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Seated Forward Bend – Paschimottanasana

May 4th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Literally translated as “intense stretch of the west,” Paschimottanasana can help a distracted mind unwind.
Benefits include:

Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
Stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings
Stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries, and uterus
Improves digestion
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort
Soothes headache and anxiety and reduces fatigue
Therapeutic for high blood pressure, infertility, insomnia, and sinusitis
Traditional texts say that Paschimottanasana increases appetite, reduces obesity, and cures diseases.

Use caution if you suffer from asthma or have a back injury.

Sit on the floor with your buttocks supported on a folded blanket and your legs straight in front of you. Press actively through your heels. Rock slightly onto your left buttock, and pull your right sitting bone away from the heel with your right hand. Repeat on the other side.

Turn the top thighs in slightly and press them down into the floor. Press through your palms or finger tips on the floor beside your hips and lift the top of the sternum toward the ceiling as the top thighs descend.

Draw the inner groins deep into the pelvis. Inhale, and keeping the front torso long, lean forward from the hip joints, not the waist. Lengthen the tailbone away from the back of your pelvis. If possible take the sides of the feet with your hands, thumbs on the soles, elbows fully extended; if this isn’t possible, loop a strap around the foot soles, and hold the strap firmly. Be sure your elbows are straight, not bent.

When you are ready to go further, don’t forcefully pull yourself into the forward bend, whether your hands are on the feet or holding the strap. Always lengthen the front torso into the pose, keeping your head raised.

If you are holding the feet, bend the elbows out to the sides and lift them away from the floor; if holding the strap, lighten your grip and walk the hands forward, keeping the arms long. The lower belly should touch the thighs first, then the upper belly, then the ribs, and the head last.

With each inhalation, lift and lengthen the front torso just slightly; with each exhalation release a little more fully into the forward bend. In this way the torso oscillates and lengthens almost imperceptibly with the breath. Eventually you may be able to stretch the arms out beyond the feet on the floor.

Stay in the pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. To come up, first lift the torso away from the thighs and straighten the elbows again if they are bent. Then inhale and lift the torso up by pulling the tailbone down and into the pelvis.

Yoga asanas - Yoga twists for strength and relaxation

March 28th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Yoga twists relieve stress by loosening your back muscles; as they untie knots in your body they untie knots in your mind.  Twists are very relaxing, and should be part of your every day yoga routine.

There are several different types of twists you can perform: forward bends, and back bends  which you can do standing up, sitting or lying down.

You can even do bends  right in the middle of a busy day at work. When you get too stressed, you can do  a forward bend right in your office — close the door first — and you will be amazed at how relaxed you feel afterwards.

Yoga Sun Salutation video - warm up, or a fast work out

March 7th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Many yoga devotees use the Sun Salutations routine as a warmup. However, Sun Salutations can also form your entire routine when you’re busy.

Just run through the routine once or twice, and you’re done. You’ll feel great.

Here’s a great video to show you the routine.

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