MENSTRUATION

MENSTRUATION

Exercise during menstruation is generally highly recommended. It's believed that exercise can ease the discomfort of dysmenorrhea; quell mood swings, anxiety, and depression; and reduce bloating.

Most contemporary yoga teachers advise a fairly conservative approach toward asana practice during menstruation. These menstrual sequences generally consist of prop-supported poses-mostly forward bends. This makes perfect sense for women who feel sluggish during their cycle. However, many other women don't feel the need to change anything about their practice during menstruation, except maybe to limit strenuous inverted poses. Each student should decide for herself what kind of asana sequence is most appropriate for her body during menstruation.

Menstruation Sequence (minimum time 45 minutes, maximum time 60 minutes)

1. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
Support the torso on a bolster. (Total time 5 minutes.)

2. Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose)
Use a strap to hold the raised leg in place. Hold each side for 2 minutes; total time 4 minutes.

3. Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
(Total time 2 minutes.)

4. Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)
Support the head either on a bolster laid across your extended leg, or if you're less flexible on the front edge of a padded chair seat. Hold each side for 3 to 5 minutes; total time 6 to 10 minutes.

5. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
With your torso and head supported on a bolster laid along your legs. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)

6. Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide-Angle Pose)
Rest the torso on a bolster positioned between your legs with its long axis parallel to your torso. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes). Then come up and twist to each side for 30 seconds to 1 minute, holding the shin or the inside of the foot. (Total time 1 to 2 minutes.)

7. Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward-Facing Bow)
Supported on a chair. Pad the chair seat with either a sticky mat or a folded blanket. Then slide your legs through the space between the chair back and seat, and sit on the back edge of the seat facing the chair back. Grip the chair legs just below the chair back and, with an exhalation, lean into a backbend. The front edge of the seat should cross your back torso just under your shoulder blades. Keep your knees bent and feet on the floor. Support the back of your head, either on a bolster or a block. You can continue to hold the chair legs, stretch your arms overhead, or slip your arms underneath the seat between the chair legs and grip the back rung. Be sure to breathe smoothly.

To come up, grip the chair legs just below the chair back, and pull yourself up with an exhalation. Try to lead to movement of your torso with your chest, not your head. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)

8. Seated Twist
Still sitting reversed through the chair, twist to the right with an exhalation, hold for 30 seconds, then twist to the left for 30 seconds. Repeat three times to each side, each time holding for 30 seconds. (Total time 3 minutes.)

9. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Support the pelvis on a bolster or rolled blanket. (Total time 5 to 10 minutes.) Be sure to slide off the support before your turn to your side.

10. Savasana (Corpse)
(Total time 8 to 10 minutes.)

Source : yogajournal.com

DEPRESSION

DEPRESSION

The word "depression" covers a wide range of conditions, from long-standing and severe clinical or major depression to shorter-term and episodic mild depression, also called dysthymic disorder, to situational depression brought on by a major life change, such as the death of a spouse, job loss, divorce.

Many different therapies are available for depression, including anti-depressants and psychotherapy. Studies indicate that regular exercise too, including yoga asanas and breathing, can help some people ease the symptoms of mild to moderate forms of depression.

Of course, one major hurdle in using exercise to alleviate depression is motivation, or lack of it. Most depressed people don't really feel much like getting out of bed in the morning, much less exercising. Then too, failure to see the exercise program through can make a depressed person feel even worse. So start off slowly, and be sure to choose an exercise that you really enjoy; if possible, exercise with a supportive partner or group. Try to exercise at least three times a week.

DEPRESSION SEQUENCE (minimum time 40 minutes, maximum time 70 minutes)

1. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) with your back torso supported on a rolled blanket positioned below and parallel to your spine. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)

2. Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose)
Use a strap to hold the raised leg in place. Hold each side for 1 to 2 minutes; total time 2 to 4 minutes.

3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) Use a bolster or block to support the head. (Total time 1 to 2 minutes.)

4. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
Support your head and crossed forearms supported on a padded chair seat. (Total time 1 to 3 minutes.)

5. Sirsasana (Headstand)
Intermediate students should perform the full pose for a total time of 3 to 5 minutes. Bring your feet back to the floor slowly together if possible, either with straight knees or bent, with an exhalation, and stand in Standing Forward Bend for 30 seconds before coming up. (Total time 3 minutes.)

6. Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose)
Supported on a chair. Pad the chair seat either with a sticky mat or folded blanket. Then slide your legs through the space between the chair back and seat, and sit on the back edge of the seat facing the chair back. Grip the chair legs just below the chair back and, with an exhalation, lean into a backbend. The front edge of the seat should cross your back torso just under your shoulder blades. Keep your knees bent and feet on the floor. Support the back of your head, either on a bolster or a block. You can continue to hold the chair legs, stretch your arms overhead, or slip your arms underneath the seat between the chair legs and grip the back rung. Be sure to breathe smoothly.

To come up, grip the chair legs just below the chair back, and pull yourself up with an exhalation. Try to lead to movement of your torso with your chest, not your head. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)

7. Seated twist
Continue to sit reversed through the chair, twist to the right with an exhalation, hold for 30 seconds, then twist to the left for 30 seconds. Repeat three times to each side, each time holding for 30 seconds. (Total time 3 minutes.)

8. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) Place a blank under the shoulders for support. Repeat three times, each time for 30 seconds to 1 minute. (Total time 2 to 3 minutes.)

9. Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)
(Total time 3 to 5 minutes.) Follow Shoulderstand with Halasana (Plow Pose). Intermediate students should do full Plow with their feet on the floor, beginners can do Plow with their feet resting on a chair seat. (Total time 1 to 2 minutes.)

10. Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Forward Bend)
Support the head either on a bolster laid across your extended leg, or if you're less flexible, on the front edge of a padded chair seat. Hold each side for 1 to 3 minutes; total time 2 to 6 minutes.

11. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
Allow the torso supported on a bolster, and shoulders and head resting lightly on the floor. Keep your knees bent and feet on the floor. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)

12. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Pelvis is supported on a bolster or rolled blanket. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.) Be sure to slide off the support before your turn to your side.

13. Reclining Conqueror Ujjayi
Lie on a blanket support to open your chest, with long, smooth, full inhalations and exhalations. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)

14. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Come off your blanket support and lay your back torso flat on the floor. Support your bent knees on a bolster. (Total time 8 to 10 minutes.)

Source : yogajournal.com

HEADACHE SEQUENCE

HEADACHE SEQUENCE

There are many different kinds of headaches, some (like tension headaches and migraines) are fairly common, others (like sinus headaches or headaches caused by brain tumors) are relatively rare. Various treatments—including drugs, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage, and stress-relief techniques—are recommended for dealing with headaches. Yoga asanas and breathing can help too, though mostly with tension-type headaches.

Everyone gets a tension headache now and again, but if you suffer from this type of headache habitually, it's important to consult a doctor or other health practitioner to treat the pain and work to resolve the ultimate source of the tension.

When treating a tension headache with asanas and breathing, it's important to start practicing as soon as possible after you start to feel the pain. Once the headache is established it will be very difficult to alleviate.

Whenever I work with a headache, I like to wrap my head with an Ace bandage. You can either firmly wrap your forehead only, or wrap both your forehead and your eyes (though if you do the latter, be sure not to wrap your eyes too tightly). This may sound a little strange, but the pressure of the bandage around the head and eyes as well the bandage's blocking of outside light help to release the tension.

Roll the bandage up into a tight roll, and start with the free end against the base of your skull. Wind the bandage around your head, either just your forehead or both your forehead and eyes and ears. Don't cover your nose. Whenever you need to see, to change positions or arrange a prop, slip your thumbs up under the bandage and push it up slightly off your eyes. Then when you're ready to do another pose, slip it back down over your eyes.

As you hold each position, imagine your brain "shrinking" away from the wrap. Imagine a space opening up between the front of your brain and the inner surface of your forehead, and let the brain "sink" onto the back of the skull case. Practice this visualization especially in the reclining positions. When trying to alleviate a headache, you should emphasize the lengthening of the exhalation of your breath.

The following sequences refer to certain props throughout-mainly a bolster, a strap, and/or a block. While you may be able to find substitutes around the house, I recommend investing in some good props, which can be purchased online or at your local yoga studio.

HEADACHE SEQUENCE (minimum time 25 minutes, maximum time 45 minutes)

1. Balasana (Child's Pose)
Perform either with your head on the floor, or with your torso and head supported on a bolster positioned between your thighs. The bolster's long axis should be parallel to your torso. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)

2. Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)
Support your head either on a bolster laid across your extended leg, or, if you're less flexible, on the front edge of a padded chair seat. Hold each side for 1 to 3 minutes; total time 2 to 6 minutes.

3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
Support your head on a bolster or block. (Total time 1 to 2 minutes.)

4. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
Place your head and crossed forearms supported on a padded chair seat. (Total time 1 to 3 minutes.)

5. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
Support the torso on a rolled blanket underneath and parallel to your spine. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)

6. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
Support the torso on a bolster, and shoulders and head resting lightly on the floor. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)

7. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Let the pelvis be support either on a bolster or rolled blanket. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.) To avoid any possibility of straining your back when exiting, be sure not to twist off the support. Either 1) slide off the support first before turning to your side, or 2) bend your knees, press your feet against the wall, and with an inhalation lift your pelvis off the support; then slide the support off to one side, lower your pelvis to the floor, and turn onto your side.

8. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Take normal inhalations but lengthen the exhalations as much as is comfortable for you. If you normally take 5 counts on an exhalation, extend it to 7 or 8 counts if possible. At the end of the first 10 or so exhalations, pause for 2 to 5 seconds before drawing the next inhalation. (Total time 10 to 15 minutes.)

When in Corpse Pose you might also want to lay a weighted sandbag on your forehead. Lie in Corpse and position a block so that it's touching the top of your head It's long axis should be perpendicular to your head. Lay the weighted bag half on the block and half on your forehead. As with the wrap, the pressure of the weight on your head helps release the tension.

Source : yogajournal.com

BEGINNERS YOGA

BEGINNERS YOGA:
Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
Surya Namaskar -- 3 Rounds (Sun Salutations)
Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)
Dandasana (Staff Pose)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
Upavistha Konasana (Wide Angle Pose)
Navasana (Boat Pose)
(Locust Pose)
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Reclining Twist
Savasana (Corpse Pose)

ADVANCED BEGINNERS
Virasana (Hero or Heroine Pose)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations)
Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)
Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)
Ardha Navasana (Half Boat Pose)
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Salabhasana (Locust Pose)
Makrasana (Crocodile Pose)
Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulderstand)
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Forward Bend)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Marichyasana III (Marichi's Pose, Variation III)
Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Yoga Sequences for Beginners

Yoga Sequences for Beginners

Asana (pose) sequences come in different shapes and sizes.

Nine Sequences:

* 45-Minute Beginners
* Advanced Beginners
* Headache
* Menstruation
* Depression
* Groins
* Shoulders
* Forward Bends
* Backbends

Every contemporary school of yoga, such as Iyengar, Viniyoga, Bikram, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa to name a few, has its own ideas about how to sequence an asana practice. Most sequences are linear, that is one posture follows another in a logical step-by-step direction, moving from less challenging to more challenging and back to less challenging. In general, a sequence like this opens with simple warm-ups that set a theme for the practice, intensifies to more challenging postures, slows to cooling postures and ends with relaxation (Corpse Pose).

But this is just one way to sequence. Typically each posture in the sequence is performed just once but you could also perform each posture two to three times, focusing on a different aspect of the posture each time. Take, for example, Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)-you can first perform the pose focusing on your feet or legs, then repeat it while focusing on the spine or arms.

You can also build the entire sequence around just one posture, like Triangle, returning to it again and again, and use the other postures in the sequence to investigate aspects of the main posture.

Here's an example of a general linear sequence (based on the Iyengar tradition of yoga):

1. Centering
Begin the practice with either a simple meditation or breathing exercise (in a seated or reclining position) to collect and concentrate your awareness.
2. Preparation
Perform a few simple exercises (such as hip or groin openers) that warm up the body in preparation for the theme or focus of the practice.
3. Sun Salute (Surya Namaskar)
Three to ten rounds.
4. Standing postures
5. Arm balances
6. Inversions
7. Abdominal and/or arm strength postures
8. Backbends
9. Shoulderstand
10. Twists and/or forward bends
11. Corpse (Savasana)

Of course, a full practice sequence like this would take at least 90 minutes to finish, which is probably too long for the average working student. A more reasonable length of practice time is about 45 minutes. Here are two possible practices-one for beginners and one for advanced beginners-that would fit nicely into this timeframe. To see a photo of or to find out how to perform, deepen, or modify the poses listed simply click on the pose names for full instructions.

The Roots of Chanting and Mantra

The Roots of Chanting and Mantra

There's a long tradition in India of saluting the teacher or evoking divine power through a mantra to open a practice. Such a preamble helps the student to steady her resolve and to remind her of the goal of the work, which is always self-liberation. It also serves to signal the student's intent to humbly offer the upcoming practice as a sacrifice to the divine, which is the source of all true wisdom.

The recitation of mantra is known as japa, which literally means "muttering, whispering." According to schools such as Hatha Yoga and Mantra Yoga, the universe is created through the medium of sound, and all sound, whether subtle or audible, issues from a transcendent, "soundless" source called the "supreme sound" or "supreme voice" (shabda-brahman or para-vac). While all sounds possess some degree of shabda-brahman's creative force, the sounds of mantras are far more forceful than other sounds.

As a practice, japa is thousands of years old. In the beginning, mantras were drawn only from the thousands of verses in the Rig-Veda, Hinduism's oldest and holiest scripture. After some time, mantras were taken from non-Vedic sources as well, such as the numerous texts associated with the schools of Hindu Tantra, or those revealed to seers (rishis) in meditation. Mantra Yoga as a formal school is a relatively recent development, though "recent" in yoga years means between twelve and fifteen centuries. Instructional manuals commonly list sixteen "limbs" (anga) of practice. Many of them--such as asana, conscious breathing, and meditation--are shared with other yoga schools.

The building blocks of all mantras are the 50 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. Mantras can consist of a single letter, a syllable or string of syllables, a word, or a whole sentence. Etymologically, the word "mantra" is derived from the verb "man,' which means "to think," and the suffix "tra," which denotes instrumentality. A mantra then is literally an "instrument of thought" that concentrates, intensifies, and spiritualizes our consciousness.

Tradition estimates that there are 70 million mantras. This number shouldn't be taken too literally; it simply signifies that there are lots of mantras. Yogis assert that, to be most effective, a mantra should be received orally from a self-realized teacher (guru), not merely learned from a book, so that it's infused with the teacher's spiritual energy. And to preserve its reservoir of power, a mantra should be kept in strictest secrecy, and not revealed to anyone else.

Mantra traditionally has two purposes, which can be called worldly and spiritual. We usually think of mantra solely as an instrument of self-transformation. But in ancient times mantra was also used for mundane and not necessarily positive ends, such as communicating with and appeasing ghosts and ancestors, exorcism or warding off evil forces, remedies for illnesses, control of other people's thoughts or actions, and the acquisition of powers (siddha) or magical skills. As for its spiritual purpose, mantra is said to quiet the habitual fluctuations of our consciousness and then steer consciousness toward its source in the Self.

We're accustomed to the idea that mantras are recited aloud. But mantras can also be "not-spoken" or "not-muttered" (ajapa). One old text, the Yoga-Yajnavalkya (2.16), maintains that a whispered mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than a spoken one, a mental mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than a whispered one, and finally meditating on a mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than its silent recitation. Some teachers mention a third subcategory of ajapa-mantra, which is writing (likhita) out the mantra.

Yogis also categorize mantras as either "meaningful" or "meaningless." Mantras in the "meaningful" category have an obvious surface meaning along with the esoteric one. Examples of meaningful mantras are the "great sayings" (maha-vakya) drawn from the texts known as the Upanishads, such as "I am the Absolute" (aham brahma asmi) and "You are That" (tat tvam asi). Meaningful mantras have two functions: to instill within the reciter a particular spiritual doctrine, and to serve as a vehicle for meditation.

It's rather misleading to call the second category of mantras "meaningless." Meaningless mantras are only apparently so to noninitiates, who don't possess the key to their understanding. Those in the know, who have undergone proper initiation, understand the mantra perfectly well. Besides, the purpose of these mantras isn't to impart a particular doctrine but to affect a certain state of consciousness in the reciter.

Nowadays it's not always possible to find a guru to provide you with a mantra and teach you the proper way to recite it. But if you're interested in learning about mantra, first check your local yoga school for a mantra class or workshop, or at least an asana class in which japa is a regular feature. The best way to learn mantra is still directly from a teacher, even though he or she may not be totally enlightened. Another acceptable way to learn about mantra is from audio productions; I've listed three (and there are many more) in the Resources section below. To get started, you can also listen to audio clips on YogaJournal.com.

There are a few important things to remember when practicing japa. Always pay careful attention to the speed and rhythm of your chanting, and the correct pronunciation, aim, and esoteric meaning of the mantra. It's claimed hat a mantra that's mispronounced and used inappropriately is "asleep" or totally ineffective. It's also recommended that you practice japa at the same time every day and place every day, facing either north or east. The most propitious time is called the "hour of Brahma" (brahma-muhurta), which is set at different times by different teachers, commonly either at sunrise or an hour before. Of course, this might not always be possible, so any time and place will do, as long as you practice regularly.

Guide to Common Chants

Guide to Common Chants



Ever wonder what you're chanting during a yoga class? Nervous about chanting the wrong thing? The Yoga Journal Guide provides translations, historical information, and audio clips for common chants.



1. Aum Om

The Primal Shabda

Om, actually pronounced "Aum," is an affirmation of the Divine Presence that is the universe and is similar to the Hebrew "Amen." There are many ways of chanting Aum, but this is an approach that will initiate you as a Shabda Yogi, one who pursues the path of sound toward wholeness and higher states of consciousness.



2. Lokah Samastha

A Chant for Wholeness



Lokah samastha sukhino bhavanthu.

May this world be established with a sense of well-being and happiness.



3. Gayatri

Being Illuminated by Sacred Sound



Om bhur bhuvas svaha

Thath savithur varaynyam

Bhargo dheyvasya dhimahih

Dhyoyonah pratchodhay-yath



We worship the word (shabda) that is present in the earth, the heavens, and that which is beyond. By meditating on this glorious power that gives us life, we ask that our minds and hearts be illuminated.



4. Om Namah Shivaaya



Om Namah Shivaaya, Namah Shivaaya, Nama Shiva

I bow to Lord Shiva, the peaceful one who is the embodiment of all that is cause by the universe.



5. Bija Mantras

Seed Mantras



In the “seed” (bija) mantras each seed is conceived of as the sound-form of a particular Hindu deity, and each deity is in turn a particular aspect of the Absolute (Brahman). It’s said that just as a great tree resides in within the seed, so does a god or goddess reside in each bija. When we chant the bijas, we identify each syllable with the divine energy they represent.

Sound	Pronunciation	Awareness
Lam	Curve the tip of your tongue up and back, and place it on the rear section of the upper palate to pronounce a sound like the word alum without the initial a.	Base of the spine
Vam	Place the upper set of teeth on the inner section of your lower lip and begin with a breathy consonant to imitate the sound of a fast car. Pronounce the mantra like "fvam."	Genitals
Ram	Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of the front section of the upper palate, roll the r as in Spanish, and pronounce the mantra like the first part of the word rumble.	Abdomen
Yam	Inhale audibly through your mouth, and pronounce the word hum (as in humming); allow the breath to extend beyond the resolution of the consonant.	Solar Plexus and Heart Area
Ham	Inhale noiselessly through your mouth, and pronounce the sound like the word yum (as in yummy); allow the sound along with your breath to fill your mouth and throat cavity.	Throat
Om	Inhale audibly through your nostrils, and direct the stream of air to the point between your eyebrows. Pronounce the sound along with your exhalation as a subtly audible whisper, allowing the sound and breath to resonate in the cranial area.	Point between the eyebrows