Matsyasana - The Fish Pose

"Matsya" means "fish" in Sanskrit.The special feature of this asana is that one can swim in water like a fish but without any use of the hands and legs, the need is to perform this asana and make a posture as suggested.

Sequence:

1. Lie down straight on the floor with the knees touching the ground and come in position of Padmasana to make a footlock.
2. Lean hack gradually on your elbows and lie flat on your back with the support of the hands and elbows.
3. Slowly take the hands backward towards the head with palms kept flat on the floor under the respective shoulders in the reverse direction.
4. Start pushing down the knees and palms with chest and abdomen raised forward, lift up the shoulders, back and hips from the floor, body balanced with your hands. Fold the body during this process to make an arch of the spine and, simultaneously, bend your head and neck backward to the extent you feel comfortable with crown of your head kept perpendicularly on the floor.
5. Bring your hands forward and grasp the back of your thighs with your palms.
6. Take help of the elbows for leverage, lift up your chest and abdomen and, accentuating the arch of the spine, keep the crown of your head in position on the ground.
7. Fold the index finger, the middle finger and thumb of each hand in the form of hooks and catch in each of them the opposite big toes and pull them gently.
8. Stay in this position as long as you feel comfortable, take deep breathes rhythmically.
9. Gradually come back in the original position of Padmasana flowing reverse order sequence.

Benefits:

• Matsyasana gives strength to the spinal column.
• Regular practice of this asana helps cervical and dorsal portions to get elasticity and become more flexible. If the spine has become habitually curved due to our wrong sitting posture, it comes back to original straight position if this asana is performed regularly.
• The chest expands resulting in improving lungs efficiency due to abundant supply of fresh air.

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Padmasana - The Lotus Pose

"Padma" means "lotus" in Sanskrit. "Padmasana" involves making a sitting posture that resembles "Lotus flower". This posture is called Padmasana because the sequence of the hands and feet give ann impression of lotus flower from a distance. The two feet resting on the opposite thigh make the leaves while the two hands kept one over the other symbolize the lotus in full bloom.

Sequence:

1. Make a Sitting pose.
2. Stretch out your legs in such a way that the heels are joined with each other.
3. Make a pose to grab the right ankle with the right hand and the right big toe with the left hand. Bending the right knee outwards, pull round the right foot towards your left groin line. Keep the foot resting at the upper part of the left upper thigh. The heel must be positioned so as to press the left side of the lower abdomen. The foot must be positioned to be fully stretched over the left thigh ensuring the sole lifted upwards. Position the right knee to press the ground.
4. In the same manner, fold the left leg and keep the foot resting at the upper part of the right upper thigh. The foot must be positioned to be fully stretched over the right thigh ensuring the sole lifted upwards. Position the left knee to press the ground.
5. Sit erect with the help of the spine, neck and head being straight, ensuring interlocking of both legs.
6. Keep both palms upon each other, both turned upward to make a cup shape, and position them to rest upon the upturned heels a little below the navel.
7. Maintain the posture in and feel easy as long as you feel comfortable.
8. Open the footlock. Open your legs and come back to the original sitting position.
9. Practice alternating the legs.

Caution:

• Avoid doing this posture while having meals or immediately after eating.
• Patients of sciatica or varicose veins are recommended to this posture cautiously.

Benefits:

• Padmasana removes extra fat in the abdomen, buttocks and thighs, if practiced regularly.
• It increases the strength of the thighs and calves and makes the hamstring muscles flexible.
• Padmasana develops the correct carriage of the body and helps maintain equilibrium as the spine is positioned straight during the practice.
• The flexibility of the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the lower extremities is improved while following Padmasana and relaxed when it is released.
• This posture improves blood flow to the organs in the pelvic and the abdomino-genital regions ensuring the control of blood supply to the lower extremities. Since more blood is made to circulate in the lumbar region of the spine and the abdomen, the spine and the abdominal organs are toned up.
• It strengthens the coccygeal and sacral regions of the spine and the sciatic nerve and helps in toning up the colon.
• It increases the efficiency of stiff knees and ankles and makes hip-joints more flexible. It relieves arthritic pain in these areas.
• It corrects the Minor spinal deformities.
• The erect spine prevents the compression of the abdominal viscera while sitting in this posture.

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Suryabhedana

Surya means the sun and, according to Yoga the Surya Nadi is the right nostril.

This breathe control technique or pranayama is performed by using right nostril for inhalation and the left one for exhalation. Each round consists of the same procedure. This is also popular as Viloma type of pranayama.

As Yoga says that navel in our body is the place of Sun and the skull is the place for moon. As we all know that the moon gives cooling effect, and the sun is known for heating effect.

The underline basis of this theory is probably the fact that the food we eat is goes for digestion in the stomach that is near the navel. Digestion requires heat, the source of which is assumed as sun.

The air we take in through the right nostril significantly affects other forms of vital energies in our body. It results in accumulation of these energies around navel root, which is believed to play a vital role in awakening the Kundalini.

Technique for Suryabhedana Pranayama

• Sit in Padmasana or Sidhasana.
• Use your right nostril for Inhaling slowly and deeply, use your ring finger and little finger to close your left nostril.
• Next, use the thumb of your right hand to close your right nostril.
• Now breathe out through your left nostril, keeping your right nostril closed.
• Repeat the act 5 – 10 times.

Tips for practicing Suryabhedana Pranayama

• Don’t overdo the exercise so as to avoid exhaustion while doing this.
• Every time inhalations are strictly recommended through the right nostril and exhalations through the left.
• The air that goes out throughout the process must be felt at the tips of your fingers, your thumbs and in your nasal membranes where pressure is applied. The sound it makes should be maintained throughout by applying varying pressure on your nostrils.
• You should not feel even the slightest strain and the skin on your forehead, eyes, temples, eyebrows should remain passive.
• Inhalation and exhalation should last be in the ratio of 1:2.
• Try to maintain an even and slow rhythm throughout.

As a result of Suryabhedana Pranayama heat is generated in the body and the part of the brain, which holds the vital life-force gets stimulated. As a result the functioning of liver and immune system improves, the blood gets purified and gas problems are cured. Apart from this , Intestinal ailments, leucoderma and other skin diseases also get benefited. Suryabhedana removes vata problems in the stomach and prevents throat trouble.