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Hatha Yoga


Doctor has spoken high of certain Hatha Yoga asanas and prescribed them for us. They are Halasana, Siddhasana, Sarvanga asana, Vajrasana. .
Halasana

Halasana

The Sanskrit word Hala means plow, as in a traditional plow that is drawn by a horse or oxen. When performing this posture your body resembles a plow.

This asana is prescribed for therapeutic values for back-ache, headache, and sleeplessness.

Method of practicing this asana:
This asana is practiced usually after sarvangasana.Position yourself in Salaba Sarvangasana. Exhale slowly steadily until your lungs are empty. Now bend from the hip joints and lower your toes to touch the floor. Do not bend knee joints. Observe the image alongside to have a better idea about the pose. Either you support your back with your fore arm while pressing the floor by the back of upper arm or stretch your arms fully in the opposite direction of your legs on the floor. Keep both your arms and legs straight. You can remain in this pose from one to two or three minutes. The point to bear in mind is that you should not strain yourself at any stage.

To come out of the pose, bring your hands back to your back again if they are stretched on the floor. While supporting your back slowly raise your legs back to sarvangasana pose. Now you can inhale. While exhaling you can roll out of sarvangasana pose as you exhale.
Siddhasana

Siddhasana

(The perfect pose)
Siddhasana is next to Padmasana in importance. Some eulogies it as even superior to Padmasana from the point of view of meditation.. The asana is so called because it is capable of giving the practitioner all Siddhis (psychic powers).

Method of practicing this asana:
Sit on the ground on a mat holding your spine and head in straight line. Sit erect. Do not stoop or let your shoulders sag. Extend both legs in front of you together touching each other. Bend the left leg with the help of your hand if necessary and place the heel near the perineum. The sole of the left foot should touch the right thigh. Now bend the right leg and place it with the help of your hands and place the foot on your left ankle. The heel of the right foot should be placed at the root of genitals. Both thighs should be flat and touching the ground.

Now stretch both your hands and place the back of your palms on each knee. Keep your fingers stretched out while curling the index fingers curled round to touch the tip of the thumb. Keep the body straight and erect but relaxed. Close your eyes gently. This is the best asana to practice meditation and Chanting (japa). One can sit in this posture to meditate, chanting manthras.
Sarvangasana

Sarvangasana


(All limbs pose)
It is called so because, all parts of the body function during its performance.

 Method of practicing this asana:

Lie on the ground on a mat the body stretched fully. Place both your hands on the sides of your body. Inhale slowly and fully without any strain. Keeping both legs and knees straight, raise them above the floor. Take the toes above your head as far back as possible. In this position, with your hands, supporting the back while your elbows pressing on the ground.

Bring the legs straight at ninety degree angle from the ground. Your entire body should be resting on your shoulder, your chin pressing your chest. But for the head and shoulder touching the ground, the whole body and legs should remain in straight line at ninety degree from the ground.

Stay in this pose for two or three minutes.

To come out of this posture, bend your knees, while releasing the support of your hands at the back; bring the body back to ground while exhaling.
Vajrasana

 

 

 

 

 

Vajrasana

 

"Make the thighs tight like adamant and place the legs by the two sides of the anus. This is called the Vajra-asana. It gives psychic powers to the Yogi." The specialty about this asana is that it can be performed even after a meal.

Some sit in this posture even for meditation and japa. Initially ankles and knees will ache but by practice it will vanish. While in this posture, breathe normally.

Benefits of this asana:

It helps cure indigestion and eliminates gastric trouble. Cure for leg, knees and thigh pain.
Vipareethakarani

Viparithakarani


This asana is recommended by Doctor for his disciples. It also falls under Mudhra catagory.

It is easy to perform if the following steps are carefully adopted:

Lie on your back, both legs together and both arms by the side of the body. Palms facing down.

Now draw your feet close to buttocks. Now slowly raise the legs up, so that the legs are at 90* angle from the body.

Now push the legs further towards your head. Your bucttoks will be in raised position. Holding the legs in that position, slowly bring both your hands under the buttocks and support them with your hands. In this position the elbows should be firmly placed on the ground.

Straighten your legs to 90* angle. This is Viparithakarani posture. Your body will be in 'L' shape.

The returning procedure is to reverse it exactly. Follow this. Push your legs towards your head. Supporting your weight by both hands bring down buttocks to the ground. Now bring the legs to 90*. Bring your feet down to touch your buttocks and then strech them to full length on the ground.

This is one cycle of Viparithakarani asana.

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