A video on how to practice the Bandhas. These can be incorporated in your daily yoga practice.
A chance conversation in yoga class recently got me thinking about the definition of health. We talked about the misconceptions prevailing today, and how these are fuelled by the life and times that we live in. As the year comes to a close, we can all take a look at our health again and make the right kind of resolutions for the next year.
How frequently have you met people who have decided that some condition is a part of their lives forever now? People who have resigned themselves to living with something such as a chronic back ache, allergies, chronic headaches or migraines, joint pain etc. People who don’t go swimming because of a cervical condition. People who can’t travel for long distances in a train or a car because of backaches. People can’t climb the stairs in their own houses because of ankle/joint pain! And what’s worse is that many people have accepted these problems as a part of their lives instead of issues that must be addressed.
So, if your health gets in the way of going through life pain and medicine free, then you’re not healthy. I have a friend who feeds her kids really well, she’s worried to death about their hygiene and their school work. But every fifteen days I hear that they are running fevers. Both children fall sick around the same time…and when they’re not sick then she is! Now, she’s doing everything she can to maintain good health…but for some reason I feel that if children aren’t climbing trees and running around getting into trouble…then there’s something wrong. Imagine kids who are bundled up under blankets with thermometers when they aren’t doing homework. Will they make for well-rounded adults?
Similarly if every time you have to go on vacation, you think of all kinds of conditions you could get (allergies and the like) and end up taking a bunch of tablets and capsules with you, then you’re not healthy. By all means take along your first aide kit, but if you’re planning on reaching for it daily, then your health is interfering with you having a good time, and being on vacation 100%.
Also, the thin are not necessarily the healthy. How thin you are, or how hot and young you think you look, is not a sign of how healthy you are. Because good health is a combination of many factors. Good health is related to how far you can walk, how long you can move your body to songs you like (and some that you don’t like), how quickly your body recovers from injuries playing sports that you enjoy, how well you sleep after a long day, how much you can smile even when you see your ‘to do’ list increasing, how much of a spring there is in your step, how bright the shine in your eye…you get the drift.
So you may be a 40 yr old who doesn’t look a day above 25, exuding hotness, but if your body is constantly sick, your mind constantly irked, then all that youth and hotness is just gold plating, not real gold.
And so, as the year draws to a close, it’s a good idea to do an appraisal of the state of your health. It’ll help you make the right resolutions for next year.
I just realized that a lot of people might not be aware of my YouTube channel, but might still be interested in my videos about Yoga asanas. So I’ll begin with sharing one about the Simhasana, which is a great pose to prevent wrinkles and keep your throat muscles healthy. I’ve spoken about all the benefits of the Simhasana in the video.
Happy viewing and don’t forget to subscribe and leave a comment!
Janu Sirshasana (Head to Knee Pose)
How To:
- Sit with both legs spread out in front of you. Make sure you’re balanced on your buttocks with your feet together and your toes pointing upwards.
- Start with the left leg. Bend it at the knee and bring your foot as close to the groin region as possible. Make sure the sole of your foot is parallel to the right thigh. Also make sure the left knee is on the floor and not floating in the air.
- Inhale at this position.
- Now exhaling start to reach out to grasp your toes. Don’t worry if you are unable to grab your toes. Make sure not to curve your back. Imagine that your spine is extending upwards towards the ceiling and you need to work on making your back concave so that your chest is slightly outwards. You want to aim at getting your abdomen on the thigh.
- Go as far forward as is comfortable and breathe for some time in this pose.
- Once you’re comfortable take your awareness to your torso. You want to try to bring the left side of your body close to the right leg and the right side a little away from the leg.
- Make sure not to hunch your shoulders. Throw your shoulders back.
- Inhale as you come up.
- Repeat on the left side.
Variations
- If you’re unable to grab your toes you can also use a belt. String the belt around the balls of your feet to ensure that your toes continue to point upwards as you come down.
- If the knee of the folded leg doesn’t touch the floor, you can place a cushion or a folded blanket under it.
- Pregnant women should practice this only until the second trimester.
Benefits
- Great stretch for your back, legs and shoulders.
- Increases flexibility of the hip joint.
- Massages the kidneys, spleen, pancreas and liver, thereby stimulating their functioning and helping to detoxify the system.
- Stimulates digestion by massaging the abdominal organs and the pelvic region.
- Relieves menstrual pain.
- Eases the effects of stress, tension and strain on your body and relaxes the mind.
- Helps in promoting good posture by correcting the curvature of the spine.
- Helps in alleviating depression and anxiety because it tones and massages the adrenal glands.
- Great to alleviate fatigue.
- Can help in treating symptoms of high blood pressure and insomnia.
Contraindications
- Practice with caution if you have asthma or diarrhoea.
- Practice with caution if you have slipped disc, sciatica or hernia.
In ‘Why Gym Goers MUST Practice Yoga (Part 1)’ I gave you what, to my mind, were very compelling reasons to supplement your daily workout with a few yoga sessions a week. Here are 5 more reasons for why you have no excuse NOT to practice yoga.
6. Lets talk about abs. The real kinds. Anyone who has them will tell you they need a strong back and strong sides. Ever seen anyone with washboard abs slouching? Or do you associate their mien with that of a proud pigeon? Well that tall, proud profile is a result of the strong back muscles which hold up the abs. And the strong back muscles are a byproduct of a regular yoga practice. Ofcourse you still have to work like crazy for the abs … but every bit counts in the quest for Those Perfect Abs.
7. Do you workout before work? Then the guided meditation in the savasana post a yoga session can refresh you mentally and physically, so you won’t feel fatigued for the workday, Au contraire, you might experience new found energy due to the increased oxygen flow through your system. You will get that perfect bod and that perfect appraisal.
8. Breath control. You can harness this natural process to increase your body’s ability to breathe better and increase your performance and well being. Whether you’re a casual gym goer or an athlete, being able to breath better will bring about an immeasurable improvement in your performance and overall well being. Breathing exercises form an integral part of any yoga class.
9. Balance. I’m not talking of the Natrajasana variety. I’m talking about mental balance. Your first yoga class may make you feel like you’ve been beaten into a corner. Everyone else will seem to be effortlessly gliding into poses and smiling while doing unbelievable contortions. And in the middle of it all, there’s you, an adrenaline driven gym rat who competes with himself/herself every single moment they’re in the gym. So when you’re unable to do an asana, it can be more than a triffle de-motivating. However, think of the unbelievable mental strength that you will cultivate when you take yourself back to yoga class every day and then see your body and mind becoming stronger and more supple. This point is about the mental strength, the physical aspect is a byproduct.
10. It’s fun!!! Have you ever seen anyone frowning or grimacing during yoga class? It won’t kill you to add some fun to your daily workout. Fun is good for you!!!
