MANDUKASANA

Mandukasana or the Frog pose is suitable for improving the flexibility of the legs especially the thigh muscles. This yoga posture gets its name from Sanskrit word Manduka means frog, The person performing it resembles Frog thus the name Mandukasana.

Sit in vajrasana pose. Keep your back, neck and head in a straight line.

Make fists of both your hands. Touch both the thumbs together and place this joint of thumbs just below your navel.

While exhaling, bend your head forwards trying to touch your forehead to the ground in front of you. In this position, your hands are pressing against your abdomen.Hold this position as long as you can hold comfortably (ten to fifteen seconds in the beginning).

While inhaling come back to original position of vajra asana.

Repeat four times.


Pace of breathing: 


In this asana, all air has to be breathed out of the body. Therefore, sufficient air should be inhaled before the asana. Exhale while you are bending the body forward and breathe normally once you are in the asana.

Caution:

·         Cardiac patients should avoid this pose.

·         This pose is not meant for people suffering from back pain, ulcer or those who have had abdominal surgery.

 Benefits:

·         This pose is beneficial to all organs of the body.

·         Mandukasana gives you relief from diabetes, digestive disorders and constipation.

·         This pose improves the flexibility and mobility of the knee and ankle joints.

·         It helps tone muscles of the shoulder and abdomen.

·         Regular practice of this pose increases your lung capacity.
          Urinary disorders get cured. Hernia patients benefit from this asana.
          Cures asthma.

ARDHA MATSYENDRA ASANA

This asana has its name from a great yogi called Matsyendranatha who used these postures mainly.

Bend the left knee back so that the heel is under the buttocks.

Bend your right knee and swing it over the left thigh, feet down and knee up.

Turn your body to the right, then raise the left hand and place the elbow over the right knee.

Pushing the knee more to your left, hold the left knee with your left hand.

Twist your body all the way to the right hand back, exhale and hook the right leg.

Come out of this position and perform the same twist on the other side.

Necessary Precautions:

We will take care not to push the elbows and the knees too much. The back has to remain straight during the execution. The back rotation has to be done very slowly.

Beneficial effects:

Muscles of the spinal column come to the normal state by preventing curvatures or anomalies and causing the disappearance of existing ones.

Creates a state of immediate well being.

Strengthens the entire body having extremely powerful rejuvenating effects.

Prevents the ossification of the fifth lumbar vertebra.

Fights against constipation.

Intestine, liver, kidneys, spleen, pancreas are stimulated.

Strengthens the sympathetic nervous system and revitalizes the organism.

Prevents lumbago crises, back aches and even certain forms of sciatica.

Allows us to fight with maximum efficiency against obesity.

JANUSIRSASAN

Sit upright, raise arms, and spread your legs as wide as possible.

Fold the left leg, with your heel touching the anus.

With your right palm hold the right foot as you bend over.

Your nose should touch the knee.

Then do the same thing with the other leg.

Stay in this position for a few minutes or for 30 seconds three times with each leg.

The same leg and arm should be stretched together.

Benefits:

This posture strengthens the liver and the spleen and, by intensifying the digestive fire and the slight stimulation of the solar plexus, it improves digestion.

Kidneys are strengthened and activated. All the urinary affections can be healed by a constant practice of this asana.

Proves to be helpful in treating hernia and in cases of testicles’ enlargement.

It is recommended to people with rigid bodies.

The sides of the ribcage get stronger.

Indigestion and gas trouble recede and the body becomes flexible. More blood rushes to the sides of the stomach. The middle part of the body is strengthened.

The large and small intestines become more flexible and work better.

Any stomach pain is cured. Back and hip pain will reduce.

Reduces larger waistlines.

YOGA MUDRA

Sitting in Padma Asana, fold your palms together comfortably behind your back, or touch elbows with opposite hands.

Your chin should touch the chest. In this position, exhale and bend forward so that your forehead touches the ground.

After being in this position for a few minutes, inhale, and raise your head once more and sit erect.

If Padma Asana is difficult, sit cross-legged in Sukh Asana and practice this mudra.

You can be in this mudra for a few minutes if you can or do this five times, for 30 seconds each time.

If you cannot touch the ground with your forehead, try to go down as far as possible and then let go for now. Soon you will be able to perform this asana/mudra perfectly.

Contraindication: if there has been a recent operation in abdominal region, do not perform this mudra for 4 to 6 months.

Effects:

Prevents constipation and improves digestion.

Removes the rheumatic pains in knees and cures gout. It also helps in flat feet cases. Persons suffering from advanced arthritis should practice this mudra moderately, because pains may appear.

The liver and spleen begin to work well.

Diabetes is cured.

Any germs in the lungs will be eradicated.

For women, menstrual disorders will go away.

Cures hunchback and removes the abdominal fat.