Parshvottanasana (पार्श्वोत्तानासन) (standing side stretch) is a beginning to intermediate level pose which is great for the health of the legs as well as the spine. It provides an excellent stretch for the entire back side of the legs, hamstrings in particular.

Step-by-step

1. Come to a standing position close to the top of the mat with the feet hip distance apart. Stretch your left leg back so the feet are about 3.5′ to 4′ apart. Keep the right foot facing the front with the side of the foot parallel to the side edge of the mat. Keep the left foot turned about 60 degrees toward to the front foot. Try to keep both the legs straight.
2. Place the hands on the waist and turn the hips and shoulders so they are parallel to the top edge of the mat. Keep the back heel firmly pressed into the mat.
3. Place the hands on the right thigh and start sliding them down the leg. Make the effort to keep the right leg as straight as possible. Try to bend the torso at the waist area. Press the thighs backward so the torso stays elongated and pushed forward.
4. Maintain the intention to keep the right leg straight. However, if the hamstrings begin to complain, you may like to bend the right knee slightly so as to avoid overstretching the back side of the leg.
5. As you slide the hands down, if they don’t reach the floor on either side of the right foot, you may keep the hands on the shins or ankles or just as far down as they reach. Alternately, if you have them handy, you may like to place a pair of blocks on either side of the foot and place the hands on the blocks for support.
6. If you feel comfortable in the final posture, you may attempt to drop the chest further in an effort to bring it closer to the right thigh.
7. Try to stay in the final pose for about 25 seconds
8. To come out of the pose, slowly begin to lift the spine up from the waist, sliding the hands up the leg. When you are fully vertical, relax for a few breaths.
9. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits:

• Strengthens and stretches back side of the legs, especially the hamstrings
•  Great stretch for the entire back
• Strengthens and tones abdomen; improves digestion
• Massages internal organs like the liver and stomach
• Has very calming effect on the brain
• Improves posture and a sense of balance

Contraindications/Modifications:

• If you suffer from high blood pressure, abdominal illness or have any back injury, avoid going down all the way. Instead, go half way and keep the torso parallel to the floor
• If you have problem with balance, you may like to face the wall, adjust your distance from the wall and place your hands on the wall at shoulder height
• Variation: clasp hands behind the back and extend the arms away from you as you bend forward

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Hanumanasana (हनुमानासन) is named after Lord Hanumana, friend and a devoted servant of Lord Rama in the epic story Ramayana. For those who are not familiar with the story, here is a very brief recap :

At the time when Rama, his wife Sita, and brother Lakshamana were in exile as hermits in the Dandaka forest, Ravana, the demon king of Lanka (Ceylon, now Srilanka), came to their hermitage in the guise of a monk and captured Sita, taking her to Lanka. In their search for Sita, the brothers asked Sugriva, the king of the monkeys, for help. Hanuman, the chief of the army of monkeys, was sent in search of Sita. Hanuman, leaping over the straits, crossed the Indian Ocean between the Southern tip of India and Lanka, and found Sita in Ravana’s palace garden. He brought the news to Rama, who built a causeway of stones across the sea to Lanka and after a gruesome battle killed Ravana and rescued Sita. During the battle, Lakshamana had been struck by an arrow and was almost fatally wounded. It was said that the only cure was to administer the juice of a specific herb which grew in the Himalayas.  Hanuman, with his great abilities, was assigned the task of getting the herb.  With a grand leap Hanuman crossed the sea and reached the Himalayas to bring back the herb. However, unable to recognize the herb, he decided to uproot the entire mountain which he then carried on his hands while leaping over the ocean to reach Lanka. The herb, called Sanjivani (that which can bring life to a dead being) saved the life of Lakshamana. Hanumanasana is thus named after Hanuman in recognition of his great leap.

Hanumanasana  is considered an intermediate to an advanced level pose depending upon how close you can get to the final pose. This is one of the poses where the final goal is a little more obvious than many other poses – that of stretching the feet away from each other and bringing both the hips on the ground, keeping the legs straight. It is probably one of the best poses for loosening up tight hamstring muscles and opening the hip flexors.

Hanuman, according to many, is the greatest yogi that ever was. Due to his intense sadhana (spiritual endeavor), he had attained supernormal powers which he utilized only for the service of his master, Lord Rama. He had the utmost devotion for Rama. While practicing Hanumanasana, we keep these traits of selfless devotion, service, humility and surrender in our mind.

Step-by-step

1. Start by getting into the Downward Facing Dog position.




2. Inhale and bring the right foot forward to a lunge position, with palms on the floor.
3. Lower the left knee to the floor. Keeping the palms on the floor, on an exhale, straighten the knee of the right leg so the foot is flexed. The hips may need to be drawn back in order to get the front leg straightened.
4. Once the front leg is as straight as possible, breathing freely and evenly, begin to slide the front leg forward. At the same time, allow the back leg to straighten and slide it back. Essentially we are trying to increase the gap between the two feet. 
5. Keep the hips squared to the front; avoid having the left hip turn out. Try to maintain the final pose for about 6-8 breaths, if comfortable.
6. Slowly bring the right leg back.
7. Repeat on the other side with left leg coming forward.

Variations

In order to emulate Hanuman’s action of carrying the mountain, in the final position try to raise the arms up vertical.

In an effort to deepen the stretch, you may attempt bringing the chest down closer to the thighs, while at the same time stretching the arms out in front.

Both the above options are intermediate to advance level variations and must be tried with caution.

Benefits

• Stretches the hamstrings, thighs and the groin area
• Stretches and opens the hip flexors
• When practiced with a deep inward focus, it brings in the qualities of surrender, humility and devotion.

Contraindications and Caution

As mentioned above, Hanumanasana is an intense pose for the hamstrings, thighs, and the hips. You must exercise caution in not overstretching any of the muscles that are engaged. As you can see in the picture, I am not able to bring my hips fully to the ground. However, when I practice this pose, I maintain full awareness of the muscles that are stretched. One of the techniques that I use in deepening the stretch and loosening the hamstrings is to back off slightly from the final pose and stay in the pose for a much longer time. I have tried to hold the pose for as long as two minutes on a few occasions. Like any other pose, your flexibility will improve with practice and over a period of time.

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The word "hala" in Sanskrit means a ‘plow’ (also spelt ‘plough’), a basic implement in the old days used  to till the soil. In its final position, it resembles a wooden plough which is pulled by one or two oxen or horses in the field. The mention of the name ‘plough’ brings back memories from my own childhood days while I was growing up in the villages of Punjab where this was a common site in the fields.

Halasana is one of the best poses for stretching every part of the spine, especially the upper part of the spine. It is commonly practiced as a concluding variation of the ‘sarvangasana’ (shoulder stand). However, it can be practiced as a stand-alone pose for all the benefits that it provides (see under ‘benefits’ below).

Basic Halasana

Step-by-step

1. Lie down flat on your back with the arms alongside the body, palms facing down.
2. Keep the legs straight and together throughout the practice of the basic pose.
3. Relax the whole body and mentally prepare for the pose.
4. Slowly raise the legs to a vertical position; try to use abdominal muscles more than the arms while raising the legs up.
5. At this point you may use the support of the hands behind the back to raise the legs further.
6. Exhale and continue to raise the legs over the head, bending at the waist, lifting the back and buttocks.
7. Make an effort to bring the feet all the way down until the toes touch the floor directly behind the head.
8. If you cannot touch the floor with your toes, hold them as close to the floor as possible and continue to exert a gentle effort to lower them, without causing any strain.
9. Keep the feet together. If the lower back is supported by the hands try returning the arms flat to the floor with the palms facing down. If you are unable to comfortably place the arms on the floor continue to support the lower back with the hands.
10. If the arms are on the floor, try to join the palms, interlock the fingers and gently pull the hands away from the body.
11. Keep the knees straight. Maintain your natural breathing pattern and hold the posture for about 30 seconds. At no point you should be straining yourself to hold the pose.
12. With practice, over a period of time, you may begin to increase the holding time for the pose.
13. To come out of the pose, begin by first lowering the back to the floor, one vertebra at a time.
14. When the tailbone touches the floor, begin to release the legs down. Try to keep the legs straight and use the abdominal muscles to support the downward movement of the legs.
15. Finally rest in shavasana for a few breaths.

Variations of Halasana

Variation 1

This variation is simply an extension of the shoulder stand (sarvangasana). From the final position of the shoulder stand, begin to lower the legs overhead and follow the same guidelines as mentioned above for the practice of halasana.

Variation 2

In the final position of Halasana, stretch the hands toward the feet and try to grasp the toes. Pulling the heels away from you, try to bring the toes closer to the head. This stretches the lower back.

Variation 3

In the final position of Halasana, pull the heels in toward you and push the toes away from you.

This variation stretches both the back and the neck very effectively.

Variation 4

From the final position of Halasana, bend the knees and try to bring the knees close to the floor and close to the ears. If comfortable, you may like to wraps the arms around your legs. This variation of halasana is also called the ‘karnapidasana’ (‘squeezing the ears’ pose).

Variation 5

In this variation, hold the big toes with your hands. Now begin to spread the feet apart as far as they comfortably go. Hold the position for about 30 seconds and then bring the feet back together.

Variation 6 (Dynamic Halasana)

In this variation, we combine two poses – the forward bending pose (pashchimottanasana) and the halasana – in a dynamic movement synchronized with proper breathing.

1. Start in the forward bending pose. In the seated position, stretch the legs straight out in front. While exhaling, begin to bend forward, going as far as comfortable.
2. While inhaling, roll your back down to the floor, and dynamically bring the legs overhead into the halasana position.
3. While exhaling, once again roll back into the forward bending pose.
4. Continue in this manner for 6-8 breaths, keeping the movement completely synchronized with the breathing, as described here.

Counter Pose

Any of the backward bending postures can be used as the counter pose for halasana. The most commonly practiced are matsyasana (fish pose) or the ushtrasana (camel pose). These asanas release the compression of the neck and throat by stretching the neck in the opposite direction.

Benefits

1. All of the muscles and ligaments in the calves and thighs are stretched resulting in greater flexibility of the legs. People suffering from leg cramps will find great relief from the halasana.
2. Since the abdominal area is contracted, blood compressed out of this area releases toxins. When the contraction is released the area is flooded with richly oxygenated blood. The contraction also helps to relieve gas and stimulates a sluggish digestive system. All the abdominal organs – liver, pancreas, gall bladder etc are massaged.
3. Similar effects take place as the neck and chest area is compressed benefiting the throat, thyroid, parathyroid and the lungs.
4. Upper and lower back pain or discomfort is relieved due to the forward stretching of the spine. Halasana makes the whole spine supple, stretches and loosens the back muscles and the vertebrae and tones the nerves.
5. Many of the benefits of the sarvangasana (shoulder stand) also apply to the halasana,  with the added benefits detailed above. In fact, as mentioned above, Halasana is commonly practiced as a final variation of the shoulder stand.

Contraindications

1. Those suffering from hernia, slipped disc, sciatica, high blood pressure (not controlled with medication) or any serious back problem should avoid Halasana.
2. While in the final pose, make sure not to move the head around. Any movement of the head can result in neck injury.

Question for you: Do you practice halasana as a variation of the shoulder stand or as a stand-alone pose? Do you practice any variations other than those mentioned in this post? Please provide your comments below.

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In the previous post, we learned about one of the seated forward bending poses, Head-to-Knee pose. In today’s post, we will talk about another seated pose – The Seated Forward Bend. Pashchimottanasana -पश्चिमोत्तानासन- is a compound word in Sanskrit consisting of pashchim + uttaana + asana. “Pashchim” means the direction “West” as well as the back or the posterior. “uttaana” means to stretch or expand. So, literally the word implies that by practicing this asana, one can stretch and strengthen the spine.

Step-by-step

1. Sit on the floor on your mat or a blanket and stretch the legs out in front. Try to maintain the spine upright. The feet should be together and the knees straight but not hyper-extended.
2. Stretch both the arms out in front and while inhaling raise the arms up all the way above the shoulders. Keeping the spine elongated, while exhaling begin to bend forward, bending from the hips. Finally, hold on to the toes, the ankles, calves or wherever your hands will reach. The effort in this pose is to keep the spine unrounded.




3. If your hands do not reach the toes, you may use a strap looped around the soles of the feet to keep the awareness on the spine. While using a strap, keep the elbows straight. Try to keep the knees straight. If it becomes uncomfortable to keep the knees straight, bend them slightly. With practice, you will be able to straighten the knees.
4. To enhance the experience of the stretch, use the breath as a guide – while inhaling, lengthen the spine and while exhaling try to drop the chest down. At no time you should feel any strain or pain. Hold the position for about 6 to 8 breaths.
5. While you are holding the pose, maintain total awareness on the stretch and the breath. By becoming aware of the part(s) of the body where the stretch is felt most, you will avoid any injury.
6. To come out of the pose, stretch the arms out and with an inhalation, begin to straighten the spine up, raising the arms overhead. Finally, release the arms while exhaling and rest for a couple of breaths.
7. Repeat the above steps one more time.

Contraindications

This pose stretches the spine from the top to its base. Use caution if you have an existing spinal injury and avoid attempting a deeper forward stretch. Pregnant women should spread their feet apart while practicing the forward bend. Avoid the pose in case of slipped disc, sciatica, diarrhea and asthma.

Benefits

Pashchimottanasana helps open the hips and groins while deeply stretching the legs and back. Because this pose requires the pelvis to turn into the extended legs while tipping forward, it stretches the hip joints and groins in several directions at once. And because the back of the extended legs and the front of the spine must lengthen to go deeply into this forward bend, it’s very effective at stretching those areas. This asana also tones the liver, spleen, pancreas, adrenal glands and kidneys and stimulates the pelvic organs and sex glands while cooling the body and quieting the mind. It stimulates circulation to the nerves and muscles of the spine.

At a subtler level, this asana is traditionally known for its value in harmonizing the nerves and the pranic nadis (the psychic nervous system) in the body and as such is helpful in preparing for meditation.

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Many of my students look for instructions on some of the basic yoga techniques that we practice in the class so they can practice these at home. In order to fulfill this need, I will be presenting here, as and when I find the time, some specific aspects of yoga – asana, pranayama, meditation, diet or yoga philosophy. In this issue, we will look at one of the commonly practiced forward bending poses called “janu-shirshasana” (head-to-knee pose). However, before we get into the specifics, I would like to emphasize a few general guidelines related to yoga practice:

• In order to derive full benefits of yoga, one needs to establish a regular daily routine of personal yoga practice. The need for a regular practice – abhyasa- has been underlined in our scriptures such as Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (sutras 1.13, 1.14) and Bhagavad Gita (shloke 6.35). The best time for yoga practice is early morning, after you are done with your daily cleansing routine. However, depending upon your daily schedule, you may dedicate any time of the day for yoga as long as there is a gap of at least 2.5 hours between yoga and your last meal. Practicing yoga for as little as 20 minutes a day is far more beneficial than spending an hour or longer once a week.
• As mentioned in an earlier column, yoga provides several benefits at various levels – physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual. However, it is very important that we keep the practice safe and injury-free. One of the key guidelines to follow is that you must never try to stretch yourself beyond the limits of your body’s flexibility, strength and endurance. Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, defines “asana” (physical posture) as “sthira sukhamasanam” – a posture needs to be steady/firm and comfortable. This implies that in every yoga pose, you should be able to stay steady and without any pain or discomfort. Another key concept in yoga is that of “ahimsa” or “non-injury” which, from an asana point of view, implies that we should not injure ourselves while practicing yoga. We must remind ourselves that yoga is non-competitive and its purpose is to heal, not hurt.

For a list of the commonly practiced asanas, along with their Sanskrit names and pronunciation, please visit the website http://www.integralyogastudio.com/asana_chart.php.

Step-by-Step

Here are the basic steps that you can follow for this asana:

1. Sit on the floor (on the yoga mat or a clean blanket) with your legs stretched out in front. Keep the spine upright and as close to being vertical as comfortable.
2. Bend the left knee and put the sole of the left foot against the inside of the right thigh, bringing the heel as close to the perineum as comfortable. Try to keep the left knee close to the floor and the right leg fully stretched out.
3. Stretch the arms out in front and while inhaling raise the arms up to a vertical position.




4. While exhaling, begin to bend forward, bending from the hips, aligning the chest with the right thigh and keeping the spine unrounded. Try to grab the toes, ankles or calves depending upon your level of flexibility. If your hands do not reach the toes comfortably, you may like to use a strap looped around the foot.
5. Once you are in the final pose, use your breath as a guide to deepen the experience of the stretch – while inhaling, elongate the spine and while exhaling allow the gravity to pull the chest down closer to the thigh. Hold the position for 5 to 7 breaths, if possible. Maintain full awareness on the stretch and the breath, paying close attention to the parts of the body where the stretch is felt most. This awareness will help you maintain the pose at a comfortable level and prevent any injury.
6. To come out of the pose, begin to raise the arms up while inhaling. When the arms reach a vertical position, release the arms down.
7. Repeat the above steps with the other leg stretched out.

Variation

1. Sit on the floor (on the yoga mat or a clean blanket) with your legs spread out wide apart. Keep the spine upright and as close to being vertical as comfortable.
2. Stretch the arms out in front and while inhaling raise the arms up to a vertical position.
3. While exhaling, turn the torso to the right and begin to bend forward, bending from the hips, aligning the chest with the right thigh and keeping the spine unrounded. Try to grab the toes, ankles or calves depending upon your level of flexibility. If your hands do not reach the toes comfortably, you may like to use a strap looped around the foot.
4. Once you are in the final pose, use your breath as a guide to deepen the experience of the stretch – while inhaling, elongate the spine and while exhaling allow the gravity to pull the chest down closer to the thigh. Hold the position for 5 to 7 breaths, if possible. Maintain full awareness on the stretch and the breath, paying close attention to the parts of the body where the stretch is felt most. This awareness will help you maintain the pose at a comfortable level and prevent any injury.
5. To come out of the pose, begin to raise the arms up while inhaling. When the arms reach a vertical position, turn the torso back to the center and release the arms down.
6. Repeat the above steps on the other side.

Contraindications

Avoid this pose in case of diarrhea, asthma and a recent knee, neck or back injury. In case of knee pain, avoid bringing the heel close to the perineum and/or keep a folded blanket under the bent knee for support.

Benefits

The janu shirshasana stretches the back and deeply stretches the back of the legs. This posture calms the mind and emotions, stimulates the nervous, reproductive, endocrine and urinary systems.

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