amrutha bindu yoga Archives - Pragya Bhatt

Yoga

How To: Matsyasana

May 11, 2020

It is said that if you perform the fish pose in water you will be able to float like a fish. Yoga Journal

The thoracic spine is the most difficult part of the spine to bend. That’s because the structure of your upper body has so much bone and tissue which needs to be considered in a back bend. While the lumbar spine has only soft abdominal organs and muscles, the thoracic spine has the rib cage and the sternum to deal with when it needs to bend. In the Matsyasana you are trying to bend the upper spine very deeply. Therefore, the best approach to this asana is a very cautious one.

The benefits of Matsyasana include:

Expands the rib cage and enables better breathing.
Alleviates anxiety.
Helps to massage the abdominal organs.
Promotes better digestion.
Massages and stimulates the thyroid gland.
Fixes problems of the curvature of the back.

Be careful with this Matsyasana if you have a migraine or high blood pressure as this may aggravate the condition. Also, if you have a serious neck or lower back injury then you may want to avoid this posture. If your neck feels too tight and painful when you perform this asana, then use a pillow or a rolled up blanket under your neck. Watch the video below for some tips.

Participate in our Work From Home Challenge this entire month and win a giveaway at the end of the challenge. Download our practice tracker and asana sequence below:

[ddownload id=”8554″] Practice Tracker

[ddownload id=”8549″] Yoga Sequence

For more information go to:

Medha Bhaskar: https://www.instagram.com/medha.bhaskar/

Amrutha Bindu Yoga: https://www.amruthabindu.com/

Pragya Bhatt: https://www.instagram.com/yogawithpragya/

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Yoga

How To: Ardha Matsyendrasana

May 10, 2020

Done with some reflection, this pose helps yogis discover blocks in their bodies and in their lives. You will be able to look at your present and future without the fog of the past clouding your vision. you will experience clearer vision and perception. (Beyond Asanas, p 33)

In Beyond Asanas I wrote about the Ardha Matsyendrasana in Chapter 6. Ardha Matsyendrasana literally means Half Lord of the Fish Pose. Read more about Matsyendranath in the book and find out about the man who learned yoga from Lord Shiva himself.

Benefits of Ardha Matsyendrasana

Stimulates your digestive system.
Stretches the shoulders, chest, arms and spine.
Reduces lower back ache.
Trims the excess fat from the sides.
Helps us realize that everything that has been ‘twisted’ can be untwisted.

Most students focus on the twisting aspect of this posture, but I would encourage you to focus more on the chest expansion. If you feel that your breathing is labored when you’re in this asana, it means you need to work a little more on opening up the thoracic spine. If you continue to practice the Ardha Matsyendrasana in this manner, you’re adding stress to an already tight spine. Find out which variation works best for you in the below video:

Participate in our Work From Home Challenge this entire month and win a giveaway at the end of the challenge. Download our practice tracker and asana sequence below:

[ddownload id=”8554″] Practice Tracker

[ddownload id=”8549″] Yoga Sequence

For more information go to:

Medha Bhaskar: https://www.instagram.com/medha.bhaskar/

Amrutha Bindu Yoga: https://www.amruthabindu.com/

Pragya Bhatt: https://www.instagram.com/yogawithpragya/

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Yoga

How To: Janu Sirsasana

May 8, 2020

Janu means the knee. Sirsa is the head. In this posture sit with one leg stretched out on the ground and the other bent at the knee. (Light on Yoga, p148)

The Janu Sirsasana is my go-to pose when I want to do a more restorative and relaxing practice. In fact, Geeta Iyengar has included it as an important asana for women during menstruation (Yoga: A Gem for Women). This is because not only does this posture help to relax the mind, but it also helps to soothe feelings of restlessness and irritability.

Other benefits of the Janu Sirsasana include:

Relieving chronic headaches and migraines.
Helps to relax the eyes and the mind.
Reduces menstrual cramps.
Regulates menstrual flow.
Gives a great stretch to the hamstrings and calves.
Stimulates digestive organs.

Janu sirsasana is usually practiced daily by most practitioners. I personally prefer a supported janu sirsasana so I use practicing it with props. There are many different ways you can use props to make this asana feel more relaxing. Watch this video to see how to do that.

Participate in our Work From Home Challenge this entire month and win a giveaway at the end of the challenge. Download our practice tracker and asana sequence below:

[ddownload id=”8554″] Practice Tracker

[ddownload id=”8549″] Yoga Sequence

For more information go to:

Medha Bhaskar: https://www.instagram.com/medha.bhaskar/

Amrutha Bindu Yoga: https://www.amruthabindu.com/

Pragya Bhatt: https://www.instagram.com/yogawithpragya/

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Yoga

How To: Ustrasana

May 7, 2020

Back bends have never come easy for me. I’ve struggled with them since the time I started practicing yoga. Every time I feel I’ve made some headway, I return to practice the next day and realize that was probably just a figment of my imagination.

The key to progress in yogasana is consistent practice. The key to progress in back bending is safe consistent practice. I’ve injured myself many times thinking that I should just ‘push through the pain’. I now wish I had taken the time to understand the anatomy of the spine and even focused on basic fundamental movements rather than being in a mad rush to conquer the more difficult asanas.

In retrospect I would have made my daily practice more introspective. How far can I push myself? Am I pushing myself enough? Is this a physical or a mental roadblock? Am I doing my best to extend the spine? Am I trying to proactively understand the pain, or letting my teacher do the work to figure it out? Am I trying my best to make progress, or repeating old patterns?

When we understand ourselves, we know what we need. Once we know what we need, we can work towards achieving it. This way, we can take care of ourselves. (Beyond Asanas, p 131)

Benefits of Ushtrasana

Stimulates and massages the thyroid gland.
Strengthens and stretches the back, shoulders and arms.
Expands and brings flexibility to the chest so the practitioner’s breathing becomes smoother.
Tones the abdominal organs.
Reduces menstrual cramps.
Improves posture and problems of curvature of the back.

(The above benefits taken from my book Beyond Asanas: The Myths and Legends Behind Yogic Postures.)

Participate in our Work From Home Challenge this entire month and win a giveaway at the end of the challenge. Download our practice tracker and asana sequence below:

[ddownload id=”8554″] Practice Tracker

[ddownload id=”8549″] Yoga Sequence

For more information go to:

Medha Bhaskar: https://www.instagram.com/medha.bhaskar/

Amrutha Bindu Yoga: https://www.amruthabindu.com/

Pragya Bhatt: https://www.instagram.com/yogawithpragya/

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Yoga

How To: Viparita Virbhadrasana

May 6, 2020

The Viparita Virbhdrasana is an asana that I haven’t explored too much as it’s rarely practiced in classes I attend. As a result, I don’t teach it very much either. In fact, I wasn’t even sure of the Sanskrit name for this posture before Medha enlightened me.

In a practice which has three different versions of the Warrior posture, why would there be a pose called ‘reverse’ warrior. What does it signify? Is there a deeper meaning?

The most common problem I see when students practice the Virbhadrasana 2 is the tendency to lean the torso forward, towards the leg which is bent and turned out. But we need to try to keep the chest open and expanded, just like a brave warrior. The way I like to explain it to my students is that a warrior needs to protect himself and in the battlefield is surrounded on all sides by the enemy. If he leans too much to the front, he won’t be vigilant about the danger that could be lurking behind him. Therefore, it’s important to keep a long and strong torso, even as one leg is bent to the side. The Viparita Virbhadrasana helps to correct the tendency to lean forward.

Benefits of the Viparita Virbhadrasana:

Great to stretch and lengthen the sides of the torso.
Opens the hips, groin and sides of the body.
Expands the torso, enabling better breathing.
Strengthens the legs.

Watch the video below for pointers for this asana.

Participate in our Work From Home Challenge this entire month and win a giveaway at the end of the challenge. Download our practice tracker and asana sequence below:

[ddownload id=”8554″] Practice Tracker

[ddownload id=”8549″] Yoga Sequence

For more information go to:

Medha Bhaskar: https://www.instagram.com/medha.bhaskar/

Amrutha Bindu Yoga: https://www.amruthabindu.com/

Pragya Bhatt: https://www.instagram.com/yogawithpragya/

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