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Parsvottanasana(Intense Side Stretch Pose) This is the intense side stretch. Start in Tadasana. Then walk, step or jump your feet three or three and a half feet apart. Join your palms in Anjali mudra behind your back on an inhale as you draw your shoulders back. Then turn your right foot out 90 degrees. Turn your left foot inwards slightly so it is pointing in the direction of the right foot. Make your thighs firm. Now exhale and turn your torso to the right as you bend your body forward and down from the lower back. Rest your forehead on your thigh or knee, if possible. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds. Then inhale and raise your head and torso back up, relax your arms down and bring your feet back so you are in Tadasana again. Then repeat this on the left side. Precaution: Glaucoma or high blood pressure Shoulder injury. Benefits: Opens the chest. Increases balance. Stimulates the abdominal organs. Provides deep stretch for the legs, hips, and side torso. Relieves arthritis in the neck and spine. Relieves stiffness in the neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists.

Utkatasana(chair pose or mighty pose) This is the chair pose. Start in Tadasana. From there inhale and raise your hands over your head with palms facing each other. Then exhale and bend your knees and try and make your thighs parallel to the mat or floor. Make sure that your knees do not extend out over your toes. Press your tailbone down towards the floor and try and keep the back firm. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds. Then inhale and rise back up. Exhale and lower your arms down to your side. Precaution: Knee injury Benefits: Builds strength and endurance in the hips and thighs. Opens and tones the chest and shoulders. Strengthens shoulders and open the chest. Strengthens and tones the ankles, thighs, calves, and spine Activate and optimize the efficiency of abdominal organs, diaphragm, and heart. Reduces flat feet.

Garudasana(eagle pose) This is the eagle pose. Start in Tadasana. From there bend your knees then take your left thigh and cross it over your right thigh while balancing on your right foot. Try to hook the left foot over the right lower right calf. Now stretch your arms so they are parallel to the floor and square your shoulder blades. Cross your arms so the right arm is over your left arm and then bend your elbows. Then twist the right arm around the left so that you are doing a twisted prayer pose, with the palms joined. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds. Then come out of the pose and relax. Precaution: Hip replacement Knee injury Students with knee concerns should use modifications. Benefits: Helps develop focus, concentration, and increased balance. Provides a deep stretch in the outer hips, along the posterior shoulders, and between the shoulder blades. Stretches and strengthens the calf and ankle of the standing leg. Develops the ankles and removes stiffness in the shoulders. Preventing cramps in the calf muscles.

Ardha Chakrasana(Half Wheel Pose) Ardha Chakrasana is the half wheel pose. It is a standing backward bend. Start in Tadasana. From there inhale and raise your arms over your head as you bend backwards as far as you comfortably can. If you need support, you can place your hands on the back of your hips while you bend backwards. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds. Then inhale and bring your arms back down as you straighten up. Precaution: Late pregnancy Glaucoma Cardiac Problem Benefits: Makes the lower back flexible. Stimulates and strengthen the entire back, neck muscles, chest and shoulders. Improves respiration.

Padhastasana(hand under foot pose) Padhastasana is the hand under foot pose. It is not to be confused with Uttanasana, which is a general forward fold. Start your padhastasana in Tadasana. From here exhale and fold down from the lower back. You have to try and touch your torso to your thighs. Slide your hands under your feet so your toes are on top of palms, which are facing upwards. Your elbows will be bent. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds. Then relax back into Tadasana. Precaution: Back concerns Late pregnancy Glaucoma Cardiac Problem Benefits: Strengthens and stretches the spinal muscles. Lengthens and stretches the hamstrings and opens the posterior of the hips. Stimulates the stomach, intestine, liver, spleen, and kidneys. Helps preventing constipation and menstrual problems. Improves digestion. Enhances blood flow to the head region.

Ardha Uttanasana(Standing Half Forward Bend Pose) This is the half standing half forward bend. Start in Tadasana. From there fold forward completely from the lower back until you can touch your forehead to your legs in Uttanasana. From here rise up half way on an inhale, until your back is flat and parallel to the ground. You can balance on your fingertips here. Then exhale and return to your full forward fold. Precaution: Back concerns Late pregnancy Glaucoma Cardiac Problem Benefits: Strengthens and stretches the spinal muscles. Lengthens and stretches the hamstrings and opens the posterior of the hips. Stimulates the stomach, intestine, liver, spleen, and kidneys. Helps preventing constipation and menstrual problems. Improves digestion. Enhances blood flow to the head region.

Vrksasana(Tree Pose) This is the tree pose. You must stand straight and erect.  Your hands must be locked straight by your sides, your heels and big toes of your feet touching each other.  Now bend the right knee and bring the right foot and place it in the left inner thigh.  Now, make sure your right knee is pointing outwards with your foot pointing downwards. You are bearing your weight evenly on the left foot. Make sure your hips are pointing forwards and raise your hands over your head, keeping your elbows locked straight on either side of your ears. Stay like this for thirty seconds breathing easily. Then relax and return to Tadasana. Precaution: High blood pressure. Students with this condition should refrain from lifting the arms overhead. Benefits: Builds concentration, focus, and postural balance. Reduces stress, it is nearly impossible to worry and remain balanced at the same time. Develops strength and stability in the feet and ankles. Stabilizes and strengthens both superficial and deep hip muscles. Removes fatigue of legs.

This is the upright pose. You must stand straight and erect. Your hands must be locked straight by your sides, your heels and big toes of your feet touching each other. Your weight is equally distributed across your feet and your knee caps are pulled up as your knees are tightened and your hips contracted. Your spine is straight and your neck is straight. Stay here breathing easily. Precaution: No precaution. Benefits: Builds symmetry and balance in body alignment and overall posture. Tones the lower extremities. Strengthens the arches. Improves strength in the spinal and abdominal musculature. Improves overall posture. Align whole body evenly both left and right side of body. Remove lower back pain and reduces breathing rate, improves lungs holding capacity. Strengthen ankle, knee, hip, spine and shoulder joints. Concentration and calmness in mind.

This is the eight angle pose. Start by sitting on the mat with your legs stretched out in front of you. Place your hands on the mat beside the hips with your palms facing down on the mat and move your shoulder blades down closer to the chest. Bend the right knee and place it on the upper right arm, using your right hand. Your left leg is stretched out on the floor. Now draw the left heel towards the groin as you lock the left foot with the right. Inhale and press your palms into the floor. As you straighten the arms your body will lift off the floor. While breathing easily straighten the legs with the feet still locked. The legs will be pointing to the right. Your arms are bent like in the staff pose. Breathe easily for about thirty seconds and then slowly move out of the pose. Precaution: Should not be attempted until the arms and shoulders have become very strong. People with heart ailments, high blood pressure, back conditions or problems in the hips. Benefits: Strengthens the wrists and arms and also develops the muscles of the abdomen. It strengthens the wrists, the arm and leg muscles, and the muscles of the abdomen.

This is the lotus peacock pose. Sit in padmasana and then balance on the knees. Place the palms on the floor facing backwards so the fingers point towards the lower body. Bend the elbows and bring them closer together. Then lean forward and push the elbows against the abdomen. Lean forward and balance the whole body on the arms, the chest resting on the upper arms. Now stay here for thirty seconds, breathing easily. Then come out of the pose and relax. Precaution: People suffering from peptic or duodenal ulcers, hyperacidity, hernia or high blood pressure should not practice this asana. Pregnant women are strictly advised not to attempt this asana. Benefits:  Tones the abdominal region of the body, because due to the pressure of the elbows against the abdominal aorta, blood circulates properly in the abdominal organs. This improves digestive power and prevents the accumulation of toxins in the system. It develops and strengthens the elbows, forearms and wrists.

This is the peacock pose. Kneel on the floor with a small space between the knees. Bend forward and place the palms backwards on the floor so the fingers point towards the toes. Bend the elbows and get the forearms close together. Rest the chest on the backs of the upper arms. Now exhale and stretch the legs out and straighten them so the entire weight of the body is balanced on the arms. Breathe easily here for about thirty seconds. Then lower back down and rest. Precaution: People suffering from peptic or duodenal ulcers, hyperacidity, hernia or high blood pressure should not practice this asana. Pregnant women are strictly advised not to attempt this asana. Benefits:  Tones the abdominal region of the body, because due to the pressure of the elbows against the abdominal aorta, blood circulates properly in the abdominal organs. This improves digestive power and prevents the accumulation of toxins in the system. It develops and strengthens the elbows, forearms and wrists.

This the sideways bow pose. First lie on your stomach with your legs and arms outstretched. Then bend the knees so the toes are pointing towards your head and grasp the toes or ankles with your hands. This is the bow pose. Now exhale and roll over onto your right side. Stay here breathing easily for about thirty seconds. Now return to centre and then exhale and flip onto your left side and breathe easily here for thirty seconds. Then return to centre and relax back into a prone position. Precaution: Pregnancy. Acute low-back injury, high blood pressure, or heart concerns. Shoulder concerns weak heart, high blood pressure, hernia, colitis, peptic or duodenal ulcers Benefits: Brings back elasticity to the spine and tones the abdominal organs. Slipped discs. The liver, abdominal organs and muscles are massaged. The pancreas and adrenal glands are toned, balancing their secretions. The kidneys are  massaged and excess weight is reduced around  the abdominal area. This leads to improved functioning of the digestive, excretory and reproductive organs and helps to remove gastrointestinal disorders, dyspepsia, chronic constipation and sluggishness of the liver. The spinal column is realigned and the ligaments, muscles and nerves are activated, removing stiffness. It helps to correct hunching of the upper back.

This is the embryo pose. Start in sarvangasana which is the shoulder stand. Then fold your legs into urdhva padmasana, which is the upside down padmasana, with your knees folded in the lotus pose with the knees still raised to the sky and the shoulders resting on the floor. From here move the legs over the head and your hands move from supporting the back to clasping the legs. Stay here for thirty seconds breathing easily and relax back down. Benefits: Relieves constipation.

This is the upward facing lotus pose in a shoulder stand. From the sarvangasana. Precaution: Benefits:

 This is the one legged or asymmetrical bow pose. Start in the bridge pose here with your back flat on the floor, your knees bent, your palms by your ear. Then raise your arms, chest and buttocks off the ground so that your body looks like an inverted bow. Here, raise the right leg and point it straight towards the ceiling. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds. Then lower the leg, lower the body back to the floor, rest and repeat the pose with the other leg. Precaution: Benefits:

This is the two legged inverted staff pose. Start by lying flat on the floor. Stretch the arms over the head, bend the elbows and place your palms on the floor facing the shoulders. Keep them shoulder width apart. Breathe easily. Now exhale and press your knees as you lift your hips, shoulders and head. Straighten the arms and lift the shoulders. Now place the crown of your head on the floor between your hands and feet. On an exhale interlock your hands behind your head and bring your weight onto your forearms. Now on an exhale lift your chest off the ground so your head is also raised and resting fully on the crown. Your feet are resting flat on the floor. If your knees are bent here, you can straighten out in front of you so they are straight, with the feet still flat on the ground. Breathe easily here for thirty seconds then relax back down on the floor. Precaution: Benefits: keeps the spine sound and healthy while the chest expands fully. good for relieving pain in the coccyx region of the spine.

This is the ear to pressure pose. First start in halasana or the plough pose. From here bring the right knee by the right ear and the left knee by the left ear so both knees are resting on the ground near the respective ears. Stretch the toes and make sure the heels and toes are joined. Rest the hands on the back of the ribs or you can link them and stretch them arms out away from the body. Stay here breathing easily for about thirty seconds. Then slowly relax out of the pose. Precaution: Asthma and high blood pressure Pregnancy, Back pain. Benefits: This asana rests the trunk, heart and legs. The spine is stretched more while bending the knees, and this helps the circulation of blood round the waistline.

This is the plough pose. Come into a salambha sarvangasana while keeping your chin locked in place and the arms outstretched on the floor over the head. Then relax the chin and bring the legs down until they rest on the floor over your head. The knees are straightened and the hands are outstretched, straight and away from the rest of the body with the fingers interlocked. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds. Then slowly relax out of the pose. Precaution:  Asthma and high blood pressure Pregnancy, Back pain. Benefits: Stretches the neck, back, and shoulders. Can relieve indigestion. Stimulates the thyroid gland, abdominal organs, and digestion.

This is a reclining pose where you hold onto the big toe. Lie flat on the ground with your legs stretched out, the knees straightened. Inhale and stretch the left leg so the it is perpendicular while the right leg is straight on the floor and the right hand is on the right thigh. With the left arm raised catch the left big toe between the left thumb and two left forefingers. Then raise the head on an exhale and pull the leg toward the head and trunk. Try and touch the chin to the left knee. Stay here for about thirty seconds breathing easily. Now, take your left hand and left leg and stretch them to the left side until both rest on the floor with the left leg at a right angle to the right leg. Now inhale and come out of the pose. Rest and repeat this on the other side. Precaution: Benefits: The legs will develop properly by the practice of this asana. Persons suffering from sciatica and paralysis of the legs will derive great benefit from it. The blood is made to circulate in the legs and hips where the nerves are rejuvenated. The pose removes stiffness in the hip joints and prevents hernia.

This is an unsupported sarvangasana. Lie on your back on the floor with your legs stretched out and your palms facing down on the ground by the sides of the legs. Breathe easily and then on an exhale bend the knees and take the legs to the stomach until the thighs are pressing into the stomach. Breathe and raise the hips off the floor on an exhale. Support the hips by bending your elbows so they are flat on the ground with your hands on the back of your hips. Raise the trunk off the ground until it is perpendicular to the ground. Your chest should be pressing into your chin. Exhale and stretch the legs straight up so they are pointing to the ceiling. Keep stretching the body upwards until only your head, shoulders and backs of the upper arms and elbows are resting on the ground and supporting your weight.  Then release the arms and stretch them out on the ground so they extend over the head while still resting on the floor. Then finally stretch them towards the legs as if you are reaching for your toes, keeping them tightly by the side of the body. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds. Then slowly come out of the pose. Precaution:  People with high blood pressure, heart conditions, inflammation of the ear, weak eye capillaries, severe near-sightedness, problems in the pituitary or thyroid glands, arteriosclerosis, cerebral or other thrombosis, severe asthma, tuberculosis, cold or sinusitis, excessively impure blood, slipped disc, weak spine or vertigo should not practice this asana. Benefits: Entire body is toned by an increase in the flow of blood. Speedier recovery from general weakness. Mother of asanas Low blood pressure. Strengthens the neck muscles and brings a rich supply of blood to the brain  thyroid and parathyroid glands. urinary disorders and uterine displacement, menstrual trouble, piles and hernia. It also helps to relieve epilepsy, low vitality and anemia. Activates the abdominal organs and relieves people suffering from stomach and intestinal ulcers, severe pains in the abdomen and colitis.

This pose is named after Lord Vishnu resting on the couch. Start by lying flat on the mat and then turn onto your left side. Raise the head and rest it on the left hand, the left elbow on the ground. Then raise the right knee, bend it and catch the right big toe between the right thumb and index and middle fingers of the right hand. Straighten the right leg and right arm while exhaling and hold the pose for about thirty seconds while breathing easily. Then slowly come out of the pose and relax. Precaution: Benefits: Strengthening Pelvic region. Hamstring and quadriceps muscles are toned. Good for backaches and prevents the development of hernia.

This is the reclining angle pose. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Roll back on the floor until you are fully reclined. Now raise the legs up and take the feet over your head until they touch the ground. Reach out with your hands and hold onto the big toes of the corresponding feet. Part the legs as far apart as you can while the arms are resting on the floor. Stay here for about thirty seconds breathing easily. Then come out of the pose and relax. Precaution: People with high blood pressure, heart conditions. Benefits: Tones the legs and helps to contract the abdominal organs.

This is the bridge pose. You must start by lying on the ground. Bend the knees and place them with the feet on the floor and the knees pointing to the ceiling. Raise the back off the floor with the shoulders and head still on the ground. Support your back by placing your palms on it. Try and straighten your legs so they are stretched out with your legs together. Stay here breathing easily for thirty seconds and then lower back down. Precaution: Neck and Pregnancy. Benefits: Opens and expands the Strengthens the mid and upper Stretches the entire Increases circulation to the thyroid Energizes the Relieves low-back tightness.

This is the cockerel pose. Sit in padmasana. Put your hands through the space between the thighs and calves. Push the hands down until the elbows and then press through the hands so that your whole body lifts off the ground and you exhale. Stay here breathing easily for as long as you can. Then lower down slowly and come out of the pose. Precaution: Heart conditions, high blood pressure, prolapse, hernia or back pain. Benefits: strengthens the wrists and abdominal walls, arm and shoulder muscles, and opens the chest. Improves a sense of balance and stability.