Yoga

Some More for Your Back

May 4, 2016

My blog about how you can use a rope to manage, heal and even reverse causes of back ache has been hugely successful.  It’s great that a lot of people with chronic back ache and even disc bulges and slipped discs have tried this blog and  come back to me with positive reviews.  In this blog I’d like to explore alternative asanas which also provide relief from back ache.

pomelo_20160503124108_save.jpg1.  Start with the Ashwasanchalanasana, also called the Low Lunge.  Ensure that your back knee is locked and try and push your hips as close to the floor as possible.  This creates opposing forces within the body and this helps in easing out the kinks in your lower back.  This also stretches the hip joint and strengthens the quads.  When you focus on pushing your heel back, you will feel a stretch on the back of the calves as well.

2. Now place the knee on the floor and intensify the stretch a bit more. pomelo_20160503124123_save.jpg

3.  Now place your elbows on the floor and allow the hips to open up even more.  This pose is called the Lizard pose.pomelo_20160503124153_save.jpg

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4. Next is the Pigeon pose.  Place your knee on the floor and try and try to get the opposite thigh as close to the floor as you can.  Do this by squaring the hips.  The more you align the hips the better the stretch.

 

5.  And finally for the Agnistambasana or the Firelog pose.  I try and include this as much as I can in my classes.  In this pose the point to remember is that the knee and the ankle should be directly on top of each other for both legs.

 

Hold these poses for as long as you feel like.   If you have the time, even 2 minutes on each side would be great.  Since I’m heavily influenced by the Iyengar style I would recommend you find out how to use props to do poses which are a bit challenging for you.

Practice these daily and even more than once a day to manage your back aches.

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Travels

My Kind of Weekend

April 12, 2016

A few weekends ago I went along with 2 friends of mine for a day at a farm, for what would be an unforgettable weekend amidst nature. Our host went out of his way to make us feel happy and entertained. Being well into his sixties he had no clue how to entertain a groupIMG-20160403-WA0028 of young girls, but he had a huge farm with banyan trees and lakes, horses, a humungous collection of music and great food. The night we reached we stayed up late into the night talking to our host and getting to know each other (and to some extent getting to know ourselves better too). The next day we hiked up a mountain post a cup of coffee and returned famished to a breakfast of simple local fare. We talked, read, listened to music, talked some more, had a huge breakfast and before we knew it, it was time to leave. The time we spent at the farm really made me think about the kinds of lives we lead. Lives largely revolving around traffic (pollution) or food (junk). Whatever little time I spent at the farm reinforced a few ideas that I already had about life, but in the hustle bustle of daily life, we tend to forget. The four simple truths that were reinforced for me during my stay at the farm are:

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  1. You don’t need much to be happy. The farm had only the basics. Lots of nature and fresh air. Great company. Simple food (ragi balls, curd rice, briyani etc). Stimulating conversation. We slept peacefully. Trekked up to the top of the mountain in the fresh air.
  2. Harmony is key. Like balance in yoga. In the farm there were horses, birds, a chameleon on the wall of the hut, rats, bisons, frogs, gekkos and human beings. And everyone coexisted. Even though there were supposed to be snakes in the farm we didn’t see any when we took midnight trips to the bathrooms with our flashlights. When we were trekking up the mountain on a horse we only heard the bison (and the syce knew how to deal with him) but didn’t see him. It was a nice feeling to know that there is space for everyone and a place for everyone.
  3. Simple pleasures are the unforgettable ones. The farm didn’t have a pool and fancy catering. We slept on cots with basic, clean and comfortable bedding. Our beds faced a lake which was surrounded by trees. We could see the moon through the trees. As we lay down to sleep I wanted to record the sounds of the night forever in my memory. This resolve lasted for a full 3 seconds before I fell into the best sleep I have had ever since I can remember. Simple pleasures are the best.

  4. Things can’t replace human interaction. Coming back into the city I was taken aback by how much ‘stuff’ we accumulate or ‘treat ourselves to’ when true enjoyment doesn’t really lie in clutter. A good meal, positive company, fresh air and nature can show you infinitely more than a big screen TV.

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Yoga

For All You Goddesses…

March 8, 2016

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And the last pose for this series is, befittingly, the Goddess Pose.  The Sanskrit word for this one is Utkata Konasana (I did have to look this up).  Of all the hip openers in this series, this one is the most intense.  The simultaneous movement of  opening up the hips and sinking the hips down to the floor ensures that the stretch is deep and intense.  Reaching up with the arms also helps in opening up the chest to enable better breathing.

Benefits:

  • Great stretch for the hips and the groin.
  • Strengthens the core.
  • Holding for long periods will help in strengthening the legs
  • Opens up the shoulders and chest and makes you feel like a Goddess.
  • Helps in preparing the body for childbirth so can be done by pregnant women all the way to the end of the pregnancy.
Those of you with stiff ankles, hip and knee joints will face some discomfort when practicing this pose.  My suggestion is to use blocks or roll up blankets and place them under your ankles.  This will give you a stronger stance.  Gradually you will be able to do this pose without the help of props.
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Yoga

Pose #7 for Women – Baddhakonasana

March 7, 2016

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Contrary to popular belief – Baddhakonasana isn’t’Butterfly’ in Sanskrit.  Literally translated Baddhakonasana means Bound Angle Pose.  A lot of people call this the ‘Cobbler Pose’ as well.

Benefits:

  • AWESOME FOR TENSION AND STRESS RELIEF.
  • Stretches the thighs, groin, hip joint and knees.
  • Great for relief from sciatica pain.
  • Reduces menstrual discomfort.
  • Great for keeping the hip joint flexible which helps in preparing the body for childbirth.

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If you have a groin, hip joint or knee injury you may want to exercise caution when practicing this pose.

And here’s a video explaining the Baddhakonasana.

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Yoga

Pose #6 for Women – Malasana

March 6, 2016

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Today’s pose is awesome because it’s one of those poses that our bodies have been designed to do, but because of how our lifestyles have changed in the last 50 years, we’ve lost the mobility and the range of motion to perform the Malasana or the Squat.  The fact that it’s taken only 50 odd years for our bodies to ‘forget’ a basic and intuitive movement is unsettling.  After all, the last 50 years is a minuscule time frame in the history of human evolution.  Imagine the kind of effort required to undo the effects of millions of years of evolution!POMELO_20160306192112_save

There are some contraindications for the Malasana.  If you have a knee, ankle or hip injury then I would suggest that you practice with props.

Benefits of the Malasana:

  • Great to open up the hip joint.
  • Massages the abdominal and digestive organs and stimulates elimination.
  • Strengthens the legs, ankles and knees.
  • Helps  in reducing back ache, even for pregnant women.
  • Conditions the lower body for child birth.

 

 

 

 

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Yoga

Pose #5 for Women – Setu Bandhasana

March 5, 2016

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I remember when I first started practicing yoga, the Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose) used to be my least favourite pose.  It felt really uncomfortable and even gave me a back ache sometimes.  I put it down to being overweight.  I thought that because I was heavy, my hands were unable to support the weight of my lower body.   Of course now I know better.  And now I come across so many people who don’t!  So many people tell me that their arms are not strong enough or their thighs/hips/butt are/is too big/heavy which prevents them from doing this pose well.  Study your technique.  The key to any yogasana lies in the technique.  Study your technique.

Benefits of the Setubandhasana:

  • Stretches the chest, neck, and spine
  • Strengthens the core muscles and the legs.
  • Enables blood flow to the brain and this helps in reducing stress and bringing about a feeling of rejuvenation and wellbeing.
  • Provides an excellent massage to the abdominal organs.
  • Massages the Thyroid gland.
  • Helps in reducing discomfort during
  • Reduces discomfort and pain during menstruation.

To avoid making the mistakes I did when practicing this asana remember to:

  • Evenly distribute your weight on the soles of your feet.
  • Push your soles into the floor evenly.
  • Engage the thighs and the core muscles.
  • Roll your shoulders back and away from your ears.
  • Using your legs push your chest closer to the chin.
  • Keep the back of your neck long and pushed against the floor.

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Yoga

Pose #4 for Women – Trikonasana

March 4, 2016

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In an interview with Prannoy Roy, BKS Iyengar said that he was still working on his Trikonasana.  In my yoga class we work on Trikonasana every day and the teacher always frowns in disapproval.  In an interview I watched a couple of weeks ago Maty Ezraty talks about how she can judge the level of a student by how they perform the Trikonasana.  Personally, the Trikonasana has a heavy influence on my practice.  Some days I break into the asana with great ease.  Other days (like this morning) there’s some stiffness and soreness and I creak through the asana.  Maybe it’s a combination of shoulder and hip opening.  Or maybe it’s the stretch along the sides of the body or the release of tension from the shoulders….but this pose makes me want to linger.

Benefits

  • Great for the legs and torso.
  • Relieves pain and tension from the lower back.
  • Maintains the flexibility of the spine.
  • Provides a great massage to the abdominal organs and stimulates them.
  • Good for digestion since it provides a massage to the abdominal organs.
  • Relieves backache, especially through second trimester of pregnancy
  • Helps in managing flat feet (I’ve seen it even reduce the condition).
  • Helps in managing and preventing osteoporosis and sciatica.

 

When practicing the Trikonasana, remember to:

  • Keep the legs straight.
  • Keep the chest open.
  • Keep the spine long and strong.
  • Bend the torso laterally (from the hip).
  • Keep the hip joint open.
  • Reach out with both hands.
  • look down if you get migraines or have a BP condition.
  • look down if you have a heart condition or neck pain.

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Yoga

Pose #3 for Women – Parsvakonasana

March 3, 2016

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Another standing asanas which I practice almost daily basis is the Parsvakonasana or the Side Angle Pose.  Usually when I practice the standing asanas, I include this one also.   It gives the hip joint that little bit of an extra stretch   I usually transition from the Virbhadrasana II to the Parsvakonasana.

Benefits of the Parsvakonasana:

  • Great to strengthen the quads, knees and ankles.  Basically good for the entire leg.
  • Opens up the hip joint.  Therefore great to massage the reproductive and abdominal organs.  So useful in conditions such as PCOS/PCOD.
  • Alleviates menstrual discomfort by providing a relaxing stretch.
  • Helps in toning the sides of the body.
  • Great to open up the shoulders and the lungs.

 

When practicing the Parsvakonasana remember:

  • To extend the arms outwards and engage even the fingertips!
  • Keep the knee stacked on top of the ankle for the front leg and make sure the inner edge of the foot is pushed into the floor.  (Most people tend to put their weight on the outer edge of the foot.)
  • Pay lots of attention to the back leg.  Ensure that the back foot is pushed firmly into the floor.  Make sure you tighten the knee.
  • Sink your hips down.
  • Never ever let your chest collapse!  (Keep the Warrior spirit going.)

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Yoga

Pose #2 for Women – Virbhadrasana 2

March 2, 2016

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Virbhadrasana 2 is another standing asana that I practice almost every single day.  Just lifting my hands up and reaching out makes me feel powerful, like a Warrior.  Something about this pose feels uplifting and in the final posture I always get this feeling of empowerment.  As though I’m ready to face life with courage and power.

The benefits of Virbhadrasana II (Warrior II):

  • Expands the chest so enables better breathing.  Better breathing leads to more oxygen being assimilated into the system.  This leads to more toxins being flushed out.  Which leads to better skin and hair, amongst other things.
  • Helps in treating and managing a slipped disc.
  • Great to stretch and tone the thighs.
  • Great to stretch and tone the hips (excess fat be gone!)
  • From personal experience I can say this helps in relieving lower backache.  I instantly feel my lower back relaxing when I practice this pose.
  • Helps pregnant women deal with back ache!
  • Helps in opening up the hip joint and keeps the joint flexible and supple.  So you are less likely to injure it.
  • Keeps the knees and ankles strong and supple as well.

A few things to remember when practicing this asana:

  • Open up the chest.
  • Relax the neck and shoulders.
  • Extend the hands out as much as possible, down to the fingertips.
  • Make sure the back knee is locked and thighs are tight.
  • The front thigh should be parallel to the floor.
  • The knee and the ankle of the front leg should be in one straight line.

And a very personal tip:  When practicing this asana try to focus on the fact that this pose commemorates Virabhadra, the Warrior Shiva created to avenge Sati’s (his wife) death.  Try and channelize your inner Warrior and watch how your struggles and hurdles melt away into insignificance.

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Yoga

Pose #1 for Women – Virbhadrasana 1

March 1, 2016

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Let’s start this series with a standing asana.  When planning a yoga routine, it’s always good to throw in a couple of standing asanas because they increase strength and vitality.  They also make you feel more energetic and warm the body up for the remaining session.  Most standing asanas work on strengthening the legs.  Along with this (because yogasanas work on multiple aspects at the same time), standing asanas work on balance and in Virbhdrasana 1 you are also working on opening up the hips.  Which is why this pose is great for women.  Any hip opener will work on toning and stretching the muscles of the lower back, which is imperative for pregnant women as well as for people who sit a lot.

The benefits of Virbhardasana 1 (Warrior 1):

  • strengthens the legs
  • strengthens the arms (yes!  because you’re not only raising your arms up you are reaching up and spreading your fingers wide and ensuring that all the muscles of the arms are activated.)
  • opens the hips and ensures that blood circulation around the hip joint and abdominal organs is increased.
  • blood circulation to the reproductive organs is also increased, which is what helps in alleviating symptoms of PCOS/PCOD.
  • opens up the chest (in the final pose lift the sternum up).  This helps in opening up the lungs, which helps in better quality of breath.
  • better breathing helps in more oxygen being assimilated into the system and this energizes the entire body.
  • improves balance (it looks easy but balancing in this asana can be a challenge for some)
  • with an improvement in balance comes an improvement in concentration levels.

This pose can be practiced by everyone, except those who are suffering from hip, knees, back or shoulder injuries.  If you feel that you are not practicing this pose correctly, ask your teacher for help, or leave me a comment.

Also – pregnant and menstruating women can practice Virbhadrasana 1 too.

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