Supine Yoga Poses, Lying Face Upward

NATARAJ ASANA

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Natarajanasan

Natarajasana: The Dance of Lord Shiva:

Natarajasana, commonly known as the Lord of the Dance pose, is a captivating and challenging yoga posture that embodies grace, balance, and strength. 

Its very name, Nataraj, translates to "The Lord of Dancing," a revered epithet for Lord Shiva, the Hindu deity often depicted as the cosmic dancer. This connection highlights the spiritual depth and historical roots of this powerful asana.

Originating in India, yoga is an ancient practice that has evolved into a globally recognized discipline for both physical and spiritual well-being. While it is one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, its appeal transcends cultural and religious boundaries, attracting millions worldwide. 

Many embrace yoga for its remarkable physical benefits, utilizing it as a comprehensive exercise system to maintain health, flexibility, and fitness. For others, yoga remains a profound path towards spiritual enlightenment and inner peace.

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Yoga in the Alps of Switzerland

Natarajasana, in particular, is renowned for its demanding nature, requiring significant flexibility, concentration, and core strength. 

The posture involves a deep backbend and a challenging balance on one leg, with the other leg extended backward and held by the hand, mimicking Shiva's iconic dance. 

This intricate pose not only provides an extreme stretch to various parts of the body, including the hamstrings, groins, chest, and shoulders, but also significantly improves balance and focus. 

Beyond the physical exertion, practicing Natarajasana can evoke a sense of mental tranquility and an enhanced connection to one's inner self, truly bringing the spiritual essence of yoga to life.

Benefits by doing Standing Yoga Poses : 

It is necessary to know that the standing position provides us with knowledge about the principles of having a proper alignment of our body. Here are some of the Yoga Asanas, the postures, which can be termed as Yoga Postures in Standing Positions. These postures would affect different systems of the human body: muscular, respiratory, circulation, digestive, excretory, reproductive, endocrine, nervous system. These asanas are to be performed after keeping our body in standing position: legs together (fully stretched), spine erect and both hands resting on our sides.

Standing Alignment in Yoga: 

Asana is a Sanskrit word. It means to keep our body in a particular posture. Many yogis have devised these whole set of asanas, the postures. One of the great Yogis was Patanjali who had devised many postures, which were easy and comfortable. His teaching is known as Ashtanga Yoga, too.

Most of the postures are devised to enable us to have better physical health and a peaceful mind. These yoga postures have a deep impact on our whole body, and mind and soul. The yoga postures help to keep us in a particular physical position.

ONE FOOT POSTURE

Theme: Narrating the Easy Yoga Postures. Yogasana made easy.

It is needless to say that Yoga helps in promoting positive thoughts and good health. In a society as general, a person who practices Yoga would maintain good relationships and communication between people.

The regular practice of Yoga Postures helps to keep us fit. Here it is tried to show some easy postures. It is because some people who are either new to yoga or suffering from some disease may find some of the postures very difficult. Here it is tried to show and narrate the postures which are comparatively easy.

One would not find it very difficult to do the One Foot Pose as shown here. You can try it once and would learn how to do it frequently. This posture has all the benefits of yoga in general. But specifically, it helps to strengthen leg muscles and the back muscles.

If you are a new entrant in this yoga exercises, you should not remain in one posture for more time. Avoid being in one posture for a longer period, as it would make your limbs paining a little bit. Ensure that you get proper and enough rest between two sessions of exercises, too. You can rest in Shavasana, as it would give you more energy to go to the next session of doing yoga postures.

Trikonasana, Triangle Pose

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Easy Yoga Postures: Trikonasana, Triangle Pose Mountain yoga 8, triangle

The word 'Trikona' means triangle. As our body looks like a triangle in this yoga posture, this asana is called Trikonasana, the triangle pose. It is an important posture in the Hatha Yoga system of yoga exercises. This pose is usually done twice, in sequence. Once it is done by facing the left and another facing right.

Triangle pose provides adequate exercise to several muscles of our body. The leg and hand muscle gets more strain, while the back muscle is also stretched. It is very popular among women.

How to do Triangle Pose

• It is one of the simplest yoga poses. First of all stand in Tadasana that is a straight standing position.

• Bend your upper body forward and put you paws one metre away from your feet. Here you would be in a posture that is known as Downward Facing Dog.

• Drag your left foot forward and put it just touching your left paw from behind. Now keep the left paw parallel to the left foot and try to put more weight of the body on the left foot and the left hand.

• Raise the right hand and twist your torso, so as it goes straight upward.

• Twist your face and try looking ceiling. Right paw should be facing rightward.

• Here your body would make a triangle, the stretched right hand being the top angle of the triangle. Ensure that your torso should be parallel to a yoga mat.

You can remain for 20 seconds to one minute in this posture. If you feel any unusual pain in any limb, you should come back into normal posture. Yoga system tells us to give stretch to the muscles, and not pain to any muscle or limb.

Benefits of doing Triangle Pose, Trikonasana

• This pose helps in decreasing tension from our lower back.

• If we do this pose regularly, it would help to strengthen abdominal muscles, improving our digestion function. It also reduces the extra fat deposited on the belly and thus helps in reducing obesity.

• Upper legs get much exercise, as they remain stretched during this pose.

• Hamstring and hips are actively involved while we do this pose. The twists and turns provide good exercise for them.

• This yoga posture generates a sense of balance within our body.

Women are advised to practice this pose during pregnancy. But they should get prior instruction from the doctor about how to be careful while doing this posture. During the advanced stage of pregnancy, a woman should do this pose only in presence of a trained yoga teacher. This asana can be done in the manner shown above right also. Trikonasana - Triangle Pose

Wearing Yoga Clothes

While doing these postures you need feeling comfortable. So the importance of clothes increases. Yoga clothes are the outfits absorbing your sweat easily, as yoga exercise is bound to make you sweat heavily.

Yoga has been the companion of those who has preferred spiritual practice. Regular practice of yoga and meditation would positively affect our consciousness and inner-being. 

But it has physical advantages or rendering health benefits, too, as it is necessary in modern times. Some of the yoga practitioners see yoga as a health solution provider. They want yoga as a method of exercise. There resulted in a system called Power Yoga.

What is Power Yoga

The practitioner is not a yogi here. He or she uses the yoga postures of Ashtang Yoga system for extensive exercise. Keeping the pace of doing postures a little bit faster than usual, they concentrate on infusing strength and flexibility into the body of practitioners. 

Integrating the breathing, creating tension and letting our body relaxing by various movement, this system of yoga makes itself suitable for catering to the needs of our body.

How Power Yoga Works 

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These institutions which modify some of the postures or yoga or their speed to match the needs of their clients. But the basics remain the same. They concentrate on the movements between poses while doing postures and let the doer regulate the pace of breathing in a specific manner.

It is different from the usual form of yoga as it would almost test the level of endurance of the doer while he or she is performing the difficult process or situation. It is because the doer is required to hold a difficult pose for a longer period.

Benefits of Doing Power Yoga

It is in no way different from ordinary yoga postures. All the benefits of doing regular yoga would be availed by this system, too. In addition to this, the practitioner would get a good work-out after doing the poses of power yoga.

The physical strength of the doer is at test in this system. So he or she would feel physically fit after doing it for a certain period. It challenges the endurance level of our body; so after completion of a long session of power yoga, we may feel more focused and invigorated. 

The latent energy of our body would be recharged and we might feel rejuvenated. Excessive sweating would remove toxins from the body.

Yoga is a healing therapy, too. But many practitioners would take it as a tool for keeping themselves healthy and physically fit. They may not be facing any health problem, but they approach the yoga for remaining as healthy as they are. Power yoga is one of the solutions for such a class of yoga lovers.

Power Yoga Classes

There are many classes providing guidance about yoga in general and power yoga in particular. the working or every class may differ slightly or substantially from each other. But their main objective is to provide the fitness-based services to the participants. They model their teaching or coaching on the yoga postures of Ashtang yoga. 

They would instruct the participants to act in keeping individual needs and health in focus.

It is better to practice power yoga postures in open ground or on the terrace,  a lot of seating would occur. 

 The sweat-absorbing clothes would be better for wearing while doing postures, as it would involve much breathing and result in more seating. 

YOGA POSTURES: Back-bend Poses

Learn yoga postures with ease. How to do Backbends. 

Yoga postures render our body into various poses. Some of the yoga asanas would render our whole body bending backwards. 

Dhanur-asana, Bow-Shaped Yoga Posture

Such postures can be labelled as ‘backbend’ postures; however, there is no such classification of the postures. While doing these backbends, we could experience a sense of freedom. Doing this also involves an element of courage, as the bending backwards is not an easy job.

Such postures make our arms and shoulders more powerful. The spine would get proper exercise, too. The waist would get a maximum stretch in some of the postures. It could help in reducing back pain, too. Here are some yoga postures that would require our body to bend in the backside.

HOW TO DO DHANURASANA, BOW POSE

• First of all, unfold your yoga mat on the floor and lie down on your stomach.

• Now keeping the palms upward, just position your chin on the floor. Then start bending your knees towards the body and finally grab both of your ankles with the respective hands.

• Here the real Dhanur-asana starts. Keep inhaling slowly and try raising your knees by pulling the ankles with your hands. Simultaneously try raising your chest above the floor. When you can not inhale more, hold it.

• Once you tilt your head backwards, your body would come into a ‘Bow Posture’ as it is shown in the above image. You can hold your body in this posture as long as you can. But for the beginners, it would be advisable to keep it for ten to thirty seconds.

• To get your body released from this asana, do all the things in reverse order.

BENEFITS OF DOING DHANURASANA 

The meaning of the word Dhanur, a Sanskrit word, is ‘bow-shaped.’ While doing this asana, the postures of our body look like a ‘bow.’ Thus it is named so; look at the above image.

All the asanas have their general benefits, increasing the health and vitality of the human body. The Dhanur-asana has its peculiar benefits, too. Here are some of these:

• Dhanur-asana helps to keep the flexibility of the spine in order and helps in reducing the back pain, both lower and upper.

• It keeps our neck tension-free.

• It helps in digestion, too, as the area of abdominal muscles gets increased flow of blood by practicing this asana.

Urdhva Dhanurasana

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The meaning of the word ‘Dhanur,’ a Sanskrit word, is ‘bow-shaped.’ Here we can see the reverse of the bow. While doing this asana, the postures of our body look like a ‘Reverse Bow.’ Thus it is named so. 

Look at the image. This pose is exactly the reverse of the yoga asana known as Dhanurasana, the Bow Pose. This posture would help to improve spinal flexibility and stretch the shoulders and chest. It strengthens our arms and leg muscles, too. 

How to Do Reverse Bow Pose

We can see that in this yoga posture, we are to do the posture exactly the reverse of Dhanurasana, the Bow Pose. While doing this asana, just lie down on your back, straight and in a relieved state of mind.

After you are on your back, just start pushing your back on the upper side of your body. do it slowly if you feel pain in your back or in another limb. Finally manage to balance your body on the base of your hands and feet. Here your feet and palms would be your only attachments to your yoga mat.

Benefits of Doing Urdhva Dhanurasana, Reverse Bow Pose

Regular practice of Reverse Bow Pose improves the elasticity of our spine and the joints of the hip. It would help to slim our waist. Due to the rapid breathing we would do during this asana, it helps to increase the capacity of our lungs to take in more oxygen.

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How to do Ardh Dhanurasana, 

--Half Bow Pose

Beginners can do the above pose in half. This posture is known as the Ardha Dhanurasana, or Half Bow Pose.

Theme: Backbend Yoga Postures, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

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While we do various yoga postures, our body takes various shapes. The names of yoga postures are given as per the shapes the posture makes. Sometimes it is named so, looking to the benefits and the limbs of the body it involves. 

Rajakapot Asana, or the King Pigeon Pose

Rajakapot Asana, or the King Pigeon Pose, renders our body in a particular shape. In the image given here, it has a special name. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, as it involves one leg mainly.

This posture involves a backbend posture. It helps to open the hip portion of our body. This posture involves intense backbending. So for the beginners, it would be advisable to do this asana in the presence of a trained teacher.

YOGA POSTURES: Ustrasana—Camel Pose

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This posture is known as Camel Pose. It has several benefits. If we do it regularly, it helps in curing many diseases. It is not a very difficult yoga posture. The yoga posture of the Bow Pose is similar to this pose. But that is done by positioning our body differently. Here the step-by-step instructions are given.

How to Do Camel Pose

• Raise your hips positioned over your knees. Keep the shoulders straight over your hips.

• Put your palms touching your hips. Fingers should be facing the floor.

• Your upper body would look like a circle. From this stage, start pushing your hips forward so that they come straight up on the knees.

• Now put your palms on your paws. Imagine here that there is a string tied to your waist that pulls you towards the sky.

• Finally, allow your head to come backside, opening the throat. Now the whole body would look like a camel, and the pose would be 'camel pose.'

• If you are a beginner, you should not remain for more time in this posture.

• For a beginner, a stay of twenty seconds would be a sufficient exercise.

• While doing camel pose, someone may be feeling nauseous. But it normally happens while doing such postures. You should find yourself comfortable after a while.

• The women who are pregnant should avoid doing this posture. If they wish, they should do it after consulting a physician. A pregnant woman must do camel pose in the presence of a trained teacher only.

• If you do not feel tired, you can repeat doing this pose as many times as you wish. If you feel exhausted, take a good rest.

Benefits of Doing Ustrasana

• While we do camel posture, almost all the muscles of our body are stretched. This pose provides adequate exercise for the whole of our body. So it is a comprehensive exercise.

• If this pose is done as shown in the above passage, it would provide good exercise to many limbs, including the chest, abdomen, and quadriceps. In short, the front side of our body gets fully involved.

• If we do this posture regularly for a specific period, it would improve the flexibility of our spinal cord.

• Those persons who suffer from backache would be benefitted very much. After doing camel pose for a week, they would feel some relief from the pain. 

• Adjust the yoga mat on the floor. Sit in a kneeling position. If you feel pain or have a problem in your knees, you can take help of some padding.

YOGA POSTURES: INVERSION POSES - PLOUGH POSE, RAJ SARVANGASANA, SHIRSHASANA

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Here are some yoga postures doing which we have to invert our body, bending backside. 

Yoga Postures: Halasana, Plough Pose, Sarvanga Asana, Whole body Posture, Shirshasana, Head Stand are some of the inversion poses. 

The teachers and regular practitioners of yoga believe that if we do the postures that would keep our body in an inverted position, it would help to increase the flow of blood to the brain. 

Here are some postures of Yoga that could help those who face less flow of blood in the head.

SARVANGAASANA - The Shoulder Stand Pose

The word Sarvanga is a Sanskrit word comprised of two words. One is ‘Sarva (all) and another is ‘anga (lims). Thus it literally means “all the limbs”. As Sarvangasana or Shoulder Stand Posture is useful for the whole of the body, it is named like this. Sometimes it is referred to as “The Whole Body Posture”, too. While doing this asana, the whole body rests on the shoulders.

Preparation: Bridge Pose, Viparita Karani, Halasana

Pose Execution: Lying on the back, legs are lifted and supported by the hands on the back while the weight rests on the shoulders.

Benefits:

• Known as the “Queen of Asanas”

• Stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands

• Improves blood circulation

• Calms the brain and reduces insomnia

• Enhances immune system function

This inversion is deeply rejuvenating when done with care and appropriate support under the shoulders to protect the neck.

Shoulder Stand is an inverted pose. It is devised under the Hath Yoga system of yoga postures.

How to Do Shoulder Stand Pose

• First of all lie on your yoga mat: Keep the back flat on the floor. Both the palms should be resting downwards. Start inhaling, slowly.

• Now start it. Bend both the knees and draw them nearer to your stomach. You should keep inhaling slowly until the knees reach up to the stomach. Here you would exhale.

• Start inhaling again. Now you are to put all the pressure on the hands and try lifting your whole torso from the waist. It would make your spine into the shape of an ark.

• After the back is considerably up, exhaling and try raising both of your legs upward. Finally, you would keep your legs straight. Now the weight of your whole body would be on your shoulders.

• For coming into normal position, you are to do all the actions in their reverse order. Finally, your body would be in Shavasana, the relaxation Pose.

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via Wikimedia Commons 

Benefits of Doing Shoulder Stand Pose

• The Sarvangasana benefits our body and mind in several ways. It increases the flow of blood to the upper parts of our body. Such an increased flow of blood would help in increasing memory power.

• Doing this pose regularly can provide health solutions in the cases of soaring of the throat and nasal congestion.

Raja Sarvangasana - Inverted position 

• While doing this pose you would notice that your back get adequate exercise. It helps in reducing back pain.

• If you feel uneasy by sleeping much, you will feel relieved after doing Shoulder Stand posture.

• Above all this asana involves almost every limb of the body, as its name suggests, it helps to keep our body healthy and fit.

The sarvanga-asana benefits our body and mind in several ways. It increases the flow of blood to the upper parts of our body that helps to heal many disorders. We can have beneficial effects of the problem in soaring of the throat and nasal congestion. It helps in back pain. 

If you feel uneasy by sleeping much, you would feel relieved after doing this asana. Above all this asana involves almost every limb of the body, as its name suggests, it keeps body healthy and fit. Regular practice would help in the long run.

HALA-ASANA, The Plow Pose

Halasana is a Sanskrit word made of two words, Hala and Asana. Meaning of Hala is ‘plough’. While doing this asana our body looks like a ‘Plough’. So it is named ‘Plough Pose’.

For beginners, this posture would be a little bit difficult. But you would like to do it, as you can do another difficult posture of 'Halasana, the Plow Posture' from the shoulder Stand pose.

Caution: The beginners should avoid remaining for more than ten seconds in this pose. It may cause minor pain in your neck.

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Halasana (Plow Pose)

Preparation: Shoulderstand, Seated Forward Fold

Pose Execution: From Shoulderstand, the feet are brought overhead to the floor.

Benefits:

• Stretches the spine and shoulders

• Massages abdominal organs

• Reduces stress and fatigue

• Improves flexibility of the back and neck

• Soothes the nervous system

Halasana deepens the experience of inversion and encourages surrender and internalization.

How to Do Halasana, the Plough Posture

• First of all, you should lie on your yoga net. You should keep a rolled towel or a small pillow under your neck. It supports and protects the muscles of your neck.

• Keep the back flat on floor and palms should be rested downwards. Start inhaling, slowly.

• Now start bending both the knees and draw them towards your stomach and keep exhaling.

• While exhaling try raising both of your legs upward. Support your hips with your hands. The chin should be touching your chest. Finally, the torso should be straight and your paws facing the ceiling. This posture is called ‘Sarvanga Asana' or Shoulder Stand Pose. This is also called Whole Body Posture.

• Now proceed on. Put your hands flat on the floor. Palms should be facing the floor.

• Start bending your hips slowly so as your feet go in the opposite direction of your head. Let the feet go until your toes touch the yoga mat. Finally, your body would be in Plough Posture.

• For coming into normal position, you are to do all the actions in their reverse order.

Plough pose is one of the three poses, which are recommended to activate the ‘Manipur Chakra’ of Kundalini. This is the third chakra of Kundalini, and it is above our belly button. For doing that, you are to do three poses in the sequence. First, you should do the ‘Shoulder Stand Posture’. From that posture, you can proceed to do the ‘Plough Pose’, as it is one step ahead from the same. Finally, your body would rest in Savasana or Shavasanan’, which is also called ‘Relaxation Pose’.

Benefits of Doing Plough Pose

• This pose helps us stretching all the muscles from toes to waist. So it improves the functioning of our veins.

• While doing this pose, our spine is fully stretched. It makes the spine more elastic. The overall function of the spine is improved by doing this pose regularly.

• If a person is facing indigestion or any other gastric problems, practising of Halasana would help him or her to a great extent.

• Pregnant women should do this pose after getting proper guidance from their yoga teachers.

Here is one modification in the Halasan, the Plough Pose. You can give the support of your hand to your back. This would facilitate you to be for more time in this posture. In addition to that, such a pose would benefit in the case of back pain, too, as the hands rested on the back would help to ease the same. 

Shirshasana  

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If the whole body of yours is supported on your forearms; if your head is touching the floor; and your feet are facing straight to the sky; you must be in the state of ‘Sirsasana’, or ‘Headstand Yoga Posture’.

As this posture makes us stand on the strength of our head, it is named Headstand Posture. Sanskrit word for it is Shirshasna, but it is pronounced as ‘Sirsasana’ or ‘Sirshasana’, too.

While being on mere support of the head, we can take the assisting support of our palms or ankles as shown in these two illustrated postures. 

As this posture makes us stand on the strength of our head it is named as Sirshasana, the Head Stand Posture. While being on mere support of the head, we can take the assisting support of our palms or ankles as shown in these two illustrated postures.

How to Do Shirshasana

Preparation: Dolphin Pose, Plank, Forearm Stand Prep

Pose Execution: Interlacing the fingers on the mat to support the back of the head, the practitioner lifts the legs vertically with core and shoulder control.

Benefits:

• Known as the “King of Asanas”

• Enhances mental clarity and focus

• Builds upper body and core strength

• Improves circulation to the brain

• Strengthens spine and arms

• Promotes emotional stability and self-awareness

Sirsasana demands careful alignment and consistent practice. It should be taught under experienced guidance due to the risk to the cervical spine if done incorrectly.

Here is step-by-step guidance for doing this pose. It is one of the most difficult postures. But it can be done in two stages.

Stage One 

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• Come to kneeling position and put your forearms fully touching the floor. The fingers are to keep interlaced.

• Put your head on the area cupped by your fingers and the forearms.

• Then raise your waist as straight as possible. You can do it by taking your feet closer to head. It will send your hips over your shoulder. In this position, your body would make the shape of a triangle on the floor. This posture is an independent yoga posture. It is called Raja Grivasana. You can stay in this pose as long as you like.

Stage Two

• After you feel comfortable in Raja Gricasana, the last pose, as shown above, you would try lifting your feet and dragging knees near to your chest.

• Let the feet be settled for a while.

• The slowly and steadily try raising legs up. You should not worry if you fail to do it for one or two days.

• After the legs are straight and upward, the ‘Headstand Posture’ is completed. You are to remain in this pose for ten seconds.

• When you decide to end the pose, first put your one of the legs on the floor and then another.

Benefits of Doing Sirsasana

Like all other postures, it increases the flow of blood to our head and brain. This in turn would result in improvement of intellectual functions. It would help in increasing our memory.

It would help us to get relief from back pain or pain in leg and thigh muscles.

A person suffering from Sciatica would also be benefited. But in that case, this posture must be done in presence of a trained teacher. 

Like all other yoga postures, Shirshasana would benefit us by making the muscles of our body stronger. It would help us to get relief from back pain or pain in leg and thigh muscles. 

                       

As in this posture our head would be in the downside, it would enable the flow of blood to be in full force in our head. Thus it would heal in making our brain to function with more strength.