Fitness with Yoga Exercises - Energy Meditation Zeal Rigour Excercise

Exercises that will stimulate and energise you

Laziness and lethargy are by-products of depression.  If you give in to this by-product, you will worsen your situation.  The other option is to take action and do certain exercises which stimulate, energise and shake up every cell in your body so that you don’t become a victim of this terrible disease. Practice the following movements to shake yourself out of this low energy state.

Caution: Should not be practiced by those with heart diseases or hernia. Those with acute back conditions should be cautious and discontinue if the condition is aggravated.

Exercise 1 (Step 1,2)

Exercise 1

Step 1
• Stand straight, your feet together, your palms joined in front of your chest, breathing normally

Step 2
• Inhale, keep your palms together and bend your back, stretching your arms over your head

Exercise 1 (Step 3)

Step 3
• Exhale, bend forward, place your palms at level with your foot, take the left leg back, and bend the other knee as shown

• Inhale, arch your back and look up

• Exhale as you bring the left leg forward

• Repeat steps two and three, ten times with the left leg forward. Then repeat steps two and three, ten times with the right leg forward.

Exercise 2 (Step 1,2)

Exercise 2

Step 1
• Stand straight, your feet together, your palms joined in front of your chest

• Breathe normally

Step 2
• Inhale, keep your palms together and bend your back, stretching your arms over your head

Exercise 2 (Step 3,4)

Step 3
• Exhale and bend forward, placing your palms on the floor. Inhale, take the left leg back and bend the other knee as shown

• Arch your back, stretch both the arms over the head, the palms together and look up

Step 4
• Exhale, bring the arms forward and rest your palms on either side of your feet, bring the left leg forward

• Inhale, straighten up and bend your back, stretching your arms over your head, your palms together

• Repeat steps two and four, ten times with the right leg forward and then repeat the same ten times with the left leg forward.

In a prolonged state of depression the body gets choked up with toxins that make you feel worse and worse day by day. The act of doing a kriya is to take a decisive action that immediately changes the chemistry of your system. It can be a great way to look at life from a fresh perspective. The following kriyas will help clean out your system and detoxify it, leaving you feeling fresh and energised.

Caution: Those with heart problems, high blood pressure and pregnant women should avoid exercise three.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

• This should be done in the morning on an empty stomach and should be done once a week

• Add two tsp of salt to two litres of lukewarm water and drink at least six glasses at one stretch

• Make sure your hands and nails are clean. Stand near a sink with your legs apart, your back bent forward. Place the index and middle fingers in the mouth and rub the back of the tongue.   This will induce the vomiting process and the water will gush out of your mouth. Ensure that all the water comes out

• Relax, you can lie down if you want, and practice deep breathing for a while.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

• Add one tsp of salt to half a litre of lukewarm water and fill the neti pot

• Stand relaxed with your legs apart, bend forward and tilt your head to one side as shown. Keep breathing deeply, exhaling through the mouth

• Place nozzle of the neti pot in the nostril that is facing upwards and slowly pour water into it. The water will flow out through the other nostril

• Straighten up, blow your nose gently to remove any mucous

• Repeat with the other nostril

• Now close one nostril, and rapidly exhale 10-15 times through the other

• Repeat with the other side.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Stand straight with your feet spread apart

• Bend the knees; place your palms on your thighs, your fingers facing in as shown

• Exhale deeply through the mouth, hold your breath and move your abdominal muscles in and out as many times (10-50) as possible

• Repeat three times.

Spinal twists to relax the back

All the internal organs are affected when we are in a state of depression and every organ in the abdominal cavity can be rejuvenated with the help of spinal twists. Not only does the back feel relaxed and stress-free, but, the internal system which has a tendency to slow down is once again given a kick start.

Caution: These should be avoided by pregnant women and those with hernia, hyper-thyroidism and peptic ulcers. People with severe back conditions should avoid these postures.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

• Sit with your back straight, your legs stretched out. Bend the right knee
• Place the right palm slightly behind the level of the hips
• Bring the left hand to the outer side of the right leg and place it beside the right ankle.  Look over your shoulder
• Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally
• Repeat with the other side.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

• Sit with one knee bent on the ground; place the other leg across it
• With the opposite arm, lock the knee from the outside and grasp the foot
• Fold the other arm behind the back, twist the spine and look back
• Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally
• Repeat with the other side.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Sit with the back straight, both the knees bent
• Take one arm, lock the opposite knee from the outside and grasp the foot
• Fold the other arm behind the back, twist the spine and look back
• Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally
• Repeat with the other side.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4

• Lie flat on your back with your arms stretched out, the palms down
• Bend one leg, place the foot on the other knee
• Gently twisting the spine, drop the upright knee towards the floor. Keep both shoulders on the floor and look in opposite direction
• Hold 10-30 seconds, breathing normally
• Repeat with the other side.

Asanas to help you deal with your emotional state

Depression makes one lethargic and brings life to a halt, mentally as well as physically. Therefore, any standing posture breaks this link and forces the person to face the problems rather than being in a state of denial.

Cautions: Those with weak knees should practice Exercise 2 for short periods and gradually increase the time. Those with back pain and weak knees should avoid step 4 in Exercise 3. Those with heart problems and high blood pressure should not attempt Exercise 3. Those with severe arthritis of the knee joints or those who have had a knee surgery should consult their doctor before attempting Exercise 4.

Exercise 1

• Stand with your legs stretched apart. Stretch out your arms and raise yourself on your toes

• Inhale, raise your arms and join both the palms

• Stretch your whole body upwards

• Hold the position for 10-30 seconds.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

• Stand straight with your legs together

• Bend one leg and bring the foot to rest on the inner thigh, close to the groin

• Maintain balance by focusing on a point in front of you and raise your arms to the sides

• Raise your arms, keep your body straight and join your palms

• Hold the position for 10-30 seconds

• Repeat with the other leg.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Stand straight with your legs wide apart and place your hands on your hips

• Turn one leg and the upper body to one side and bend the front knee, as shown

• Raise your arms over your head and place your palms together

• Lower the hips and bend backwards as much as you can. Look up

• Hold the position for 10-30 seconds

• Repeat with the other leg.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4

• Stand with your legs apart a little more than the shoulder width

• Place your hands on your thighs and bend your knees

• Raise your heels as much as possible and stand on your toes

• Raise your hands over your head and pull your upper body as high as possible

• Hold the position for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally

• Return to the starting position and relax.

Postures for an energetic and happy state

Depression is a state of ultimate low energy where you don’t feel like even lifting up your hand leave alone doing postures. Yet these simple backward bending postures open up the energy channels in your body so that you can move to a more energetic and happy state.

Caution: Exercise one should not be done by those with high blood pressure or with heart problems. Exercise two should be avoided by those with peptic ulcers, hernia and hyper thyroidism. Those with severe back problems should avoid exercise three.

Ex 1A, 1B

Exercise 1

• Stand straight, the feet together, the palms joined in front of your chest

• Inhale, keep the palms together and bend the back, stretching your arms over your head

• Exhale and come back to the start position

• Repeat ten times.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

• Lie on your stomach, the legs straight, the feet together, the soles upward and the forehead on the floor

• Place the palms below and to the side of the shoulders, the elbows tucked in close to the body

• Inhale, slowly raise the head and upper body, straighten the arms and curve the back backward to the maximum as shown

• Hold, breathing normally

• Exhale as you slowly come down to start position.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Stand on the knees, the knees a little apart, the feet stretched out

• Lean back; catch hold of the right heel with the right hand and then the left heel with the left hand

• Push the abdomen forward, drop the head back and arch backward as far as you can

• Hold as long as comfortable, breathing normally

• Slowly release one hand, then the other and come back to start position.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4

• Sit back on your heels, the knees together, the toes overlapping, the back straight and the palms on the knees

• Inhale, slowly raise both arms straight above your head

• Exhale and slowly bend forward, the arms straight and in line with the ears. Rest the forehead on the floor and bring the palms together

• Hold for 30 seconds, the body relaxed, breathing normally

• Inhale, slowly raise the arms and the upper body, exhale and lower the arms to start position.

Asanas that will help you deal with depression

Depression is one of the worst diseases that humans can ever suffer from. In this state everything seems bad and life does not seem worth living. It is the most unnatural state, yet everyone goes through it at some point or another.

This week, these techniques may not cure your depression but may help you face this mental state. To start with, always remember the simple saying - 'this too shall pass'.

Caution: Those who've had a surgery recently, or those with high blood pressure, gynaecological problems or stomach ailments should consult their doctor before attempting Exercise 1 and 2.

EX 1A, 1B

Exercise 1

• Sit back on your heels, as shown

• Bend your arms at the waist, with elbows close to the body

• Raise both fists up, a bit higher than head, keep elbows close to body

• Exhale forcefully through the mouth (with your cheeks puffed up) as you pull your arms down, taking your elbows behind the waist, as shown

• Repeat 20 times. Exhalation should be rapid and the movements should be smooth and not jerky

• Inhale deeply and slowly

• Exhale slowly.

EXERCISE-2

Exercise 2

• Sit back on your heels as shown, placing your palms on the knees, as shown. Keep your back straight and close your eyes

• Exhale forcefully and rapidly through the nose in quick successions, pulling the stomach in towards the spine as you exhale. Inhalation will be automatic and passive between every two exhalations

• Practice 50 exhalations at a stretch

• Repeat thrice.

EXERCISE-3

Exercise 3

• This exercise should be one smooth, flowing movement without any jerks

• Sit in padmasana

• Inhale very slowly and deeply as the abdomen expands fully and completely

• Now expand the ribs and chest, lifting them up and out. Feel the air enter and expand your lower lungs

• Keep inhaling slowly and feel the air enter and expand your upper lungs so that your shoulders and collar bone rise slightly

• Slowly and gradually exhale, relaxing the shoulders, collar bone and upper chest

• Keep exhaling. Relax the chest and gently pull the diaphragm up and the abdomen in, towards the spine so that you empty the lungs as much as you can

• Hold the breath out and then start again

• Do 5-10 rounds.

Meditation techniques to disconnect you from negative thoughts

Any practice of meditation is hardest to do when an individual is in a state of anxiety, as meditation is the opposite of anxiety.  Anxiety is the movement of too many thoughts and meditation is a stillness of no thought.  If you have the will power to sit down for five minutes and practice these meditation techniques, they will change the vibration of your system and disconnect you from your negative thought patterns which are eating up  your brain.

Exercise 1

EXERCISE 1

•  Sit with the left leg stretched out
•  Bend the right leg and place the foot between the left thigh and calf muscles
•  Bend the left leg and place the left foot underneath the right thigh
•  Press the right thigh to the ground
•  Place the hands on the knees, the palms up, place the tip of the forefinger on the centre of the thumb
•  Keep the back straight and breathe normally.

Exercise 2

EXERCISE 2

•  Keep your eyes closed and your body relaxed. Gently insert your thumbs in your ears and place the fingers on the head as shown
•  Sit and listen to the silence in your body. Just be aware of any thoughts and continue to listen to the silence. Do this for three to five minutes and gradually increase the time.

Exercise 3

EXERCISE 3

•  Sit as in exercise one, the eyes closed, the body relaxed
•  Inhale. As you exhale, chant ‘Om’ emphasising the 'M' sound for as long as you can draw the breath out.  Listen to the sound vibration of ‘Om’ in the body as you chant.

Exercise 4

EXERCISE 4

•  Sit as in exercise one, the eyes closed and the body relaxed
•  Inhale. As you  exhale recite/chant the letter ‘E’ for as long as you can draw the breath out. Listen to the sound vibration in the body as you chant.

Breathing exercises to balance your nadis

Sometimes we experience anxiety for no reason at all. Nothing specific might be bothering us but still a sense of unease might take over. In this state, the only solution is to try certain subtle breathing techniques, which will help you meditate and calm down. The following techniques balance your nadis (energy circuits), lower your heart rate and soothe your system to make you feel at ease with yourself.

Exercise 1

EXERCISE 1

•  Keep your eyes closed and your body relaxed. Gently insert your thumbs in your ears and place the fingers on the head, as shown
•  Inhale deeply and exhale slowly through your mouth, making a humming sound like a bee
•  Listen to the sound vibrations as they travel through the body
•  Repeat thrice.

Exercise 2

EXERCISE 2

•  Sit in padmasana, with your back straight
•  Inhale deeply, press your chin against your jugular notch and hold your breath
•  Raise your chin and exhale through the mouth
•  Repeat 15 times.

Exercise 3 : step 1, step 2, step 3, step 4

EXERCISE 3

•  Sit in padmasana
Place your hands on your knees
•  Bend your forefinger and the middle finger of your right hand. Close your eyes and practice deep breathing
•  Close the right nostril with the thumb and place the ring finger between the eyebrows. Inhale to the count of five
•  Close the left nostril with the ring finger. Hold the breath to the count of 10
•  Raise thumb to between eyebrows, exhale slowly through right nostril to count of 10
•  Now, breathe in again through the right nostril to the count of five. Close the right nostril with the thumb and hold your breath to the count of 10 n Place the ring finger between the eyebrows and exhale through the left nostril to the count of 10
•  Repeat the complete cycle for two to five minutes.

Kriyas that will cleanse your mind and rejuvenate you

Any kind of kriya or purifying technique gives a shock to the system by instantly and forcibly removing the toxins in our system. To experience a 180 degree change in your mental state, practice the following kriyas which will literally cleanse your mind and body and make you feel like a fully rejuvenated and transformed human being.

Caution: Exercises one and two should be done under supervision for the first time. Exercise one should be avoided by people suffering from chronic nose-bleeds. For exercise three those with moderate to severe eyestrain, myopia, astigmatism and early symptoms of cataract, should use a big black dot instead of a candle flame.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

• You’ll need a special ‘neti pot’ — one side of which ends in a nozzle. The nozzle should not be too thick or pointed and should fit comfortably in the nostril.

• Add one tsp of salt to half a litre of lukewarm water and fill the neti pot

• Stand relaxed with the legs apart and bend forward and tilt your head to one side as shown. Keep breathing deeply, exhaling through the mouth

• Place nozzle of the neti pot in the nostril that is facing upwards and slowly pour water into it. The water will flow out through the other nostril

• Straighten up, blow your nose gently to remove any mucous

• Repeat with the other nostril

• Now close one nostril, and rapidly exhale 10-15 times through the other

• Repeat with the other side.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

• This should be done in the morning on an empty stomach and should be done once a week

• Add two teaspoons of salt to two litres lukewarm water and drink at least six glasses at one stretch

• Make sure your hands and nails are clean. Stand near a sink with your legs apart and your back bent forward. Place the index and middle fingers in your mouth and rub the back of the tongue.  This will induce the vomiting process and the water will gush out of your mouth. Ensure that all the water comes out

• Relax, you can lie down if you want, and practice deep breathing for a while.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Place a lit candle at arms length on a table in front of you at eye level

• Make sure there is no draft and the flame is steady

• Sit in any meditative asana with the back straight

• Close your eyes and relax the body

• Then open your eyes and gaze steadily at the tip of the wick

• Try not to blink or move your eyeballs

• When the eyes get tired, close them and try to visualise the after-image of the candle flame in your mind

• After a minute, open your eyes and continue to gaze at the flame

• Repeat this cycle twice or thrice

• Practice for a total of two minutes, slowly going up to 10 minutes.

• As you are finishing, close your eyes and watch the dark space in front of your eyes. Be aware of and just watch any thoughts that come up

• Then open your eyes and blow out the candle.

Exercise 3A

(For those with moderate to severe eyestrain, myopia, astigmatism and early symptoms of cataract)

• Draw a big black dot on a white sheet of paper

• Place at arms length and at eye level and repeat the steps described in exercise three.

Surya Namaskar for relaxation and to release anxiety

Surya Namaskar is considered to be the miracle drug of yoga as it solves most of the health problems that we face.  However, for different problems it is to be practiced differently. So today’s practice of Surya Namaskar will focus on a slow and relaxed movement with total awareness to the breath that changes with every posture.  Follow the instructions carefully, especially those relating to the breath.  Move gently and easily and this will help the anxiety leave your system.

Caution: Should not be practiced by those with acute high blood pressure, heart diseases, hernia. Those with acute back conditions should be cautious and discontinue if the condition is aggravated.

Step 1, 2, 3

Step 1
•  Stand straight, the feet together, the palms joined in front of your chest
•  Breathe normally.

Step 2
•  Slowly inhale, keep the palms together and bend the back, stretching your arms over your head.

Step 3
•  Exhale and bend forward from the hip
•  Place your palms on the floor and your head on your knees
•  Keep your knees straight.

Step 4, 5, 6

Step 4
•  Inhale, take the right leg back and bend the other knee as shown
•  Arch your back and look up.

Step 5
•  Exhale, take the left leg back
•  Keep the body in a straight line from the head to toe, the toes tucked in, the fingers pointing forward. Body weight is balanced on your toes and palms.

Step 6
•  Hold your breath, drop your knees, then your chest and chin to the floor. Keep your hips raised as shown.

Step 7, 8, 9

Step 7
•  Inhale and stretch the body upwards
•  Straighten the elbows, arch your back and look up.

Step 8
•  Exhale, push back on your arms and raise your hips up
•  Tuck your chin towards the chest and look at the navel
•  Keep the heels flat on the floor.

Step 9
•  Inhale and bring the right leg forward, arch your back and look up
•  In subsequent rounds, alternate between the left and the right leg as in step four and nine.

Step 10, 11, 12

Step 10
•  Bring the left leg forward, stand upright, exhale and bend forward, place the palms on the floor as in step three.

Step 11
•  Inhale, keep the palms together and bend the back, stretching your arms over your head as in step two.

Step 12
•  Exhale and come back to position one.