Fitness with Yoga Exercises - Energy Meditation Zeal Rigour Excercise

Exercises to help you relax

The ancient yogis had a tremendous understanding that focusing your attention on any one aspect like sound, breath or posture works as a meditation, as it eliminates all irrelevant thoughts. Chanting uses our own natural voice to bring your complete attention to the vibration that originates inside you and moves into the air through your vocal chords. This cleanses the mind of all the negativities that accumulate during the day and bring a sense of relaxation and well being to your whole system. Your heart will naturally fall into a better rhythm as stress creates palpitations in the heart beat.

Exercise 1

• Exercise 1

• Sit as in padmasana, with your eyes closed, and your 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 2

• Sit as in padmasana, with your eyes closed, and your body relaxed
• Inhale. As you exhale, chant letter 'E' emphasising the 'E' sound for as long as you can draw the breath out. Listen to the sound vibration in the body as you chant

Exercises to balance your system

The human system works on the basis of homeostasis or in simple words, finding a balance after it has been thrown off balance. For example, when you have fever, your temperature is off balance and your body does everything to return to its original state. To strengthen this mechanism, there are several techniques which can improve the body's ability. Today's breathing techniques work on your system to stabilize and balance it. Make sure that when you practice these, your awareness is on your breath and you do not do it in a mechanical way.

Exercise 1

• Close your eyes and inhale deeply as you count to five.
• Hold your breath; press your chin down on jugular notch (mid-point of the 2 collar bones under the chin).
• Raise your chin up 4 fingers above the jugular notch and make a humming sound like a bee from your throat. Slowly exhale as you hum.
• Listen to the sound vibrations as they travel up and spread through the head.
• Repeat three times.

Exercise 2 a

• Sit in padmasana
• Roll your tongue as shown.
• Slowly inhale to a count of 5 through this passage made by the tongue
• Exhale through the nostrils to the count of ten.
• Repeat 10-15 times.

Exercise 2 b

• Make a square shape with your lips, showing your teeth.
• Slowly inhale to a count of five through your mouth with teeth closed.
• Exhale slowly through your nose.
• Repeat 10-15 times

Exercises to help you de-stress

Each one of us live under some stress and have things that worry us. And this directly affects every cell and organ in our body. Modern research has now found a correlation between depression and bone loss. So just imagine what stress can to your heart, which is highly sensitive. Today's postures or mudras can help us not only physically but also emotionally, as they are postures that can help us let go of what is not in our control. Practice them with a sense of calm and a feeling of acceptance towards life.

Exercise 1

•  EXERCISE 1

*  Lie flat on your stomach with legs wide apart

*  Bend one arm and place it under your forehead

*  Fold the other arm and place it over the bent arm

*  Rest your forehead on your folded arms

*  Close your eyes, relax your body and focus on your breathing

*  Do this for 2-5 minutes.

Exercise 2

•  EXERCISE 2

*  Sit back on your heels, knees together, toes overlapping, back straight, with palms on the knees

*  Inhale; slowly raise both arms straight over your head

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

*  Inhale; slowly raise your upper body and both the arms straight over your head

*  Repeat Step 3 and 4 five times, paying attention to your breathing

*  Inhale, slowly raising your arms and upper body. Exhale and lower your arms to the starting position.

Exercise 1

•  EXERCISE 1

*  Lie flat on your stomach with legs wide apart

*  Bend one arm and place it under your forehead

*  Fold the other arm and place it over the bent arm

*  Rest your forehead on your folded arms

*  Close your eyes, relax your body and focus on your breathing

*  Do this for 2-5 minutes.

•  EXERCISE 2

*  Sit back on your heels, knees together, toes overlapping, back straight, with palms on the knees

*  Inhale; slowly raise both arms straight over your head

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

*  Inhale; slowly raise your upper body and both the arms straight over your head

*  Repeat Step 3 and 4 five times, paying attention to your breathing

*  Inhale, slowly raising your arms and upper body. Exhale and lower your arms to the starting position.

Exercises to increase your heart rate

Yoga believes in a very different concept of health. Unlike other forms of exercise, yoga believes in relaxation combined with strenuous movement. Using principles of breath and awareness it eliminates the negative effects of exercise by inducing a sense of well being by affecting a person's hormonal system. Today's movement should be practiced slowly to loosen the muscles around the spine, as well as to increase your heart rate to the extent to which you increase the speed of movement

Exercise 1a, b

•  Exercise 1

• Stand straight with your feet together.
• Raise your hands, side ways in line with the shoulder and twist to one side.
• Hold for a few seconds, breathe normally and then twist to the other side.
• Repeat this movement slowly and gently for 10 - 15 times.

Exercise 2a, b

•  Exercise 2

• Stand straight and spread your legs side ways.
• Bend your left knee; place both your palms besides your left foot.
• Now slowly raise your right hand upwards twisting your spine. Look up at your fingers.
• Hold for a few seconds, slowly bring your hand down and raise your left hand twisting your spine.
• Breathe normally; repeat the movement for 10 - 15 times.

Postures to strengthen the heart

The heart is a very delicate organ and needs to be strengthened especially for those who have a problem. If too much load is placed on the heart, it could be detrimental to your health. However if no extra load is placed, it will continue to deteriorate. Today's movements should be practiced with the awareness that we need to increase the heart rate gradually and steadily. This exercise removes stress and stiffness from the hip area.

Caution: Ensure your movements are easy and smooth. Move slowly and at any time if you feel pain stop, take a deep breath and begin more slowly again.

EXERCISE :

• Sit straight with your legs stretched out and feet wide apart

• Interlock the palms and stretch your hands straight in front of you bending forward

• Now move from the hip, from the right hip to the left one, forming a big circle

• Exhale as you bend forward and inhale as you bend backwards

• Repeat the movement five times

• Now change sides and repeat.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

 Postures to increase your heart rate

The heart is a muscle like any other in your body. To exercise them we need to increase the load on it by performing activities that go beyond the normal day to day movements. Today's exercise, Surya namaskar or Sun Salutation is a great way to increase the heart rate without straining the joints or the ligaments. Depending on your cardio – vascular fitness level, start with five rounds at one stretch and slowly increase till 25. Don't forget that your body has to be strengthened gradually so that it can adapt to more intense exercises.

Caution: Those with heart problems and high blood pressure should start with two rounds very slowly to a maximum of five rounds at one stretch.

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

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

Step 3

•  Exhale and bend forward from the hip
•  Pl ace your palms on the floor and your head on the knees. Keep your knees straight.

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

Step 5
•  Exhale, take your right leg back
•  Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe, toes tucked in, 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

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

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

Step 9

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

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

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

Step 12
•  Exhale and come back to position one.

Exercises to stabilise your heart beat

A problem with the heart doesn't always mean an increased heart rate. It is the nature of your heart beat, which could be stable or unstable, that matters. A single heart beat reveals a lot about your mental state. If we were to measure with very sharp sensors, the smoothness of your heartbeat, we would see tremendous instability within a single heart beat. Today's breathing exercise can bring a subtle change in the very nature of your heart beat making it smooth and effortless.

•  Exercise 1

• Sit in padmasana, with legs stretched out and 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
• Bend the forefinger and the middle finger of your right hand. Close your eyes and practice deep breathing
• Close the right nostril with the thumb, place the ring finger between the eyebrows and inhale to a count of five
• Close the left nostril with the ring finger. Hold your breath to the count of 10
• Raise the thumb and place it between the eyebrows. Exhale slowly through the right nostril to the 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 up to 10 counts. 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.

Ex 1a, 1b

1c, 1d

Exercises to increase the heart rate

Yoga has got several exercises to increase the heart rate but remember that these should not be done by those having heart problems or high B.P. These are techniques that detoxify the system, clearing the lungs and exercising the heart. By practicing these you will ensure that the normal problems of the heart which you might face as you grow old are avoided. Today's exercises are a preventive measure for those fortunate people who do not suffer from any major heart disease as yet.

Caution: Those with heart problems, high blood pressure, pregnant women should avoid exercise 1

Exercise 1

• Sit back on your heels
• Bend arms at the waist, keep the elbows close to the body, and make fists
• Raise both your fists up, a bit higher than your head, keep your elbows close to the body
• Exhale forcefully through the mouth (cheeks puffed out) as you pull the arms down, taking the elbows behind the waist as shown
• Repeat 20 times, exhalation should be rapid, the movements should be smooth not jerky
• Inhale deeply and slowly.
• Exhale slowly.

Exercise 2

• Sit back on your heels as shown, place your palms on the knees as shown, keep the back straight
• Exhale forcefully and rapidly through the nose in quick succession, pulling the stomach in towards the spine as you exhale
• Inhalation will be automatic and passive between every two exhalations
• Practice 30-50 inhalations at a stretch
• Repeat 3 times.

Exercise 2

Exercises to de-stress your body

To de-stress your body, the spine must be made supple. In order to have a strong heart, you need to create a body that does not constantly demand more from the heart than it can supply. Our modern lifestyle puts so much strain on our system that almost every organ is over-worked. Today's posture increases your spine flexibility, massages your internal organs and rejuvenates your whole system.

EXERCISE 1

• Sit with your back straight and your legs stretched out
• Bend one leg and place it such that the heel touches the groin area
• Inhale and raise your arms
• Exhale, and bend forward to grasp the ankle or the foot and bring the forehead down to touch the knee
• Hold the position for 10-30 seconds
• Repeat with the other leg.

Exercise 1

EXERCISE 2

• Stand on your knees, keeping knees a little apart
• Raise your hands, reach back with the right hand and hold the right foot
• Stretch the left arm over the head and bend back
• Hold as long as you’re comfortable, breathing normally
• Slowly return to the starting position
• Repeat the same with the other hand.

1. EXERCISE 3

• Sit with your legs stretched out and 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
• Lean back on the elbows and slowly lower the head and the back to the floor
• Bend the elbows behind the head; place the palms on the floor, with fingers pointing towards the feet. Press down on the palms; raise your head and shoulders to rest on the crown of your head. Hold your toes
• Hold the position for 10-30 seconds
• Release the toes, press down on the elbows and raise the head and shoulders
• Prop yourself up on the elbows, straighten the elbows one at a time and return to the starting position.

Exercise 3

Exercises to improve blood circulation

Asanas or postures were developed by the yogis, to counter the negative effects of day-to-day life. When any negative emotion takes over your system, it literally creates toxins in your body. A posture creates a stretch as well as a pressure on your internal system. This speeds up the recovery process and you are back to your natural state, which is light and easy with no pains or aches anywhere. Today's postures will help you do this.

Exercise 1

• Lie on your back with your arms by your side
• Inhale, and raise your right leg
• Bend your right leg, clasp the right knee with your hands and exhale as you bring the knee to the chest
• Hold this position for 10-30 seconds and breathe normally
• Repeat with the left leg.

Exercise 2

• Lie on your back with arms by your side
• Inhale and raise both your legs
• Bend the knees; clasp them with your hands as shown, exhale as you bring your chin to the knees
• Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally
• Straighten your legs, and slowly come back to the start position.

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

• Lie flat on your back, with arms by your side
• Slowly raise your legs to 90 degree position
• Lift your hips and support them with hands as shown
• Hold for 10-30 seconds
• Breathe normally
• Slowly come back to the start position.

Exercise 3