See general instructions about yoga practice.
1
Stand erect with toes and heels together. Hold hands together in namaskar mudra near your chest. Keep your neck upright and look straight in front of you. Relax your entire body, keep breathing gently, and try to maintain a static pose.
2
Inhale and take your hands above your head. Join your palms to take raised arm pose and look upwards. Now bend your trunk backward while inhaling.
3
Padahastasan: Bend forwards (as if diving) while exhaling and try to touch the floor with your palms (at least fingers). Try to bring your knees and forehead as close as possible. Do not bend at knees.
4
As you inhale, take your left leg back and touch your left knee to the ground. Keep your right knee in place and bend backward to lift your chin and look up.
5
Take your left leg back while exhaling completely, resting only on palms and toes (plank position). Maintain a straight back with the body inclined to ground at about 30 degrees and look straight forward.
6
Ashtang pose: Lower your knees, chest, and head one after another in breathe-out condition ( Bahya-kumbhaka). Do not move hands and toes. In this position (Sashtanga Namaskar), forehead, chest, palms, knees, and feet are the eight organs that will touch the ground. The buttocks are raised.
7
Inhale, straighten your hands to raise the head and trunk, making the spine concave upwards (Bhujangasan). Then, bend your neck back and look up.
8
Adhomukh Shawasan: Exhale, raise your hips and pull your body backward by pressing heels on the floor. Push your head down and press your chin on your neck. Make a complete arch with soles and palms touching the floor.
9
Inhale and bring the left leg in between the two hands. Look up to raise your chin and arch your back concave upwards.
10
Exhale and bring your right foot forwards near the left foot. Bend forwards till your hands touch your feet and forehead touches knees.
11
Come up while inhaling and stretch your hands above your head. Then, slowly bend backward from your waist.
12
Bring hands down. Stand erect with hands together at chest (original pose – namaskar mudra) and relax for a while.
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.