Fitness with Yoga Exercises - Energy Meditation Zeal Rigour Excercise

Dutch | Spanish | French | Italian | Japanese | Korean

The main problem of every arthritic person is that their breathing becomes too shallow. Once your body has become relaxed and your muscles have been stretched, it is time to practice these techniques which will stabilise the breath.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

* Exercise 1

• Sit with your 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 (padmasan). Place your left hand on your knee
• Bend the forefinger and the middle finger of your right hand
• Place your thumb in between your eyebrows and press your ring finger on the left nostril. Breathe in through the right nostril and hold your breath
• Reverse positions. Place your ring finger between your eyebrows; press the right nostril with the thumb. Exhale through the left nostril
• Now inhale through the left nostril, and hold your breath
• Reverse position of the fingers as in step 3, and exhale through the right nostril
• Repeat 10 -12 times.

Exercise 2

* Exercise 2

• This exercise should be done in smooth, flowing movements without jerks
• Sit in padmasan, with palms resting on the knees, the back straight, body relaxed and eyes closed
• Inhale very slowly and deeply as the abdomen expands fully
• Now start expanding the ribs and chest, lifting it up and out. Feel the air enter and expand your lower lungs
• Keep inhaling slowly and now 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 and collar bone and the upper chest
n 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 possible
nHold the breath out and then start again. Do 5-10 rounds.

Exercise 3

* Exercise 3

• Close your eyes and inhale deeply as you count 1-5
• Hold your breath; press your chin down on the jugular notch (mid-point of the two collar bones under the chin)
• Raise your chin up four 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.

Exercises to increase flexibility

Stretching and twisting the body have a powerful effect on the system – they increase your flexibility and help you relax. Pay attention to your breathing and make sure you breathe deeply while inhaling as well as exhaling.

Caution: Those with severe back conditions should do Exercise 1 and 3 very gently and avoid Exercise 2.

Exercise -1

Exercise 1

• Sit with your back straight and place both your arms behind you, as shown, with fingers pointing away from the body

• Bend one leg and place the foot next to the kneecap of the other leg on the other side

• Gently twist spine, take the knee towards the floor on the opposite side

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

• Repeat with the other side.

Exercise -2

Exercise 2

• Lie flat on your back, with your arms stretched out

• Raise one leg up, keeping your knee straight

• Keeping both your shoulders on the ground, lower one leg across the body, towards the floor. Hold the toes and look in the opposite direction

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

• Repeat with other side.

Exercise -3

Exercise 3

• Lie flat on your back with your arms stretched out and palms facing the floor

• Bend one leg and place the foot on the other knee

• Gently twisting the spine, drop the upright knee towards the floor. Keep both your shoulders on the floor and look in the opposite direction

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

• Repeat with the other side.

Exercises to increase flexibility

The hip and the lower back, become tight without your knowing over a span of time. Any arthritic person has accumulated a lot of stiffness over the years. To undo this, the following postures should be practiced every day and become part of your lifestyle, so that by and by this core region of your body returns to its natural state of flexibility.

Caution: Those suffering from sciatica, slipped disc or serious back conditions should avoid exercise one and three. Exercise two should not be done by those with slipped disc, high blood pressure or vertigo.

Exercise 1

* Exercise 1

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

Exercise 2

* Exercise 2

• Sit back on your heels, your knees together, your toes overlapping, your back straight and your palms on your knees
• Inhale, slowly raise both arms straight above your head
• Exhale and slowly bend forward your arms straight and in line with your ears. Rest the forehead on the floor, bring your palms together
• Hold for 30 seconds, your body relaxed and breathing normally
• Inhale, slowly raise your arms and your upper body, exhale and lower your arms to the start position.

Exercise 3

* Exercise 3

• Lie flat on your back, your arms beside you
• Bend your right knee to your chest, your foot pointing forward
• Interlock the fingers below the knee and bring the knee close to the chest
• Hold the position for a few seconds and relax the back
• Go back to the start position
• Repeat with the left leg and then go back to the start position
• Now draw both your knees to your chest
• Hold the position, breathing normally. Try and relax the back. Come back to start position

Exercises to increase blood circulation and flexibility

Arthritis badly affects the knee and hip joints. It is important to loosen up these joints and bring back the blood circulation and flexibility as these are the only two cures for arthritis.

Caution: Exercises 1 and 2 should be avoided by those with severe back conditions, peptic ulcers and hernia.

Exercise 1, Exercise 2

*   EXERCISE 1

•  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 that ankle on the thigh of the bent leg, close to the groin
•  Lean back on your elbows and slowly lower your head and back so that it touches the floor
•  Bend elbows behind the head, place palms on the floor with the fingers pointing to the feet Press down on the palms, raise your head and shoulders so that it rests on the crown of your head. Hold toes with fingers
•  Hold for 10-30 seconds
•  Release your toes, press down on elbows and raise the head and shoulders. Prop yourself up on your elbows, then straighten elbows one at a time and come back to the starting position.

*   EXERCISE 2

•  Sit with your 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 ankle on the thigh of the bent leg, close to the groin
•  Lean back on your elbows and slowly lower your head and back to the floor
•  Bend your elbows behind your head, place palms on the floor with fingers pointing to the feet. Press down on the palms; raise your head and shoulders to rest on the crown of the head
•  Now slowly lower your head and shoulders to the ground
•  Place your hands on your thighs as shown and hold for 10-30 seconds
•  Release the toes, press down on your elbows and raise your head and shoulders. Prop yourself up on your elbows, then straighten elbows one at a time and come back to the starting position.

Exercise 3 : Step 1, Step 2

*   EXERCISE 3

•  Lie flat on your back with your arms beside you
•  Bend the right knee to the chest with the foot pointing forwards
•  Interlock the fingers below the knee and bring the knee close to the chest
•  Hold the position for a few seconds and relax the back
•  Go back to the starting position
•  Repeat with the left leg, and then go back to the starting position
•  Now draw both your knees to your chest
•  Hold the position, breathing normally. Try and relax the back. Come back to the starting position.

Exercises to release tension

The arms and shoulders tend to get locked up and add to your arthritic pain.  The following exercises release the tension from your shoulders and help you to breathe in a more natural way as your breathing too is altered by your mental stress.

Caution: Movements should be done slowly without any jerks.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

•  Interlock the hands behind the head. Supporting the neck and head, push the elbows back

•  Hold for 10 - 25 seconds

•  Lower both hands to the shoulders and bring both elbows together in front

•  Hold for 10 -25 seconds

•  Release

•  Repeat five times.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

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

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

•  Repeat the same movement anti-clockwise

•  Repeat five times in each direction.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

•  Interlock the hands behind the head. Supporting the neck and head, push the elbows back

•  Hold for 10 - 25 seconds

•  Release, turn palms upwards and stretch both arms up keeping the back straight

•  Hold the posture for 10 - 25 seconds

•  Release

•  Repeat five times.

Techniques to relax under stress

Arthritis is a deadly psychosomatic disease in which a tense state of mind creates blockages in all your joints, some joints getting more affected than others. To remove arthritis, you need to learn how to relax and how to keep your body loose and relaxed even under stressful situations as it is your body which is taking up the harmful effects of your mind. Today’s techniques are about loosening up and freeing the joints.

Caution: Move the head very gently as directed but only as far as is comfortable. Do not strain. Keep the shoulders and leg muscles loose. These exercises should not be done by those with very high or very low blood pressure or with extreme cervical spondylosis. Those with mild to moderate cervical spondylosis should avoid bending the neck forward.

Step 1

Step 1

• Sit with your 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.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

• Slowly move the head as far back as comfortable. Do not strain

• Slowly bring the head up and move it forward so the chin touches the chest.

Exercise 2

Exercise 2

• Gently turn the head left so chin is in line with the shoulders

• Now gently turn the head to the right as far as you are comfortable.

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

• Slowly rotate the head clockwise down to chest, to the right, backward, to the left side in a relaxed, smooth, rhythmic and circular movement

• Now gently rotate anti-clockwise i.e. in opposite direction.

Exercise 4

Exercise 4

• Sit with your legs stretched out in front, the feet together, the body relaxed
• Stretch both arms in front of you to shoulder level

• Keeping the arms straight, slowly stretch both hands down from the wrist so that fingers point to the floor. Simultaneously, move the toes forward and stretch the feet

• Now, slowly stretch both hands up backward from the wrist. Simultaneously stretch the toes and the feet up and towards the body. Repeat ten times.

Exercise 5

Exercise 5

• Sit with both the legs stretched straight in front

• Bend the right leg and bring the foot back under the hip

• Place the other foot under the other hip and sit on your heels

• Toes should touch each other and the heels should be turned out making a ‘V’

• Keep the back straight, breathe normally and hold position 10-30 seconds.

Chanting to help you feel happy again

Sound vibrations directly affect your mental state; a sad song can easily bring tears to your eyes. Similarly, simple forms of chanting can change the emotional state of your mind and take you from tears to laughter. Practice these techniques with sincerity and most importantly do it to get out of a state of depression and find joy once again.

Exercise 1

Exercise 1

• Sit with the left leg stretched out
• Bend the right leg and place the foot between the left thigh and the 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

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

Exercise 3

Exercise 3

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

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.