Yoga: Surya Namaskar - Benefits and Positions...Part 2

Let us talk today about the rest of the 6 positions of Surya Namaskar. Remember that it is important to do all 10 positions of Surya Namaskar ot attain maximum benefits.

Let me start with Position 4: Hold the breath and raise the knee of left leg. Take the right leg backwards and keep it close to the left leg. Straighten both the legs and both hands. Keep the neck straight and site fixed. Keep both the toes erect. Take care that the neck, spine, thighs and the feet are in a straight line.

Important points to remember for this position:

• Take the right leg back and place it beside the left leg, keeping the toes erect
• Keep the body in one straight line – plank position
• Keep the arms straight
• Gaze forward

Avoid below points for this position:

• Bending the arms
• Looking towards the floor
• Dropping the hips/waist towards the floor
• Sticking the buttocks into the air
• Bending the knees

Position 5: Exhaling bend both the hands in elbows and touch forehead on the ground, touch the knees on the ground, keep both the elbows close to chest. The forehead, chest, both the palms, both the toes, knees should touch the ground and rest of the body not touching the floor. Since only eight parts rest on the ground , it is called ' Ashtanga' position.

Important points to remember for this position:

• Bring the body towards the floor placing the 8 parts on the floor: Toes, knees, chest, palms, and forehead
• Keep the hands close to the body, next to the shoulders
• Keep the elbows pointed to the sky and close in to the body

Avoid below points for this position:

• Touching the thighs, hips, waist or abdomen to the floor
• Touching the chin to the floor
• Letting the elbows fall away from the body

Position6: Inhale and straighten the elbows, stretch the shoulders upwards, press the waist downwards but dont bend the arms. Keep the knees and toes on the floor. Push the neck backwards and site upwards.

Important points to remember for this position:

• Push the upper body upwards so that the arms are straight
• Keep the fingers pointed forwards, palms on the ground, thumbs at 90 degree angle
• Open the chest, pull the shoulders downwards
• Drop the head and neck backwards and gaze upwards towards the sky
• Keep the heels, legs and knees together
• Keep the toes erect

Avoid below points for this position:

• Letting the legs or heels be apart
• Bending the elbows
• Hunching the shoulders towards the ears

Position 7: Hold the breath, bend the neck downwards and press the chin in the throat, push the body backwards and touch the heels on the ground, raise the waist upwards, do not move the palms on the floor.

Important points to remember for this position:

• Push the body upward so the buttocks and waist are raised into the air, leaving the body in an Inverted ‘V’ position
• Take the head and chin towards the chest
• Try to touch the heels to the floor

Avoid below points for this position:

• Bending the legs in the knees
• Bending the arms

Position8: Hold the breath as in position 7, bring the right leg in the front and place it in between the hands like in position 3 but instead of left leg in the front here take right leg and place left leg in the back with left knee and toes on the ground.

Important points to remember for this position:

• Take the right leg forward and place it between the hands
• The knee of the right leg will be bent
• The knee of the left leg should touch the ground
• Drop the waist/ hips towards the floor
• Gaze is upwards, both arms are straight

Avoid below points for this position:

• Bending the neck forward
• Bending the elbows

Position9:Exhale and bring the left leg forwards as in the position 2 and place it in between both the arms.

Important points to remember for this position:

• Take the left leg forward and place it beside the right
• Palms touching the ground, fingers pointing forward, thumbs at 90 degree angle
• Legs straight
• Try to touch the forehead to the knees
• Relax the neck

Avoid below points for this position:

• Bending the knees
• Keeping the neck tense

Position 10: Inhaling start getting up and attain the position as in position 1.

With this, the series of posts on Surya Namaskar comes to an end. I hope, people from all walks of life will find this helpful for the health and wellness.

Yoga: Surya Namaskar - Benefits and Positions

Though, I have not covered yoga in much details in my blog till date as I am not a yoga expert but it is not possible for me to stop the urge for talking about one of the best yogasana which has shown miraculous impact on body systems for various health conditions. Infact, it is considered as the best exercise for human body. Surya Namaskar consists of not only important Yogasanas and but also Pranayama. The Pranayama and its advantages are skillfully incorporated in Surya Namaskar. In all this Surya Namaskar is an appreciated exercise among people of all ages from kids to old age people.

 

Ideally, these exercises should be performed early in the morning, exposing your body to the sun's rays. But if, for some reason, it cannot be performed in the morning you may do so in the evening on an empty stomach, in a well ventilated room. Initially, you may start with three rounds and gradually build up the stamina for 10 to 12 rounds. Practice the exercises at the pace you feel comfortable with. If you feel tired after a few rounds, rest by lying down with eyes closed for a few minutes.

Before I start on explaining the exercise in details, let me highlight the Health Benefits of Surya Namaskar:

• Surya Namaskar series of  exercises activates the endocrine glands and the chakras (vortexes through which the vital life energy or prana is channeled into us) energizing the entire body in a balanced way
• Surya Namaskar accords overall strength and flexibility to the body, which is why it is generally performed before other asanas
• These simple exercises fight aging and rejuvenate the entire body
• Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is the best way to burn the calories and reduce weight
• It is often recommended for obesity reduction
• Prevents Heart complaints and controls Blood sugar levels
• They have beneficial effects on chronic skin problems
• Relieves Stress and Tension
• Improves attention and concentration

Now let us move to the different positions in Surya Namaskar:
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Position1: Inhale and maintain it in standing position with hands joined together near chest, feet together and toes touching each other

Position2: Exhale and bend forward in the waist till palms touch the ground in line with the toes. Don't bend knees while performing. At first you may find it difficult to attain the ideal position but try to bend as much as possible without bending in knees.

Do’s

• While exhaling bend forward in the waist
• Palms touching the ground, fingers pointing forward, thumbs at 90 degree angle
• Legs straight
• Try to touch the forehead to the knees
• Relax the neck

Don’ts

• Do not bend the knees
• Do not keep the neck tense

 

Position3: Inhale and take the left leg back with left toes on the floor, press the waist downwards and raise the neck, stretch the chest forward and push shoulders backwards. Keep the right leg and both the hands in the same position. Keep the right leg folded.

Dos

• Take the left leg backwards and touch the knee to the floor, keeping the toes erect
• The knee of the right leg will need to be bent
• The knee of the left leg should touch the ground
• Drop the waist/ hips towards the floor
• Gaze is upwards, and both arms are straight

Don’ts

• Do not bend the neck forward
• Do not bend the elbows

 

We will talk about the rest of the positions of Surya Namaskar in my next post.

Home Remedies Unearthed - Part...2

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Let us take my Home Remedies post series further and we will talk about another spice in Indian Kitchen today that offers lot of healing properties. This spice is Cinnamon.

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Cinnamon, when used to season a high carbohydrate food can help lessen its impact on your blood sugar levels. Cinnamon slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar levels after eating. Tests have also proved that adding cinnamon to the rice pudding lowered the gastric emptying rate from 37% to 34.5% and lessened the rise in blood sugar levels after eating.

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The cholesterol lowering qualities of cinnamon are also unearthed some time back and one research actually found that people with type 2 diabetes if take 1 gram cinnamon everyday for 40-45 days, they experienced a significant decrease in their blood sugar levels, Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) , total cholesterol (HDL+LDL) and triglycerides.

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Cinnamon can be taken in multiple ways like by adding to curries, tea, coffee or deserts. It has a mild sweetness. Make the classic cinnamon toast with a healthy twist - drizzle flax seed oil on a whole wheat toast. Sprinkle with cinnamon and honey and enjoy it.

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Let us also talk about 2 super healers from Ayurveda Repository that are not spices from Indian Kitchen. These are Ashwagandha and Guggulu.

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Ashwagandha stimulates activation of the immune system cells (the lymphocytes), counteracts the effects of stress and generally promotes wellness. It is particularly helpful in stress related disorders like such as arthritis, hypertension, diabetes and premature ageing. It is anti inflammatory and helps treat sciatica pain too.

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Guggulu strengthens our digestive system, reduces fat levels from the body and helps in treating upper respiratory tract infections. It significantly lowers serum triglycerides and LDL and VLDL cholesterol's and raises level of HDL or good cholesterol. It protects against atherosclerosis and reduces the stickiness of platelets. It helps in treating menstrual disturbances too.

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We all should try to make these part of our daily life as they are easy to use and naturally strengthens our body metabolism to fight against diseases and other health conditions. We will talk about the mercurial properties of ginger and garlic in the next post.

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Home Remedies Unearthed - Part..1

Ayurveda is very rich in home remedies and the practitioners have done exhaustive research supported by test results to make sure that the remedies they suggest, actually are useful to human beings in getting rid of certain disease conditions. Herbs have been used for years to alleviate arthritis pain, reduce blood sugar and cholesterol and help with many other conditions. It is also discovered lately that these herbs in Indian Kitchen have the ability to kill cancer cells too. We will discuss some of these super healer herbs in next few posts:

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Turmeric: A curry with turmeric could relieve your pain. Turmeric contains curcumin - a powerful anti inflammatory compound that works similarly to Cox-2 inhibitors, drugs that reduce the Cox-2 enzyme (that causes the pain and swelling of arthritis). The role of Turmeric in treating indigestion, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, toothache, bruises, pre and post surgery health, flatulence, jaundice, menstrual difficulties, hemorrhage, chest pain and colic is already known and established.

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Studies have also indicated that turmeric is also beneficial in treating colon cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The substance curcumin found in it can help shrink pre-cancerous lesions known as colon polyps, when taken with a small amount of quercetin, a powerful anti-oxidant found in onions, apples and cabbage. The average number of polyps was found to be dropped more than 60% and those that remained shrank by more than 50% in one of the lab tests. Turmeric is also proven to be effective in clearing the brain of plaques that are characteristic of the disease.

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How to use it best: Add it to your cooking wherever possible and not only in curries but in salads too like on sauted cauliflower and lentils. To strengthen bones, add turmeric to hot milk and drink before sleeping at night. It reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis and osteoarthritis too specially in age after 35.

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We will talk about Cinnamon and its benefits in the next post.
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