INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY 21 JUNE

Transcription

1 INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY 21 JUNE Vibha Pranaam 181, Flat 4 Kings road, RG1 4EQ Reading England. Phone number: (+44) vibhapranaam@gmail.com Website:

2 Overview Back pain is becoming very common these days amongst people of all ages. A lot of it can be related to the kind of life styles we lead these days long hours of work sitting in one place or sitting in a wrong posture while watching TV to name a few. Back pain must not be neglected or avoided. It must be treated early and also precautions must be taken for the situation not to be aggravated. Yoga helps strengthen your back, relieve your stress and strain from the back and cure back pain. Causes for back pain Sitting on a chair for long hours keeping your head down to work with computer or mobile phone Standing for long hours in bad/wrong posture Long car drive or bike ride Bad sitting posture while watching tv, reading Wrong sleeping posture Inappropriate movements while working out in the gym or lifting very heavy weights Carrying heavy backpacks Obesity These are the most common ones Use yoga as natural medicine to cure back pain Yoga is by far the most effective ways to reduce back pain and over a period can cure it. Focused and planned routine of yoga asanas will help you improve your posture. And, when practiced regularly helps you strengthen your muscles, spine and the core region. This blog focuses on the asanas which works on your back to reduce back pain and also improve posture. 2

3 Yoga to cure Upper, Mid and Lower back pain 1. Adho Mukha Virasana (Downward Facing Hero Pose) This asana has forward bend with stretch in seated kneeling position. Bend the legs at the back, widen your knees, sit on the heels, toes together, Walk your hands out in front, until your arms are straight, rest your arms onto the floor, Exhale and bring your forehead towards the floor, rest and hold in the asana Duration: 2 to 3 minutes. In this asana the muscles on top of the feet, ankles, shins, hamstrings and buttocks are stretched. The muscles that run the entire length of the spine are lengthened and give relaxing effect and is a relaxing pose, where the spine is completely at rest. 2. Adho Mukho Swanaasana (Downward facing dog pose) This asana has forward bend and stretch in downward facing position. 3

4 Come onto the floor on your hands and knees (tabletop position) Set your knees below your hips, and your hands slightly forward of your shoulder, spread your figures wide and palms grounding. Exhale and lift your knees and hips up away from the floor, At first keep your knees slightly bent and heels lifted away from the floor, Lengthen your tailbone, and lift the sitting bone towards the sky, Drive your belly up and into the ribcage, Then with an exhalation, push your upper thighs back and stretch your heels down toward the floor. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them. Duration: 1 to 3 minutes. This asana strengthens legs, arms and back. Stretches the shoulders, calves, hamstrings, hands, back, and arches the foot. It targets the back, lengthen the 4

5 spine, and increase the space between the vertebral helps to melt down the back ache. 3. Parvatasana (Seated Mountain pose) This asana is in seating position, with stretched torso and lengthened spine. Sit in comfortable cross legs with your back straight, spine erect. Inhale, reach your arms up and overhead, and interlock your fingers. Gentle stretch your arms further up draw your shoulder back and down, Keep your shoulder relax and away from the ears, Draw your belly button in towards the spine. Practice this asana with slow and deep breathing. Stay in this asana as much as you can then release and repeat the same again. Stay for 1 to 2 minutes. 5

6 These seated mountain poses stretches the shoulder and back, and strengthen the core. This pose promotes calming and relaxing effect, as it helps releasing pain and tension from the back muscles. 4. Marjary Asana Bitilasana (Cat - cow pose) This asana comprises of slow and gentle movement of spine. Come to tabletop (as a preparatory position) Bring your hands beneath shoulder, palms in one line of shoulder, and knees beneath your hips. Inhale as you drop your lower back and belly towards the floor and lift your hips, heart and head up to the sky into Bitilasana ( Cow pose) Exhale as you roll in and round your upper back up towards the sky, roll your head in towards the chest and drop your gaze to your navel in Marjary asana Continue for 10 to 15 round flows. This asana helps to mobilize and improve the functioning of upper, mid and lower back. It strengthens and stretches the spine back muscles and neck. Also, helps in creating emotional balance, relieves stress and calms the mind. Cat pose 6

7 Cow pose 5. Salamba Bhujangasana (Baby Cobra pose) The Salamba Bhujangasana is an easier version of Bhujangasana (not discussed here). Lie on your stomach with toes flat onto the floor and forehead resting on the floor. Keep your legs close, touching to each other, your heels touching each other Stretch and extend your hands in front of you with palm facing down and arms touching to the floor As you inhale gently lift your head, chest and abdominal up while touching your navel onto the floor. Pull your torso back off the floor and support your with your forearms to the floor. Keep breathing with focus and awareness to the arch of your back. While release the pose, with exhalation gently bring down the torso and upper body back to the floor with forehead rest. 7

8 Stay for 1 to 3 minutes with closed eyes. Salamb bhujangasana helps to strengthen spine and back muscles, stimulates the abdominal organs, improves the blood circulation while relieving the body of stress and make you feel rejuvenating. 6. Makarasana (Crocodile pose with variation) Relaxing and resting asana. Lie on your belly, with the cross arms beneath your head with torso slightly up, Rest your chin with palms support, Curl and drop your lower legs closer to the buttocks, Relax and rest in this asana with focus and close eyes Stay for 2 to 4 minutes. 8

9 Makarasana reduces stress and tension from the back, spine and body. Improves blood flow, promotes sleep, regulates blood pressure, and reduces stress and anxiety. 9

10 7. Vajra Balasana (Supported) (Baby pose) This asana resembles the fetal position. This is a resting and relaxing pose. Vajra-Balasana is modified version of Balasana. You can also adjust a pillow in between your abdomen and thighs to rest your belly and to increase the relaxing effect in your back. Kneel down on the floor and let the big toes touches each other as you sit on your heels, Knees hip-width apart, Place a pillow vertically onto your thighs, Inhale Exhale, bend forward and lay your torso rest on the pillow Rest your elbows onto the floor in line of your knees, elbows kneeswidth apart. And adjust your palms for chin rest. Settle down in this pose with natural breath awareness with closed eyes and deep focus. Stay for 2 to 3 minutes or as per your comfort. 10

11 It is a resting pose that focuses on the thighs, ankles, back and also helps alleviate back pains. It stretches your spine, broadens your collarbones and chest. It calms your mind. Gives relief from anxiety, stress and mental tiredness, It helps in improving body posture. 8. Anand Balasana (Happy Baby Pose) This asana in its name itself gives positive and happy effect, as happy as a baby (blissful-baby). This asana is in supine, sleeping position as it s preparatory. Lie flat on your back. With inhalation lift your legs up, bent and bring both the knees Close to your chest. Adjust your knees closer to your armpits, Hold your big toes, and make sure your arms are pulled from the inside of your knees as you hold your big toes. To deepen the stretch gently open and widen your hips and give gentle press down to your big toes. 11

12 Don t force your legs to pull or to stretch down. Make sure your head is on the floor. And tailbone in not off away from the floor. This asana has ability to calm the mind and body while releasing stress. It stretches and strengthens the back and spine. It stretches the inner thighs, hamstrings, high hips and groin. It helps releasing the tension and stress from upper, mid, lower back and legs. 9. Pawanmuktasana (Wind Liberating pose) 12

13 This asana is in reclined pose from the supine position. It is suitable for everyone. This asana has many benefits and is a favorite amongst many. Lie flat on your back. Ensure that your legs are together and hands by the side of your body, Inhale and while you exhale bring your knees towards your chest. Grab your hands around your legs and hug the sine bone (lower leg) or inner thighs, Press your thighs towards your abdomen. Make sure your head is resting onto the floor, Hold with normal breath. Steady focus and with closed eyes. Stay for 2 to 3 mints When releasing this pose, enjoy rock and roll from side to side. 13

14 The benefits of this asana are it strengthens and tones the back muscles. It strengthens the abdominal muscles improving the function of digestive system. The circulation of air increases and helps releasing wind out, it helps releasing the tension from the lower back; it stretches and tones the lower back & high hips area. 10. Markatasana (Monkey yoga pose) This asana is consists of twisting posture of supine as it s preparatory. Markatasana is an excellent pose to cure back ache. This asana is also called monkey pose. To perform Markatasana, lie on your flat back, legs together, feet together Inhale bend the knees and place heels closer to the buttocks, place both the palms below the head & shoulder resting onto the floor, exhale relax. Now bend your knees and legs towards right while face towards left. To deepen that twist, bring the knees up closer to the elbow. 14

15 Hold with normal breath, when release the one side, bring your knees and legs in center and twist it to opposite side and your face will turn opposite direction to knees. Hold for about 1 to 2 mints or as long you feel comfortable. The benefits of Markatasna are to make your spine super flexible. It increases the mobilization and improves the functioning of the spine. It cures back ache, it improve the blood circulation, and it improves the functioning of the digestive system. Highly effective in relaxing mind and body. The twisting pose gives mental 15

16 and emotional filtration because they release stress and anxiety, it keeps your body-mind regularly detoxified and energized. 11. Savasana (Supported) (Corpse pose) This asana is totally relaxing but as challenging one. It looks like sleeping pose but you need to be awake. It is possible to cure back pain, when you lie down on flat surface with set affirmation that you are feeling lighter, and let go all the pain away from the body. To perform this asana From sitting move into supine posture, lean back with the support of your forearms. Feel yourself completely relax and bring the body to neutral state. Let your hands remain away by the side of your hips, your palms facing to the sky your legs turned out in relaxing posture. Make sure your lower back is touching onto the floor. Head and neck loose and relax. With closed eyes focus in your body and notice the difference of feeling lightness in your body. You can practice slow-deep breath with steady focus. 16

17 Supported Version: Place and adjust the medium feel cushion (it should not feel hard) or bolsters below your mid back to lower back and rest on it. This supported version makes you feel more relax and eases your back pain. This asana calms the mind and helps relieve stress and mild depression, reduces back pain, headache, fatigue, regulates the blood pressure, it gives soothing and relaxing effect to the back while full back rests flat onto the floor. It also helps correct your posture. Precautions Avoid practicing these asanas if you suffer from: Recent abdominal surgery Back injury or spine dislocation Knee pain If you are pregnant or women in menstruation Clients with high blood pressure must practice each asana for 30 to 40 seconds only and not for long durations. Yogasanas must be performed at least four to six hours after a meal. Your bowels and stomach must be empty when you practice yoga. ********************************** 17

18 To learn more about Yoga, contact: Vibha Pranaam 181, Flat 4 Kings road, RG1 4EQ Reading England. Phone number: (+44) vibhapranaam@gmail.com Website: Featured in: Fashion, Lifestyle and Fantasy blog for a common girl 18