Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
- At March 10, 2020
- By Daniel
- In Asana, Yoga Benefits
- 0
Mountain Pose is the start position for many standing poses and salutations like the Sun Salutation. Like Staff pose, it looks Mountain pose is a simple, straight forward pose. Mountain pose is about balance and focus. Place more weight on leg verses the other and you can loose your balance and topple over. The legs and spine are straight. The knees should not be bent. The arms are straight, not bent at the elbow or wrist. The head and neck are straight, not tilted to one side or front to back. While Mountain pose has a difficulty level of 1 out of 10, there is more to the pose than meets the eye.
English Name: Mountain
Sanskrit Name: Tadasana
Difficulty Level: 1
Start Position: Standing Erect
Instructions:
Step 1. Stand with feet hip-width apart. Relax your shoulders and relax your arms along side your body.
Physical Benefits
- Aligns spine
- Opens the chest
- Improves posture
- Strengthens ankles
- Strengthens knees
- Strengthens thighs
- Strengthens arches
Mental Benefits
- Improved focus
- Reduces mild anxiety
Contraindications
- Wrist injury
- Knee or ankle pain
Reclining Hero (supra virasana)
- At March 10, 2020
- By Daniel
- In Asana, Yoga Benefits
- 0
Reclining Hero begins in Hero pose and continues until the upper back and shoulders lie flat against the floor. Although Reclining Hero has the same level of difficulty as Hero pose, you may find it more challenging depending on the physical condition and flexibility of your knees, legs, back and shoulders. If reclining hero is too intense for you, practice the gently variation as you increase your flexibility. Remember to always listen to your body and do not overextend yourself.
English Name: Reclining Hero
Sanskrit Name: Supra Virasana
Difficulty Level: 4
Start Position: Hero
Instructions:
Step 1.
Starting in hero pose, use your arms and walk your elbows back until your shoulders and head are on the floor.
Step 2.
Extend your arm up and over your head.
Step 3.
Breath normally and remaining the pose as long as it feels comfortable. To get out of the pose, you can return to hero pose or swing your feet out and roll over onto your side to come up into a sitting position.
Gentle Variation
If you feel tension in your legs, hips, low back or neck try supported hero pose reclining on a bolster or folded blanket.
Physical Benefits:
- Opens lower back & chest
- Improves lung function
- Improves knee, hip and ankle flexibility
- Helps relieve menstrual discomfort
- Can lower high blood pressure
Mental Benefits
- Reduces anxiety and stress
- Improves focus
Contraindications:
- Injured coccyx
- Knee or ankle injury (try gentle variation)
- Arthritis (try gentle variation)
- Pregnancy after 1st trimester
Virasana vs. Vajrasana
Common comments for the Virasana YouTube video is that the pose is Vajrasana or “what’s the difference between Virasana and Vajrasana.
All pose names in Hatha Yoga Asanas are based on B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Yoga. Other schools of yoga can call the pose by different names.
In this case, Virasana is Hero Pose and Vajrasana is kneeling pose.
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Staff Pose (dandasana)
- At March 10, 2020
- By Daniel
- In Asana, Yoga Benefits
- 0
Staff is a deceptively simple looking sitting pose that works all major muscles and can reduce stress, improve circulation and concentration, and strengthen legs and arms.
English Name: Staff
Sanskrit Name: Dandasana
Difficulty Level: 2
Start Position: Seated
Instructions:
Step 1.
Sit on the floor upright and extend your legs forward toes pointed towards the sky.
Step 2.
Flex your feet and engage your abdomen. Your ankles should be about one inch (2.5 cm) above the floor.
Physical Benefits:
- Tones the abdominal muscles
- Improves circulation
- Opens the chest
- Strengthens legs
- Strengthens arms
- Strengthens torso and spine
- Improves leg and spine muscular endurance
Mental Benefits
- Reduces stress
- Creates focus
Contraindications:
- Injured coccyx
Frog (bhekasana)
- At March 10, 2020
- By Daniel
- In Asana, Yoga Benefits
- 0
Frog pose takes Reclining Hero pose and turns it on its stomach rather than back. If you can do Reclining Hero you can do Frog. Frog adds extending your check like Cobra pose and grasping your feet with your hands. While Cobra and Reclining Hero have a difficulty level of 4, Frog increases the difficulty level to 6 giving your arms, back, and legs a good stretch.
Like all hatha yoga asanas, always listen to you body to prevent injuries.
English Name: Frog
Sanskrit Name: Bhekasana
Difficulty Level: 6
Start Position: Lying On Belly
Instructions:
Step 1.
Bend one leg at a time next to your hips and grasp your toes with you hands.
Step 2.
Extend your chest forward and upward.
Step 3.
Hold the pose for 4 or 5 breathes, or as long as it feels comfortable.
Step 4.
Release and return to lying on your belly.
Physical Benefits:
- Stretches leg, arm, and back muscles
- Opens up the chest
- Improves lung capacity
- Improves digestions
- Increase leg and arm flexibility
Mental Benefits
- Reduces stress
- Improves thinking
- Increases focus
- Relieves mild anxiety & depression
Contraindications:
- Arm, back, or leg injury
- Wrist or neck injury
- Carpel tunnel syndrome
Easy Sitting (Sukhasana)
- At March 10, 2020
- By Daniel
- In Asana, Yoga Benefits
- 0
Easy sitting looks like a very simple pose. But, many people are not flexible enough to have both knees contacting the floor. If you are one of them, it is not a problem. Unlike other physical activities, yoga is not about no pain – no gain. Pain is your bodies way of telling you you have over extended yourself.
Yoga is not about pain, it is about peace, tranquility, and transcending to a higher level of consciousness. For many Americans, this aspect of yoga is ignored or forgotten.
While easy sitting may not be as easy as shown and described, your flexibility will increase with practice.
Easy sitting is another meditation pose like Lotus and Looking Within.
While it looks deceptively simple, easy sitting has many physical and mental benefits.
English Name: Easy Sitting
Sanskrit Name: Sukhasana
Difficulty Level: 1
Start Position: Staff
Instructions:
Step 1.
While sitting in Staff pose, bend your right foot forwards your body, rotating your right hip so your right knee rests on the floor.
Step 2.
Bend your left knee and align your left foot in from of your right ankle. Rest your hands on your knees with the palms up or down.
Kneeling Pose (Vajrasana or bhujrasana)
- At March 10, 2020
- By Daniel
- In Asana, Yoga Benefits
- 0
Kneeling Pose, is a deceptively simple looking pose, but it can help calm the mind and is the start position for Camel and Cow Face poses. If you have knee or ankle problems, try Easy Sitting instead.
English Name: Kneeling
Sanskrit Name: Vajrasana or Bhujrasana
Difficulty Level: 1
Start Position: Kneeling
Instructions:
Step 1.
While kneeling lower yourself down until you are sitting on both heels
Step 2.
Keep your back straight and rest both hands on your knees.
Step 3.
Remain in the pose as long as it feels comfortable.
Physical Benefits:
- Aligns spine
- Improves circulation
- Invigorates hips, calves and ankles
- Opens knee, ankle, and hip joints
- Stretches quadricep muscles
Mental Benefits
- Calms the mind
Contraindications:
- Knee injury
- Ankle injury
Hero (virasana)
- At March 10, 2020
- By Daniel
- In Asana, Yoga Benefits
- 0
Hero pose stretches leg muscles more than kneeling pose where you sit on your heels rather than on the floor. You get the benefits of stretching your leg and thigh muscles while calming the mind.
English Name: Hero
Sanskrit Name: Virasana
Difficulty Level: 4
Start Position: Kneeling
Instructions:
Step 1.
Starting in kneeling pose, separate your feet and sit with your buttocks on the floor between your feet.
Step 2.
You can rest your hands on your legs as in kneeling pose, extend your arms as shown in the photo, or sweep your arms above your head and intertwine your fingers.
Step 3.
Breath normally and remaining the pose as long as it feels comfortable. To get out of the pose, use your hands to support your body while you raise your upper body back to a kneeling position.
Gentle Variation
If you feel tension in your legs or hips when trying to sit on the floor, sit on a block or edge of a folded blanket.
Physical Benefits:
- Opens lower back
- Improves knee, hip and ankle flexibility
- Helps relieve menstrual discomfort
- Can lower high blood pressure
Mental Benefits
- Reduces anxiety and stress
- Improves focus
Contraindications:
- Injured coccyx
- Knee or ankle injury (try gentle variation)
- Arthritis (try gentle variation)