Our Yoga expert, Navodita, reveals the mystery of the various asanas and its benefits. She shows us the ways to do the various postures like, Ek Pada Adhomukhasvana Asana, Uttana Asana, Ardha Uttana Asana and Ardha Chakra Asana. These should be followed by Anuloma Viloma Pranayama. Last but not the least, she gives tips from Shiva Sutra for mindful meditation. Here’s the weekly column exclusively for Different Truths.

It’s that time of the week again when you have to get energised for the whole week. Time to get up and start the much awaited Yoga workout to refresh your body and mind.

Ek Pada Adhomukhasvana Asana

Stand straight in Tada Asana. Take a deep breath in and raise your arms up. Exhale and bend down to touch the floor with your legs absolutely straight. Inhale once again and walk back with your feet about five feet away from your hands. Raise the buttocks towards the ceiling and keep the crown of your head facing the floor. Lift the right leg and lift it up as much as you can. Do not bend the elbows or the other static leg. Repeat this with the left leg raised and right leg firmly placed on the ground. Feel the wonders it does to your body.

This pose increases the strength and flexibility of the shoulders. The hamstring muscles, calf muscles and the Achilles tendon are stretched. It also calms the mind and improves balance and concentration.

This could be followed by yet another standing pose.

Uttana Asana

Here you have to stand straight and exhale and bend down to touch the floor. Keep your legs straight and also your arms. With every exhalation try and dig your head deep into your knees.

Stay there for about twenty seconds.

Ardha Uttana Asana

Stay in Uttana Asana and as you exhale and come up, stop halfway keeping your arms well stretched in front. Your back should be parallel to the floor and legs should be absolutely straight. Breathe normally in this pose for about twenty seconds.

The two poses strengthen the hips, hamstrings and calves. They strengthen the thighs and knees. They help keep the spine strong and flexible. Both the poses also help reduce anxiety, depression, stress and fatigue. They relieve the tension in the back, neck and spine. They activate the abdominal muscles.

Another asana that may work wonders for the spine is the Ardha Chakra Asana.

Ardha Chakra Asana

Stand straight in Tada Asana. Inhale and raise your arms overhead into Urdhvahasta Asana. Separate your legs so that your feet are about shoulder distance away from each other. Raise your arms and look up. Exhale and stretch back with your arms raised. Try and curve your back and take your arms further back as much as you can. Stay in this pose for about ten seconds and slowly come back into Urdhvahasta Asana.

Ardha Chakra Asana strengthens the back and abdominal muscles. It tones other organs in the digestive system including excretory and reproductive organs. It gives a good shape to the body. It is good for those having back problems and postural defects.

This may now be wound up by a cycle of Anuloma Viloma Pranayama.

Anuloma Viloma Pranayama

For Anuloma Viloma Pranayama, stay seated in simple cross-legged pose or Swastika Asana. Keep your back erect and chin up. Close your right nostril and inhale with your left nostril. Now close your left nostril and as you remove your finger from the right nostril, exhale from the right one. Inhale from the right nostril after complete exhalation and repeat this with the other nostril. Breathe like this for about five to ten minutes.

It helps to cure mental problems like anxiety, depression and tension. It is most beneficial for respiratory disorders like bronchitis and asthma. It improves the functioning of lungs. Follow this with some mindful meditation and good, positive thoughts like these excerpts summarised from the Siva Sutra:

• If you really would like to get perfect in something then you have to learn to become detached to it. Attachment is important but only to a certain extent. If attachment stays within limits, it will bring success else misery. With victory over attachment, you find unlimited enjoyment, naturalness arises in you and you can succeed in any work or effort.
• In order to be fully successful in whatever you do, emotional detachment is of prime importance. Our sense organs are like spectators. All the happenings in the world is witnessed by our senses. You only need to nurture the seeds of tranquility, peace, pleasure and love.
• It is often seen we get lost in our search for truth and reality and the make believe. Two ways exist of searching the truth- one is that of male aggression, violence and the scramble for power. Another is that of female surrender and withdrawal. Science is the male path, aggressive; religion is a female path, bowing down and submissive. Learn to make the distinction.
• Always try to move ahead in life with full knowledge and lots of correct information about the world around you. Limited knowledge creates bondage. Without obtaining the knowledge “Who am I” we seek to find out “What is this?” and this creates bondage. What you see is just a material manifestation. Try to understand the Soul.
• Always remember that mind training and mind controlling are the most important aspects of life as these help you attain a solution to most problems. The mind itself is the Self. When we see a situation in a limited way, the knowledge obtained will also be limited and we feel “My life is only this”. This is called Maya.

©Navodita Pande

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Dr. Navodita Pande

Navodita Pande teaches Mass Media and Communication and English to ICSE/ISC school in Assam. She also trains students in Yoga, gratitude and healing. She loves to paint, write and read as her pastimes. She lives in Assam with her daughter.

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