Crane (Crow) Pose : How to Do IT, Benefits & Precautions

Crane and crow poses are two arm balance yoga postures that are often confused for each other, but they have some key differences.The main difference between crane and crow pose is in the position of the arms. In crane pose, also known as Bakasana, the arms are straight, while in crow pose, also known as Kakasana, the arms are bent.Another difference is that crane pose is generally considered more challenging than crow pose, as it requires greater arm and core strength to hold the body in the straight-arm position. Crow pose is often considered a good starting point for learning arm balances before progressing to crane pose.In both poses, it's important to engage the core and keep the gaze forward to help with balance. Additionally, it's important to warm up…
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Dolphin Pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana) : How to Do IT, Benefits & Precautions

Dolphin Pose (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana) : How to Do IT, Benefits & Precautions

Dolphin pose also known as Ardha Pincha Mayurasana is a yoga posture that involves balancing on your forearms and toes while stretching and strengthening the upper body and lower body muscles. This posture is similar to downward-facing dog, but instead of the hands, the forearms are placed on the ground. The pose is named after the way dolphins swim gracefully in the ocean, evoking a sense of fluidity and strength. In dolphin pose, the shoulders, arms, and core muscles are engaged to hold the body in an inverted V-shape. The legs and hips are also activated, stretching the hamstrings and calves. The Dolphin pose is often used as a preparatory pose for more advanced arm balances and inversions, as it helps to build upper body strength and stability. Dolphin pose…
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Fish Pose (Matsyasana) : How to Do IT, Benefits & Precautions

Fish Pose, also known as Matsyasana in Sanskrit, is a yoga posture that stretches the front of the body, including the chest, throat, and hip flexors. Fish Pose is often practiced as a counterpose to postures that involve rounding the spine, such as forward folds. It can also help to relieve tension in the neck and shoulders, improve posture, and stimulate the thyroid gland. Fish Pose is generally considered safe for most people, but those with neck or back injuries should approach it with caution and seek guidance from a qualified yoga instructor.Fish Pose, or Matsyasana in Sanskrit, has philosophical significance in the practice of yoga. In the philosophy of yoga, the body is seen as a reflection of the mind and the postures are interpreted as a means to…
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Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) : How to Do It? Benefits & Precautions

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) : How to Do It? Benefits & Precautions

This hatha yoga asana gives the spine a backward movement and removes the strain on the neck caused by the other various movements of Sarvangasana. A healthy and flexible spine indicates a healthy nervous system. If the nerves are healthy a man is sound in mind and body. This posture is also known as Setu Bandhasana.Preparatory AsanaSalamba Sarvangasana "Ālamba" means a prop, support and "sa" means together with or accompanied by. Salamba, therefore, means supported or propped up. Sarvanga (Sarva =all, whole, entire, complete; anga = limb or body) means the entire body or all the limbs. In this hatha yoga pose the whole body benefits from the exercise, hence the name.Sarvangasana is the Mother of asanas. As a mother strives for harmony and happiness in the home, so this…
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Yoga Anatomy

Yoga Anatomy

What should yoga teachers know about yoga anatomy?Learning about yoga anatomy is a process. If you try to understand everything then being a yoga instructor may seem ridiculously complicated and frustrating. A better strategy for a yoga instructor is to read and absorb the information that will help in the yoga asana you are currently practicing and then come back later to know more about anatomy. You will be amazed how much your understanding will grow over time.Anatomy is a huge scientific field, so applying it in yoga asana can feel like a hefty task for a yoga instructor. You could spend years learning it, do a master’s degree and get a handful of scientific awards, and you might still remain quite uncertain about the structures of the body. Fortunately,…
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What is Vinyasa Yoga?

What is Vinyasa Yoga?

What is Vinyasa Yoga? Vinyasa Yoga is an ancient practice of physical and spiritual development. It is a systematic method to study, practice, teach, and adapt yoga. This vinyasa flow (movement and sequence methodology) approach to yogasana (yoga posture) practice is unique in all of yoga. By integrating the functions of mind, body, and breath in the same time frame, a practitioner will experience the real joy of yoga practice. Each of the important postures (asanas) is practiced with many elaborate vinyasas (variations and movements). Each variation is linked to the next one by a succession of specific transitional movements, synchronized with the breath. The mind closely follows the slow, smooth, deliberate ujjayi yogic breathing; and the yoking of the mind and body takes place with the breath acting as the…
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Yoga Asana and its importance

The gifts of yoga are as numerous and varied as the petals of a lotus blossom. Although yoga’s broader teachings touch on all aspects of life, it is the asana practice that has made it immensely popular around the globe, and there is a good reason for it. Asana practice challenges the body and focuses the mind, while its philosophical principles encourage spiritual growth. Asanas can be viewed as a kind of prayer, and they have a significant and wholesome effect on our physical body, our psyche, and our emotional health. This distinguishes asana practice from other systematized forms of movement. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali there is a concise definition of yogasana: “Sthiram sukham aasanam”, meaning ‘that position which is comfortable and steady. In this context, asanas are…
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Ashtanga Yoga : How to Do It, Eight Limbs in Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga yoga is taught as one of the main paths of yoga in all yogic systems. However, our online blog community is growing each day and we want to ensure that all aspiring yogis should have a basic understanding of ashtanga yoga. What is ashtanga? How ashtanga yoga is performed? What are the misconceptions about ashtanga yoga? So, let’s take a quick swim in the ocean of ashtanga yoga and find some gold that adorns our journey of liberation. What is Ashtanga Yoga? Knowing the definition of ashtanga yoga is easy, “asht” means eight, and “anga” means limbs, eight limbs of yoga but understanding each limb's true meaning and essence will require patience and real-life experiences. What are the eight limbs in Ashtanga Yoga? Eight limbs of ashtanga yoga unfold…
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Steps to Perform Sun Salutation

Position 1: Pranamasana (prayer pose) Keep your eyes closed. Remain standing upright with the feet together.Slowly bend the elbows and place the palms together in front of the chest in namaskara mudra, mentally offering homage to the sun, the source of all life. Relax the whole body.Breathing: Breath normally.Awareness: Physical – on the chest area. Spiritual – on Anahata chakra.Benefits: This pose establishes a state of concentration and calmness in preparation for the practice to be performed.Mantra: Om Mitraya Namaha, salutations to the friend of all.Position 2: Hasta Utthanasana (raised arms pose) Separate the hands, raise and stretch both arms above the head, keeping them shoulder width apart. Bend the head, arms, and upper trunk slightly backward.Breathing: Inhale while raising the arms.Awareness: Physical – on the stretch of the abdomen…
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Surya Namaskar as Your Morning Meditation

Surya Namaskar as Your Morning Meditation

The Sanskrit name Surya here refers to the sun and namaskar means ‘salutations. Surya namaskar has been handed down from the enlightened sages of the Vedic age and this can become a type of morning meditation for you. The sun symbolizes spiritual consciousness and in ancient times was worshipped on a daily basis. In yoga, the sun is represented by Pingala or Surya Nadi, the pranic channel which carries the vital, life-giving force.This dynamic group of asanas is not a traditional part of hatha yoga practices as it was added to the original asana group at a later time. However, it is an effective way of loosening up, stretching, massaging, and toning all the joints, muscles, and internal organs of the body. Its versatility and application make it one of…
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