Ardha Padma Paschimottanasana (Half Lotus Forward Fold Pose)
This is the half lotus west intense stretch. It is another forward bend. Sit on the ground with the legs stretched out in front of you. Bend the left knee and place it on the opposite thigh near the navel. The left knee rests on the floor. Now reach your hands upwards and then bend the trunk forward from the hips. Try and place the forehead, then mouth then chin on the right knee. Simultaneously, reach for the right foot with both hands. Then slowly come out of the pose. Precaution: Who having knee pain should not practice this pose. Benefits: Blood circulation is made to flow round the navel and the genital organs. The pose is good for persons with rounded and drooping shoulders.
Parvatasana(Seated Mountain Pose)
This is the seated mountain pose. Sit comfortably in padmasana. Make sure your back is erect and relaxed and your neck is long and not stiff. Raise your hands above your head and interlock your fingers and turn your palms towards the sky. Press upwards through your hands so that you are stretching through your upper body, shoulder blades and floating ribs. Breathe evenly here as you hold the pose for about thirty seconds. Then slowly come out of the pose by unlinking your hands and bringing them back down. Precaution: Who having knee pain should not practice this pose. Benefits: remove stiffness in the shoulders. Helps movement and to develop the chest. Abdominal organs are drawn in and the chest opens fully.
Simhasana(Lion Pose)
This is the lion gesture. Sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. Rise up and place the bent right knee under your body with the right foot under the left sitting bone. Then place the bent left knee under the right sitting bone. The left ankle is under the right. You will be seated on your heels. Your toes will be pointing backwards. Keep the back erect and place the right and left palms on the respective knees. Open your mouth and stick out your tongue so that it touches the chin, or stick it out as far as you can. The gaze should be at eyebrow centre and you can stay here for thirty seconds breathing through the mouth. Precaution: Should not practice who having cardiac problem. Benefits: Remove foul breath and cleans the tongue. Good for stammerers. Helps to master the three Bandhas.
Yoga Mudrasana(Psychic Union Pose or Yoga Gesture)
This is known as the yoga gesture or psychic union pose. Start in padmasana, which is a seated pose with your arms intertwined and locked behind your back. Keep your eyes closed and relax, concentrating on the mooladhara chakra. Inhale and observe the breath rise from mooladhara to the ajna chakra. Hold the breath as you concentrate on the ajna chakra. Exhale and then fold forward from the hips. Bring your forehead to touch the floor as you expel all the air from your lungs. Feel as the breath moves from the ajna to the mooladhara chakra as you stay here for a few seconds concentrating on the mooladhara chakra. Now inhale and rise back up as you are aware of the breath moving from mooladhara to ajna chakra. Exhale and move your attention down to the mooladhara chakra. Try to do this entire exercise for three to ten rounds. Precaution: who suffering from sciatica, high blood pressure, pelvic inflammatory disease or any other serious abdominal ailment should avoid this practice. Benefits: Massages the abdominal organs and stretches the back. Preparatory practice for meditation. It relieves anger and tension, inducing tranquillity. It develops awareness and control of psychic energy and is used to awaken manipura chakra.
Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose or Half Spinal Twist Pose)
This is the half spinal twist. First sit on the floor with the legs stretched out in front of you. Bend the left knee, place it on the ground and sit in the left foot so the heel is under the left buttock. Then bend the right knee and lift the right leg and keep it by the outer side of the left thigh. The outer right ankle touches the outer left thigh. Keep the right shin perpendicular to the floor. Turn ninety degrees to the right until the left armpit touches the outer side of the right thigh. The armpit should then come over the right knee. Bend the left elbow and place the left wrist behind the waist. Exhale and move the trunk until there is no space between the left armpit and the right knee. Turn the neck to look over the left (or right) shoulder. Breathe and hold the pose for about thirty seconds. Come out of the pose and repeat it on the other side. Precaution: Pregnant women should avoid this practice. People suffering from peptic ulcer, hernia or hyperthyroidism should only practice this pose under the guidance of a competent teacher. People with sciatica or slipped disc should not practice it. Benefits: It tones the nerves of the spine, makes the back muscles supple, relieves lumbago and muscular spasms, and reduces the tendency of adjoining vertebrae to develop inflammatory problems and calcium deposits. the secretions of the adrenal gland, liver and pancreas, and is beneficial for the kidneys.
Baddha Konasana(Bound Angle Pose or Cobbler Pose)
This is the bounded angle pose. First sit on the floor with the legs stretched out in front of you. Bend your knees. Bring the feet closer to the trunk of the body. Join the heels and soles of the feet and grasp the feet and bring them towards the perineum. Widen the thighs and make sure that the knees are touching the ground. Make sure your spine is erect. Interlock the hands around your feet and bend forward from the lower back on an exhale. Try and touch your forehead to the floor and then, if possible, touch the chin and then the mouth to the floor. Stay here breathing easily for about thirty seconds. Then relax back up. PRECAUTION: Knee, hip, or groin injury. BENEFITS: It relieves sciatic pain and prevents hernia. If practiced regularly, it relieves pain and heaviness in the testicles. The pose is a blessing to women. Irregular menstrual periods and helps the ovaries to function properly. It is found that pregnant women who sit daily in this pose for a few minutes will have much less pain during delivery and will be free from varicose veins.
Upavistha Konasana(Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend Pose)
This is the wide angled seated forward bend pose. First sit on the floor with the legs stretched out in front of you. Now widen the distance between the legs as much as you can. Reach forward and grasp the toes with the respective thumb and first two fingers of your hand. Keep the spine erect as you breathe easily. Then exhale as you bend forwards and try to touch your forehead to the ground. If possible try and place the chin on the floor. Then release back up gently. PRECAUTION: Back pain or knee injury. BENEFITS: Stretches the hamstrings and helps the blood to circulate properly in the pelvic region and keeps it healthy. It prevents the development of hernia of which it can cure mild cases and relieves sciatic pains. Since the asana controls and regularizes the menstrual flow and also stimulates the ovaries, it is a boon to women.
Ardha Navasana(Half Boat Pose)
This is the half boat pose. First sit on the floor with the legs stretched out in front of you. Link your fingers behind the back of your head. Exhale and recline the trunk while you raise both legs off the floor. Here you are resting only on the buttocks, keeping the knees straight and the legs at an angle of roughly thirty five degrees. Hold this pose as you breathe easily for thirty seconds. Then slowly release back down to the ground. PRECAUTION: Pregnancy or injury. BENEFITS: Ardha Navasana works on the liver, gall bladder and spleen. In the beginning, the back is too weak to bear the strain of the pose bring life and vigour to the back.
Marichyasana(Half Spinal Twist Pose or Sage Marichi Pose)
This is a seated position and is named after the sage Mariachi. First sit on the floor with the legs stretched out in front of you. Bend your left knee and place the left foot flat on the floor and the calf should touch the back of the thigh. Exhale and turn the spine ninety degree to the left and bring the right arm so it is over the left thigh. The right shoulder should be beyond the left knee, stretched out forwards. The left arm is behind the back. Turn the spine more to the left and stay here for thirty seconds breathing easily. You can try to clasp the hands behind the back if possible. Then come out of the pose and repeat it on the other side. PRECAUTION: Pregnancy and who have undergone abdominal surgery should not do. BENEFITS: By the regular practice of this asana, splitting backaches, lumbago and pains in the hips disappear rapidly. The liver and the spleen are contracted and so are toned and cease to be sluggish. The muscles of the neck gain power. Sprains in the shoulder and displacement of the shoulder joints are relieved and the shoulder movements become free. The intestines also benefit from this asana. It also helps to reduce the size of the abdomen.
Gomukhasana(Cow Face Pose)
This is the cow faced pose and is a seated pose. First sit on the floor with the legs stretched out in front of you. Bend your left knee and sit on the left foot and then bend the right leg and bring it to rest on top of the left. The heels should be touching and the seat should be raised. Raise the left arm over your head and bend it at the elbow and place it behind the nape of the neck. Lower your right arm, bend it at the elbow and place it between your shoulder blades. Try and clasp both your hands together. Hold the position for about thirty seconds as you breathe comfortably with your neck erect and looking ahead. Unclasp the hands, change the top leg to make it the bottom leg and then repeat the pose on the other side, reversing the hands. PRECAUTION: Hip replacements Shoulder injury. BENEFITS: Cures cramp in the legs and makes the leg muscles elastic. The chest is well expanded and the back becomes erect. . It relieves backache, sciatica, rheumatism and general stiffness in the shoulders and neck, and improves posture by increasing energy, awareness, and generally opening the chest area.