Before you start with a yoga posture, always begin your exercises with a period of relaxation followed by some breathing routines. Set aside a fixed time for them each day. Morning is probably best, in which case the exercises should be done immediately upon getting up, before breakfast but after your cleansing routines.
If you choose to do your Yoga exercises before retiring at night, make certain you are not over-tired, but fully enough awake to relax and concentrate on what you are doing. Remember that all Yoga exercises should be performed on the hard floor, using a rug or mat for protection. A mattress or soft bed is inadvisable since you would not derive the maximum muscular benefits from exercising on a “giving” surface.
1. Savasana, or the Death Pose: this is the pose of complete relaxation.
Method: Let yourself lie flat and heavy on the mat. Breathe rhythmically but naturally. Try to feel the weight of your body as though it were digging into the ground. Consciously relax every muscle, starting with the head, neck, shoulders, chest, arms and hands and fingers, down the torso and abdomen, down the back, hips, thighs, knees, legs, feet and toes. Relax the muscles of your face — forehead, eyes, cheeks, mouth, chin.
Pretend you are an old piece of rope lying on the ground. When you have relaxed completely, repeat the process. You will discover a residue of tension here and there which must be gotten rid of. Do not let your mind wander and free-associate, but concentrate on some soothing image, such as clouds floating in the sky.
Hold the image. Do not let yourself relax into sleep. After a few moments reverse the process by deliberately tensing the relaxed muscles one by one. Stretch hard. In time you should be able to hold this pose for ten or fifteen minutes without either day-dreaming or falling asleep. You will find such relaxation more beneficial than an hour’s nap.
2. Udhitta Padasana, or Raised-Legs Posture, is a simple Yoga posture which may be done by anyone, regardless of age, weight or infirmities, and is therefore excellent for the beginner.
Method: Lie flat on your back, arms along the sides as for SAVASANA. Inhaling slowly, slowly raise your right leg without bending the knee, until it is at right angles to your body, keeping your other leg flat on the floor. Hold this position for a few seconds, then lower the leg while exhaling in the same slow rhythm. Reverse, repeating with the left leg.
Now raise both legs at once. Hold this position for a slow count of three times three (counting to three in waltz time approximates one second) and lower the legs again. Rest. Gradually increase the count to ten or twelve seconds.
At first you may find that doing the three parts of this exercise just once is enough to produce slight fatigue. But after a few days you will be able to increase the number of repetitions to three, then four or five. Eventually you should be able to raise both legs at once half a dozen times in smooth rhythm without stopping.
Be sure, however, always to go through all motions slowly: the tendency is to lower the legs fast, since this is by far the easier way. You will probably experience slight soreness of the abdominal muscles at the start, but this will not last beyond the first few days.
Therapeutic Value: This exercise gives the abdomen an internal massage, strengthening all the muscles and breaking down surplus fat. It is therefore particularly good for persons working at sedentary jobs and for those suffering from or wishing to prevent “middle-aged spread,” including women who otherwise depend on girdles to keep themselves looking flat. It is excellent for preventing prolapse of the stomach and for reconditioning muscles after childbirth. In the latter case, however, it should not be done without first checking with a doctor.
Caution: This exercise should be avoided by persons with a weak heart and women already suffering from female disorders.
You should benefit from either yoga posture.
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