Shoulder rolls
Shoulder rolls are used in many types of exercise routines but when done in Yoga, you move slowly and with awareness, coordinating with the breath. 1. Stand tall but relaxed with your feet at hip width. 2. Hang your arms at your sides with your palms turned back. 3. As you inhale, roll your shoulders up and back as shown in Figure 15-9. As you exhale, drop your shoulders down. 4. Repeat Step 3 six to eight times, reversing the direction of the rolls. Move slowly in the shoulder rolls,...
Eyeing the many applications of eye bags
Eye bags, also called eye pillows, are small bags filled with light materials usually plastic pellets that yogis and yoginis use for various relaxation techniques. Although an eye bag may seem self-explanatory, there's actually more to eye bags than meets the, well, eye. They of course block light and other visual stimuli, which helps quiet the brain they also put gentle pressure on your eyes, which slows your heart rate. You can just cover your eyes with a towel, but the effect isn't quite the...
Sounding Off Yogic Breathing
Sound, which is a form of vibration, is one of the means that Yoga employs to harmonize the vibration of your body and mind. In fact, the repetition of special sounds is one of the older and more potent techniques of Yoga. Here, we show you how to try this technique in conjunction with conscious breathing. A good way to start is to use the soft-sounding syllables ah, ma, and sa. We're not asking you to chant, although chanting can be a great and useful experience as well. Sound makes your...
Being a Committed Yogi or Yogini
The traditional practice time for Yoga is 24 hours a day, as we discuss in Chapter 20. But even full-fledged yogis and yoginis don't perform postures and other similar exercises for more than a few hours daily. Of course, some of them don't practice any physical exercises at all but pursue meditation exclusively. Some people can carve out a regular Yoga practice time in their daily schedules. Many others, however, find this commitment completely impractical. Yet you can still benefit by...
Standing Tall
Standing as an art Singing praises of standing postures Practicing standing postures tanding upright is a uniquely human trait, and Yoga is a uniquely human practice. In this chapter, we discuss standing from the Yoga perspective, with an emphasis on the difference between just standing and the more quintessential version of standing. The simple act of standing upright brings your spine, muscles, tendons, and ligaments into play. Ordinarily, these parts do their assigned tasks quite...
Relaxed Like a Noodle The Fine Art of Letting Go of Stress
Understanding and dealing with stress Relaxing the body through mental and physical exercises ife in general not merely modern life is inherently stressful. Even an inanimate object such as a rock can experience an element of stress. Not all stress is bad for you, however. The question is whether that stress is helping you or killing you. Psychologists distinguish between distress and eustress good stress . Yoga can help you minimize distress and maximize good, life-enhancing stress. For...
Warrior II Vira bhadrasana II
Like the warrior I posture we cover in the preceding section, warrior II also strengthens your legs, back, shoulders, and arms. It focuses more on your hips and groin and increases strength and stamina it also improves balance. Use the following steps as your guide. 1. Stand in the mountain posture exhale, and step out to the right about 3 to 3 2 feet or the length of one leg with your right foot. 2. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot 45 degrees. An imaginary line drawn from...
Kneehugger
Knee-hugger is another of the yummy poses. These steps and Figure 17-13 show you how to help your child do it. You can find the adult version in Chapter 14 though there it's called knees-to-chest . For an added benefit have your child rock his knees from side to side while he's hugging them it gently massages the back. 1. Lie on your back and then bend and hug in your knees. 2. Just relax and think good thoughts.
Seated forward bend
These steps help you achieve this bend illustrated in Figure 18-11 . 1. Start in the seated mountain posture. 2. As you exhale, bend forward from your hips and slide your hands forward and down your legs. 3. Let your head and arms hang down and relax in the folded position for 4 to 6 breaths. 4. For a nice ending, use the seated mountain posture. Close your eyes and choose focus breathing Chapter 5 or a relaxation technique Chapter 4 for two to five minutes.
Scorpion
The scorpion posture improves overall balance and stability. This posture, which is a variation of cakravakasana, strengthens your shoulders, improves the flexibility of your hips, legs, and shoulders, and enhances focus and concentration. The following steps walk you through the process 1. While on your hands and knees, position your hands directly under your shoulders with your palms down, fingers spread on the floor, and your knees directly under your hips. Straighten your arms, but don't...
Corpse posture with bent legs Shavasana variation
Relaxation and breathing are important ingredients for a healthy back. The corpse posture is a classic position to start the process. If your back feels uncomfortable, place a pillow or blanket roll under your knees. If your head tilts back, place a folded blanket or small pillow under your head. 1. Lie flat on your back with your arms relaxed along the sides of your torso and your palms up. 2. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor at hip width. 3. Close your eyes and relax see...
Inversion optional
Indian Yoga teachers often teach inverted postures toward the beginning or at the end of a class. For Westerners, we prefer to introduce inverted postures closer to the middle of the routine, when they've properly prepared their backs and necks and have plenty of time for adequate compensation. Inverted postures like those shown in Figure 15-20 are optional, and we recommend that beginners avoid the half shoulder stand and the half shoulder stand at the wall until they've practiced Yoga for six...
Skipping Class
Traditionally, Yoga is passed down from teacher to student. However, a few accomplished yogis and yoginis are self-taught. These independent spirits set a precedent for those who enjoy exploring new territory on their own. If you live in an isolated area and don't have easy access to a Yoga instructor or class, don't be disheartened. You still have several choices that can help you begin your yogic journey and in the appendix we provide you with a fairly extensive list of resources . Here's an...
Tree posture
Work your child through tree posture by using the following instructions, and check out Figure 17-6 for an illustration. Flip to Chapter 7 for more information on the adult version. 1. Start in the mountain posture, standing tall and still. 2. Bend one of your legs and place the bottom of that foot up high on the inside of the other thigh. 3. Bring your hands together up high above your head and imagine you're a tree, making the sound of the wind blowing through your leaves shhhhhhhh. 4. Now...
Busting the perfect posture myth
Some modern schools of Hatha Yoga claim that they teach perfect postures that you can slip into as easily as a tailor-made suit. But how can the same posture be perfect for both a 15-year-old athlete and a 60-year-old retiree Besides, these schools disagree among themselves about what constitutes a perfect posture. So, to spell it out, the perfect posture is a perfect myth. As the great Yoga master Patanjali explained nearly 2,000 years ago, posture has only two requirements A posture should be...
Enjoying a Peaceful Yoga Practice
As you travel through yogic postures, you begin to build awareness of the communications taking place between your body and mind. Do you feel peacefully removed from the raging storm of life around you, comfortable and confident with your strength, motion, and steadiness Or are you painfully noting the slow passage of time, sensing a physical awkwardness or strain in your movements Listen to your own rhythms and acknowledge their importance to help make your Yoga experience an expression of...
Authors Acknowledgments
From Georg I would like to cordially thank Larry for graciously shouldering the main burden of preparing this new edition for the press. My thanks also go to the For Dummies staff for their essential behind-the-scenes work done. From Larry Unless you are truly gifted like my coauthor Georg, writing a book takes a village, and I have many people to thank in mine. Merry of MerryMedia first encouraged me to do this revision. Sri TKV Desikachar and his family have inspired my Yoga path since 1980....
Seated forward bend Variation
A twist is almost always followed by a forward bend to rebalance the spine and hips, so here's one to counter the twist in the preceding section. 1. Start in the seated chair posture turned sideways with the chair back on either your left or right. 2. As you exhale, bend forward from the hips and slide your hands down your legs as you hang your head, chest, and arms comfortably as shown in Figure 22-26. 3. Stay in Step 2 for six to eight breaths.
Develop Good Habits from the Beginning
Bad habits die hard, so cultivate good Yoga habits from the outset. If possible, take two or three lessons from a qualified Yoga teacher, either in a group class or privately. At least read our book and other practical Yoga books carefully before trying out the postures and breathing exercises. Wrong practice can do damage Protect yourself by proceeding slowly and following the instructions step by step. Err on the cautious side. If in doubt, always consult a teacher or knowledgeable...
Observing chastity in thought and deed
Chastity brahmacarya, pronounced brah-mah-chahr-yah , which is a highly valued virtue in all traditional societies, means abstention from inappropriate sexual behavior. According to Yoga, only adults who are in a committed marriage or partnership should be sexually active all others should practice sexual abstinence. For many Westerners, this standard is very difficult. Yogically speaking, you must extend the ideal of chastity to action, speech, and even thought. We leave it up to you to...
Forward bends
The seated forward bends normally come toward the end of an exercise program because they have a calming effect. Of all the postures described in this book, the seated extended-leg forward bends divide the sexes the most. Because of their higher muscle density, especially in the hip and groin area, men are usually tighter in the hamstrings. Preparation of the hamstrings is particularly important for them in these postures. If you have a hard time with this category, bend your knees more and, if...
Gaining focus
Concentration and meditation are special moments in the same mindfulness that you're asked to bring to every aspect of your life. The Sanskrit word for concentration is dharana, which means holding. You hold your attention by focusing on a specific bodily process such as breathing , a thought, an image, or a sound as we discuss in Practicing Meditation later in the chapter . Through concentration, you seek to become concentric, or properly centered and harmonious with yourself. When you're out...
Kapalabhati Frontal sinus cleansing
Kapala-bhati pronounced kah-pah-la-bhah-tee literally means skull luster and is also known as frontal sinus or brain cleansing. The curious Sanskrit name is explained by the fact that the technique causes a sense of luminosity in the head, as well as lightheadedness, especially when you're overdoing it. Sometimes this breathing method is wrongly equated with bhastrika bellows , which is a more advanced technique of rapid breathing, but kapala-bhati belongs to the preparatory practices of...
The Mechanics of Yogic Breathing
Most people are either shallow chest breathers or shallow belly breathers. Yogic breathing incorporates a complete breath that expands both the chest and the abdomen on inhalation either from the chest down or the abdomen up. Both are valid techniques. Figures 5-2 and 5-3 later in the chapter show you each of these techniques. Yogic breathing involves breathing much more deeply than usual, which in turn brings more oxygen into your system. Don't be surprised if you feel a ir ll little...
Half standing forward bend Ardha uttanasana
The Sanskrit word ardha pronounced ahrd-ha means half. The half standing forward bend strengthens your legs, back, shoulders, and arms and improves stamina. Here's how you do it 1. Start in the mountain posture and as you inhale, raise your arms forward and then up overhead as in the standing forward bend see the preceding section . 2. As you exhale, bend forward from your hips. Soften your knees and hang your arms. 3. Bend your knees, and as you inhale, raise your torso and arms up from the...
Approaching Prime of Life Yoga with the Right Mindset
As you age, mobility is the new flexibility. So although you may have been able to do the most acrobatic postures in your youth, the important goal now is to maintain the mobility to remain fit and active. In the Prime of Life approach to Yoga postures, spinal freedom and movement take precedence over form. Adjustments to the posture, such as bending the knees a lot if necessary, encourage movement of the spine. The attitude you bring to your practice is critical. The right attitude on the mat...
The perfect posture Siddhasana
The Sanskrit word siddha pronounced sidd-hah means both perfect and adept. In Yoga, an adept isn't just a skillful practitioner but an accomplished master who has attained inner freedom. SB t Many Yoga masters in bygone eras preferred this posture and used it often in place of the lotus posture. We don't cover either the half lotus or the full lotus position in this book because they're suitable only for more experienced students. This hand position seals off life energy called prana. This hand...
Standing spreadlegged forward bend Prasarita pada uttanasana 1
This modified forward bend improves circulation in the head and lengthens the spine, hamstrings, and adductor muscles on the inside of the thighs. Just hang in this posture shown in Figure 16-7 for 6 to 8 breaths. You can also try this standing posture with your hips at a wall or door. Standing spread-legged forward bend. Standing spread-legged forward bend.
Seated relaxation
All of the concentration, breath, and movement leads to this moment. You may also replace this breathing exercise with any of the relaxation techniques in Chapter 4. 1. Start in the seated chair posture with your eyes closed as in Figure 22-28. 2. Use belly breathing see Chapter 5 and gradually increase the length of your exhalation until you reach your comfortable maximum. 3. Take 20 to 30 belly breaths at your comfortable maximum and then gradually come back to your normal resting breath.
Arching with the suck em up posture
The suck 'em up posture strengthens and tones the abdominal muscles and the internal organs. The posture is especially beneficial for relieving constipation. 1. Start on your hands and knees with your hands just below your shoulders and your knees at hip width. 2. Inhale deeply through your nose. 3. Exhale through your mouth and hump your back like a camel as you bring your chin down. When you have fully exhaled, don't immediately inhale hold your breath where it is and then suck your belly up...
Cultivating the Right Attitude
Attitudes are enduring tendencies in your mind that show themselves in your behavior as well as your speech. Yoga encourages you to examine all your basic attitudes toward life to discover which ones are dysfunctional so that you can replace them with more appropriate ones. The traditional Sanskrit texts of Hatha Yoga state that 8.4 million postures exist, which correspond to as many species of living creatures. Of these, it's said, only 84 are useful to humans, and 32 are especially important....
Dynamic bridge Dvipada pitham
The gentle action of the bridge compensates the abs and relaxes the back for the hamstring stretch in the following section. Head to Chapter 15 for more on sequencing and compensation. 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor at hip width. 2. Place your arms at your sides with your palms down. 3. As you inhale, raise your hips to a comfortable height as demonstrated in Figure 22-6. 4. As you exhale, return your hips to the floor. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 six to eight...
Strengthening with yogi sitbacks
Yogi sit-backs strengthen both the lower and upper abdomen. This posture is a variation of navasana. The Sanskrit word nava, pronounced nah-vah, means boat. 1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor at hip width. 2. Place your hands on the floor, palms down, near your hips. 3. Bring your chin down and round your back in a C curve like in Figure 9-3a. 4. As you inhale, roll slowly onto the back of your pelvis, dragging your hands along on the floor as shown in Figure...
The karate kid
The karate kid improves overall balance and stability. It strengthens the legs, arms, and shoulders and opens the hips. As with the other one-legged balancing postures, the karate kid enhances focus and concentration. Just follow these steps 1. Stand in the mountain posture, which we describe in Chapter 7. 2. As you inhale, raise your arms out to the sides parallel to the line of your shoulders and the floor so that they form a T with your torso. 3. To steady yourself, focus on a spot on the...
Locust I Shalabhasana 1
The cobra postures in the preceding sections work primarily to stretch your back and restore its natural curves, but the locust posture works more on strengthening your back. Both are important to your back health. 1. Lie on your abdomen with your legs at hip width and the tops of your feet on the floor. 2. Extend your arms back along the sides of your torso with your palms on the floor. 3. As you inhale, raise your chest, head, and right leg as illustrated in Figure 22-14. 4. As you exhale,...
Gaining a Strong Backbone And Some Insight
Without the spinal column, you'd never experience back pain but then again, you couldn't walk upright either The backbone enables you to bend forward, backward, and sideways, and it also allows you to twist. You perform all these motions every day, but you may do them unconsciously and without adequate muscular support. Yoga uses the natural movements of the spine to train the various muscles supporting it, which contributes to a healthy back and prevent back pain. Although the spinal column's...
Kneestochest posture Apanasana 1
One of the rules of sequencing which we cover in Chapter 15 is to always follow a twist with some kind of forward bend. Knees-to-chest is a classic forward bend to use when the posture preceding it is a floor twist, as in this back routine. 1. Lie on your back and bend your knees in toward your chest. 2. Hold your shins just below your knees see Figure 22-18a . 3. As you exhale, draw your knees inward, closer to your chest as demonstrated in Figure 22-18b. 4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 three to four...
Rock the baby
This series prepares you for advanced sitting postures and forward bends. 1. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Press your hands on the floor behind you for support 3. Bend your right knee and place your right foot just above your left knee with your right ankle to the outside of the left knee see Figure 15-11a . 4. Stabilize your right foot with your left hand and your right knee with your right hand swing your right knee up and down 6 to 8 times by gently pressing...
Off to a Good Start with Yoga
Okay, you've got -the breathing dovm, but wouldn't you be more comfortable in a different -workout suit oga is very comprehensive and includes a great variety of approaches. Before you go off hiking in the countryside, you need to take a quick look at the map or risk getting lost. Likewise, before you start experimenting with Yoga, you want to know what it is and how it works. That's how you can ensure that your practice of Yoga is both enjoyable and safe. In this first part, we give you a road...
Balancing postures optional
Balancing postures are optional and depend on your time and stamina. They're often the most athletic postures and require overall coordination. Balancing postures are very rewarding because you can see your progress immediately. They fit nicely after the standing postures because at this point in your routine, you're fully warmed up. All our recommended balancing postures are either standing or kneeling, which means they fit smoothly into the sequence. Choose one balancing posture from Chapter...
Trying yogi situps
Yogi sit-ups strengthen the abdomen, especially the upper abdomen, the adductors insides of your legs , the neck, and the shoulders. 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor at hip width. 2. Turn your toes in pigeon-toed and bring your inner knees together. 3. Spread your palms on the back of your head with your fingers interlocked and keep your elbows wide. 4. As you exhale, press your knees firmly, tilt the front of your pelvis toward your navel, and with your hips...
Preparation for forward bends
Preparation is particularly critical for extended leg forward bends. Stretching the hamstrings or the hips just before doing a seated forward bend refer to Chapter 11 not only improves the posture but is also safer for your back. Use the hamstring stretch or the double leg stretch for a 30-minute routine. see Figure 15-4 . For a longer routine, use both and or the rock the baby sequence see Figure 15-11 . Compensating for back bends is an important part of your Yoga program. Compensating for...
Seated triangle posture
Refer to Figure 18-15 for a visual of this posture and then follow these steps 1. Start in the seated mountain posture and, as you inhale, raise your right arm out and up from the right side with your palm rotated inward toward your head. 2. As you exhale, lean your right arm, head, and torso to the left as you drop your left arm down. Keep your hips on the seat of the chair. 3. Hold Step 2 for 4 to 6 breaths and then repeat Steps 1 through 3 on the opposite side with the left arm .
Floor Routine
Some people call this routine the Lifetime Sequence because getting into wide-legged seated forward bend postures takes a lifetime if you aren't naturally flexible in the hips. The beauty of Yoga is that if you don't achieve your goal in this lifetime, you can get there in the next. Before you begin, here are some tips to keep in mind Choose focus or chest-to-belly breathing from Chapter 5. Stay in each posture including each time you raise your arms for 6 to 8 breaths. Do the whole sequence...
Extended legs supine twist Jathara parivritti
If you enjoy practicing the Swiss army knife see the preceding section , you're likely to enjoy this slightly more demanding exercise. This variation of jathara parivritti gives you the same benefits as the Swiss army knife but creates an even more pronounced stretch of the lower back and hips. And, of course, stretching is good for your muscles and your spine. The following steps show you how it works 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor at hip width and extend your...
Dynamic bridge Dvipada pitha
You can use this exercise for warm-up and compensation and as a main posture. The Sanskrit term dvipada means two-footed and pitha means seat, which is a synonym for asana. The pronunciation is dvee-pah-dah peet-hah. 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor at hip width, and your arms at your sides with palms turned down see Figure 15-5a . 2. As you inhale, raise your hips to a comfortable height see Figure 15-5b . 3. As you exhale, return your hips to the floor. 4....
Pushdowns I Urdhva prasrta padasana I
Note We recommend that you start with this posture and replace it with push-downs II in the following section when you're ready to advance. The abdomen is considered the front of your back see Chapter 9 . Keep this key area strong and toned if you want to prevent back problems. The pushdowns are a great way to get that party started because they strengthen your abs without involving your neck and improve your core strength. 1. Lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor...
Half warrior Ardha virabhadrasana variation
This posture stretches your main hip flexors the iliopsoas , one of the key muscle groups for maintaining a healthy lower back. 1. Start standing on your knees at hip width and then take a big step forward with the right foot, keeping your left knee on the ground square your hips forward and place your hands on your right thigh, fingers forward just above your knee as shown in Figure 22-10a. 2. As you exhale, sink your hips forward and down as Figure 22-10b demonstrates. Be sure to keep...
Standing spreadlegged forward bend Prasarita pada uttanasana
The Sanskrit word prasarita pronounced prah-sah-ree-tah means outstretched and pada, pronounced pah-dah means foot. This posture, also called the wide-legged standing forward bend, stretches your hamstrings and your adductors on insides of the thighs and opens your hips. The hanging forward bend increases circulation to your upper torso and lengthens your spine. Figure 7-9 shows you this posture here's how you do it 1. Stand in the mountain posture, exhale, and step your right foot out to the...
Bentleg supine twist Variation Jathara parVritti Variation II
A good back routine often includes both an upper and a lower back twist. The bent-leg supine twist variation is appropriate here because it's easy to execute. We offer you a number of other effective twists in Chapter 12. If you're having a disc-related problem, be very careful of twists. If you have any negative symptoms, such as pain or numbness, leave the twist out and speak to your physician before adding it back to your program. 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the...