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The Sanskrit name of the Bow Posture is the Dhanur Asana. The Bow Posture gives a full backward bend to the Back-bone and all the muscles from the neck to the lower back or lumber region. The Bow Posture is called so because the body posture in this asana resembles a bow or ‘dhanur’. It is one of the best asana for activating and strengthening the joints of our body. The Bow Posture has some special benefits for women also.

The three postures called the Cobra, Locust and Bow Postures form a series of exercises beneficial to the body when practiced together. As the forward bend flexes the spine, the bow extends it.

The Bow Posture has several benefits. This posture activates and strengthens all the major and minor joints of our body. The Bow Posture also strengthens all the abdominal muscles and organs. It also helps increase digestive power and removes extra weight and fat from the stomach and waist areas.  The posture also increases the flexibility of the spine. The Bow Posture is also beneficial for the people suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems.

The Bow Posture is a series of various postures and breathing exercise. It is performed in the following way:

First relax your body and mind. Then lie down on your stomach with your arms stretched on both sides on a mat on the floor and put your right or left cheek on the floor.

Now bring your feet up and the heels close to your buttock area. Then, reach back to hold the ankles with your hands. The knees and the ankles should be closer to one another.

Take a deep breath and straighten up your neck and head. Arch your entire body upwards while keeping the arms straight and holding your breath. Lift your head, chest and thighs off the floor and try to remain in this position for 5 to 6 seconds.

Then, exhale and return to the floor slowly. Do not leave your ankles while you returning to the floor. Put the cheek back on the floor and breathe normally.

Now, leave your ankles and let the legs slowly return to the floor. Bring the arms and hands to the floor on both sides and relax for 6 to 8 seconds.

You can start with two rounds of the Bow posture on the first day and gradually increase the number. But do practice the Bow Posture for more than four times in a day. In case you find it difficult to hold your ankles in the first position then you can hold your toes. But remember that you must not attempt the Bow Posture while pregnant, as these asana increases the pressure on the abdomen.

Yoga is a series of various postures called ‘Asanas’ and breathing exercises. Each one of those Asanas and breathing exercises has been specifically designed to help a certain part of the body or a health condition.

 The Sanskrit name for the Leg Lifting posture is “Utthan Pada Asana”. It is a very useful asana. This asana has multiple benefits. In this Asana, you will have to lift both of your legs upwards while lying flat on the floor. The Leg Lifting Posture is extremely beneficial for the spinal code. This asana strengthens the spinal code and also helps in many disorders of the back such as chronic back-ache, stiffness in spine etc. This asana also helps you getting in shape. It is especially useful for men as it helps in reducing the paunch. But the Leg Lifting posture also helps women loose weight.

 The Leg Lifting posture is also very helpful in stomach and digestive system related problems. The asana helps in curing digestive problem like constipation, indigestion and gas trouble. The Leg Lifting posture also speeds up our metabolism and helps us loose extra weight.

The Leg Lifting posture is a series of various postures and breathing exercise. It is performed in the following way:

First relax your body and mind and try to release your stress. Then lie down on a mat on the floor. Your body should be totally straight and you should be facing the ceiling. Both of your heels should be together.

Take a deep breath and slowly try to take in as much as air you can. Try to lift both of your legs up about 10 inches high from the floor while holding your breath. Both of your legs should be held together straight and toes stretch forward. Make sure that your legs stay in the same position for about 5 seconds. 

Then exhale slowly and begin lowering the legs simultaneously.  You must complete exhaling by the time your legs are brought back to the floor.

You should not practice more than four rounds of this exercise in a day. Always perform the Leg Lifting posture on a mat on the floor. You should never do any yoga asana on a soft or unstable surface such as a mattress.

You can start by practicing the Leg Lifting posture one or two times a day and then gradually increase it to four times but do not exceed than four times in a day.

Also remember to not to put too much stress on your back. If you have any back or spinal injury than you can practice the Leg Lifting posture by lifting only one leg at a time as it will be less stressful on your back. You can lift your each leg alternatively, two times in a session.

The regular practice of the Leg Lifting posture will surely help you in your back problems and will also help you lose the extra weight and make you look and feel healthy and beautiful.

Yoga is a series of various postures called ‘Asanas’ and breathing exercises. Each one of those Asanas and breathing exercises has been specifically designed to help a certain part of the body or a health condition.

The Sanskrit name for the Forward Bend posture is “Paschimothan Asana”. It is a very popular and useful asana. The literal meaning of the word “Paschimothan” is to bend forward. The asana gives a complete stretch to the entire back of our body. It stretches all of our muscles from the skull down to the heels. It is a simple yet powerful position to asana.

The Forward Bend posture is very useful for the flexibility of our body. The asana gives flexibility to your spinal code. This asana has also been found useful in restoring youthfulness. It even acts as a medicinal aid for back ache and stomach troubles. Practicing the Forward Bend posture regularly also strengthens the sex glands and massages all of our abdominal organs.

 The Forward Bend posture is a series of various postures and breathing exercise. It is performed in the following way: 

First relax your body and mind and try to release your stress. Then sit on a mat on the floor. You must sit straight with both of your feet stretched out straight. The heels of your feet should be together.

Your back, neck and head should be held straight. Now take your hands straight up and bring both of your hands with the palms in downward position parallel to the legs. 

Now, take a deep breath and bend forwards towards your toes. Try to bend as much as you can and touch your toes. If in case you are not able to touch your toes then try to bend only as far as you can.

Now, exhale and slowly bring your head down in between your arms. You must try to stretch out your hands, toes and head as far as you can. Stay in this position for six seconds.

Again take a deep breath and return to the previous sitting position. Your palms should touch and dragged through the legs, while returning to the sitting position.

You can repeat this asana five times a day. But remember not to exceed then five times as this asana is very strenuous for the body. You should start with three rounds and then gradually increase it to five rounds a day. You must also relax for some time between each round as this asana gives quite a strain to the spinal code. Therefore, beginners are advised to avoid excessive strain and follow the simple method. 

Yoga is an ancient art of meditation and self-control. It teaches us to have control on our senses and live our lives with discipline. Previously, the effects of this beautiful ancient art had been under shadow of doubts for many years. Many countries especially in the west had rejected Yoga as an old and obsolete exercise that has no real effect on our bodies. But there were many studies on this art which proved it to be very effective. This turned the world’s attention towards Yoga. Also, the progress of India and the success of its culture abroad helped Yoga to gain back its lost dignity and popularity.

Many studies on Yoga proved that it actually works and helps the body to stay healthy. It has also been proved that Yoga helps the patients with chronic diseases in coping and recovering with their illness better. Yoga improves functioning of all bodily systems, and in particular the immune system is strengthened. Yoga also helps by an overall reduction of stress indicators and keeps our minds relax and calm.

Yoga has unbelievable amount of effects on our mind and body. The secret of Yoga lies in the fact that instead of working from outside, it works on our body from inside. Yoga does not give timely results like other medical and fitness remedies do. It makes our bodies strong from inside and not just from outside. Unlike other exercises which only look to reduce fat from the body, Yoga helps us to take control on our senses and not overeat or not be a slave of our taste buds!

Same is the case in treating stress and depression. Unlike the allopathic cures which only give temporary effects and at most times the illness comes back after you discontinue the drug, Yoga tries to cleanse our minds and calm ourselves. Yoga gives us inner peace and relieves our stress which is more often than not is the main cause of any psychological problems like anxiety, insomnia, depression etc.

Yoga also helps us to keep our body young and flexible. There are many different types of Asanas (postures) in Yoga which help the body to become healthier and more flexible. This quality of Yoga has helped millions of senior citizens to stay active in their golden years. Yoga helps in rebuilding the ligament in our joints prevents many orthopedic diseases.

One of the most important benefits of Yoga is that it helps in keeping blood circulation in check in our bodies. By controlling the blood flow in our body it prevents us from many dangerous diseases like heart problems, high blood pressure etc. Yoga has actually helped many people with various cardiac problems.

In short, the art of Yoga is not just an art anymore. It has been discovered to be a full blown science and has also got recognition from the entire world. The secret of Yoga lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. It gives our minds and bodies the strength to cope with the difficulties of the world without asking much in return.

One of the most famous yogic Asana is the Surya Namaskar which is a salutation to the sun. This Asana is performed generally at the time of sunrise, which according to the “Vedas” is considered to be the most ’spiritually favourable’ time of the day. You must always practice this Asana on a mat and not on the floor.

The Surya Namaskar Asana is a series of various postures and breathing exercise. It is a whole workout in itself. A Surya Namaskar is done in the following way:

 In the first step, you should stand on a mat on the floor with your face in the direction of the sun. Both of your feet should be touching each other. Then, close your palms together at the level of the heart like when you say “Namaste”. Then, inhale and raise your arms with palms still in closed position, above your head and slowly bend backwards while bending your backbone backwards. 

In the third step, exhale slowly and bend forward while trying to touch the earth. Bend forward until your hands are in line with the feet and your head is touching your knees.

Then, inhale and move your right leg back away from the body in a wide backward step. Put your hands and feet firmly on the ground, with the left foot between your hands and raise your head.

 Stay in this position for few seconds and exhale. Then bring your left foot together with the right. Keep your arms straight and raise your hips and align your head with your arms, and try to form an arch.  Stay this way for few seconds and exhale. Then, lower your body to the floor until your feet, knees, hands, chest, and forehead are all touching the floor. Take a deep breath and raise your head upwards and bend backward as much as possible while keeping the rest of your body on the floor.  Then exhale and bring your left foot together with the right. Keep your arms straight, raise your hips and align the head with the arms, forming an upward arch. Again, take a deep breath and move your right leg backwards in a wide backward step. While keeping your hands and feet firmly on the ground, put your left foot between you hands and raise your head upwards. Then stand up straight and repeat the third step which is to exhale and touch your feet with your fingers while trying to bend as much as you can without bending your feet.Then repeat the second step, which is to inhale and close your palms near your heart and raise them above your head. Still in the same position, bend backwards as much as you can. And then go back to the first step which is to stand straight with both feet touching and palms closed like you are saying “Namaste”. 

YOGA:  Just the mention of the word reminds us of an environment of peace and tranquility. This beautiful art of meditation originated in India thousands and thousands of years ago. Yoga teaches us the art of self control and discipline. Gavin Flood, the Academic Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies defined yoga as “technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation which are thought to lead to spiritual experience and profound understanding or insight into the nature of existence.”

Basically, Yoga is a series of various postures called ‘Asanas’ and breathing exercises. Each one of those Asanas and breathing exercises has been specifically designed to help a certain part of the body or a health condition. For example, Pranayama is a breathing exercise that has been described as the practice of gaining control of the enhanced “life force” as a result of practicing the various breathing techniques. Similarly, there are hundreds of other Asanas which help us in gaining control of our life and body.

Yoga gives us a lot and asks very little in return. It gives us a healthy mind and a healthy body. It teaches us to control our senses and discover the true meaning of life. It makes us feel closer to the nature and God. Yoga gives us an energized body and a well stimulated peaceful mind.

Yoga has been proved helpful in fighting various psychological problems like anxiety, depression, phobias etc. It is a perfect way to calm ourselves down and take control of our lives while enjoying it thoroughly.

Besides these effects, Yoga has also been found to be extremely helpful in many medical conditions. Though not a cure in itself, Yoga helps the body to fight many diseases like cancer, cardiac problems, diabetes etc. by giving us the required strength and will-power to fight the illness. Yoga has also been found to boost the body’s immune system and strengthen our senses. This has helped many patients in fighting with the medical conditions better.

Yoga has also been found to be helpful in fighting common diseases like flu, common cold etc. And if you are a little over weight and want to loose the extra fat then this art is a blessing for you. Yoga helps a lot in loosing weight as it is a great exercise and it also boosts our body’s metabolism. It has been scientifically proven that Yoga helps in weight loss and this is the main reason that it has been endorsed by many film and television personalities all around the world as a perfect way to stay in shape.

The effects of Yoga have been a topic of discussion from a very long time. But gradually, it has been adopted by the whole world as a natural way of gaining peaceful mind and healthy body. And this is the reason that yoga has today become not only an art of meditation but a way of life.  

Yoga Training is not only a physical practice, but also a mental one, and a demanding one at that.

“Before the eyes can see with the clear vision of the Spirit, they must have grown incapable of the tears of wounded criticism-unmerited abuse –unfriendly remarks-slight-sarcasm-the annoyances of everyday life, the failures and disappointments of everyday existence. We do not mean that one should harden his soul against these things, but yoga is about the mind, body and soul.”

Finding calm in ones self. This Blog (trainyoga.com) will focus all aspects related to Yoga, from physical to mental, and even spiritual. What you will read on our blog, you will not find anywhere else online.