Chakrasana – The Wheel Pose.

 

Chakrasana or the wheel pose is a backward bending yoga asana. Chakra in Sanskrit means Wheel and Asana means a pose. In Chakrasana, the final position looks like a wheel, hence the name. This posture gives great flexibility to the spine.

How to do Chakrasana (Wheel Pose)?

1. Lie down on your back with hands on the side.
2. Bend your knees and bring your heels as close to the buttocks as possible. The heels should be about 1 foot apart.
3. 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.
4. Lift your body up with the support of the palms and the feet.
5. Rotate the head slightly, so that your gaze is towards the floor.
6. Stretch your thighs and shoulders. In the final position, your body looks like an arch, almost like a wheel.
7. Maintain this position, according to your capacity.
8. To release the position, lower your body until it touches the ground. Straighten your legs. Hands can go back to the original position to the sides.
9. It should be followed by forward bending poses to counteract the pressure created by the back bend.

 Benefits of Chakrasana (Wheel Pose)

1. Chakrasana strengthens the back and abdominal muscles.
2. It tones the organs in the abdomen including the digestive, excretory and reproductive organs.
3. It strengthens arms, shoulders, wrists, abdomen, and spine.
4. It expands the chest and lungs.
5. It stimulates the thyroid gland.
6. Chakrasana is excellent for those suffering from back pain.
7. It tones the liver, pancreas, and kidneys.

 Contraindication for Chakrasana (Wheel Pose)

1. Chakrasana should be avoided by those suffering from cardiac ailments.
2. Those who suffer from high blood pressure should also avoid this pose.
3. If you are suffering from vertigo you may do this pose with caution under supervision.
4. Those who have undergone recent surgeries should not attempt this pose.

Yoga is...

ready for whatever may come...

Not thinking, but not dreaming. Aware and alert, ready for whatever may come. 

- Bruce Lee.

Brahmacharyasana – The Celibate’s Pose.

 Brahmacharyasana or the Celibate’s Pose helps to conserve sexual energy and strengthens abdominal muscles. It comes from the Sanskrit word Brahmacharya which means control over the senses especially the sexual urge.

Yoga believes that the sexual energy in both man and women is very potent and can be used for evolution and reach higher states of consciousness. Yoga also believes that this sexual energy can be transmuted into the higher form of energy called Ojas, which improves the vitality of the entire physical and mental body. Brahmacharyasana is one of the poses that aid in this transmutation.

How to do Brahmacharyasana (the Celibate’s Pose)?

1. Sit on the floor with legs stretched out in front of you.
2. Keep the hands on the sides with palms touching the floor. The palms should face forwards. Keep the hand and elbow straight.
3. Tense the entire body to make the legs, abdomen and chest stiff.
4. Now raise yourself up with the aid of the palms alone. This needs some strength in the initial stages. 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.
5. The entire body is balanced on the hands. This is the final position.
6. Remain in this position for as long as it is comfortable. Retain your breath in the final position.
7. Return to your base position on the ground. Exhale after touching the ground. Take few normal breaths before repeating the process. Practice up to 3 times in each session.
8. After this asana, take rest in Shavasana or the Corpse Pose. 

Benefits of Brahmacharyasana (The Celibate’s Pose)

1. This asana strengthens the arms and shoulders.
2. Brahmacharyasana helps to tone and strengthen the abdominal muscles.
3. This asana is excellent for those who wish to conserve sexual energy. Brahmacharyasana helps to sublimate the sexual energy to the subtler form of energy called Ojas, which improves the physical and mental health of the body.

Happy Yogi!!!

Happy International Yoga Day!!!

Falun Dafa / Falun Gong.

Bhujangasana – The Cobra Pose.

 

Bhujangasana or the Cobra Pose is one of the main backward bending asanas used in yoga. In Bhujangasana, the head and trunk resemble a cobra with the raised hood, hence the name (Bhujanga means Cobra in Sanskrit). Bhujangasana is easy to perform and is integrated into other yoga practices like the Surya Namaskar, where it appears as the 8th pose in the series of 12 poses.

Usually, our back muscles don’t get much exercise, in our day to day activities. The weakening of these muscles can lead to backaches, stooping, slipped disks and other posture defects. Bhujangasana is an easy way to strengthen the back muscles. You should avoid this asana if you are pregnant or if you have had any abdominal surgery in the recent past.

How to do Bhujangasana (The Cobra Pose)?

1. Lie down on your stomach with hands on the side, toes touching together.
2. Bring your hands to the front at the shoulder level, with palms resting on the floor.
3. Slowly raise your trunk and head with the support of the palms alone. The arms should be bent at the elbows.
4. Arch your neck slightly backward, so that the pose looks like a cobra with the raised hood.
5. Breathe normally and feel the stomach press against the floor.
6. Hold the asanas for few seconds in the beginning stages. One may go up to 2 minutes as one progresses.
7. 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 a pillow. Bend and rest your head on one side and breathe normally. 

 Benefits of Bhujangasana (The Cobra Pose)

1. Bhujangasana strengthens the back muscles especially the lower back.
2. It increases the flexibility of the spine and the muscles around it.
3. It tones the organs in the lower abdomen, the digestive organs, the urinary and reproductive organs.
4. It tones the buttock muscles.
5. Bhujangasana can correct some of the menstrual irregularities.

Contraindications for Bhujangasana (The Cobra Pose)

1. Bhujangasana should be avoided if you have any spine or hip injury.
2. Those who have severe pain in the lower back can do the simpler version of Bhujangasana, namely the Sphinx Pose.

Sri Yantra

Sri Yantra, also known as Sri Chakra, is called the mother of all yantras because all other yantras derive from it. In its three-dimensional forms, Sri Yantra is said to represent Mount Meru, the cosmic mountain at the center of the universe.

The Sri Yantra is conceived as a place of spiritual pilgrimage. It is a representation of the cosmos at the macrocosmic level and of the human body at the microcosmic level (each of the circuits corresponds to a chakra of the body).

Sri Yantra is first referred to in an Indonesian inscription dating to the seventh century C.E. It may have existed in India, its country of origin, long before the time of its introduction to Indonesia.

The Sri Yantra is a configuration of nine interlocking triangles, surrounded by two circles of lotus petals with the whole encased within a gated frame, called the "earth citadel". The nine interlocking triangles centered around the Bindu (the central point of the yantra) are drawn by the superimposition of five downward pointing triangles, representing Shakti; the female principle and four upright triangles, representing Shiva; the male principle. The nine interlocking triangles form forty-three small triangles each housing a presiding deity associated with particular aspects of existence.

Man's spiritual journey from the stage of material existence to ultimate enlightenment is mapped on the Sri Yantra. The spiritual journey is taken as a pilgrimage in which every step is an ascent to the center, a movement beyond one's limited existence, and every level is nearer to the goal. Such a journey is mapped in stages, and each of these stages corresponds with one of the circuits of which the Sri Yantra is composed from the outer plane to the Bindu in the center.

The Sri Yantra is a tool to give a vision of the totality of existence, so that the adept may internalize its symbols for the ultimate realization of his unity with the cosmos.

The goal of contemplating the Sri Yantra is that the adept can rediscover his primordial sources. The circuits symbolically indicate the successive phases in the process of becoming.

Bhadrasana – The Gracious Pose

Bhadrasana or the Gracious Pose is good for activating the Mooladhara chakra. In Sanskrit ‘Bhadra’ means ‘auspicious’ and ‘asana’ means ‘pose’. Bhadrasanais mentioned in the Hatha Yoga text Hatha Yoga Pradeepika and also in the Gheranda Samhita.

Yogi Swatmarama, the author of Hatha Yoga Pradeepika mentions four main asanas for meditation. Bhadrasana is mentioned as the fourth asana suitable for prolonged periods of sitting. The Hatha Yoga Pradeepika also calls Bhadrasana the destroyer of diseases. It also says that the yogi can get rid of fatigue by sitting in this asana. Those who suffer from knee problems should avoid this asana.

How to do Bhadrasana (The Gracious Pose)?

1. Sit on the floor with legs stretched out.
2. Fold both the legs and bring them close to each other. The souls of the feet must touch each other.
3. 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.
4. Keep the spine straight and relax the trunk especially the shoulders.
5. Maintain this final pose for as long as comfortable. The breathing can be slow and rhythmic. For physical benefits, practice the final pose with awareness of breath at the nose tip. For spiritual benefits, one may also practice awareness of the Mooladhara chakra. 

Benefits of Bhadrasana (The Gracious Pose)

1. Bhadrasana activates the root chakra or the Mooladhara chakra.
2. It strengthens the thighs, hips, and buttocks.
3. It is good for developing flexibility of the legs.
4. Bhadrasana is an excellent posture for meditation. The posture directs the pranic energy upwards. It also calms the brain and reduces mental activity.
5. It is mainly practiced for its spiritual benefits as it is one of the four main asanas mentioned in classical texts for the practice of dhyana.

Balasana – The Child’s Pose.

 

Balasana or the Child’s Pose is an excellent resting pose. In Sanskrit, Bala means Child and Asana means a yoga pose. This asana or pose has been created by observing young children who naturally use this to relax. Balasana is one of the easiest relaxation poses and can be done by all practitioners. It can also be performed between asanas. It gives emotional and mental relaxation.

Avoid Balasana if you have any knee pain or severe lower back injury. Also, those with high blood pressure should avoid this pose.

How to do Balasana (The Child’s Pose)

1. Start with the kneeling position. Keep the feet and toes together.
2. Now, spread your knees slightly apart. Inhale slowly and deeply.
3. Slowly bend forward and let your chest rest between the thighs. Exhale as you are bending down. Let your hands be in front of you and resting on the floor, palms facing the mat.
4. Adjust your pelvis and sacrum in such a way that your abdomen rests between the inner thighs and the back is stretched forward.
5. The forehead should rest on the floor and palms facing downwards, fully touching the mat. The arms should be in line with the knees and fully stretched out and relaxed. If you have difficulty resting the forehead on the floor, you may use a pillow for support.
6. Breathe normally in this position and feel a deep relaxation. Remain in this position for as long as you are comfortable.
7. 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 (Shavasana) to relax the legs and lower back if required. 

Benefits of Balasana (The Child’s Pose)

1. Balasana is a good resting pose and removes fatigue.
2. It relieves stress and anxiety and makes the mind peaceful.
3. Balasana can be used for those who are in deep emotional stress. This asana releases emotional pain when done with deep and slow relaxed breathing.
4. It releases stress in the shoulder and lower back. It gives a good stretch to the shoulder muscles, back muscles and the arms.
5. It can be used by those suffering from neck pain as well as lower back pain. Those with lower back pain should follow it up with a counter backward bend pose like Makarasana or Bhujangasana.
6. This pose stretches the spine and lengthens it. 

There is a variation of Balasana, where the hands are kept on the side of the thighs, instead of stretching forward. In this position, the hands are facing backward and kept relaxed throughout.

Balancing Table Top Pose.

Balancing Table Top Pose brings a sense of balance and strengthens the core muscles, hips, muscles of the lower back and the spine. This is a beginner’s pose and can be done by everyone.

How to do Balancing Table Top Pose?

1. Start by sitting in the kneeling position or Vajrasana.
2. Now assume the Table Top Pose as follows. Place both your hands in front with palms on the floor facing forward. Raise yourself up and support yourself on the palms and the knees. Adjust and bring the palms under your shoulders. Take the tailbone backward and stretch your neck forwards to make the spine straight. This is the simple Table Top Pose.
3. Inhale and slowly raise the right leg up backward making it parallel to the ground. Breathe normally now.
4. Keep the gaze focussed between the palms. Again inhale and raise the left arm and make it parallel to the ground.
5. Spread out the fingers of the left palm and let it point towards the front wall.
6. Breathe normally and maintain this position for as long as you are comfortable.
7. 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 Top Pose.
8. Repeat the pose with the left leg raised backward and the right arm raised in front.

Benefits of Balancing Table Top Pose

1. Balancing Table Top Pose will improve the sense of balance.
2. It strengthens the abdominal and lowers back muscles.
3. It strengthens the core muscles.
4. This asana helps to elongate the spine and correct some postural defects.
5. It can relieve stress and tension, especially when awareness of breath is maintained.

 Contraindications for Balancing Table Top Pose

1. Those suffering from the injury of knees or wrist should avoid this pose.
2. If you have pain in the knees while doing this pose, you can use a soft folded blanket under the knees as support.
3. Those who have undergone any recent surgery of the shoulders, arms, hips, abdomen, back, etc. should attempt this pose only after total recovery.

Bakasana – The Crane Pose.

 

Bakasana or the Crane Pose looks like a crane patiently waiting to catch its prey. In Sanskrit, ‘baka’ means ‘crane’ and ‘asana’ means ‘pose’. There are many variations of Bakasana, depicting the crane in various poses. The most popular version that is practiced is called the Baka Dhyanasana which looks like a crane meditating in stillness, concentrating on its prey and waiting for the final kill.

To perform Bakasana, one needs a good strength of the wrist, hands and shoulders and a good sense of balance to maintain the position for long. Those with high blood pressure and cerebral thrombosis should avoid this asana.

How to do Bakasana (The Crane Pose)?

1. Squat on the floor with legs slightly apart.
2. Place the hands on the floor and let the palms feel the floor.
3. Raise the heels and balance yourself on the toes.
4. Slowly bend forward and shift the weight of the body to the palms.
5. Lift yourself up using the palms. The elbows will be bent. Raise yourself up further till the hands are perpendicular to the ground.
6. 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.
7. Retain the breath in the final position. Maintain this position for as long as possible. Your concentration should be on maintaining the balance of the body.
8. To release the pose, return to the initial squatting position and breathe normally.
9. Repeat this as many times as you are comfortable. 

Benefits of Bakasana (The Crane Pose)

1. Bakasana strengthens the wrists, arms, and shoulders.
2. It improves the sense of balance as it requires sufficient nervous coordination.
3. It can remove tension and anxiety.

Contraindications for Bakasana (The Crane Pose)

1. Bakasana should not be practiced is you have very weak wrists.
2. It should be avoided if you have an injury to wrist, arms or shoulders.