STANDING ASANSBy SHIPRA RAI, M.P.ED Previous

(AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna)

Downward-Facing Dog

ETYMOLOGY

(AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna)adho = downwardmukha = facesvana = dog

PROCEDURE Come onto the floor on your

hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and turn your toes under.

PROCEDURE Exhale and lift your knees away from

the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

PROCEDURE Then with an exhalation, push

your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them. Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly. Narrow the front of the pelvis.

PROCEDURE Firm the outer arms and press the

bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. From these two points lift along your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms; don’t let it hang.

PROCEDURE Adho Mukha Svanasana is one

of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. It’s also an excellent yoga asana all on its own. Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Then bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest in Child’s Pose.

BENEFITS Calms the brain and helps relieve stress

and mild depression Energizes the body Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings,

calves, arches, and hands Strengthens the arms and legs Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause.

BENEFITS Relieves menstrual discomfort when done with

head supported Helps prevent osteoporosis Improves digestion Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain, and

fatigue Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma,

flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis

CONTRADICATIONS & CAUTIONS

Recent or chronic injury to the back, hips, arms or shoulders.

Carpal tunnel syndrome Diarrhea Pregnancy: Do not do this pose late-term. High blood pressure or headache: Support

your head on a bolster or block, ears level between the arms.

(Padangusthasana)Big Toe Pose

ETYMOLOGY

(Padangusthasana)Pada = feetangustha = thumbasana = pose

PROCEDURE Stand upright with your inner

feet parallel and about six inches apart. Contract your front thigh muscles to lift your kneecaps. Keeping your legs completely straight, exhale and bend forward from your hip joints, moving your torso and head as one unit.

PROCEDURE Slide the index and middle fingers of

each hand between the big toes and the second toes. Then curl those fingers under and grip the big toes firmly, wrapping the thumbs around the other two fingers to secure the wrap. Press your toes down against your fingers. (If you can’t reach your toes without overly rounding your back, pass a strap under the ball of each foot and hold the straps.)

PROCEDURE With an inhalation, lift your torso as

if you were going to stand up again, straightening your elbows. Lengthen your front torso, and on the next exhale, lift your sitting bones. Depending on your flexibility, your lower back will hollow to a greater or lesser degree. As you do this, release your hamstrings and hollow your lower belly (below your navel) as well, lightly lifting it toward the back of your pelvis.

PROCEDURE Lift the top of your

sternum as high as you can, but take care not to lift your head so far that you compress the back of your neck. Keep your forehead relaxed.

PROCEDURE For the next few inhalations,

lift your torso strongly as you continue to actively contract your front thighs; on each successive exhalation, strongly lift your sitting bones as you consciously relax your hamstrings. As you do this, deepen the hollow in your lower back.

PROCEDURE Finally exhale, bend

your elbows out to the sides, pull up on your toes, lengthen the front and sides of your torso, and gently lower into the forward bend.

PROCEDURE If you have very long

hamstrings, you can draw your forehead toward your shins. But if your hamstrings are short, it’s better to focus on keeping the front torso long. Hunching into a forward bend isn’t safe for your lower back and does nothing to lengthen your hamstrings.

PROCEDURE Hold the final position for

one minute. Then release your toes, bring your hands to your hips, and re-lengthen your front torso. With an inhale, swing your torso and head as a single unit back to upright.

BENEFITS Calms the brain and helps relieve stress, anxiety

and mild Stimulates the liver and kidneys Stretches the hamstrings and calves Strengthens the thighs Improves digestion Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause Helps relieve headache and insomnia

CONTRADICATIONS & CAUTIONS

People who are suffering from other problems like knee injury or knee pain, joint-pain, or any injury or pain related to legs are not allowed to practice this asana. In case if you face any headache related issues, then you should not practice this yoga asana. People who are suffering from any kind of back injury or back pain are not supposed to practice this asana. Apart from this, if you have any problems, then you must consult your doctor or a qualified yoga teacher for further guidance. Always remember, do not try to stretch your body beyond its capacity. Do as much as you can.

Shipra Rai

M.P.ed Previous