now the entire weight of the body will rest on the palms and the knees should touch the outside of the hands, just above the elbows.
• Retain the breath in the final position. Maintain this position for as long as you are comfortable. Your concentration should be on maintaining the balance of the body.
• To release the pose, return to the initial squatting position and breathe normally.
• Repeat this as many times as you are comfortable.

It's benefits.........

• It stretches and strengthens the back.
• It strengthens arms.
• It tones the abdominal wall.
• It aids back pain and indigestion.
• It can remove tension and anxiety.

Contradictions.........

• Those who are suffering from knee, joint and back pain should avoid this.
• It should be avoid by women who are pregnant or women during their menstrual cycle.
• Blood pressure patients should avoid this pose.