Merudandasana (Spinal Column Pose or Balancing Bear Pose)
This is the spinal column pose. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Bend both knees so the feet are flat on the ground. Then separate them so you can hold on to the respective big toes using the thumb and first two fingers of your hands. Slowly lean back as you balance on the buttocks. Straighten the legs and arms and raise the legs upwards. Now, keep the spine straight and separate the legs as far from each other as possible. Stay here while gazing at a fixed point and breathing easily. Hold this pose for about thirty seconds and then come out of the pose. Precaution: Should not be practiced by people with high blood pressure, heart ailments, slipped disc, sacral infections or sciatica. Benefits: Tones the abdominal organs, especially the liver, and strengthens the abdominal muscles. Stimulate intestinal peristalsis, alleviating constipation. Strengthens the muscles of the back and helps to realign the spine. Remove tiredness from the legs, giving a feeling of lightness and balance.
Ubhaya Padangusthasana (Both Big Toe Pose or Double Toe Hold or Balancing Stick Pose)
This is another seated pose, similar to the boat pose. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Your hands should be resting on the floor, palms face down, next to the hips. Balancing on your buttocks, raise the legs straight off the ground so they are about 45 degrees off the floor. Then take your hands and grasp the respective big toes with the first two fingers and the thumb. Pull your torso closer to the legs so you are closing the space between them with your knees still straight. Now stay here breathing easily for about thirty seconds and then return to the seated pose with your legs and hands resting on the floor. Precaution: Benefits: develops balance and poise. Makes the thighs and calves shapely. Prevents hernia and relieves severe backaches.
Paripurna Navasana(Full Boat Pose)
This is the full boat pose. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Your hands should be resting on the floor, palms face down, next to the hips. Then balancing on the buttocks, raise the hands until they are parallel to the ground. Raise the legs straight off the ground so they are about 45 degrees off the floor. Make sure the knees are straight. Now stay here breathing easily for about thirty seconds and then return to the seated pose with your legs and hands resting on the floor. Precaution: Who having Pregnancy or any injury should skip this practice. Benefits: Strengthens the thighs, hips, abdominal muscles, and back; targets the core musculature. Stimulates digestion. Builds balance and concentration. Effective on the intestines.
Bharadvajasana (Bharadvaja’s Twist or Torso Stretch Pose)
This is a seated twist names after mythological character Drona’s father. Sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. Bend both legs and move them back towards the right side of the body. They will be facing away from the body and resting near the right hip. Your buttocks will be on the floor. Now turn forty-five degrees to the left from the trunk. Take your right hand and place it on the outer side of the left thigh, near the left knee and then you can wedge the right hand under the left knee with the palm to the floor. Exhale and take the left hand behind the back, trying to clasp the right upper arm with the left hand. Turn your neck to look over the right shoulder. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds. Then come out of the pose and relax. Then you can repeat it on the next side. Precaution: Acute knee concerns and Acute spinal concerns, should avoid this practice. Benefits: Stretches and strengthens the low spine. Stretches the neck, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles. Massages the internal organs. Improves digestion. The knees and shoulders become flexible
Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana (Half Bound Lotus Forward Fold)
This is the half bounded lotus west intense stretch. It is a forward bend. Sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. Bend the left knee and bring it into half lotus pose so the left foot is close to the navel, resting on top of the right thigh. The left knee rests on the floor. Now reach your right hand upwards and your left hand behind the waist. 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 your right hand. Stay here breathing easily and after about thirty seconds slowly come out of the pose. Precaution: Acute knee or back pain. Benefits: Knees become flexible. Blood is made to flow round the navel and the genital organs. Recommended for persons with rounded and drooping shoulders.
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.