How to Practice “Surya Namaskar”?

• Begin “Surya Namaskar” by standing straight with your feet together and palms folded, as if in prayer, at the chest.
• While inhaling, lift your hands above your head and bend back your spine from the waist as much as you can. Relax the neck.
• While exhaling, bend forward and down. Touch your toes with the tip of your fingers. Keep your knees straight and try to touch the knees with your forehead.
• Stretch back your right leg and balance it on your big toe. Keep your knees pressed to the ground. Look up and lift your chin.
• While retaining your breath, bring back your left leg together with the right leg. Support your weight on your hands and toes. Align your head and body and look at the ground between your hands.
• While exhaling, lower your knees, chest and lastly your forehead. Keep your hips raised and your toes curled under.
• While inhaling, lower the hips. Keep your legs together and shoulders down. Look up.
• While exhaling, lift your hips like an inverted V-shape. Try to push down your heels and head. Keep your shoulders back.
• While inhaling, set the right foot between your hands. Keep the left knee on the floor and look up.
• While exhaling, bring the left leg forward and bend down from the waist level.
• While inhaling, bend your arms forward, then up and finally above your head. Arch back slowly from your waist.
• While exhaling, return back to an upright position and rest your arms down by your side.

Besides mental and physical benefit, “Surya Namaskar” can enhance your emotional and spiritual self. You can practice this asana just once daily and get the benefit of 12 asanas from one asana, if done correctly.

How to Practice “Janusirasana”?

• You can start the asana by sitting straight in ‘Sukhasana’ with legs stretched forward.
• Spread your legs by keeping your heels fifteen inches apart.
• Bend your right knee until your heel rests in the right groin and the front of the foot touches your left thigh.
• Keep your head and trunk erect.
• While taking a breath, lift the hands above your head, with palms facing outwards.
• Breathe out completely.
• Again inhale.
• While exhaling, draw the stomach in. From your waist, slowly bend forward your head and trunk. While doing this, stretch your forearms and fingers forward towards the extended left foot. Hold the ball of your foot tightly with both hands.
• Take a deep breath again.
• While breathing out, press the knee of your extended left leg against the floor and bend your elbows outward. Now, slowly bend down your head and trunk further.
• While pulling forward your trunk further, place your forehead on the left knee joint.
• Gradually lower your elbows to rest them on the floor.
• Stay in this position initially for 5-10 seconds. You can increase the time gradually.
• While breathing in, slowly return to your original position.
• You can repeat the movements with your extended right leg.

You may want to practice this asana under the close supervision of an expert so as to avoid any complication that may arise out of it. Those having cervical pain or lumbar pain may want to practice with care or may want to avoid this asana altogether.

Tips to Prevent Yoga Injuries:

Following are the tips that can help you avoid yoga injuries:

• Start with Warm Up: Experts suggest that you may want to start yoga with less strenuous poses for each of your body part. Warm up can prepare your body for deeper yoga poses by promoting blood circulation to the muscles and by lubricating your joints. This can help in reducing muscle and joint stiffness.
• Avoid Taking Risk:  If you have any particular injury or disease, you may want to inform your yoga instructor about it. For example, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you may want to avoid putting stress on your wrists. Your instructor may recommend asanas keeping your problem in mind.
• Correct Body Alignment: Correct body alignment can help in minimizing tension from the ligaments and muscles so that they are strengthened equally on both sides. This may help in maintaining the right balance.
• Right Focus: It is suggested that while practising any yoga pose, you may want to focus your attention on your breathing and body. You can listen for any subtle changes in your body and can ask your instructor to modify the pose to suit you.
• Use of Props: Use of yoga props such as blankets, straps, blocks, etc may help in correcting spinal alignment, reducing joint stress, etc.

You may want to listen to your instructor carefully before starting any new yoga posture. If you are a beginner, you may want to practice yoga under close supervision of an expert to avoid any possible injury.

If you have sciatica, you may consider practising “Hastapaddasana” as it can stretch your sciatic nerves and give you relief.

How to Practice ‘Hastapaddasana’?

• To start this asana, you can stand erect, keeping your feet together and arms hanging loosely.
• Take a deep breath and lift the arms above your head without bending your elbows. While breathing out, bend forward till you can hold your toes with your hands.
• After you complete the exhalation, press your head against the knees. You may want to avoid bending of knees.
• Hold this posture for few seconds, till you are comfortable. Without jerking yourself, you may try to slowly return to the original position.
• Again inhale deeply and repeat the posture once again. Once you are comfortable, you may practice this asana up to five times.

Try to avoid jerking yourself while practicing this asana. If you are a pregnant woman or have back pain, you may want to avoid practising as it may give rise to complication.

How to Practice ‘Ardha Matsyendrasana’?

• To start this asana, you can sit on the floor with legs stretched forward.
• Cross your right leg against the outside of your left knee. Place the sole of your right foot firmly on the floor. Keep your spine straight.
• Place your left hand on your right toe.
• Extend your right arm and twist it around the back of your waistline.
• Now keeping your head and spine straight and the sole of your foot placed firmly on the ground, inhale deeply.
• While exhaling, start turning your head, shoulder and back slowly to the right. Look straight over your right shoulder, keeping the chin up.
• Stay in this posture initially for five seconds, breathing normally, and then gradually increasing the time to one minute.
• Slowly unwind the twist by turning your head, shoulder and back to the original position.
• You can follow the same procedure by reversing the position of your legs and arms.

You may want to practice this asana very cautiously and under close supervision of an expert. If you are a pregnant woman or suffering from hernia or peptic ulcer, you may want to avoid complication associated with twisting. Those who are suffering from hyperthyroidism may also want to avoid this asana because of the stimulating effect of this asana on the thyroid gland.

How to Practice ‘Ardha Shalabhasana’?

• You can start this asana by lying in prone position with your hands under the thighs and palms facing upwards.
• Keep your legs straight with toes pointing to the back.
• Raise your head slightly and rest your chin on the floor so that this can stretch your neck muscles.
• Pressing the palms down, while breathing in, lift your left leg backward and as high as possible. You may want to keep your other leg straight. Try not to bend or twist your hips.
• You can stay in this position for 4-5 breaths or as long as you feel comfortable.
• While breathing out, slowly lower your left leg back to its original position on the floor.
• You can repeat the procedure with the other leg.

While performing this pose, you may want to focus your attention on your breath. If you have weak spine or back problem, you may want to practice this asana gently. If you have problems related to hernia, stomach ulcer or such other ailments, you may want to consult an expert before performing this asana.

How to Practice ‘Janu Shirshasana’?

• You can start this asana by sitting straight on the floor with both legs extended in front.
• You may want to bend one of your legs in such a way that the heel rests close to your groin.
• Breathe in and lift your arms over the head.
• While breathing out, slowly start bending forward keeping your back straight. You may try to avoid bending at the hips.
• Slowly lower your arms to hold the toes of the stretched out foot. Then rest your head on the knee.
• Stay in this position for 10-40 seconds.
• Breathe in and slowly come to your original position.
• Repeat this pose with the other leg.

Janu Shirshasana can stimulate our spleen and liver, thereby promoting digestion and treating constipation. While doing ‘Janu Shirshasana’ you may not want to overstretch yourself as this can cause strain. You may also want to avoid this asana if you have blood pressure, chronic or acute back or neck problems. This asana can aggravate such conditions.

How to Practice Eka Padasana?

• You may start this asana by standing straight with feet touching each other.
• Breathe in and raise your arms over your head and intertwine your fingers except the index fingers. You may want to make sure that your ear, shoulders, ankles and hips are aligned properly.
• Now as you breathe out, bend forward from your hips. Lift your left leg straight up behind you so that the arms, trunk and the left leg are in a straight line.
• Focus your attention on your hands and hold yourself steady. Breathe normally and try to hold this position initially for 5 deep breaths.
• Breathe in and return back to your normal position.
• Repeat the steps by raising your right leg behind you.

You may want to practice ‘Eka Padasana’ on a firm surface, when you are fresh. This is because this asana requires you to balance your entire weight on one leg. At the same time you need to maintain proper body alignment.

Yoga Poses at Your Office:

Some yoga poses at your office are:

• Standing Forward Bend Pose (Uttanasana): Experts suggest that this pose can calm your mind and relieve stress, stretch and tone your hamstrings, hips and calves. The standing forward bend pose can also strengthen your knees and thighs and can allow your spine to re-align.
• Fire Log Pose (Agnistambhasana): It is suggested that this pose can open your hip and can give you relief if you have sciatica pain. Sciatica pain is often felt in the buttock, lower back and different parts of leg.
• Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana): Experts suggest that if you have backache problem, downward facing dog pose can help by lengthening your spine. This asana can also treat shoulder pain by relieving stress from your neck.

Initially, we may need time to get used to practicing yoga in our office. But, practicing office yoga can improve our overall work performance.  Even fifteen minutes of practice can give relief from stress and pain, thus negating the effect of sitting long hours.

Yoga Poses for Runners:

Listed below are some yoga poses for runners:

• Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose): Downward facing dog pose can be effective for runners. This pose can exercise the whole length of the back of your legs – hamstrings, calves, achielles tendons and heels. This can improve the muscle tone of your entire legs. In addition, this pose can also stretch and strengthen the shoulder muscle, thereby improving your  running.
• Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose): Experts suggest that bound angle pose can help in opening your hips. This pose can also stretch your groin, ankles and inner thighs, thereby improving your running stride.
• Virasana (Hero Pose): It is believed that this pose can stretch the top of the feet and the ankles. In addition, hero pose can also relieve stiffness of knees.
• Utkatasana (Chair Pose): The chair pose can strengthen and stretch the quadriceps, ankles; shoulders and the chest. This can enhance breathing and can improve running stride.
• Utthita Trikonasana(Triangle Pose): It is considered that the triangle pose can strengthen your legs and can stretch your rib case. This can promote deep breathing and better running.

Thus, yoga can complement your running training. Practicing yoga can improve your concentration and inner awareness so that you can be a winner all the way!