Which Type of Yoga is Best for Me?

Right now, the only things that are in your experience are your body, your mind, and your emotions.You know them to some extent, and you can infer that if these three things have to happen the way they are happening, there must be an energy that makes them happen. So these are the only four realities in your life: body, mind, emotion, and energy.

Whatever you wish to do with yourself, it must be on these four levels. Whatever you wish to do you can only do it with your body, your mind, your emotions or your energy.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga nidra is also known as deep sleep. This help in deep relaxation. Yoga nidra is the fourth of five yoga states of consciousness. In the yoga nidra state, the consciousness is inactive. It is an ancient practice that is characterized by a series of mediation exercises that lead the yogi to a greater state of relaxation and an awareness of one's true self. Yoga nidra takes the practitioner through many levels of awareness to one of the deepest states of mediation in hopes of experiencing the ultimate awakening to one's true nature. It can be referred to as yogic sleep, sleep state, yoga sleep, sleep of the yogis or sleep with awareness.

Yoga Does Promote Good Health

A new study led by an Indian-origin scientist has proved that meditation actually eases stress and promotes better health.

Meditation triggers a change in electrical activity of the brain, improving the mind and body in measurable ways, revealed Dr Ramesh Manocha at Sydney University, lead researcher of the study on work stress.

Within the context of meditation and stress, it's the largest study in the world and we've applied some rigorous conditions, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Dr Manocha as saying

Bitilasana - Cow Yoga Pose

Bitilasana is the sanskrit counterpart of cow yoga pose. It is an easy, gentle way to warm up the spine. This pose helps you in strengthening the core muscles. It helps in massaging of spine and abdominal organs. This yoga pose is often paired with Cat yoga pose for a smooth flow of yoga asanas. The cat and cow poses of yoga are considered opposites by some, the back arched or rounded.

Hand Yoga

It is the ancient art of specific hand movements also known as mudra. It was originally developed in India and later spread to Asia and the world. Hand Yoga is essentially a practice of mudras, or hand gestures by connecting your fingers in predefined patterns. Practice of Mudras influences energy flow in different areas of our bodies. By performing mudras regularly one can achieve a completely healthy state of mind and body, being free of any ailments or diseases.

Yoga Apparel Has Made Interesting Changes

Yoga is a practice with Eastern origins that has survived for centuries and recently made the shift to Western culture. It is a set of stretches and exercises designed to stimulate and strengthen the different muscle groups of your body. It is an inexpensive practice to take up. All that is really required is a comfortable set of yoga apparel and a mat.


Yoga apparel today is much different from the traditional garb worn by the Asian monks who developed the practice.

Sukhasana - Easy Yoga Pose

Sukhasana, which is also known as Easy Yoga Pose is the easiest meditation pose. Sukhasana is often recommended for people that have difficulty crossing their legs, sitting for any period of time, or have some other physical disability that makes sitting cross legged uncomfortable. If you suffer from Fibromyalgia or arthritis and you have a lot of pain in your muscles and joints then the Sukhasana pose will be the best choice for you.

Trikonasana - Yoga Triangle Pose

The yoga Triangle Pose is otherwise known as Trikonasana. The yoga triangle pose offers tremendous benefits as it stretches the spine and the hips, opening them out in preparation for the backbends that normally follow standing poses. The triangle yoga pose requires more balance than other standing poses. It stretches your legs, arms and torso while requiring you to stay focused. Balancing frees your mind of tension as you concentrate on maintaining the assan.

Chair Yoga For the Office

By Angelena Craig

Learning to practice Yoga while sitting in a chair has a multitude of benefits for anyone of any age, shape, size or and fitness level. Chair Yoga is sometimes called Office Yoga. It is a wonderful alternative for anyone who sits at a desk long hours and needs a way to stretch those tired muscles, particularly the back, neck, shoulders and hips, without leaving the office station... and you get all the benefits of regular yoga without ever having to change your clothes or get up or down off of the floor.

Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose

The cat yoga pose, which is also known as Marjariasana is a great way to get your back warmed up and relaxed. It’s a great addition to your back exercises. It directly targets muscles all along the spine, giving them a good stretch. It also helps lubricate the spine and bring the vertebrae through their full range of motion. The dynamic cat pose (alternating between cat and cow) is a good way to pump spinal fluid all over the spinal cord. It is incredibly relaxing and good for your posture.

Procedure for doing Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose

1. On the mat, sit on your knees.
   
2. Put your hands down so you are on all fours. Make sure that your hands are under your shoulders. Spread your legs slightly so you are in a comfortable position.
   
3. While taking a breath in, lift your head to the ceiling. Drop your stomach toward the ground. Lift your bottom and hips toward the ceiling. You want to have a nice curve to your back. Do not worry about pushing this motion, as it should come easy without a lot of effort or strain. Only move as far as your body can go comfortably.
   
4. As you breathe out, drop the head, roll the hips under and pull your spine up toward the ceiling. Try to look at your belly button.
   
5. Repeat 5 to 10 times with each breath, in and out.
   

Benefits of Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose

• Increases mobility of verterbrae and releases tension in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine
  
• Strengthens and tones the arms and abdominal muscles
  
• Stretches back muscles and abdominal muscles as well as the neck
  
• Increases circulation of spinal fluid and massages digestive organs
  
• Teaches correct pelvic movements for forward bends and back bends
  

Precautions with Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose

With a neck injury, keep the head in line with the torso.

Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose Video

Dandasana - Staff Yoga Pose

The Staff pose or Dandasana is a basic seated pose of Yoga exercise and can be called the father of all seated postures of yoga as all other poses originate from it. It can also be considered as the seated variation of the Mountain pose (Tadasana). The Staff pose is also known as the Stick pose as the spinal cord is to be kept in vertical position during this Yoga posture. It is performed in a seated position. It helps to strengthen the legs and improves body’s alignment. It is used as resting or preparatory posture for many Yoga exercises.

Procedure for doing Dandasana - Staff Yoga Pose

1. Sit down with your legs stretched out in front of you. Your knees and big toes should be touching and the bottoms of your legs should be touching and parallel to the floor.
   
2. Sit up straight. Place your hands around your hips, with your thumbs at the top of your hips bones and shift your hips so that your tailbone is pointing down into the floor. Keep your spine straight and lifted.
   
3. Engage your thighs muscles. Flex your feet, pointing your toes toward the ceiling and flex your thigh muscles, so that your heels gently lift off the floor.
   
4. Contract your core muscles. The core muscles are the girdle of muscles that surround your lower back and abdomen and are the key to performing all yoga poses. Engage your core muscles by drawing your abdomen toward your spine and cinching your waist as if there was an actual girdle around your middle.
   
5. Align your upper body. Roll your shoulders back and open your chest, but do not arch your back. Stack your shoulders so that they are directly aligned with your hips.
   
6. Elongate your neck. Looking straight ahead, pull your chin into your chest, so that the crown of your head is lifted toward the ceiling.
   

Benefits of Dandasana - Staff Yoga Pose

• Improves digestion.
  
• Tones the kidneys.
  
• Helps to prevent sciatic pain.
  
• Stretches and activates the muscles of the legs.
  
• Prevents tiredness in the feet by stretching the muscles of the feet.
  

Precautions with Dandasana - Staff Yoga Pose

• If you are new to yoga, put some padding, like a rolled towel or a folded yoga mat under you sit bones. This will help you to correctly align your body.
  
• If this bothers your back, it is OK to let the knees bend slightly. Just focus on flexing the feet and pushing out through the heels and you will still feel the stretch.
  
• Go slowly into and out of this stretch. Engage your abdominal and leg muscles as you come in and out of the pose.
  
• Do not bounce while stretching.
  

Dandasana - Staff Yoga Pose Video

Benefits Of Yoga During Pregnancy

Karan Khalsa

The ancient Vedic art and philosophy, yoga, is all about experiencing the oneness with the God. It is also the way of finding peace of mind and controlling the mind all by ownself. Be it Hatha yoga or Ashtanga yoga or Kundalini yoga - Yoga enriches the life with divine tranquility and takes one to a higher level of spiritualism. Yoga is a blessing for all, criss-crossing age or sex. This ancient art is very much popular among all for its beneficial and life-enriching qualities. Women find it truly helpful in the most important phase of their life i.e. during pregnancy. For ages yoga has been practiced by pregnant women to avoid any kind of complications during pregnancy. Prenatal yoga ensures pain-free and smooth delivery. And if some soothing yoga music can be included in yoga practicing, it delivers better result.
Apart from being in shape and staying healthy, yoga has lot more to offer to the expecting mothers in their most crucial as well as vulnerable stage of life. Many and many women are opting for prenatal yoga for a relaxed and comfortable birthing. It gives protection to both the mother and the baby. By practicing yoga the mother-to-be can learn to rediscover her own inner strength as well as how to ensure herself and her baby’s overall well being. It is very normal for women to experience fear of pregnancy which sometimes leads to a serious problem. Yoga practiced with meditation music, is also beneficial to overcome this fear of pregnancy. For those expecting mothers who cannot join a yoga class, various prenatal yoga DVDs available at Spirit Voyage, can be of great help.

meditation is a part of yoga. Meditation is the way to develop a favorable mindset which is very much necessary in this period. Because the happiness of the mother-to-be has great influence in the positive growth of the fetus. So, yoga or meditation helps to develop a positive attitude by controlling any kind of mood-swings and thus it creates a balance in the mind. Yoga music plays a very important role here. The soothing tunes of the spiritual music fills up the mind with divine purity. Regular meditation makes the woman ready for the childbirth. Whereas the breathing exercises provide more oxygen to the baby in the womb. And above all, the sacred tunes of meditation music will shower the divine blessing to the mother and her child.

Practicing yoga during pregnancy promises two vital task, natural child birth and minimal pain during delivery. It also ensures some post-delivery benefits like getting into the right shape, maintaining the proper body weight and strengthening both the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor. Yoga helps to get a flexible body which will be able to adjust the changes during pregnancy and post-pregnancy. So, weave the sweet memories of tension-free pregnancy with the yoga DVDs and books offered by Spirit Voyage. Birth Without Violence by Frederick Leboyer, The Awakening by Donna Amrita Davidge, Yoga Para Despues del Embarazo / Postnatal Yoga DVD by Natalie Stawsky, Postnatal Kundalini Yoga for New Mothers DVD by Gurmukh, Baby and Mom Pre Natal Yoga DVD by Gurmukh etc. are some of the yoga CDs and DVDs which are perfect for pregnant women.

Apart from these prenatal and post-natal DVDs, Spirit Voyage also has a huge collection of spiritual music CDs and DVDs. A huge number of CDs, DVDs and books are available on every form of yoga, be it Kundalini yoga or Hatha yoga. The renowned spiritual singers like Deva Premal, Snatam Kaur, Wah!, Donna De Lory and Gurmukh have lent their pure soulful voices in these albums.

Best Hatha Yoga Tip Ever

By Anmol Mehta

The best hatha yoga tip I ever received, was from a yoga master who understood the inner workings of life, karma and reincarnation. Employing this tip is essential if you are going to extract the full benefits of a yoga practice. Without this piece of wisdom, hatha yoga becomes just a series of physical movements and exercises. The tip is that all yoga should be practiced with the Witnessing Consciousness active.

This is really more than just the best yoga tip, this is an essential yoga guideline. Yoga means, to join or yolk, and the joining that is being referred to, is the merging of your consciousness with the Universal Consciousness. This is the true purpose of yoga. To bring you to the doorstep of Infinity, so that you can realize the true Oneness of Reality.

Yoga includes many dimensions, and of these hatha yoga is just one. This dimension is considered the physical aspect of yoga practice, but if done while employing the Witnessing Consciousness, this physical practice becomes spiritual and much more. So what exactly is meant by this tip? Let's discuss the details of that below.

The Witnessing Consciousness is the act of simply standing apart and watching that which is taking place. In other words, to have a third person perspective of what is happening in your life, within and without, and using this observation as a source for self study. This observation is pure simple awareness. It should be without judgment or criticism, and it should be maintained as best you can from moment to moment. Another way of describing this state is that it is the act of being in the world, but not being of the world.

So, as you practice your hatha yoga poses and routines, keep this awareness active. Do your yoga and watch yourself doing it like you are watching a movie. Stay alert to the three dimensions of your being. The physical, emotional and mental. This detached, passive awareness will allow the content of consciousness to come out, reveal itself and be purged. That cleansing will then allow you to have space and silence within, which are the necessary ingredients for Truth to blossom.

This important tip though extends far beyond your hatha yoga practice as well. Not only during your physical practice should you practice this watching, but you should continue at all other times as well. No one is really able to successfully be conscious throughout all twenty-four hours of the day, but the amount of time you can stay aware is perhaps the best way to measure your spiritual progress.

The person who can maintain their awareness ninety percent of the time is going to be much more spiritually advanced than one who is only aware only five percent of the time. In fact, this metric is probably the best measure of the spiritual level of a person. Putting this tip to use, will certainly change your life. You will have to make adjustments in order to practice such vigilance and the more you practice it, the more positive changes you will notice start happening.

A great time to practice this tip is, of course, while doing hatha yoga poses. This is because hatha yoga can be done without excessive mental activity. This then leaves awareness available for the task of self observation. Of course, there are hatha yoga exercises that suggest bringing the mind and attention to various regions in the body, as you do the pose, but if you can, try to maintain some free energy and awareness for self observation. In fact, I would say that maintaining the Witnessing Consciousness is more important, than the mental requirements of a particular pose.

Finally, this tip is not limited to just hatha yoga either. Regardless of which yoga style you are doing, Kripalu, Hot, Power, Kundalini, Vinyasa or other yoga style, the most important aspect of your practice is to do it with full awareness. This is the key to finding the Truth, for as you will discover, the Witnessing Consciousness is really your True Self after all.

Balasana - Child's Pose

The Child Pose is a relaxation pose which is used to normalize the circulation after the Head Stand and to give a counter stretch to the spine after the backward bends. It is a resting pose that can be done to precede or follow any pose. Performing the Child Pose stretches the hips, thighs and ankles gently. It also helps relieve stress and fatigue, and calms the brain. However, you need to observe caution in practicing the Child Pose when you are suffering from diarrhea or knee injury as it may worsen your ailment when not done properly. Pregnant women should also avoid doing the Child Pose. Practicing under the supervision of an experienced Yoga teacher is advised.

Procedure for Doing Balasana - Child's Pose

1. Find a large enough space where you will be able to spread your entire body on the floor.
   
2. Lay your yoga mat and towel or blanket on the floor and lay down on your back with your legs stretched out and your arms at your side.
   
3. Sit up and tuck your legs underneath you so that your body is resting on your knees.
   
4. Touch your toes together and spread your knees as far apart as you are comfortably able. Do not stretch more than is comfortable for your body. Flexibility varies from person to person.
   
5. Lean forward and touch your head to the mat, or as far forward as you are able to hang your head. Put your arms at your side or extend them up so that they are resting next to your ears on the mat.
   

Benefits of Balasana - Child's Pose

• Gently stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles


• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue


• Relieves back and neck pain when done with head and torso supported

Balasana - Child's Pose Video

Yoga To Tone Your Abs

By Nico Webb

Using specific yoga exercises to get solid abs

Is it possible to get the famous so-called 6 pack abs from yoga? Even if the key objectives of yoga are not aesthetics, yoga can be very effective for firming your stomach muscles and trimming unwanted fat.

Most people today, male or female, appreciate firm abs and today I want to show you three very effective yoga asanas for firming and toning your abdominal muscles and lower back.

The three asanas that we are looking at today, as mentioned work your entire mid-section, lower back, buttocks, the intercostals region as well as internal organs and aside from working your stomach muscles the poses provide many health benefits. Please remember that yoga is completely different from regular gym routines; with yoga we are not interested in endless repetitions of the same exercise and sweating under a heavy, relentless workload. No, we are looking for perfect execution of the pose and holding the pose for a determined amount of time. For reaching the objectives of this article, I would like to suggest that you do each exercise from the list 5 times and consider this as one set, to use the familiar gym terminology, if you have trouble performing the reverse boat posture you can try holding your thighs and do the pose just two or three times only, you may also use a yoga strap.

Please do not sacrifice form just to complete the movement. With practice you can build up your routine – not with individual reps but by holding the pose longer.

Yoga Workouts for Toned Firm Abs

The three basic poses we focus on are the following:

• Marjariasana – The Cat Pose
  
• Supta Udarakarshanasana – The Lying Abdominal Stretch Pose
  
• Reverse Naukasana - The Boat Pose
  

For complete instruction on how to perform the exercises in order to obtain the desired results, please visit our website (follow the link below) where you will find the entire version of this article as well as illustrative photographs which will greatly help you go through the poses using a correct style.

The Benefits of your Yoga for Abs workout

You will probably not get the famous 6-pack abs mid-section from yoga, however you will certainly firm and strengthen your entire abdominal region as well as your lower back. If you add a low-impact cardiovascular exercise to the mentioned yoga routine, such as walking or swimming, you will melt unwanted body fat covering your abdominal region and sides even more rapidly. Not only will you feel tighter and stronger you will also appreciate the following benefits:

Benefits of the Cat Pose

increases mobility of vertebrae and releases tension in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine strengthens and tones the arms and abdominal muscles stretches back muscles and abdominal muscles as well as the neck increases circulation of spinal fluid and massages digestive organs teaches correct pelvic movements for forward bends and back bends. It also gives your digestive organs a gentle massage.

Benefits of the Lying Abdominal Twist Pose

The spinal nerves will become toned and you will feel emotionally strengthened. Physically your abdominals will become firmer and the metabolism is tweaked, due to the massaging pressure on abdomen, aiding weight loss and trimming of the waist and hips. This pose also will aid in helping in aligning posture. It helps regularize bowel movements and prepares the body for the day ahead.

Benefits of the Reverse Boat Pose

The benefits of doing this exercise are many. As your abdominal section is under pressure, your liver and pancreas can function better. This can lead to increased secretion of bile from the liver and insulin from the pancreas, thus improving your digestion. It could also help to regulate your blood sugar levels. In addition, the muscles of your legs, especially the calf and thigh muscles, and the muscles around your shoulders and neck get toned. Above all your tummy fat is reduced. Although you cannot build six pack abs with this exercise itself, doing it regularly can prepare you for heavier exercises that can make it possible for you to achieve six packs.

There, quite a lot to read and assimilate, but I hope the instructions together with my going through the asanas with you in the photos help you fully understand the yoga poses for toning the abs. Good luck and stick with it – the benefits are far too many to give up!

Natarajasana - King Dancers Yoga Pose

Natarajasana is also known as King Dancer's Yoga Pose. "Nata" in Sanskrit means "dancer" and "raja" means "king". 'Nataraja' is another name of Shiva, the Lord of the Dance. Hence this pose symbolizes the dance of Lord Shiva. For background, the name Nataraja is one of the names that is given to the Hindu God Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer. This image is commonly represented in metal or stone in the Saiva temples of South India. Another term for Shiva in this form is Lord of the Dance (but not the theater dance group that performs celtic dancing). Shiva in cosmic dance is believed to encompass all of creation, preservation and destruction. Regardless of your religious beliefs it is easy to see how, in full position, this graceful asana appears like something that a ballet dancer might do.

Procedure for doing Natarajasana - King Dancer's Yoga Pose

1. Begin standing with your feet together and arms by your sides. Shift your weight to your left leg. Find a point at eye level to steady your gaze at.
   
2. Extend your left arm in front of you so that it is parallel to the floor.
   
3. Bend your right knee and lift your right foot off the floor.
   
4. Take hold of your right big toe with your right hand, grasping it between your thumb, index and middle finger.
   
5. Lift your right foot up and back with your right hand.
   
6. Roll your fingers around your right big toe and rotate your elbow and shoulder so that your right arm is stretched behind your head.
   
7. Find a balance between pulling your right leg up and back and extending your left arm either straight forward or reaching into the air with your palm facing towards you. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds, making sure to continue even breaths.
   
8. Release the grip on your toe and lower right leg and arm. End in standing pose. Repeat on the other side.
   

Benefits of Natarajasana - King Dancer's Yoga Pose

• Releases tension in the angle and foot, helping to prevent injury
  
• Develops a sense of balance and focus
  
• Opens the chest and lungs, creating more space for the breath
  
• Strengthens spine and entire leg
  
• Stretches thighs, shoulders
  

Tips and Cautions for Natarajasana - King Dancer's Yoga Pose

• This pose strengthens leg muscles and develops balance. The shoulder blades and chest muscles also get a good stretch.


• If you are very advanced, you may hold your back foot with both hands so that both elbows are pointing up in the air and your head leans back to meet your foot.
  

Natarajasana - King Dancer's Yoga Pose Video

Vajrasana - Diamond Pose - Thunderbolt Pose

Vajrasana is one of the simplest Yoga Asanas. Anyone can do it without putting more stress on the parts of his or her body. One can sit comfortably for a prolonged period in this Asana. "Vajra" or the thunderbolt, the powerful weapon of Indra is the allegory behind this particular yoga asana. Vajrasana is also known as the Diamond Pose. The term Vajrasana is derived from two Sanskrit words Vajra means thunderbolt and Asana means pose. The word Vajra can also translate as "va" + ra where va means to move and ra means radiant. According to its literal meaning it, Vajrasana is a pose that radiates blood supply and subtle energies to upper body.

Procedure for Doing Vajrasana - Diamond Pose - Thunderbolt Pose

• Lower yourself to your knees if you are in a standing position.
  
• Bring your knees together, maintaining your balance.
  
• Slide your feet and lower legs together.
  
• Lay your feet flat on the mat, toes pointing straight out behind you.
  
• Lean back gently, seating yourself on your heels.
  
• Straighten your back and maintain good posture throughout the pose.
  
• Breathe in deeply as you begin to place your hands, palms down, on the tops of your thighs.
  
• Exhale through your nose as your palms come to a rest on your thighs.
  
• Continue to breathe gently and evenly through your nose as you hold the diamond pose for 3 to 5 minutes. If you are meditating, you may hold this pose for your entire meditation session.
  

Benefits of Vajrasana - Diamond Pose - Thunderbolt Pose

There are several benefits of Vajrasana and other asanas connected to it

1. It is great for your digestive system and helps to strengthen it and treat problems related to it.
   
2. It also gets rid of excess wind or gas in your belly and promotes good digestion.
3. It is beneficial to practice this asana after having your meals as it aids digestion.
   
4. This asana or pose is also great to add strength to your calf and thigh muscles.
   

Vajrasana - Diamond Pose - Thunderbolt Pose Video

Advanced Yoga Poses

By H. Sulanti

Regular practice of yoga strengthens the body and the mind. There are some poses in yoga which should be practiced only after one has mastered the easy yoga asanas, that is, if one has a good hold on all the arm balances, inverted poses and backward bends, it is time to move on to the next level of poses which are called advanced yoga poses. A yoga practitioner should master the basic and intermediate yoga positions before moving on to the advanced ones.

One major difference between the advanced and other ones is that the former needs immense strength and flexibility which is achieved only after regular practice of the basic as well as intermediate yoga poses for a considerable period of time. They are often very demanding and involve twisting of the body to look like some object or being from the nature.

The ability to balance the body properly is another aspect of them as almost all the advanced asanas require the practitioner to balance and control the body to a great extent. And for a proper balance during difficult poses, it is essential for the mind to work with the body which is possible only for the veterans.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the advanced yoga poses take the individual or the aspirant to the next level of existence. The advanced yoga poses involve deep levels of meditation, which allows the mind to be free from all the worldly thoughts and which also paves the way for spiritually enriching experience.

Some of the popular advanced yoga poses are:

• Compass Pose or Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana
  
• Crow Pose or Bakasana
  
• Eagle Pose or Garudasana
  
• Firefly Pose or Tittibhasana
  
• Flying Crow Pose or Eka Pada Galavasana
  
• Flying Crow Pose or Eka Pada Galavasana
  
• Forearm Stand or Pincha Mayurasana
  
• Forearm Stand or Pincha Mayurasana
  
• Headstand Pose or Salamba Sirsasana
  
• King Dancer Pose or Natarajasana Pose
  
• Monkey Pose or Hanumanasana
  
• One Legged Kind Pigeon Pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
  
• Revolved Half Moon Pose or Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana
  
• Scorpion Pose or Vrschikasana
  
• Side Crow Pose or Parsva Bakasana
  
• Wheel Pose or Urdhva Dhanurasana
  

It is very important for any yoga enthusiast to understand that rushing into advanced yoga poses will not help much, as the foundation of any yoga course is the performance and practice of yoga poses. Each yoga pose has its own benefits and it is important to not strain one's body during yoga which becomes a possibility if one rushes into the advanced yoga poses.

Padmasana - Lotus Pose

Padmasana or the Lotus Position has acquired its name from Sanskrit word Padma means lotus because in this asana position of the legs look like blooming lotus. This is a cross-legged sitting posture that originated in representations and meditative practices of Hinduism. This asana has been given a great importance in the Yogashastra as it is best suited for Pranayam, Meditation & concentration. This excellent posture encourages proper breathing and foster physical stability.

Procedure For Doing Padamasana - Lotus Pose

1. Sit on the floor or on a mat.
   
2. Bend your left knee as if you were sitting in a regular cross legged position.
   
3. Bring your lower right leg to your upper left leg.
   
4. Leaning back slightly, lift your lower left leg over your right shin. Rest your lower left leg on your upper right leg. You may need to reposition your lower legs slightly with your hands.
   
5. Hold for several breaths.
   
6. Repeat on the other side.
   

Benefits Of Padamasana - Lotus Pose

• Sitting in Padmasana will help to reduce excess fat in the abdomen, buttocks and thighs.
  
• This posture strengthens the thighs and calves and provides elasticity to the hamstring muscles.
  
• Padmasana develops the correct carriage of the body with perfect equilibrium since the spine has to be kept straight during the practise.
  
• The important muscles, ligaments and tendons of the lower extremities are extended and flexed while sitting in Padmasana and relaxed when it is released.
  
• This posture promotes a rich supply of blood to the organs in the pelvic and the abdomino-genital regions while the flow of blood to the lower extemities is limited.
• Since more blood is made to circulate in the lumbar region of the spine and the abdomen, the spine and the abdominal organs are toned up.
  
• It firms up the coccygeal and sacral regions of the spine and the sciatic nerve.
• It also tones up the colon.
  
• It limbers up stiff knees and ankles and improves the flexibility of the hip-joints. It relieves arthritic pain in these areas.
  
• Minor spinal deformities are set right.
  
• The erect spine prevents the compression of the abdominal viscera while sitting in this posture.
  

Caution With Padmasana - Lotus Pose

This is an advanced yoga posture and is not meant to be practiced without consulting a yoga instructor. If you are learning from home, practice the half lotus position. The lotus yoga position is not for those suffering from ankle or knee injuries.

Padmasana - Lotus Pose Video

Mayurasana - Peacock Pose

Meaning of 'Mayura', a Sanskrit word, is 'Peacock'. While doing this asana, the of body looks like a ' Peacock'.

As it is one of the difficult type of asanas, you should have prior knowledge about other easy asanas. You can sit in Vajrasana and start doing Mayurasana.

Procedure For Doing Mayurasana - Peacock Pose

• Kneel on your mat and keeping the feet together separate the knees. Lean forward and place the palms flat with the fingers pointed towards the body. Your elbows should be against your abdomen. Lean forward more so your chest is on your upper arms.
  
• Place the forehead on the mat and straighten the legs, one leg at a time. Keep the legs together. Shift your weight forward so the legs lift up automatically. Then lift your head up.
  
• Now your whole body is balanced on your hands. Try to hold the pose for a short while and also try to lift the legs up even more.
  
• Slowly lower yourself down with control. Take a few deep breaths and bring your breathing back to normal.
  

Benefits Of Doing Mayurasana - Peacock Pose

• The Mayrasana (Peacock Posture) provides exercise to all of the parts of the body.
  
• It helps in toning up of some of the internal organs like liver, kidney and pancreas
  
• Those who have stomach disorder would be benefitted by doing this asana.
  
• Mayurasan keeps the whole body in balanced and concentrated position.
  

Mayurasana - Peacock Pose Video