YOGA POSES TO INCREASE YOUR IMMUNITY AND HELP IN STUDY

YOGA POSES TO INCREASE YOUR STAMINA & CONCENTRATION:

Child pose (बालासन)

Steps:

1. Kneel down on a mat.

2. Your back should be arched slightly.

3. Now bring your arms together and stretch them out in front of you.

4. The palms should be resting on the floor.

5. Hold for 10 seconds. Breathe and repeat.

Note: (Your neck should stay in neutral position. If you find you are bending your neck, use a pillow, yoga block, or another prop to keep pressure off your neck.)

Benefits:

Child’s Pose is known for relaxing your mind, body and senses. It is one of the best ways to eliminate stress from your body and improve your performance at work.

Safety & Precautions:

➢ Avoid Child's Pose if you have a knee injury.

➢ If you are pregnant, spread your legs wider and don't press your stomach onto your thighs.

➢ If you have a shoulder injury, keeping your arms by your side will provide the most support.

➢ If you feel any pain, ease out of the pose.

Bridge Pose (सेतुबंधासन)

Steps:

1. Lying on your back, bend both knees and place the feet flat on the floor hip width apart. Slide the arms alongside the body with the palms facing down. The fingertips should be lightly touching the heels.

2. Press the feet into the floor, inhale and lift the hips up, rolling the spine off the floor. Lightly squeeze the knees together to keep the knees hip width apart.

3. Press down into the arms and shoulders to lift the chest up. Engage the legs, buttocks and mula bandha to lift the hips higher.

4. Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.

5. To release: exhale and slowly roll the spine back to the floor.

Benefits:

opens the chest, heart, and shoulders.

It stretches the spine, the back of the neck, the thighs, and the hip flexors (front hip joints).

Relief from stress, fatigue, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, and mild depression.

Bridge Pose also calms the mind and is known to be therapeutic for individuals with high blood pressure. Because it opens the chest, it increases lung capacity, which is therapeutic for those with asthma.

Safety & Precautions:

➢ Do not perform this pose if you have a neck or shoulder injury or any recent Knee injury.

➢ Do not turn your neck during the pose (either coming in or out of it, or once you’re in the full pose).

Lotus Pose (पद्मासन)

Steps:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in the front and your heels touching the ground. Make sure your spine is erect and your hands are on the sides.

2. Now, slowly move your legs apart such that the heels are still on the floor. Don t move them wide apart as it might become difficult to fold your knees.

3. Bend your right knee and carefully place it on the left thigh. You can use your hands to pull your feet towards yourself. Make sure that your heel is close to your abdomen and the sole is facing upwards.

4. Now, repeat the same with your left leg so both your legs are crisscrossed (locked). Place your hands on your knees as shown. Your spine should be erect, and head should be facing straight. Stay in this position for 2-3 minutes and take long breaths.

Benefits:

➢ Calms the brain

➢ Increases awareness and attentiveness

➢ Keeps the spine straight

➢ Helps develop good posture

➢ Restores energy levels

Safety & Precautions:

➢ People suffering from Injury or weak ankles or knees, sciatica, severe back pain or pregnancy should avoid practicing Padmasana.

➢ A lot of people find it hard to overlap the second leg, therefore, Ardha Titli Asana (Half Butterfly Pose) must be practiced until you find it comfortable to practice Padmasana.

Fish Pose (मत्स्यासन)

Steps:

1. Start by sitting at Padmasana (Lotus Pose).

2. Relax your body in Padmasana by taking deep and long breaths. Then Move your body slowly backward by placing your right forearm and elbow carefully on the floor. Do the same with your left arm.

3. Now by taking the support of your forearms and elbows, lower slowly your body while placing the crown of your head gently on the floor.

4. Try to arch the back as far as possible without straining. Make sure that you hold your feet with hands.

5. Keep your head in a comfortable position and do not put any weight on it. Just place your head on the ground.

6. Close your eyes and completely relax your body. Gently take deep and slow breaths. Hold in this final pose at least for a couple of seconds.

Benefits:

➢ Relieves tension in your neck, throat, and shoulders

➢ Stretches and tones the front of your neck and your abdominals

➢ Stretches and stimulates the organs of your belly and throat

➢ Strengthens your upper back and the back of your neck

➢ Relieves stress and irritation

➢ Improves posture

➢ Therapeutic for rounded-shoulders, asthma, spasms in the bronchial tubes, and other respiratory issues.

Safety & Precautions:

➢ People who are suffering from heart diseases, high blood pressure or low blood pressure should not perform Matsyasana.

➢ Patients of migraine and insomnia should also abstain from practicing the Fish Pose.

➢ While bending don’t put excessive pressure on your back.

Cobra Pose (भुजंगासन)

Steps:

1. Place your palms flat on the ground directly under your shoulders. Bend your elbows straight back and hug them into your sides.

2. Pause for a moment looking straight down at your mat with your neck in a neutral position. Anchor your pubic bone to the floor.

3. Inhale to lift your chest off the floor. Roll your shoulders back and keep your low ribs on the floor. Make sure your elbows continue hugging your sides. Don't let them wing out to either side.

4. Keep your neck neutral.

5. Exhale to release back to the floor

Benefits:

➢ Opens up the shoulders and neck to relieve pain

➢ Tones the abdomen

➢ Strengthens the entire back and shoulders

➢ Improves flexibility of the upper and middle back

➢ Expands the chest

➢ Improves blood circulation

➢ Reduces fatigue and stress

➢ Useful for people with respiratory disorders such as asthma

Safety & Precautions:

➢ Avoid practicing Bhujangasana if you are pregnant.

➢ Do not practice it if you have fractured ribs or wrists, or have recently undergone abdominal surgeries, such as for hernia.

➢ Also, avoid doing Bhujangasana if you suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

➢ Do not practice this yoga pose during an astmatic attack.

Cow face pose (गोमुखासन)

Steps:

1. Slide your knees toward your center line, stacking the right knee directly over the left. It may be helpful to come forward onto your hands and knees to do this. The right knee should be just in front of the left knee. Then separate your feet and come back to sit between them.

2. Bring your left arm straight up toward the ceiling.

3. Bend the left elbow, bringing the left hand to the back of your neck. You can use your right hand to gently shift the left elbow toward your midline.

4. Lift the right arm out to the right side, bend the elbow, and bring the right arm up the center of the back.

5. Clasp hands behind your back.

6. Draw both elbows toward the center and keep your head from tilting forward by pressing the back of your head into your left arm. Breathe evenly.

7. Release your arms on an inhale and try the pose with the left leg and right arm on top.

Benefits:

➢ Alleviates Stress and Mental tension

➢ Makes the body flexible

➢ Strengthens thighs muscles and the hip joint

➢ Opens up the chest

➢ Is a Complete body massage

Safety & Precautions:

Avoid this pose if you have a shoulder, neck, or knee injury. Be especially aware of how this pose feels on your knees and prop yourself accordingly or skip it if you can't find a position that doesn't cause you knee pain.

Tree Pose (वृक्षासन)

Steps:

1. Stand tall and straight with arms by the side

of your body.

2. Bend your right knee and place the right

foot high up on your left thigh. The sole of

the foot should be placed flat and firmly

near the root of the thigh.

3. Make sure that your left leg is straight. Find

your balance.

4. Once you are well balanced, take a deep

breath in, gracefully raise your arms over

your head from the side, and bring your

palms together in ‘Namaste’ mudra (hands-

folded position).

5. Look straight ahead in front of you, at a

distant object. A steady gaze helps maintain

a steady balance.

6. Ensure that your spine is straight. Your

entire body should be taut, like a stretched

elastic band. Keep taking in long deep

breaths. With each exhalation, relax the

body more and more. Just be with the body

and the breath with a gentle smile on your

face.

7. With slow exhalation, gently bring down

your hands from the sides. You may gently

release the right leg.

8. Stand tall and straight as you did at the

beginning of the posture. Repeat this pose

with the left leg off the ground on the right

thigh.

Benefits:

➢ This pose leaves you in a state of rejuvenation. It stretches the legs, back and arms, and invigorates(strengthen) you.

➢ It brings balance and equilibrium to your mind.

➢ It helps improve concentration.

➢ This posture has been found to relieve some cases of sciatica.

➢ It makes the legs strong, improves balance, and opens the hips.

➢ Helps those who are suffering from sciatica.

Safety & Precautions:

Avoid doing this posture if you are suffering from migraine, insomnia, low or high blood pressure (those with high blood pressure may do this pose but without raising their hands overhead, as this may further raise their blood pressure).

Warrior Pose (वीरभद्रासन)

Steps:

1. Take a deep breath and step your legs 4-5 feet apart.

2. Raise your arms upwards to join both the palms right over your head.

3. Exhale and turn the right foot outwards 90 degree to the right.

4. Slightly turn the left foot inwards 45-60 degree to the right.

5. The right heel must be aligned with the arch of the left heel.

6. Rotate the torso to the right keeping the arms straight.

7. Exhale and bend the right knee until the right thigh becomes parallel to the floor.

8. Keep the right shin perpendicular to the floor.

9. This alignment will form a 90-degree angle between your right thigh and right shin.

10. The bent knee must not extend

beyond the ankle. It must be aligned

right over the heel.

11. Left leg must remain stretched out and tighten at the knee throughout the practice.

12. Move your face in the upward direction and look at the joined palms.

13. Retain the final position from a few seconds to half a minute.Take long and deep breaths.

14. To release the posture reverse the movements one by one in the same manner.

15. Repeat the steps on the left side for the same duration as right.

Benefits:

➢ Expansion of chest and lungs develops deep breathing.

➢ Beneficial for pregnant women during 2nd and 3rd trimester.

➢ Relieves stiffness in the neck, shoulders and back.

➢ Reduce excess fat from hips.

➢ Useful for people suffering from sciatica.

➢ Enhances blood circulation in the body.

➢ Tones and strengthens knees, thighs and ankles.

➢ Stimulates abdominal organs and aids digestion.

➢ Builds stamina and develops a sense of balance and coordination.

Safety & Precautions:

If you suffer from spinal ailments, heart problems, severe neck or shoulder pain, knee pain, high blood pressure or chronic illness avoid practicing warrior pose.