An excellent backward bending pose, Bhujangasana –भुजङ्गासन –
(Cobra Pose) is a beginner level asana which can either be done as part of the Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) routine or as an independent asana. It provides a great stretch for the whole back.
The word “bhujanga” in Sanskrit means a cobra or a snake/serpent. In its final position, the pose looks like a cobra with its hood raised and hence the name. In many traditions, the serpent represents the tremendous power latent within the individual. In tantra, it represents the “kundalini shakti” which lies dormant at the base of the spine in the form of a serpent coiled three and a half times. In Hindu mythology it is respected and honored as a sacred animal, symbolizing the individual subtle force, intuition and wisdom. The double looped mathematical symbol for infinity is derived from the ancient symbol of the snake with its tail in its mouth, and is an expression of the continuity and eternity of life. By the practice of bhujangasana, we can realize and express not only all of the specific qualities of the serpent, but also its divine essence.
The sectional breathing techniques are used as a preparation for the full, deep yogic breathing practice called Ujjayi Pranayama. Our normal breathing which happens involuntarily, 24 hours a day, is quite shallow and is felt only in the upper chest area. Which means that during normal breathing only the upper part of the lungs gets oxygenated. The sectional breathing technique can correct the breathing pattern and also help to increase lung capacity by encouraging fuller breathing into different areas of the lungs. Deep breathing into different parts of the lungs brings in abundant supply of fresh oxygen into these areas. This helps improve the health of the lungs as well as making more oxygenated blood available for each and every cell of the body. Because our attention is focused on different parts of the lungs, our overall awareness of the breathing process is enhanced.
In the following breathing practices, keep the eyes closed so you can completely focus on the depth and quality of breathing as well as on the movement of the arms and shoulders.
For each breathing cycle, use the Ujjayi breathing technique, keeping each breath deep and soft. It is important not to strain the breathing in any way. Try to deepen the breath only so much as not to impact the depth and quality of the subsequent breath. With practice over a period of time, you will be able to prolong the duration of each inhalation and exhalation.
I hope you will enjoy practicing with the video.
Step-by-step
Sectional breathing (upper1)
For practicing these breathing techniques, sit erect in any comfortable seated posture, keeping the spine comfortably tall and vertical.
There are three parts to the sectional breathing:
Upper Chest Breathing
Here, we engage the upper part of the lungs in the deep breathing cycle.
Sectional breathing (upper2)
Interlock the fingers of the two hands and keep the hands on top of the head, facing down.
As you begin to inhale, turn the palms up and start lifting the hands up so the arms become vertical. While you are raising the arms up, pull the shoulders up and lift the collar bones.
Pause for a brief moment at the end of inhalation.
While exhaling, begin to lower the hands, turning the palms down, and finally rest the palms on the head again. Pause for a brief moment at the end of exhalation before starting the next inhalation.
Try to synchronize the movement of the arms with the appropriate breath. Maintain deep and soft Ujjayi breaths for each breathing cycle making sure that the breath is not strained in any way.
Repeat for 5 to 7 rounds of this breathing cycle. At the end of the sequence, relax for a few breaths with natural breathing.
Middle Chest Breathing
Sectional breathing (mid1)
In this breathing, there is a conscious effort to expand the chest and the ribcage. This impacts the middle part of the lungs.
Bring your hands together, interlock the fingers and place the hands behind your neck.
Inhale in place and as you exhale, bring the elbows together in front of you, softening the chest. Pause for a brief moment at the end of exhalation before starting the next inhalation.
As you begin to inhale, pull the elbows apart from each other, expand the chest closing the gap between the shoulder blades. Pause for a brief moment at the end of inhalation.
Sectional breathing (mid2)
Maintain deep and soft Ujjayi breaths for each breathing cycle making sure that the breath is not strained in any way. Try to synchronize the movement of the arms with the appropriate breath.
In this manner complete 5 to 7 rounds of this breathing cycle. At the end of the sequence, relax for a few breaths with natural breathing.
Abdominal Breathing
This is also known as Diaphragmatic Breathing in which we breathe into the lower region of the lungs. In this practice, we try to consciously engage the diagphragm for each inhalation and exhalation.
Start by keeping one hand on the chest and the other on the abdomen, slightly below the navel.
Begin deep, slow and continuous inhalation. As you inhale, your awareness is at the lower part of the lungs.
With a gentle downward pressure of the diaphragm, feel the abdomen filling up like a balloon. At the same time, we want to make sure that there is very little, if any, movement in the chest. Effectively then, the hand on the abdomen should feel the movement of the belly while the hand on the chest should feel minimal movement.
At the end of inhalation, pause for a brief moment and then start deep, slow, continuous exhalation. As you exhale, lift the diaphragm upward with the result that you can become aware of the cavity building up in your abdomen and the navel moves backwards toward the spine. In this breathing again, more movement is felt by the hand on the belly and little or no movement by the hand on the chest.
At the end of exhalation, pause for a brief moment and continue with the next cycle of inhalation/exhalation. Maintain deep and soft Ujjayi breaths for each breathing cycle making sure that the breath is not strained in any way. Try 5 to 7 rounds of this breathing cycle.
At the end of the sequence, relax for a few breaths with natural breathing.
Benefits
Different areas of the lungs get an abundant supply of fresh oxygen through deep breathing, thus energizing the lungs and improving their health. Due to deep breathing, lung capacity improves.
As per research reports, when we breathe normally, each incoming breath brings in about 450 ml of air. When we breathe deep ujjayi breaths into different parts of the lungs, each incoming breath can bring in up to 3.5 to 4 liters of air. As a result, each deep breath brings in about 7-8 times more oxygen into the system. Over a longer period of time, the total amount of oxygen may not be different between regular and deep breathing practices. However, when we bring in more oxygen within the duration of one breath, it has tremendous benefits for the system. Every cell of the body gets more energy and vitality. More oxygen into every cell also means that as a result of “gas exchange” more carbon dioxide is brought back by the veins. More CO2 also means that more toxins can be released from the system. Carbon dioxide also impacts the brain in a positive way. Overall, these deep breaths engaging the full lung capacity offer multiple benefits.
As we know, gravity pulls everything downwards. Some of the blood in the lungs also goes into the lower areas of the lungs due to gravity and stays there. However, our natural breath is very shallow and only makes contact with the blood in the upper part of the lungs. The blood that is in the lower part of the lungs does not receive enough oxygen. When we breathe deep into the lungs, even the stagnant blood there gets oxygenated. When circulated, this additional oxygenated blood also helps energize the body.
Deep breaths have a very calming effect on the nerves and the mind.
Deep breathing is now used even by medical professionals to treat patients with hypertension.
Contraindications
None. If you can breathe, you can practice deep sectional breathing and enjoy all the benefits that the practice offers.
I am pleased to announce the next 21-day Yoga Immersion program. The past programs have been very well received by all the participants. For most of them, it has been truly a life-transforming experience. I invite you to join me on this exciting and deeply rewarding 21-day yoga journey. Here are the particulars:
What: 21-day yoga immersion
When: Monday, October 12- Sunday, November 1, 2015
Time: 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM
Where: 4000 Bear Cat Way, Suite 102, Morrisville, NC 27560
is a very commonly practiced seated spinal twisting pose. The word is a composite two Sanskrit words – ardha, meaning "half" and Matsyendra. The literal meaning of Matsyendra is "lord of fish". However, this pose is named after the great yogi, Matsyendranath, who according to some texts is considered one of the prominent forefathers of modern yoga practices. The pose allows the spine to be twisted all the way from the base of the spine to the very top.
I invite you to watch the video and follow along for the practice.
Step-by-step
Sit on the floor with the legs stretched out straight ahead. Keep the spine upright, shoulders relaxed.
Fold the right knee and put the right foot on the outside of the left knee. Try to keep the foot flat on the floor and the knee vertical.
Raise the left arm and place the elbow on the outside of the right knee. Try to push the knee inward with the left elbow and with the left hand try to hold the left knee. When you push the knee, allow the thigh to put a gentle pressure against the abdomen.
Raise the right arm, twist the body around, and place the right hand on the floor behind the spine making sure that the spine stays tall, vertical and relaxed.
Make a gentle effort to roll the right shoulder back and away from you. Look over the right shoulder, providing a gentle stretch for the neck as well, without straining the neck. Try not to twist the spine more than its natural flexibility will allow. Over time, with practice, the muscles will become suppler and provide a greater degree of flexibility.
Ardha-Matsyendrasana (spinal Twist)
Breathe your natural, regular breaths and keep the awareness on the entire length of the spine.
You may close the eyes and visualize the spine being twisted from top to bottom and giving a nice massage to the vertebras and the disks in the spine.
Hold the position for about 40 seconds, if comfortable.
Release the pose gently and repeat on the other side.
Ardha-Matsyendrasana (spinal Twist)
Variations
While you are pushing with the elbow from outside the knee, instead of trying to hold the other knee, you may lift the forearm to a vertical position with the fingers pointing up.
If you are not able to put enough pressure on the raised knee with the straight elbow from outside (due to lack of flexibility or some discomfort otherwise), you may fold the elbow around the knee and pull the knee and the thigh toward your chest and the abdomen.
You may try to fold the knee that is straight so that the heel of the foot comes close to the opposite thigh.
An option for the more advanced practitioners is to fold the elbow from above the raised knee and bring the hand out from under the thigh. Now fold the other elbow behind the back and hold the two hands together.
Ardha-Matsyendrasana (spinal Twist)
Benefits
The Half Spinal Twist is one of the best yoga postures for cultivating flexibility and strength in the spine as the back muscles are contracted on one side and simultaneously stretched on the other side.
It sooths stiff necks and upper and lower back tension caused by stress, poor posture, or prolonged periods of sitting in one position
As the entire nervous system goes through the spine, a healthy spine also means a healthy nervous system which ensures healthy communications between the brain and every cell of the body
The alternating compression and release of the abdominal region flushes this area with blood and massages the internal organs, improving digestion
Stimulates the liver, pancreas and kidneys. Because of the massage provided to the pancreas, this is highly recommended as a therapeutic pose for control and prevention of diabetes
Muscles of the stomach and hips are also toned from repeated practice of the Half Spinal Twist
Relieves menstrual discomfort, fatigue, sciatica, and backache
Contraindications
People who suffer from peptic ulcers, hernia, hyperthyroidism should avoid this pose unless under expert guidance from a trained teacher.
Women past the first trimester of pregnancy should not practice this pose unless they have an established ongoing yoga practice and are under the guidance of a prenatal teacher.
Those with sciatica, slipped disk or other back ailments should exercise caution while practicing this pose as a therapeutic aid.
The word ‘bhramari’ (भ्रामरी) refers to the humming sound made by a ‘bhramara’ (a bumble bee in Sanskrit). The Bhramari Pranayama consists in making a deep, soft humming bee-like sound while inhaling and exhaling.
Because Bhramari Pranayama has a very calming effect on the nerves and the mind, it is usually practiced as a prelude to meditation. As a part of the pranayama routine, it should be practiced at the end of other pranayama practices, usually after the alternate nostril breathing (naadi shuddhi, aka Anuloma Viloma), prior to getting ready for meditation.
Bhramari Pranayama is also practiced as a part of the yoga tradition called Nada Yoga (yoga of sound). As the name implies, Nada Yoga uses the element of sound, both external and internal, to reach higher levels of consciousness. In the subtle stage of Nada Yoga, one listens to internal sounds allowing the perceived sound to arise spontaneously. The Bhramari Pranayama is used as a preliminary stage of the practice of Nada Yoga.
Come and join me for this life-transforming experience where you will learn two of the most important aspects of a complete, integrated yoga practice – pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation. In this program you will be introduced to many of the breathing techniques that are mentioned in our ancient yogic texts. You will also learn the concepts and techniques of meditation.
No prior pranayama or meditation experience is required.
When: Monday, September 14 – Sunday, September 27, 2015
Time: 6:00 – 7:30 AM
Location: 4000 Bearcat Way, Suite 102, Morrisville, NC 27560
Boat pose (Navasana – नावासनor Naukasana – नौकासन) is one of the basic poses that can be practiced to effectively build core strength (in addition to many other benefits, as given here). It is usually practiced along with some of the other poses that are practiced from the supine position – for example, the shoulder stand (sarvangasana), fish pose (matsyasana), bridge pose (setu-bandhasana) etc.
I am presenting here a video of the boat pose along with some of the variations. Hope you’ll enjoy practicing with the video.
In some of my previous posts I have discussed the need for and the importance of establishing a home-based yoga practice. As we know, it is only through a regular home practice that we can realize all the benefits that yoga can offer. Moreover, as I like to emphasize in my classes, yoga practice must include all the three major components – asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing practices) and meditation. So, ideally your practice should include all three. If you are strapped for time, you can split these practices during different times of the day as long as you give yourself a gap of about three hours after a full meal. For example, you can do asana and pranayama in the morning and meditation in the evening, or vice versa.
The most common reason that I hear for not practicing at home is lack of time. It is true that both job and family life demand a lot of time and attention. However, if we can set our priorities right, it is always possible to find the time needed for a yoga routine.
Given the paucity of time, many of my students ask me to recommend a "bare minimum" practice that they can do on a daily basis. They can do a more complete routine as and when they find the time. I firmly believe that when you establish a daily routine, even though for a short duration, you will start realizing the benefits of the practice. Once you notice the benefits, you are likely to be motivated to spend more time on your practice.
Stress relief or stress management is perhaps one of the most common reasons why people join a yoga class. In addition to the mental and emotional suffering caused by stress, most people tend to feel its physical manifestation in the form of pain or discomfort in the neck and shoulder area. Of course, stress can manifest in other areas as well, for example, jaws, spine or the hips etc. However, neck and shoulders are the ones most commonly mentioned by my students. The problem is further exacerbated because most of us sit in front the computer all day long in non-optimal postures which causes further strain to the neck and shoulders.
In today’s post, I am pleased to present a video demonstration of a few simple stretches that will bring relief to your tensed up neck muscles. Since I have a torn rotator cuff and a stiff neck (both resulting from the same accident), I am not in a position to demonstrate the neck stretches effectively. My good friend, Ami, has graciously agreed to demonstrate these stretches in the video. Hope you will enjoy practicing with the video.
We should note that neck and shoulder muscles are intimately connected together and it is best to practice stretches that will benefit both the areas.
is a beginner level back-bending pose, which is normally practiced along with a couple of other back-bending poses like the Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) and Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose). Even though the basic version of the pose is relatively easy to practice, it still offers excellent benefits for the health of the spine.
The word "shalabha" in Sanskrit means a locust. In the final position the pose roughly resembles a locust (grasshopper) – hence the name.
Step-by-step
I hope you will enjoy practicing with the video demonstration.
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