Yoga Postures Step-by-Step Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) Step by Step Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) means a salute to the sun. It is a continuous series of 8 related Yoga postures, some done twice, in what totals 13 poses. It is designed to warm up your whole body and integrate the body, mind and breath. The Sun Salutation is a warm up or toning exercise and is considered the best of all Yoga exercises as it stretches, compresses, arches and reinforces all the major muscles of the body, as well as the digestive and respiratory organs. It also helps develop flexibility, strength, balance, concentration and focus. Sun Salutation is a great way to synchronize your breath and can be practised twice a day. Given below are the step by step instructions.
S T E P ON E : Stand facing the direction of the sun with both feet touching. Bring the hands together, palm to palm, at the heart.
S T E P TWO : Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly bend backward, stretching arms above the head.
S T E P THREE: Exhale slowly bending forward, touching the earth with respect until the hands are in line with the feet, head touching knees.
S T E P FOUR : Inhale and move the right leg back away from the body in a wide backward step. Keep the hands and feet firmly on the ground, with the left foot between the hands. Raise the head.
S T E P FIVE: While exhaling, bring the left foot together with the right. Keep arms straight, raise the hips and align the head with the arms, forming an upward arch.
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S T E P SIX : Exhale and lower the body to the floor until the the feet, knees, hands, chest, and forehead are touching the ground.
S T E P SEVEN: Inhale and slowly raise the head and bend backward as much as possible, bending the spine to the maximum
S T E P NINE : Inhale and move the right leg back away from the body in a wide backward step. Keep the hands and feet firmly on the ground, with the left foot between the hands. Raise the head.
S T E P ELEVEN : Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly bend backward, stretching arms above the head.
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S T E P EIGHT: While exhaling, bring the left foot together with the right. Keep arms straight, raise the hips and align the head with the arms, forming an upward arch.
S T E P TEN: Exhale slowly bending forward, touching the earth with respect until the hands are in line with the feet, head touching knees.
S T E P TWELVE : Stand facing the direction of the sun with both feet touching. Bring the hands together, palm to palm, at the heart.
Chakra-asana Instructions: 1. Lie flat on the back in the shava-asana (corpse pose). 2. While exhaling bend the knees and bring the feet as close to the buttocks as possible with the soles of the feet flat on the floor. 3. Bend the arms at the elbows and place the palms of the hands flat on the floor directly under each shoulder with the fingers pointing toward the back. 4. While inhaling slowly, begin to raise the head, back and buttocks off the floor while arching the spine. Continue to press downward on the hands and feet while raising the hips and stomach as high as possible. 5. Hold for the duration of the held inhaled breath. When you can't hold the breath comfortable any longer, slowly exhale and return the back to Duration/Repetitions: The chakra-asana is either held for the duration of the inhaled breath or between one and three minutes while breathing gently through the nostrils. Repeat it two or three times.
Pavana – mukta - asana Instructions: 1. Inhale and bend the right knee and pull it close to the torso with both hands while interlocking the fingers just below the knee. Keep the left leg flat on the floor. 2. Hold the inhaled breath for a few seconds then exhale slowly through the nostrils and lift the back, shoulders and head off the floor and touch the knee with the forehead. 3. Hold the exhaled breath for a few seconds then slowly inhale and return the back, shoulders and head to the floor. Remain holding the knee. 4. Hold the inhaled breath for a few seconds then exhale while bringing the right leg to the floor. 5. Lie flat on the back in the shava-asana for a few seconds then repeat beginning with the left leg.
Duration/Repetitions: Hold each of the four parts of this posture (corresponding with the held breaths) for three to five seconds each. Repeat the purvasa-mukta-asana three to five times on each side.
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Bhujang - asana Instructions: 1. Lie on your stomach with your toes flat on the floor and forehead resting on the ground. 2. Keep your legs close together, with your feet and heels lightly touching each other. 3. Place your hands (palms downwards) under your shoulders, keeping your elbows parallel and close to your torso. 4. Taking a deep breath in, slowly lift your head, chest and abdomen while keeping your navel on the floor. 5. Pull your torso back and off the floor with the support of your hands. 6. Checkpoint: Are you putting equal pressure on both the palms? 7. Keep breathing with awareness, as you curve your spine vertebra by vertebra. If possible, straighten your arms by arching your back as much as possible; tilt your head back and look up. 8. Checkpoint: Are your shoulders away from your ears? Keep your shoulders relaxed, even if it means bending your elbows. With regular practice, you will be able to deepen the stretch by straightening the elbows. 9. Ensure that your feet are still close together. Keep smiling and breathing. Smiling Cobras! 10. Don’t overdo the stretch or overstrain yourself. 11. Breathing out, gently bring your abdomen, chest and head back to the floor.
Dhanura-asana
Instructions: 1. Lie flat on the back in the shava-asana (corpse pose). 2. Lie on the stomach with the head turned to one side and the arms alongside the body with palms facing upward. 3. Turn the head and place the chin on the floor. Exhale, bend the knees, reach back with the arms and grasp the right ankle with the right hand and the left ankle with the left hand. 4. While inhaling, slowly raise the legs by pulling the ankles up and raising the knees off the floor while simultaneously lifting the chest off the floor. Hold the inhale breath. The weight of the body should be resting on the abdomen. 5. Tilt the head as far back as possible. Hold the posture as long as you can comfortably hold the inhale breath. 6. Slowly exhale bringing the knees to the floor, release the ankles, slowly bring the legs and arms straight down on the floor and turn the head to one side, assuming the prone posture you began with. 4|P ag e
Duration/Repetitions: The dhanur-asana is either held for the duration of the inhaled or between one and three minutes while breathing gently through the nostrils. Repeat it two or three times.
PASCHIMOTTANASANA
Instructions: 1. From Staff pose, inhale the arms up over the head and lift and lengthen up through the fingers and crown of the head. 2. Exhale and hinging at the hips, slowly lower the torso towards the legs. Reach the hands to the toes, feet or ankles. 3. To deepen the stretch: Use the arms to gently pull the head and torso closer to the legs. Press out through the heels and gently draw the toes towards you. 4. Breathe and hold for 3-8 breaths. 5. To release: Slowly roll up the spine back into Staff pose. Inhale the arms back over your head as you lift the torso back into Staff pose.
PURVOTTANASANA
Instructions: 1. From Staff posture with the arms behind your hips and the fingers pointed either towards or away from your body, begin to lean back into the palms. 2. Inhale and press down into the palms to lift the hips up toward the ceiling. As the hips lift, engage the legs by pulling up the knee caps and squeezing the thighs. 3. Press the bottoms of the feet flat down into the floor, gently squeeze the buttocks and engage Mula Bandha. Draw the shoulder blades together to lift up through the sternum. 4. Align the body from the toes to the shoulders in one straight line. If it feels safe you can carefully drop the head back. 5. Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths. 6. To release: slowly exhale the hips back to the floor.
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VAJRA – ASANA
Instructions: 1. The vajra-asana is a seated posture. Begin by sitting back on your heels and placing your knees, legs and feet together. 2. Keeping the back straight place the palms of your hands down on top of your thights. 3. Breath gently thorugh your nostrils and sit in this position for at least three minutes.
Duration/Repetitions: The vajra-asana can be held for as long as is comfortable (and depending on the reason for doing the posture).
SUPTA – VAJRA – ASANA Instructions: 1. Sit in vajrasana. Slowly bend back, taking the support of first the right elbow and arm and then the left. 2. Bring the top of the head to the ground, arching the back. 3. Find the balance in this position, then place the hands on the thighs. 4. Try to keep the knees in contact with the floor. If necessary, separate the knees. Care should be taken not to strain the muscles and ligaments of the thighs and knees by forcing the knees to touch the ground in the final position. 5. Close the eyes and relax the body. 6. Breathe deeply and slowly in the final position. 7. Return to the starting position by breathing in and taking the support of the elbows and arms to return to vajrasana.
Duration/Repetitions: Beginners should start with only a few seconds in the final position, increasing the duration slowly. For physical benefits, up to one minute is sufficient.
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USHTRA – ASANA
Instructions: 1. Sit up on the knees with the heels of the feet pressed against the buttocks and the calves of the legs flat on the floor. 2. Reaching backward, grasp the left ankle with the left hand and right ankle with the right hand. 3. Inhale through the nostrils and lift the buttocks off the legs arching the back and thrusting the abdomen forward and tilt the head as far back as possible. 4. Either hold the posture for the duration of the inhale breath or breath gently through the nostrils while holding the posture. 5. Exhale and return to the kneeling position.
Duration/Repetitions: Hold the posture for the duration of the inhaled breath. If you choose to breath while holding the ushtra-asana hold it for between thirty seconds to one minute. Repeat the posture three times.
PADAHASTASANA
Instructions: 1. Inhale and lift your arms straight up over your head with your arms touching your ears. 2. Exhale and bend forward from the hips as shown in the photograph, keeping your back straight as long as possible. Keep your legs straight with the weight of the body over the balls of the feet. Feel that the hips are lifting up and the body is falling away from the hips. 3. If possible, put your hands flat on the floor, or wrap your fingers around the big toes. If you can't reach the floor you can also wrap your hands around the back of your legs. 4. Try to bring the head in as close to the knees as possible with the neck relaxed. 5. In the beginning, hold the posture for 5 seconds, gradually working up to 1 minute or more.
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SARVANGA – ASANA
Instructions: 1. Lie flat on the back in the shava-asana. 2. Inhale through the nostrils. Place the palms face-down on the floor. Keeping the hips on the floor, bend the knees and bring them up toward the stomach while exhaling. 3. Inhale slowly through the nostrils, press down on the hands and lift the torso from the waist up off the floor, arching the spine backwards and straightening the arms. Keep the hips on the floor. 4. Inhale, then while exhaling, raise the legs straight up perpendicular to the floor. You may support your hips with your hands or leave the arms flat on the floor, whichever is most comfortable. 5. The legs should be together with the knees straight and toes pointed straight up. Keep the head straight without turning it to either side. The chin should be pressed against the chest. 6. Breath gently through the nostrils while the posture is held. 7. Reverse the steps to return to the shava-asana.
SIRSHA-ASANA
Instructions: 1. Sit in a kneeling position with the buttocks resting on the heels of the feet. 2. Lean forward and place the forearms on the floor in front while keeping the elbows about shoulder distance apart. Interlock the fingers of both hands. 3. Place the top of the head flat on the floor with the back of the head pressed against the inside of the interlocked fingers. 4. Placing the tips of the toes firmly on the floor while lifting the heels, raise the knees off the floor. 5. Hold for the duration of the held inhaled breath. When you can't hold the breath comfortable any longer, slowly exhale and return the back to the floor, slide the legs out straight returning to the shava-asana. 7. Reverse the steps to return to the shava-asana.
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4 Pranayama Techniques Breathing is something we do on a daily basis. The body, in a living state, breathes involuntarily whether we are awake, sleeping, or actively exercising. Breathing is living. It is a vital function of life. In yoga, we refer to this as pranayama. Prana is a Sanskrit word that means life force andayama means extending or stretching. Thus, the word “pranayama” translates to the control of life force. It is also known as the extension of breath. Every cell in our bodies needs oxygen to function properly. So it’s no surprise that research shows that a regular pra
ctice of controlled breathing can decrease the effects of stress on the body
and
increase
overall
physical
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mental
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Ever notice how soothing a simple sigh can be at the end of a long day? There are a variety of breathing techniques that are known to reduce stress, aid in digestion, improve sleep, and cool you down. Here are instructions on four pranayama exercises worth practicing
1. Nadhi Sodhana aka Anuloma Viloma Nadhi sodhana, also known as alternative nostril breathing, is a very relaxed, balancing breath that is used to help calm the nervous system and aid in a restful night’s sleep. By increasing the amount of oxygen taken into the body, it’s believed that this breath can also purify the blood, calm the mind, reduce stress, and promote concentration. How to do it: Nadhi sodhana can be done seated or lying down. To start, empty all the air from your lungs. Using the thumb of your dominant hand, block your right nostril and inhale through your left nostril only. Be sure to inhale into your belly, not your chest. Once you are full of breath, seal your left nostril with the ring finger of the same hand, keeping your right nostril closed, and hold the breath for a moment. Then release your thumb and exhale through your right nostril only. Be sure to exhale all the breath out of the right side and pause before inhaling again through the same side. Seal both nostrils once you’ve inhaled on the right side and exhaled through the left side. A complete cycle of breath includes an inhalation and exhalation through both nostrils. If you’re just starting out, you can do a four-count inhale, holding your breath for four to eight counts, then exhale for four counts. Perform up to ten cycles and notice how your body responds. You may feel more relaxed and calm in both your mind and body. When to do it: Nadhi sodhana is a calm, soothing breath that can be done any time of day. Try practicing this technique when you are anxious, nervous, or having trouble falling asleep.
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2. Kapalabhati Pranayama Kapalabhati means skull shining breath. It’s a pranayama exercise as well as an internal kriya, or cleansing technique. Practitioners of kapalabhati believe that this breath will help clear mucus in the air passages, relieve congestion, reduce bloating, and improve lung capacity. Kapalabhati is an invigorating breath that can build heat in the body. How to do it: Start by sitting in a comfortable seat with a tall, straight spine, and exhale completely. Inhale briefly through both nostrils, then sharply exhale (again out of your nose) while pulling your navel in toward your spine. The exhalation is short and quick, but very active, while the inhalation is short and passive. Again, pull your navel in as you exhale and soften it on the inhalation. Do one round of 30 (counting your exhalations) and rest for a minute with some deep breaths in between. Repeat. If this seems strenuous, start with 15 and gradually work your way up. When to do it: Kapalabhati is great to do in the morning if you’re feeling chilly or sluggish. You may also try it when you’re feeling congested or bloated, but don’t try it on a full stomach. Avoid this technique if you are pregnant, or suffer from blood pressure issues or heart conditions.
3. Ujjayi Pranayama Ujjayi means victorious breath; it’s also referred to as ocean breath due to the sound it creates. This breath is often used in asana (posture) practice, especially in ashtanga and vinyasa classes. Ujjayi encourages full expansion of the lungs, and, by focusing your attention on your breath, it can assist in calming the mind. How to do it: Find a place where you can sit comfortably with a straight spine. Take a steady breath in through both nostrils. Inhale until you reach your lung capacity; maintain a tall spine. Hold your breath for a second, then constrict some of the breath at the back of your throat, as if you were about to whisper a secret, and exhale slowly through both nostrils. This exhalation will sound like an ocean wave or gentle rush of air. You should feel the air on the roof of your mouth as you exhale. Repeat up to 20 times. When to do it: This breath can be practiced for up to 10 minutes at any time of day. Try it with an asana practice as well.
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4. Sitali Pranayama Sitali also means cooling, which explains the effect it can have on your mind and body. This breath encourages clearing heat with coolness. It’s especially helpful during summer and in hot climates. How to do it: Roll your tongue until the outer edges touch, forming a tube. If you can’t curl your tongue, make an oval shape with your mouth, keeping your tongue flat. Inhale through your mouth, taking in all the air that you can. It may make a hissing sound. After inhaling, bring the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth and seal your lips. Feel the coolness of the inhalation in your month then exhale through your nose. Repeat five to ten times or as needed. When to do it: If you’re feeling overheated, irritable, or find yourself waiting impatiently in hot weather, sitali is a great tool to try to cool off and relax! Breathing is one of the most natural things we do as humans. It is a gift and a very powerful tool that can enable us to create more ease and balance in our lives. Taking time to focus on the breath allows us to pause from daily stresses, physical symptoms, and emotions that have taken over the mind. It is in that moment where we focus on the breath that we can return to a neutral state of being, gain clarity, feel rejuvenated, and enhance an overall sense of well-being. These are just a few wonderful reasons to invite a pranayama practice into your daily routine.
SHAVA – ASANA Instructions: 1. Lie flat on your back with your legs together but not touching, and your arms close to the body with the palms facing up. 2. Keep your eyes gently closed with the facial muscles relaxed and breathe deeply and slowly through the nostrils. 3. Starting at the top of the head and working your way down to the feet, bring your attention to each part of your body, consciously relaxing it before proceeding on to the next. 4. Remain in the shava-asana for between 3 and 5 minutes or longer. If you become sleepy while in the shava-asana begin to breath a bit faster and deeper.
Duration/Repetitions: We recommend that you begin your period of yoga-asana practice with at least 3-5 minutes of shava-asana. Return to it periodically throught your posture session to relax and rejuvinate the body/mind and then conclude your session with at least 3-5 minutes more .
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