Postures to ease stretching

According to yoga, your body weight is the best weight that can be used for stretching or contracting your muscles. Depending on the posture it can be utilised to stretch muscles for a prolonged period without much effort on your part. Today's postures are all about settling in and becoming comfortable in a stretch, allowing gravity to pull your body weight downwards and create a stretch which is ideal for you.

Exercise 1

•   Exercise 1

• Stand with the feet a little apart; bend the knees slightly, as shown
• Place your left palm on the right knee, the elbow resting on the left knee
• Now raise your right hand over your head twisting your body, as shown
• Look up and breathe normally.
• Hold the position for 10 - 15 counts
• Repeat the same on the other side.

•   Exercise 2

• Bring the left leg forward, keeping the heel on the floor. Take the right leg far behind, the knee resting on the ground
• Inhale and raise both your hands up over the head
• Bend back and touch your right ankle with your right hand, while the left hand is straight in line with the ears, head looking upwards, as shown
• Hold the position for 10 to 15 counts
• Repeat the same on the other side
• Breathe normally.

Exercise 3

•   Exercise 3

• Sit down comfortably; fold your right legs backward
• Fold your left leg with your left foot against your right knee
• Holding your right thigh with your left hand, rest the left shoulder on your left knee
• Bring your right hand over your head and try to touch the floor with your fingers
• Hold the position for 10 to 15 counts
• Repeat the same on the other side
• Breathe normally.

Postures to reduce stress

Although yoga is a crude science its understanding is quite subtle. It was developed by scientists and experimenters who understood a simple phenomenon — parts of the body move in small ways as moods change. For example, if you feel unconfident, your shoulder blades move inwards. When you are stressed, your shoulders move upwards eventually leading to cervical pain. To change your existing state, yoga recommends that you practice postures that give you back your original position and alignment of muscles. Today's postures work on your shoulder blades to rectify any defects in their position due to stress.

Exercise 1

•  EXERCISE 1

* Sit comfortably on the floor with your right leg folded over your left

* Bring both your feet as close to your hips as possible

* Raise your right hand folding it and placing your palm behind your neck

* With your left hand try to clasp your right hand, as shown

* Hold the position for 10 - 15 counts

* Repeat the same with the other hand

* Breathe normally.

•  EXERCISE 2

* Stand straight with your feet a little apart

* Raise both the arms sideways to the shoulder level

* Now bring your right arm towards your left side interlocking your left palm, as shown

* Push the right elbow towards the chest and turn towards your left side looking behind

* Hold the position for 10 - 15 counts

* Get in the same position on the other side

* Breathe normally.

Exercise 3

•  EXERCISE 3

* Stand straight with your feet a little apart

* Raise both the arms in front, at the shoulder level

* Hold your left fist with your right hand and pull to one side twisting your body, as shown

* Hold the position for 10 to 15 counts

* Repeat the same on the other side

* Breathe normally.

Postures to relax muscles

The science of yoga involves the holding of a posture which may look unnatural but which actually brings your muscles into their natural shape. When you hold a posture, gravity assists your movement and creates a stretch on your muscles. In this manner, your muscles and ligaments that join the muscle to the bone are forced to adapt to the stretch. They become relaxed, loose and supple. These exercises work on your shoulder muscles to open them up and slowly relieve you of cervical pain.

Exercise 1 : Step 1

Exercise 1 : Step 2

•  Exercise 1

*  Stand straight with your feet together
*  Interlock your hands behind, keeping the elbow straight, as shown
*  Inhale and bend forward
*  Hold for five seconds and breathe normally
*  Slowly come back to the starting position
*  Repeat it five times.

Exercise 2

•  Exercise 2

*  Bring the left leg forward keeping the heel on the floor. Take the right leg far behind, the knee resting on the ground
*  Join your palms together and raise your hands stretching it over your head, bend backwards looking straight up
*  Hold the posture for 10 - 15 counts
*  Repeat the same by bringing your right leg forward and taking your left leg behind
*  Breathe normally.

Exercise 3

•  Exercise 3

*  Stand straight with your legs a little apart
*  Twist towards your right side, placing your left palm on the right shoulder pushing it backward, your right hand placed behind on your left side
*  Hold the position for 10 to 15 counts
*  Repeat the same on the other side
*  Breathe normally.

Postures to re-energise

When our system is in a state of chaos, only dynamic movements can have a strong effect and create order in our body. Our body is an energy system and we need to break down the negativities so that they can leave the body more easily. Today's simple movements will help you do exactly this.

Exercise 1a, b

•   Exercise 1

•  Sit straight with your legs stretched out
•  Make a tight fist
•  Raise your right hand straight up, next to your ears, as shown
•  The left hand is down, the fist in level of your hip, as shown
•  Now slowly move the right hand downwards keeping the elbow straight and simultaneously move the left hand upwards
•  Repeat the cycle 10 —15 times
•  Breathe normally.

Exercise 2a

 

Exercise 2b

•   Exercise 2

•  Sit straight with your legs split sideways, as shown
•  Raise your hands to the shoulder level
•  Now twisting towards the right side bring your left hand to your right foot, and avoid bending your knees
•  Now twist to the other direction bringing your right hand towards your left foot. Try touching you fingers to the toe
•  Repeat this movement for 10 to 15 times
•  Breathe normally.

Exercises to relax you

According to yoga, the entire universe is nothing but particles vibrating at different frequencies. What you can experience with your senses is just low level frequencies. Sound, touch, sight, smell and taste are all unique frequencies and therefore need different senses to perceive them. If you put sugar or sand on your hand it will feel the same but put them on your tongue and you will know the difference. Similarly, your mind, which you cannot touch or feel, is made up of higher level frequencies which affects the lower level frequency of your body, which you can touch and feel. When we stretch our body, we are improving our lower level frequencies, which also affect our minds. Today’s stretches should make you feel much more relaxed and easy. 

Exercise1 

Exercise 1
• Stand with the legs wide apart and the arms by the side
• Raise one arm up to the side and up to the ear. Exhale, stretch the arm over the head, bending the body to one side, the palm facing down
• Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally
• Inhale and go back to the start position
• Repeat with the other side

Exercise 2

  

Exercise 2
• Stand straight, the feet together, the arms by the side
• Keeping it straight, raise one arm sideways to shoulder-level. Turn the palm up and stretch the arm up
• Exhale, stretch the arm over the head, bending the body to one side
• Hold for 10-30 seconds, inhale, resume the start position
• Repeat with the other side.

 

 

Exercise 3

Exercise 3
• Stand with the legs apart, the arms raised above the head
• Grip the elbows with the hands as shown
• Exhale and bend to one side from the waist
• Hold for 10-30 seconds
• Inhale and return to upright position
• Repeat with the other side.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4
• Kneel on the floor with the knees a little apart
• Bend the body to the left side and place the left palm to the side as shown
• Raise the right arm and stretch it over the head, parallel to the floor
• Hold for 10-30 seconds
• Return to the start position
• Repeat with the other side.

Exercises to remove tension

Throughout the day, the body and the mind are taking in something and throwing out something. It’s important to know what you take in and more important what you throw out as the remainder is what remains in your system. We cannot always control what comes in as we cannot simply shut our eyes and ears the whole day. The art is to let things pass like clouds through your mind without trying to grab them or destroy them. Today’s shoulder rotations will help to take out the tension that develops when you try to improve or destroy your stressful thoughts.

Exercise 1: step 1, 2

•  Exercise 1

*  Place both the hands on the shoulders. Bring both elbows together in front

*  Slowly push the elbows and the shoulders backwards

*  Hold for 10 - 15 counts

*  Breathe normally.

Exercise 2: step 1, 2

•  Exercise 2

*  Place both the hands on the shoulders. Bring both the elbows together in front

*  Slowly raise the elbows and shoulders upwards, trying to touch your ears

*  Hold for 10 - 15 counts

*  Breathe normally.

Exercise 3: step 1, 2, 3

Exercise 3: step 4, 5

•  Exercise 3

*  Place both the hands on the shoulders. Bring both the elbows together in front

*  Slowly rotate the elbows and the shoulders clockwise raising the elbows up over the head and down again

*  Repeat the same movement anti-clockwise

*  Repeat five times in each direction.

Exercises to loosen the muscles

Try to imagine the number of thoughts that pass through your brain in one day. These are electrical impulses running from cell to cell affecting every cell in your body in one way or another. Your body is a complex web of electrical currents with energies shifting from one part of your body to another. A negative thought carries a different current from a positive one and it literally harms the body as it passes through your brain. One of the effects is that your muscles get tight and the best way to cure this tightness is to start with loosening exercises. Today we begin with simple head movements to loosen the neck.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

• Sit with the legs stretched out and the back straight
• Bend one leg; place the ankle on the opposite thigh close to the groin. Bend the other leg and place the ankle on the thigh of the bent leg, close to the groin. Place your hands on your knees
• Slowly move the head as far back as comfortable
• Slowly bring the head up and move it forward so the chin touches the chest
• Repeat ten times.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

• Sit with the legs stretched out and the back straight
• Bend one leg; place the ankle on the opposite thigh close to the groin. Bend the other leg and place the ankle on the thigh of the bent leg, close to the groin. Place your hands on your knees
• Keep the body straight. Slowly drop your head towards the right shoulder. Don’t turn the head or lift the shoulders
• Raise the head and drop it towards the left shoulder as above.

 

• Exercises to relieve pain
  
  The ancient yogis believed in a very powerful philosophy — a problem you are aware of begins to disappear and a problem you are unaware of grows with time. When we are unaware of our mental condition and put a smile on our face despite being stressed in life, it starts having an effect on our physical body. Your cervical problem also has its roots somewhere in your mind and the best way to tackle it is to be completely aware of all your mental stress. We begin today with some very simple exercises to relieve you from this painful problem which makes daily living so difficult.
• 
• Exercise 1
• • Exercise 1
  
  • Sit in padmasana. Sit with your legs stretched out, the back straight. Bend one leg and place the ankle on the opposite thigh close to the groin. Bend the other leg and place the ankle on the thigh of the bent leg, close to the groin
• • Interlock your fingers at chest level, the palms facing towards you, the elbows at the same level
  • Inhale deeply as you turn the palms out and slowly stretch your arms, shoulders and chest upwards
• • Hold the stretch for 10 - 15 counts
• Breathe normally.
• 
• Exercise 2
• • Exercise 2
  
  • Sit with the legs stretched out and keep the back straight
  • Bend one leg; place the ankle on the opposite thigh close to the groin. Bend the other leg and place the ankle on the thigh of the bent leg, close to the groin
  • Take the arms behind the back, catch hold of one wrist with the other hand and pull it down as you lift the chest and drop the head back
  • Hold for 10-20 seconds
  • Slowly resume the start position.
• 
  
• Exercise 3

• Exercise 3

• • Sit back on your heels as shown
  • Place the palms on the knees as shown, keep the back straight and close your eyes
  • Relax and breathe normally.