Standing erect is known as Danda-Sthiti. Stand with a straight neck, back, and low back. Place both hands straight with palms touching your thighs. Heels and great toes should touch each other. Look straight ahead and keep on breathing normally.
See general instructions about yoga practice.
Tadasana
Stand erect with feet touching each other and hands near thighs. Inhale, raise your arms slowly up above your head, and stretch your hands upwards. Your arms will now touch your ears. Next, lift your heels standing on your toes and stretch your entire body upwards. Look ahead with a steady gaze and hold on breathing normally (mountain pose). While exhaling, get your heels down to the floor and bring your hands to their original position.
Ardhakatichakrasana
Stand erect. While inhaling, raise your right hand above your head till your arm touches the ear. The right palm should face leftwards. Bend slowly to your left, slide your left palm down as far as possible along the left leg. Exhale as you bend. Do not bend your right elbow. Maintain this position for some time while breathing normally. Straighten up slowly and bring down right hand. Repeat the asana on your left side.
Ardhachakrasana
Stand erect with some distance between your legs. Support yourself by keeping palms on the lower back with fingers pointing forward. While inhaling, bend backward at the lumbar region. Bend back your neck and let your head hang free. Hold on for some time, breathing normally in this half-wheel position. Inhale and come up while supporting your back with your hands. Bring legs together and return to the original position.
Padahastasana
Stand erect with feet a little apart. Inhale and take both your hands above your head and hold them straight up. While exhaling, bend forwards at your waist and try to place palms flat on the ground. Try to touch knees with your head by pulling abdominal muscles in. Do not bend knees. Hold on breathing normally for some time and return slowly to the original position.
Trikonasana
Place your right foot towards your right as far away as you can. Raise both hands away from your body and hold them parallel to the ground. While inhaling, bend from your waist to your right till your right fingers reach the right ankle. Stretch your left hand upwards, turn your neck and look up to your left fingers. Hold on for some time, breathing normally, and return to the original position in reverse order. Relax for a while and repeat the asana on the left side.
Veerbhadrasana
Stand with both feet together. Move your left leg to your left and place your feet as far away as possible. Turn your left foot by 90 degrees and rotate your body to the left. Support yourself with a firmly placed right foot. Hold both hands in namaskara position (one palm over the other with outstretched fingers) and raise them. Bend your left knee at 90 degrees, placing it over your left foot while maintaining your right leg straight. Bend backward to take back your hands to make an arch comprising hands, neck, back, and right leg. Look upwards and hold on for some time, breathing normally. Return to the original position in reverse order. Relax for a while and repeat the asana on the other side.
Ugrasana
Stand erect and spread legs as far away as you can. While exhaling, bend from your waist and try to reach and hold both ankles with respective hands. Try to lean further to touch your head on the floor. Hold on for some time, breathing normally. While exhaling, straighten your back slowly and bring your legs together to stand erect. Follow up the asana with ardhachakrasana to reduce back-strain.
Vrukshasana
Bend your right knee and place your right foot on the inner side of the left thigh near the groin by firmly pressing your right heel. You may take support of a nearby wall or chair to maintain balance. Raise both hands straight above your head without bending at elbows and stretch them up. Hold on for some time, breathing normally. While exhaling, return gently to the original standing position. Repeat the asana with the other leg.
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General instructions about exercise
Do exercises in fresh, pleasant environment.
It is better to exercise on empty stomach (morning/evening).
Do not eat anything for about an hour after exercise. Sips of water or other fluids are allowed.
Wear comfortable cotton clothes during exercise.
Use proper footwear during exercise. Use of sports or canvas shoes recommended.
Breathe in and out normally from nose. Avoid mouth-breathing.
Concentrate on your exercise and exercise slowly. Never exercise hastily; do not jerk your joints.
Rest for a minute or so if you feel fatigue.
Concentrate on the joint or muscle group for which you are exercising.
Learn exercises, especially those for shoulder, from a physiotherapist.
One should feel relaxation of muscles after exercise. Increase in pain after exercise may indicate wrong method. Stop exercise and meet your physiotherapist again in such situation.
Be relaxed and maintain proper posture during exercise. It is good to look into a mirror during initial days of exercise.
Maintain a posture for about 10 seconds and return back slowly to resting position.
Start low - for some minutes - and increase your work-out gradually.
Exercise one sided limbs at a time initially. Simultaneous exercise for both limbs will be possible after some days.
Exercise twice each day. Regularity is of utmost importance.
Look for a friend if exercising alone gets boring. Exercise accompanied by music is quite entertaining.
Balanced diet is also necessary appropriate benefits of exercise. Meal timings should be strictly adhered to. Consult a dietitian for reducing weight.
General instructions for yoga practice
Yoga postures should be practiced in a clean and fresh surrounding. Do the asanas on a soft and clean mattress. Use clean, light, loose and minimum clothing.
Do the asanas in morning or evening on empty stomach. Eat light food half an hour after completing practice.
Warm-up, in the form of Soorya-namaskar is desirable prior to asanas.
All movements should be gentle and controlled. Do not jerk your body. Do not over-stretch. Do not use any force to overdo.
Watch your breathing. Breathing should be easy and natural. Exhale while you bend forwards and inhale while bending backwards. Never hold breath.
One should be comfortable in any asana. Do whatever little you can. Do not try to overstretch to attain a pose as given in pictures. Trembling during asana implies overdoing.
Steadiness is of utmost importance. Period of staying in a single pose will increase with practice. Try to contract only those muscles that are required for a particular pose while relaxing all other muscles.
Draw your mind away from your body and concentrate on breathing on attaining desired pose.
Select and practice a few asanas and try to master them.
There should not be any pain, fatigue or sweating during asanas. Do a resting asana if any of these appear. One should feel enthusiastic after a yoga session.
45 minutes of yoga practice each day is desirable. Pranayama may also be done for a few minutes. Regularity is the key to success.