Salabhasana,the grasshopper

The name comes from the Sanskrit words salaba or shalabha meaning "locust",and asana meaning "posture" or "seat".

Salabhasana is a cultural yoga asana that mimics the shape of a locust in its final position. The muslces stretched in this posture are rested in the Bhujangasana or cobra pose, and this posture is especially effective in treating abdominal disorders.  

 

Viparita-salbhasana:

 
It is a form of back bend, or spine stretch, using the strength of the upper and middle back to lift the weight of the legs as high as possible from a starting position face down on the floor. Most people find Salabhasana to be a very "strong" i.e. difficult and challenging posture to practice, and as such it not only improves flexibility and coordination, but also has strength and stamina benefits.

Practice of Salabhasana:

*The person is required to lie prone on his seat with his soles looking upwards and his fingers clenched.

* Then he has to stretch his hands along his body so that his shoulders and the backs of his fists touch the ground.

* The person either rests his chin, mouth and nose on his seat; or his chin alone, the head being thrown a little backward.

* Then with a full stimulation the person has to stiffen his whole body; and try to raise his lower extremities backwards, putting his whole weight on the chest and hands. The wrists especially feel the burden of the lifted legs.

* Throughout the exercise the breath is held in and the knees and are kept stiff and straight. In this practice the sacrum shares the fate of the legs and is a little raised with them.

* If the individual finds that he can no longer hold in his breath, he should slowly lower down his legs, relax his muscles, and gradually start to exhale.

* When respiration becomes normal, the person is ready to proceed with the next pose. 

Bhujangasana,the cobra

 BHUJANGASANA

The name comes from the Sanskrit words bhujanga meaning "snake" or "serpent" and asana  meaning "posture" or "seat".The pose is called as Bhujangasana, because the full display of this asana gives one the appearance of a `hooded snake` with its neck expanded like a hood. 

Practice of Bhujangasana : 

*Lie prone on the seat with the muscles thoroughly relaxed. Touch the ground with the forehead; and keeps the hands, one on each side of the chest, bending them in the elbows. The soles are made to look upward.
*Raise the head and bend the neck backward as far as possible, completely throwing out the chin.
*During this attempt one`s chest is kept close to the ground, the trunk, so to say, taking no part in the movement.
*When the head is fully swung backward, work the deep muscles of the back. By their contraction one slowly raises the chest.
Beginners can support the rising thorax with their hands, gradually increasing the angle between the arm and forearm.
*Once accustomed to the practice, depend upon the muscles of the back alone for raising the chest; and though the hands are allowed to work as previously, comparatively little burden is now put upon them.
*While practising Bhujangasana the student does not give a full backward curve to his spine all at once; but tries to raise his vertebrae one by one, and marks that the pressure on the spinal curve is traveling down the column step by step, till the thoracic part gets a good backward bent.
* Lastly even the lumbar vertebrae are thrown backward in a curve and the whole pressure is felt at the sacrum area.  

Benefits:       

Bhujangasana may strengthen the spine stretch the chest, shoulders, and abdomen, firm the buttocks, and relieve stress and fatigue. Traditional texts say that Bhujangasana increases body heat, destroys disease, and awakens kundalini.

Bhujangasana comes with several benefits for the human body. The deep muscles of the back are alternately contracted and relaxed in working out this pose both ways. The muscles are exercised gain in health and keep the spine elastic. During their work these muscles secure a liberal blood supply by promoting blood circulation, which is ordinarily somewhat slow in this part of the body. This pose has such a good effect upon the deep muscles that even a single successful attempt at it, relieves a backache. The whole spine receives a steady pull anteriorly and every vertebra and its ligaments have their share in the work. If there be any slight displacement in the spinal column due to this asana, it is adjusted to the normal condition.

 
 

Sarvangasana,the queen or mother of all asanas

Sarvangasana is an inverted Hatha Yoga asana commonly known in English as Shoulderstand.
Many variations of Shoulderstand exist, the likely most common to be taught is Supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana).
Sarvangasana is nicknamed "queen" or "mother" of all the yoga poses.

The name in the case of Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulderstand) comes from the Sanskrit words Salamba meaning "supported", Sarva  meaning "all" or "every", Anga meaning "limbs" or "bodyparts", and Asana  meaning "posture" or "seat", thus Salamba Sarvangasana  literally translats to "supported-all-limbs-pose".

Sarvangasana is known to activate most of the important glands, thus, improving their function. The traditional books on Yoga proclaim the importance of this asana. Sarvangasana is an especially important and beneficial pose. Its name in Sanskrit literally means "posture of the complete body."

Sarvangasana

Practicing and how to do Sarvangasana?

• One should start exhaling and inhaling, raising both the legs upward and stop when they make angle of 90 degree with the floor and then attain the Uttanpadasana posture.
• Exhaling raise the waist and push the legs backward over the head.   Then the person should support the waist with both the hands, then using the hands get the legs, waist and back in one straight line and stabilize them in this position, then one should stretch the toes towards sky and keep the sight on the toes.
• Normal breathing should be continued.      

 Effects or Benefits of Sarvangasana :

There are several benefits of Sarvangasana. This asana helps to improve the blood circulation as impure blood easily reaches the heart. Inverted yoga asanas also direct oxygen to the upper lung, ensuring healthier lung tissue. To some extent one can get the benefits of Shirshasana (up side down) in this posture as well. The thyroid gland is located in the neck. Over a period of time due to lack of proper circulation the gland starts to depreciate. Sarvangasana pushes healthy, oxygen-rich blood directly into the neck, strengthening the thyroid glands. This asana controls and cures the diseases related to genital organs and constipation; and also helps to cure varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

Sirsasana,the king of the asanas

Sirsasana (also Shirshasana or Sirshasana),
known in English as Headstand, is an inverted Hatha Yoga asana.

The name comes from the Sanskrit words Shirsha meaning "head",and Asana meaning "posture" or "seat".

There are differing opinions between yoga schools on the correct technique for Sirsasana.
The wall may be used initially for support in the pose. Some yoga teachers offer props that allow practitioners to perform a modified version of the pose. Dolphin pose (ardha sirsasana) can be used to build the upper body strength required for Sirsasana.
To achieve this asana, begin by sitting on the knees, and placing the fore-arms on the ground with the hands interlaced. The elbows and hands should be making an equilateral triangle on the ground, and one should not allow the elbows to splay out to the sides throughout the entire pose. (If needed, one can wrap a strap around the upper-arms to prevent them from opening out to the sides). Keep the palms upturned, so that you can place the back of your head gently inside the cup of your hands. Try to have the crown of the head lightly touching the ground.

 From this position, walk the feet forward as much as possible, bending the knees deeply into the chest. Slowly, bring the hips forward, allowing the pelvis to be directly over the body’s center of gravity. Keep walking the feet and pelvis forward until there is no weight in the feet. Slowly, bend one knee and then the other until the body is in a kickstand position. Once stability is felt in this position, slowly bring the knees up until they are in line with the body, keeping the knees bent. When comfortable, extend the toes up towards the ceiling, keeping the toes pointed and the legs squeezed firmly together. Engage all of the core muscles to help stabilize in this pose.

After finishing this asana, head is not raised immediately. Forehead should be allowed to rest on the floor in child's pose for a few breaths before continuing on.



Benifits of  Sirsasana:

Practitioners of yoga believe that, like most inverted positions, the practice of sirsasana may increase the flow of blood to the brain, improve memory and other intellect functions. It is believed to rejuvenate the body and mind and regulate the flow of energy (prana) in the body.

• This strengthens the nervous-centres of the whole body and maintains the health of endocrine gland. 
• Digestive system is also benefited through this Asana.
• According to Swami Kuvalayanandaji, it is beneficial against congested throat, diseases of liver and spleen and in Visceroptosis. 
• Calms the mind.
• Strengthens the arms, legs, and spine.
• Improves balance.

Precautions during Sirsasana :

1. While practicing Sirsasana, place that part of your head on the ground on which the spine can remain erect.

2. Do not raise your legs with jerk. Slow and gradual practice will "raise your legs up automatically.

3. In the beginning practice it under the guidance of a teacher because there is a fear of falling down.

4. While returning, do not raise your head soon after completing Asana. There remains a fear of getting giddiness. Therefore, keep your head near finger-lock for some time and then raise it up.

5. Those suffering from high blood pressure, running ear or heart disease should not practice it.

6. Those having cough or chronic cold also should not practice it.

7. Persons suffering from constipation should practice it carefully



 Beginner`s tip:Practice the pose at the wall. Try to move further from the wall each time. Try removing one foot and then the other from the wall to practice balancing.

Healthy way to lose weight

You would be surprised at the number of strange and dangerous things that are sold as health products nowadays.  People looking for a healthy way to lose weight will be bombarded by all kinds of foreign concoctions, supposed secrets of oriental doctors, that claim to allow them to lose weight the healthy way.  In reality however, you have no way of knowing what is really in these products.  The healthiest way to lose weight is simply to start a healthy lifestyle.

I know all this from experience.  You see, I have had a fluctuating weight problem for years and years.  I get heavy from eating junk food or from failing to use good portion control and then lose all of that weight back very quickly.  I have used everything to lose weight quickly.  I've even taken strange pills that make my heart race.  They were advertised as a healthy way to lose weight.  Let me tell you, these products are not healthy.  There is a healthy way to lose weight, and it is very obvious.  Exercise and keep a healthy diet.

A weight loss diet is not necessarily a healthy one.  Many of the so-called healthy ways to lose weight actually put a great deal of strain on your body.  Using some new fad such as the Atkins diet which requires you to eat massive amounts of fat and protein is not a healthy way to lose weight.  If your common sense is not enough to tell you this, you should look at the research.  Many experts have linked the Atkins diet to liver shutdown.  Weight loss should be good for you.  It should not threaten your health.

If you have struggled with chronic weight problems all your life (as I have) and still have not found a healthy way to lose weight, it is time to get some support.  You can do many things to find a healthy way to lose weight.  You can join Weight Watchers, you can join a gym and get a personal trainer, or you can make a pact with some friends to encourage each other to eat right and exercise regularly.  Many of us overeat because we feel stressed out and disconnected.  Just having a support group can be a healthy way to lose weight.  It is always good for you to have friends who encourage you to do what is best for your health.

How to keep Health and Fitness

I have always been the kind of person to study something in depth before getting my feet wet. A lot of people call me obsessional, but I don't see it that way. For me, it is all about getting all the information I need to so I can make the right decisions. That is why, when I decided to get in shape, I read all the health fitness articles that I could before I took my first step on the tread mill. By reading fitness and health articles until I felt like I was an expert, I was able to design the optimum workout for my needs.

Health fitness articles are one of the most popular reading subjects nowadays. Our culture is kind of a paradox if you think about it. On the one hand, we have bigger problems with obesity than ever before. On the other hand, more and more people are obsessed with staying healthy and fit. I guess it makes sense if you look at it right. In a culture where people have healthy eating habits and exercise regularly, health fitness articles are less important. In a culture were people don't know anything about staying in shape, however, articles on staying healthy are a godsend.

As I said before, I read a lot of health fitness articles, but not all of them stuck. I was surprised because the ones that made the most impact were the ones with the most general and common sense rules. For example, my favorite health fitness article was about exercising. It said that the biggest mistake that people make is to find overambitious exercise routines based on someone else's idea of the perfect exercises. It advised me to come up with a routine that involve activities that I actually enjoyed instead of activities that I thought would develop the most muscle mass or cardiovascular strength. Knowing this, I was able to incorporate jogging and swimming – two activities that I absolutely love – into a good workout.

I also read a health fitness article that told me the relationship between eating habits and exercising. This is really important for me because I also had bad eating habits in addition to being too sedentary. They tell me that eating the right foods would give me the energy that I would need to work out and stay active. Wouldn't you know it – once I started changing my diet, I did have more impetus to get out and start running around.

Why is Yoga to a healthy life?

.You may ask, "Is Yoga for me?"

Definitely, yes! Yoga is for anyone who is willing to learn its ways and ideas. It does not actually require any special equipment or clothing. What it requires is your will to have a healthier, stress-free self.

You may first approach Yoga as a way to achieve a great body or to keep fit and that is perfectly alright. Yoga really does help in improving your health for stretching can tone your muscles and exercise your spine and your entire skeletal system.


Do not just take advantage of what Yoga can offer. Yoga encourages you to reflect on yourself and to find your inner peace. It exercises not just your body but your mind as well. With a healthy body and mind, you're on your way to a more fulfilling life. 

Benefits of Doing Yoga :

Flexibility: Stretching your tight body in new ways will help it to become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to muscles and joints. Over time, you can expect to gain flexibility in your hamstrings, back, shoulders, and hips.


Strength: Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg (such as in Tree Pose) or supporting yourself with your arms (such as in Downward Facing Dog). Some exercises require you to move slowly in and out of poses, which also increases strength.


Muscle tone: As a by-product of getting stronger, you can expect to see increased muscle tone. Yoga helps shape long, lean muscles.


Pain Prevention: Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Many people who suffer from back pain spend a lot of time sitting at a computer or driving a car. That can cause tightness and spinal compression, which you can begin to address with yoga. Yoga also improves your alignment, both in and out of class, which helps prevent many other types of pain.

Better Breathing: Most of us breathe very shallowly into the lungs and don't give much thought to how we breathe. Yoga breathing exercises, called Pranayama, focus the attention on the breath and teach us how to better use our lungs, which benefits the entire body. Certain types of breath can also help clear the nasal passages and even calm the central nervous system, which has both physical and mental benefits.

Mental Benefits

Mental Calmness: Yoga asana practice is intensely physical. Concentrating so intently on what your body is doing has the effect of bringing a calmness to the mind. Yoga also introduces you to meditation techniques, such as watching how you breathe and disengagement from your thoughts, which help calm the mind.

Stress Reduction: Physical activity is good for relieving stress, and this is particularly true of yoga. Because of the concentration required, your daily troubles, both large and small, seem to melt away during the time you are doing yoga. This provides a much-needed break from your stressors, as well as helping put things into perspective. The emphasis yoga places on being in the moment can also help relieve stress, as you learn not to dwell on past events or anticipate the future. You will leave a yoga class feeling less stressed than when you started. Read more about yoga for stress management here.

Body Awareness: Doing yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. You are often called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence.