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Yoga

The Sarvangasana Cycle

March 24, 2020

It is one of the greatest boons conferred on humanity by our ancient sages. (Light on Yoga p 212)

Sarvangasana variations comprise the ‘Sarvangasana cycle’. The immunity sequence comprises of :

Eka Pada Sarvangasana : In this variation (shown on the left), one leg is brought down to rest on the floor similar to Halasana. The other leg should be absolutely straight. This posture draws upon the the flexibility of the hamstrings and the strength of the quadriceps muscles too.
Parsvaika Pada Sarvangasana : In this variation (shown on the right), one leg is brought down to the side of the body, diagonal from the trunk. As with all Sarvangasana variations, this requires control and strength of the core muscles, but this variation also requires an flexible hip joint.

We perform these variations to gain more control over our bodies. They require us to use more of our core strength, or cultivate the necessary core strength. All Sarvangasana variations are great to tone and strengthen the muscles of the legs and are a boon for the kidneys.

Contraindications

The contraindications that apply for Sarvangasana apply to the variations as well.

Busting the Myths

When students first start practicing these variations there is a rush to touch the toes to the floor. This compromises the alignment of the raised leg. Read on for some practice pointers.

Practice Pointers

The variations can be performed after staying in the Sarvangasana for 5-10 minutes.
Do them for 30 seconds on each side.
If your leg doesn’t reach the floor use a stool or chair under it (see video).

Stay tuned for more from our Yoga to Boost Immunity Sequence.

Download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist.

Follow Amrutha Bindu Yoga here.

Follow Medha Bhaskar here.

Follow me (Pragya Bhatt) here.

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Halasana – The Plough Posture

March 20, 2020

Hala means a plough, the shape of which this posture resembles, hence the name. (Light on Yoga, p 216)

There are asanas we encounter so many times that we don’t realize there is a lot more to them than meets the eye. The halasana is one such posture…

It helps to:

Relieve backache.
Bring flexibility in the shoulders and elbows.
Relax the mind and body.
Promote better sleep.
Improve digestion and appetite.

Contraindications

Don’t practice if you have diarrhea, or are menstruating. If you have a neck or back injury then wait until you are completely healed.

Busting the Myths

The final posture is usually depicted with the toes touching the floor. However, if you don’t have the requisite flexibility, forcing your toes to touch the floor can do more harm than good. Read on for some practice pointers…

Practice Pointers

In an attempt to touch the floor with the toes, many practitioners end up pushing themselves beyond their capacity and injure themselves. A simple trick is to rest your feet on a chair or a small table instead of on the floor.
There is a strong link between the halasana and the paschimottanasana. When your back gains mobility in one, then the other improves too.
Tighten your thighs and roll them in to activate your legs and engage your core. You are trying to keep the spine extended.

Over the years I’ve studied the nuances of the halasana and that has certainly improved my practice. I found an older picture of me doing this asana here.

Stay tuned for more from our Yoga to Boost Immunity Sequence.

Download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist.

Follow Amrutha Bindu Yoga here.

Follow Medha Bhaskar here.

Follow me (Pragya Bhatt) here.

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Yoga

Sarvangasana – The Mother of Asanas

March 19, 2020

Sarvanga (Sarva=all, whole, entire, complete; anga=limb or body) means the entire body or all the limbs. In this pose the whole body benefits from the exercise, hence the name. (Light on Yoga, p 206)

The Sarvangasana is beneficial for your entire body, which is why it’s called the Mother of all Asanas. Just like the mother nourishes you at many levels, so the Sarvangasana nourishes you at many levels. In fact, there is also the chinlock, the Jalandhar Bandha that forms.

It helps to:

Expand the chest enabling deeper breathing.
Eradicate common cold and other nasal disturbances.
Stimulate the thyroid and parathyroid glands.
Get rid of even chronic headaches.
Relieve insomnia and hypertension.
Detoxify the system.

Contraindications

Ladies who are menstruating should not do the sarvangasana. People suffering from diarrhea or headaches should also not practice this asana.

Busting the Myths

In many old yoga books you will find this posture also called the Candlestick posture because the body is supposed to resemble a straight candle on a candle holder. Read on for some practice pointers…

Practice Pointers

In the final position only the back of the head, the neck, shoulders and upper arms should be on the floor. You must take care NOT to bring the chin in to the chest, but to bring the chest forward to the chin. When you do this the entire spine stretches.
If you find that your body isn’t perpendicular work on tightening the buttocks and lifting up vertically.
Don’t allow the elbows to widen outwards. This will make it more difficult to straighten the trunk.
Also ensure that your neck doesn’t move sideways, as that will cause injury to the neck.

Stay tuned for more from our Yoga to Boost Immunity Sequence.

Download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist.

Follow Amrutha Bindu Yoga here.

Follow Medha Bhaskar here.

Follow me (Pragya Bhatt) here.

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Dwi-Pada Viparita Dandasana – Two-Legged Inverted Staff Posture

March 17, 2020

The Hindu devotee prostrates before the Lord lying flat upon the floor, face downwards with hands outstretched. The Yogi on the other hand prostrates himself in the graceful inverted arch… (Light on Yoga, p 373)

Dwi pada means both feet. Viparita means reverse or inverted. Danda means staff or rod, a symbol, authority or punishment as well as the body and its prostration.

It helps to:

Expand the chest enabling deeper breathing.
Relax an anxious mind.
Keep the spine healthy.
Relieves pain in the coccyx.
Energises the whole body.

Contraindications

Those who suffer from vertigo should practice this with due caution.

Busting the Myths

Many practitioners don’t fully understand the benefit of using props for yoga practice. Many think they don’t ‘need’ props, feeling that it shows physical weakness to use props. The truth is that props are akin to a teacher. Used correctly, props can have a powerful impact on your yoga practice. Read on for some practice pointers…

Practice Pointers

If you feel queasy or dizzy in this posture, adjust the position of your back on the chair and use some support under your head.
Tighten your thighs and roll them in to activate your legs and engage your core.

Stay tuned for more from our Yoga to Boost Immunity Sequence.

Download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist.

Follow Amrutha Bindu Yoga here.

Follow Medha Bhaskar here.

Follow me (Pragya Bhatt) here.

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Sirsasana – The King of Asanas

March 17, 2020

The weight of the body will be felt on the elbows and the position of the head may change. The face will appear to be flushed and the eyes either strained or puffed. It is therefore, advisable for a beginner to do the head stand in a corner where two walls meet, placing the head some 2 to 3 inches from either wall.(Light on Yoga, p 182)

The sirsasana is the king of the asanas. It’s not hard to see why. Sirsa means head, and this is the seat of the brain. The brain controls the entire nervous system. It is where your knowledge, intellect, wisdom and power come from.

It helps to:

Increase blood flow to the head.
Improve immunity by flushing the lymphatic system.
Improve digestion.
Relieve fatigue.
Improve insomnia.

Contraindications

Those who suffer from high or low blood pressure must never practice sirsasana.

Busting the Myths

Most practitioners think that balance is the only important aspect of sirsasana. In reality, in this posture we have to keep our awareness on our body alignment at all times and continue to fix it moment by moment. Read on for some practice pointers…

Practice Pointers

In the final position only an area the size of a rupee on top of your head should be in contact with the floor.
The head, the trunk, the back of the thighs and the heels should be in a straight line. Avoid ‘banana-back’.
Do not widen the elbows thinking it will give you better balance. In reality this will make the pose weaker and lead to a neck injury.

Stay tuned for more from our Yoga to Boost Immunity Sequence.

Download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist.

Follow Amrutha Bindu Yoga here.

Follow Medha Bhaskar here.

Follow me (Pragya Bhatt) here.

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Prasarita Padottanasana – Wide Legged Forward Fold

March 12, 2020

Prasarita means expanded, spread, extended. Pada means a foot. The pose is one where the expanded legs are stretched intensely. (Light on Yoga, p 81)

Are you unable to do the Sirsasana? But still want the benefits? Well, this pose is for you!

It helps to:

Stretch the hamstrings, calves, glutes and lower back.
Gently open up tight hips, thereby helping to increase hip mobility.
Improve posture.
Relieve fatigue.
Strengthen the feet, improving flat foot.
Speed up healing.

Contraindications

Avoid practicing the prasarita padottanasana when you have a headache or migraine. The rush of blood to the head may exacerbate the condition.

Busting the Myths

Widening the distance between your feet will not help you in getting your head closer to the floor. This just makes your stance unstable. Read on for some practice pointers…

Practice Pointers

The body weight should never rest on the head.
Many students compromise on the straightness of the legs in an attempt to bend down more. Instead of focusing on the head reaching the floor, focus on extending the torso forward.
As with Uttanasana, rest your head on a block or a chair to enable further extension.

Incidentally, I wrote about the adho mukha svanasana a few weeks ago. Check out the blog, it may shed more light.

Stay tuned for more from our Yoga to Boost Immunity Sequence.

Download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist.

Follow Amrutha Bindu Yoga here.

Follow Medha Bhaskar here.

Follow me (Pragya Bhatt) here.

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Yoga

Downward Dog – Adhomukha Svanasana

March 11, 2020

This pose resembles a dog stretching itself with head and forelegs down and the hind legs up, hence the name. (Light on Yoga, p 110)

Adho means “down,” mukha, meaning “face,” svana, meaning “dog,” and asana, meaning “pose”.

It helps to:

Relieve pain and stiffness in the legs and heels, so great for runners and sprinters.
Strengthen and shape the legs.
Open up the shoulder blades and shoulder joints.
Strengthen the arms and legs.
Relieve fatigue.

Contraindications

Avoid practicing this asana when you have a fever or are feeling lightheaded. Also if you have diarrhea, avoid this asana.

Busting the Myths

Most yoga students feel touching your head to the floor is the ultimate goal in this asana (a la BKS Iyengar). Guess what? Forcing your head to the floor makes you curve your spine, which is definitely not what you want to be doing. Read on for some practice pointers…

Practice Pointers

Resting your heels against a wall and pushing into the wall will enable you to engage and extend the back of the legs.
If you are menstruating, have high blood pressure or a headache, rest your head on a bolster or block.

Incidentally, I wrote about the adho mukha svanasana a few weeks ago. Check out the blog, it may shed more light.

Stay tuned for more from our Yoga to Boost Immunity Sequence.

Download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist.

Follow Amrutha Bindu Yoga here.

Follow Medha Bhaskar here.

Follow me (Pragya Bhatt) here.

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Yoga

Uttanasana – The Standing Forward Bend

March 11, 2020

Ut is a particle indicating deliberation, intensity. The verb tan means to stretch, extend, lengthen out. In this asana, the spine is given a deliberate and an intense stretch. (Light on Yoga, p. 92)

The Uttanasana is the first posture in the immunity sequence, and, if practiced correctly, very powerful.

It helps to:

Stretch and tone the entire back of the body.
Cures stomach pains, including menstrual cramps.
Tones the liver, the spleen and the kidneys.
Because of the reversal of blood flow, the mind is refreshed.
Relaxes the nervous system and reduces stress.
Improves balance and coordination.
Pacifies anxiety and depression.

Contraindications

Practice with the utmost care if you have chronic back pain or injuries to your ankles and knees.

Busting the Myths

In many yoga classes there is an emphasis on straightening the legs. Guess what? Your legs do not need to be straight. Read on for some practice pointers…

Practice Pointers

Instead of focusing on straightening the knees at any cost, focus on lengthening the spine, as though you want to extend your head to the floor.
Spread your soles firmly to the ground, distributing your weight evenly.
Lift your hips up, as though the tailbone has to reach the ceiling. You will feel an extension on the hamstrings too.
When you have a cold or flared up sinuses, you will feel very uncomfortable with your head hanging forward. Rest your head on a block or a chair and et viola! your Uttanasana feels good again. Same thing if you have vertigo or a fluctuating BP.

Stay tuned for more from our Yoga to Boost Immunity Sequence.

Download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist.

Follow Amrutha Bindu Yoga here.

Follow Medha Bhaskar here.

Follow me (Pragya Bhatt) here.

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Yoga

Yoga to Boost Immunity

March 8, 2020

When Women’s Day rolls around we talk about women. Strength, equality, acceptance, rights. This year I wanted to talk about something more relevant. Immunity. Immunity to ‘what will people say/think/do’. Immunity to unrealistic expectations. Immunity to trying to please everyone. Immunity to self-doubt, self-sabotage.

The key to fighting any kind of external attack is your immunity. The higher your immunity levels, the less likely you are to fall prey to pesky germs.

I suggested a collaboration to my friend Medha of Amruta Bindu Yoga a day before Women’s Day. Within two minutes we were ready. The deadly Corona virus spreading like wildfire across planet earth, we decided to focus on how yoga can help. Yoga’s positive impact on boosting your immunity is proven and well documented. A regular yoga practice helps in lowering your stress hormones and stimulates the lymphatic system (which eliminates toxins from your body). Inversions (asanas where your head is below the level of your heart) help in increasing blood circulation. This increased circulation helps in taking oxygenated blood to your organs, which helps in keeping the organs healthy.

A couple of days ago I came across a yoga sequence to strengthen the immune system, designed by BKS Iyengar. It’s being widely circulated on Instagram and I came across it on the IYNAUS page. Medha and I decided to share the sequence with our followers.

This sequence was created by BKS Iyengar to boost immunity to fortify the body against the invasion of germs, bacteria and viruses. Fun fact: it’s Medha and I performing the asanas in the images.

Daily practice is a challenge, specially when you’re practicing solo. We decided to help by putting together this checklist for you. You can print this out and place it where you’re likely to see it, be it your practice space, your dresser, your bathroom mirror, in front of your desk etc. It’s a reminder to you that all of us need a little help with our yoga practice. You can also download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist by clicking on the ‘Download’ button at the end of the blog.

Over the next few days we’re going to be discussing how each of these asanas improve your immunity. We’ll discuss the asanas at length, giving you new insight into them. Please reach out to any of us (on Instagram/Facebook) with your queries and we will help you out! We’re incredibly excited about this challenge and hope it really makes a difference to you.

Download the Daily Yoga Practice Checklist.

Follow Amrutha Bindu Yoga here.

Follow Medha Bhaskar here.

Follow me (Pragya Bhatt) here.

You can read about the individual asanas below:

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Yoga

Deep Tissue Massage – Treat Your Inner Masochist

February 27, 2020

My yogi-care arsenal includes regular massages. In going through some old blogs I discovered that I have written about Abhyangams in detail in this one. I still continue to do a hot oil massage once a week, but sometimes (often- times) I like to mix things up. So the other day I went to the JW Marriot spa for a deep tissue massage.

A few weeks ago the Asia Spa magazine gave me a voucher to try any massage of my choice. I’m not one for massages that promise to ‘soothe’ and ‘relax’, ‘soft’ and ‘gentle’ just doesn’t do it for me. I usually look for something stronger and more intense for muscles that have been contorted to all kinds of angles. I’m a masochist – and most body-work enthusiasts are!

One lazy afternoon I found myself suddenly free. I promptly drove myself to the Marriot. They have a mind-boggling list of massages, each more exotic than the other. I chose the ‘Intense Muscle Release Massage’.

What is a Deep Tissue Massage?

A deep tissue massage is a massage technique favored by dancers and athletes for it’s therapeutic benefits on tired muscles and injuries. It consists of sustained pressure being applied using strong, slow strokes that target the innermost muscles and connective tissue. This reduces the tension in the muscles and promotes faster healing by increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation.

Most people assume that daily yoga has us floating around on a higher plane of long, lithe and relaxed muscles. All I can say to that is you haven’t attended an Iyengar class focusing on the Virbhadrasana alignment. As an asana practitioner, I’m so used to sore muscles that when something isn’t aching I feel I’m not pushing myself enough! I have a tiny collection of massage oils that I use often to ease sore and stiff muscles. I’ve written about my weekly abhyangam practice. I’ve been doing it for years, and couldn’t recommend it more.

The Massage and the Aftermath

The massage was great. The therapist knew her strokes. She started with gentle strokes, to warm up my muscles. Then she progressed to stronger and more powerful strokes. She used her fingers, palms and elbows. She worked out the kinks from my upper back (which is always tight) and kneaded the stubborn knots out of my thighs. It wasn’t one of those massages where you’re half asleep with a blissful smile on your face. This massage consisted of much grimacing and torment. After an hour of this torture, the therapist finally stopped.

I sighed with relief. The aftermath of being pummeled unrelentingly is pure bliss. Later I stewed in the cozy warmth of the sauna and steam room…