Dhanurasana - The Bow Pose

"Dhanus" means "bow" in Sanskrit. As the name suggests, this asana involves stretching the body to prepare a shape of a bow, drawn tight to shoot an arrow. The arms and lower legs are stretched in thye form to give an impression of the taut bowstring, while the trunk and thighs give an impression of the wooden part of the bow.

Sequence:

• Start with lying down straight on your abdomen, along with chest and chin resting on the ground.
• Keep the arms at a distance from the body stretched on the sides. Feet must be at a little distance from each other.
• Lift the legs up and bend them backwards holding the ankles with hands firmly.
• Keep the arms stiff and straight. There must be a comfortable distance between knees.
• Lift your chin up and bend your head and neck in the backward direction but ensure not to lift up the chest.
• Breathe in, stretch the legs gradually in upward direction towards the ceiling (not the head).
• The most important step is to pull hard against the ankles, raise the knees, thighs, hips, the lower region of the navel, chest, shoulders, chin, neck and head upward all together to the extent the body is balanced on the navel region which alone should touch the floor.
• Make an arch with the help of back to the extent you feel comfortable, using the arms and legs tugging at each other.
• Keep the big toes, the inner edges of the feet and the knees closer gradually and join them together.
• Make the shape of a bow with your head lifted up and backward and keep looking up.
• Get relaxed and hold your breath so as to maintain the posture to the extent of strain.
• Breathe out, and gradually come back to the original position in the reverse order.

Caution:

• Patients of high blood pressure, heart ailments, stomach ulcer, colitis, hernia or slipped disc are advised not to perform this asana.
• It is recommended for the people who have undergone any surgical abdominal procedure to avoid this asana till recovered fully.
• Women are advised not to practice this asana during pregnancy.

Benefits:

• Dhanurasana is a beneficial remedy for rheumatism of the legs, knee-joints, hands.
• Helps to get rid of pain in the neck and back, and also certain types of lumbar pain.
• Helps to cure sciatica.
• Beneficial to set right slipped disc.
• Good remedy to get rid of flatulence after meals.
• One can get permanent releif from dyspepsia, sluggishness of the liver and urinary troubles.
• The asana synchronizes the peristaltic action of the intestines thereby curing constipation. It also helps to cure piles.
• The patients of diabetes must do this asana regularly to cure diabetes as it stimulates pancreatic action.
• It prevents sterility.
• Dhanurasana is specially beneficial for the muscles of the thighs and buttocks to give them strength. It makes the abdominal, lumbar and pelvic muscles supple and strong.
• This asana improves the functioning of the heart, liver, spleen, bladder, the genital organs and the solar plexus.
• Dhanurasana cures indigestion by stimulating gastric secretions and helps to combat congestion of blood in the abdominal viscera.
• It diminishes the extra fat around the abdomen, waist, hips and thighs and thus helps women who are weight conscious.
• It balances the posture. It also rectifies slouching.

Yoga for Diabetes

Diabetes is known as a common killer all over the world. On an average, around 18 million Americans suffer from it. Diabetes is a medical condition in which insulin is not produced or used within our body, and that is responsible for transformation of sugar, starches and other food items into energy.

Diabetes is basically divided into two types: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when insulin is not produced in the body and even yoga cannot treat it. Here insulin doses need to be inserted in the patient’s body externally as insulin shots or insulin pumps. On the other hand, Diabetes 2, the main reason of which is inadequate life style or stress-related ailments, has a treatment in yoga better than medications. Irrespective of the age and sex, this form of diabetes can be developed in anyone’s body. Although lifestyle changes need to be administered, additionally, yoga makes our body more energetic and life style more balanced to keep the diabetic symptoms under control. Yoga asanas help to combat negative effects of stress-related ailments.

Yoga experts recommend sun salutation, the most effective exercise for diabetic patients. It helps to stimulate blood supply to various parts of the body and thereby increasing the absorption of insulin in the body. This exercise works as a miracle and gives immediate benefits if four rounds are done within a minute. If done at a slow pace, it gives the benefits of asanas.

Along with sun salutation, few asanas are also prescribed for curing diabetes completely. The body gets relaxed due to Asanas. Due to the various twisting and stretching experienced during the asanas, the internal organs of the body are stretched and subjected to strain. As a result the flow of blood increases and oxygen intake of the organs gets stimulated, thereby increasing effectiveness of all body systems. The various asanas which prove beneficial for a diabetes patient are Dhanurasana, Ardhamatsyendrasana, Vajrasana Yoga Mudra, Pavan Muktasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana and Matsyasana.

The pranayamas are also effective in curing diabetes. Pranayamas relaxes the mind, brain and nervous system simultaneously, thereby decreasing stress levels and thus helps in the treatment of diabetes. Pranayamas also help to improve the oxygen intake of the body and reduces carbon dioxide levels in the blood. However, an important thing which needs to be kept in mind is that pranayamas should be practiced under the expert guidance of a Yoga Guru.

When we talk about stress management, the discussion is incomplete without talking about meditation. It is recommended to practice meditation for diabetic treatment as it helps in stress reduction. Meditation not only creates a calming effect on the nervous system, but also synchronizes the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Concentration on pancreas during the meditation significantly reduces the sugar levels, and that is indispensable for diabetes treatment.

Besides all recommended yoga exercises, one can also do yoga nidra and the cleansing processes like shanka prakshalana.

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Yoga for Constipation

We all face so many problems and challenge in our life everyday but some where we feel confident that we can handle whatever comes in our way. But sometimes a very small problem can soil not only our mood but a whole day. And that is constipation.

Yes, constipation — a major problem of our daily life. Everyone in the world suffers from it sometimes in life and at least once. We all have a habit to ignore Constipation as long as there is no major problem that crop up if constipation is not treated properly for a long period and the result is the complications like abdomen pain, formation of wind, appetite loss, headache, lethargy, distension of the abdomen, nervous exhaustion, pimples, rheumatism, arthritis and lastly, the deadly cancer.

As a temporary treatment for the time being laxatives can be used, but body becomes habitual of it in the long run when used regularly and suddenly we feel that effects are gone away. Doctors also warn not to use laxatives regularly. As an alternate therapy Yoga is a better option to get rid of constipation. The following asanas may prove beneficial to cure constipation:

• Bhujanghasana: Cures constipation by releasing gas from the body and improves digestion.
• Trikonasana: It eases to pass stool without any difficulty.
• Ardha Matsyendrasana: It stimulates digestive juices and benefits to cure constipation.
• Supta Vajrasana: It helps in digestion and provides relief from constipation.

Apart from these four asanas, a patient of chronic constipation, should also try Dhanurasana, Sarvangasana, Kapalbhati, Bhastrika and Mayurasana.

All these yoga poses realign the abdominal movements and as a result there is no difficulty to pass the stool. The main aim of these asanas is to modify the human digestive system and therefore, one can get rid of constipation completely from the digestive system. It is recommended to take care of diet and adequate sleep in order to treat other ailments along with curing constipation, with the help of these yoga postures.

However, it is advised to practice all these asanas under the guidance of yoga expert. A word of caution is to avoid these postures if you are pregnant or having a heart troubles.

Doctors advise a constipation patient to avoid taking too much of tea, coffee or junk food. The diet must incorporate all necessary vitamins and minerals to make it healthy and balanced and at least 1.5 litres of water should be consumed by the person.

Earlier it was assumed that only yogis are allowed to practice yoga. But that’s not true. A common man can practice yoga to treat not just constipation but also various dreadful diseases. So include yoga in your daily life in order to make your life happier and free from diseases.

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