An Indian Art

Instructions:

1. Stand erect with a distance of one foot between your feet, keeping the feet parallel.
2. Keep palms in a relaxed fist.
3. Breathing in, rotate your arms and bring them up to the respective ears. Stretch the spine backward as much as you can. (refer to picture 1 above)
4. Breathing out, slowly bend forward and get your forehead as low as possible.
5. Simultaneously, rotate your arms in the opposite direction and try to get your hands as close to the head as possible.
6. Maintain this position with suspension of breath for some time.
7. Breathing in, slowly come up.
8. Breathing out, relax.

Benefits: Provides an anterior-posterior stretch to the spine, thereby increasing spinal flexibility.

Limitations: Heart patients and hypertensives should avoid this strenuous asana, severe arthritis, acute slipped disc any spinal injuries or surgeries to avoid Cakrasana.

Instructions:

1. Sit comfortably reclining against a wall/ pillar.
2. Spread out your legs, keep comfortable distance between legs.
3. Let your back, shoulders and head relax on the back support such that there is no stiffness in the body yet you are not lying down.
4. Let your hands rest comfortably on the thighs, palms facing upwards.
5. Close your eyes and relax in this position.
6. Keep your mind involved in the fading sounds around; without trying to analyse the sounds or without getting disturbed/ distracted.
7. Relax in this position for 5-10 mins.

Benefits: Conscious relaxation rejuvenates and harmonises the body & mind. Provides physical and mental relaxation.

Limitations: Severe depression, low BP.

Utkatasana

Instructions:

1. Stand erect with 1 foot distance between your feet, keep feet parallel.
2. Fix your gaze at a point in front of your eyes to maintain concentration.
3. Breathing in, raise both the arms up to shoulder level, palms facing down. Simultaneously, raise your heels.
4. Breathing out, squat keeping your knees parallel to each other and back as straight as possible.
5. Remain in the final position with suspension of breath. All through, keep the heels raised and balance yourselves on toes.
6. Breathing in, slowly come up.
7. Breathing out, relax.

Benefits: Exercises muscles of the lower limbs, increases flexibility in the hip joint and on the waist, exercises the lower spine.

Limitations: Those suffering from acute slipped disc, any injuries or surgeries on the spine, vertigo, hypertensives and heart patients should take support of window pane to do this asana. They should not hold their breath or raise heels. They can continue to breathe normal in the final position.