Exp: 1.
Aim:-Perform warming up exercises to prepare the body from head to
toe for Yoga.
benefits of warming up before yoga?
The practitioners can experience the following benefits by warming up
before the Yoga session.
1. Enhance blood flow to the muscles – Warm-up exercises before yoga
enhance blood flow into the muscles. It helps muscles to fulfill the need
at the physical level before proceeding into the yoga practice.
2. Heightens Awareness – As we begin to move our body parts in a certain
direction, the muscular movements direct blood to deliver ample
oxygen to the brain. It makes the practitioner more attentive and
focused during the Yoga practice.
3. Loosen up Muscles – Warm-up yoga stretches raises the blood
circulation and makes the muscle contract and relax frequently as long
as the practitioner warms up. This makes muscles follow the
movements more softly.
4. Makes body flexible – It is essential to achieve decent flexibility before
jumping into the yoga asanas practice. So, warming up yoga helps in
allowing some room to extends body movements.
5. Reduces the chances of Injury – Without warm-up yoga practitioners
become prone to the injuries like a hamstring strain, muscle strain,
tearing of muscles, etc. So, it’s better to go through warm-up yoga prior
to the yoga asanas session.
Yoga Warm-up Exercises
1. Shoulder Warm up
Shoulder acts as foundational support in numbers of
balancing yoga asanas. So, it is important to have a strong and
flexible base structure that helps in the safe practice of further
yoga practice.
Shoulder Socket Rotation
▪ Begin by standing straight, bend your hand from the elbow,
and place them on your shoulders.
▪ Now keeping fingers on your shoulder, slowly inhale while
opening your chest – rotate your hands in the clockwise direction
(up and back).
▪ With exhale, rotate your hands in the anticlockwise direction
(down and forward).
▪ Do 5 rounds of rotation in both directions.
▪ Now, bring your hands beside the hips and breathe slowly to
relax.
This warm-up exercise is a traditional yoga pose in Ashtanga yoga
called skandh Chakra.
Alternate Up and Down hands
movement
▪ Stand erect and raise your hands up to shoulder level. Then
inhale to take your right hand up above the right shoulder and left
hand down beside the hip. Make sure both remain straight.
▪ Now, exhale to bring your left hand up above the left shoulder
and take your right hand down beside the hip.
▪ Perform this sequence 5 to 10 times and then bring both hands
down beside the hips. Then breathe slowly and deeply to relax.
2. Neck Warm up
The neck is one of the most important body parts
when it comes to the practice of yoga. Neck warm-up helps to
lengthen back neck muscle and release any tension in it.
Neck Rotation
▪ Stand straight with legs hips distance apart and stabilize
your shoulder to look in the front direction.
▪ Remain calm and then begin to rotate your head in a clockwise
direction. After resting for a minute, go for an anti-clockwise
round.
▪ As completes the practice bring your head in an equilibrium
position and breathe slowly and deeply until your vision stabilizes.
Then relax.
Side Tilt
▪ Come into a standing erect posture or one can practice by sitting
in any comfortable posture.
▪ Perform a few gentle inhale and exhale before you begin to move
your neck in either direction.
▪ Now, proceed with a semi-rotation of the head to the right side of
your body. Your chin would be in the vicinity of your left shoulder
here.
▪ And then, inhale to bring it back in the center. Furthermore,
Exhale to tilt head in the right to perform another semi-rotation of
the head near the right shoulder.
▪ And then return to the center to inhale. This will complete the one
cycle of your Neck movement and then relax.
Neck Forward and Backward Tilt
This can be done while you’re seated cross-legged or on
your feet. Keep your moves slow and smooth.
▪ Straight your back, head, shoulder aligned.
▪ Inhale, tilt your chin up upside in a way that your chin faces the
ceiling. Remain here for 10 seconds.
▪ Relax, and slowly come to starting position.
▪ From here, exhale down your chin towards your chest. Hold this
position for 10 to 15 seconds. Feel the gentle stretch in the upper
back.
▪ Do this exercise 5 times in both directions.
3. Spinal Warm-up
Spinal warm-up before yoga is a very must to remove the
stiffness and improves flexion movements in different yoga poses.
The spine is what makes us stand straight and it is also
responsible for bending forward and backward in various Yoga
asanas. This is the reason to consider this body part in the Warm-
up yoga sequence.
Conclusion:-
Exp: 2.
Aim:-Perform all the postures of Surya Namaskar one by one in a very slow pace, after warm
up.
Surya Namaskar also known as Sun Salute or Salute to the Sun, is an all-time favorite of
many yogis. It is a very systematic technique which combines the twelve asanas in a yoga
sequence. Its root is in India where there are many Hindu worshippers of Surya who is the
Sun deity.
Benefits of Surya Namaskar
Surya Namaskar can help you learn how to internalize the sun as part of your body
system. The Surya Namaskar’s design with the twelve postures can help the twelve
sun cycles become in sync with your physical cycles.
The solar plexus is the central point of the human body. It is behind the navel and
connects with the Sun. This is the primary reason why many yoga masters suggest
the practice of Surya Namaskar in the morning. The consistent performance of this
method can boost the solar plexus. As a result, vitality, confidence, ingenuity,
instinctive and mental abilities increase.
12 Surya Namaskar Steps
The Sun Salutation can be a very good workout for the cardiovascular during a fast
pace. On the other hand, it can be very relaxing and reflective when yoga postures
are executed at a slower pace. Nonetheless, it is enjoyable to perform salute to the
sun either way. Your body will surely stretch and become flexible with regular
practice.
Here are the Surya Namaskar steps that you should practice every morning with tips
on how to deepen into the pose. Check them out!
Step 1: Prayer pose – Pranamasana
Execution:
1. Stand at the end of your mat, keep your feet together and distribute your weight on
both feet equally.
2. Open your chest and just relax your shoulders.
3. Breathe in and lift both your arms up from the sides.
4. Exhale and bring your palms together in a prayer position in front of your chest.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Activate your feet and stand as if they are tripods.
2. Activate your legs and keep your spine erect.
Step 2: Raised arms pose – Hastauttanasana
Execution:
1. Breath in and lift your arms up and back.
2. Make sure that your biceps are close to your ears.
3. Make effort to stretch your whole body starting from the heels up to the finger tips.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Push the pelvis forward just a little bit.
2. Instead of bending backwards, reach up with fingers.
Step 3: Hand to foot pose – Hasta Padasana
Execution:
1. Breathing out and bend forward from your waist while keeping your spine straight.
2. Exhale and completely bring your hands down to the floor beside your feet.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Bend your knees to bring your palms down to the floor.
2. Make a moderate effort to straighten your knees.
3. Keep your hands motionless in this position.
4. Never move them until you compete this third sequence.
Step 4: Equestrian pose – Ashwa Sanchalanasana
Execution:
1. Breath in and push your right leg as far back as possible.
2. Bring your right knee to the floor and slowly look up.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Check if your left foot is exactly in between the palms.
Step 5: Stick pose – Dandasana
Execution:
1. Breath in and take your left leg back
2. Bring your whole body in a straight line.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Keep your arms erect to the floor.
Step 6: Salute with eight parts or points – Ashtanga
Namaskara
Execution:
1. Gradually bring your knees down to the floor then exhale.
2. Slightly take your hips back and slide forward.
3. Relax your chest and chin on the ground.
4. Elevate your posterior a little bit.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. The eight parts of your body including two hands, two feet, two knees, chest and chin
should touch the ground.
Step 7: Cobra pose – Bhujangasana
Execution:
1. Slide forward and raise your chest up into the Cobra pose.
2. Keep your elbows bent and fixed in this pose.
3. Keep your shoulders away from your ears.
4. Slowly look up.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Inhale and make a moderate effort to push your chest forward.
2. Exhale and make a light effort to push your navel down.
3. Tuck your toes under.
4. Make sure that you are stretching just as much as you can and do not go beyond the
limits of your body.
Step 8: Mountain pose – Parvatasana
Execution:
1. Breath out and lift your hips as well as your tail bone up.
2. Put your chest downwards to create an inverted V pose.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
● Keep your heels on the ground as possible.
● Make a moderate effort to lift your tailbone up.
● Gradually go deeper into the stretch.
Step 9: Equestrian pose – Ashwa Sanchalanasana
Execution:
1. Breath in and bring your right foot forward in between the two hands.
2. Bring your left knee down to the ground.
3. Press your hips down then look up.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Place your right foot exactly between the two hands.
2. Make sure that your right calf is perpendicular to the ground.
3. You only need moderate effort in order to push your hips down towards the floor and
deepen the yoga stretch.
Step 10: Hand to foot pose – Hasta Padasana
Execution:
1. Breath out and bring your left foot forward.
2. Keep your palms on the ground.
3. You can bend your knees, if you feel some discomfort.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Gently straighten your knees and if you can, try and touch your nose to the knees.
2. Keep on breathing.
Step 11: Raised Arms Pose- Hastauttanasana
Execution:
1. Breath in and roll your spine up,
2. Make your hands go up and bend backwards a little bit
3. Push your hips slightly outward.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Make sure that your biceps are beside your ears.
2. Aim to stretch up more instead of stretching backwards.
Step 12: Standing Mountain pose – Tadasana
Execution:
1. Exhale and first straighten your body.
2. Bring your arms down.
Yoga Stretch Deepening Tip:
1. Relax in this yoga pose.
2. Observe the sensations that the Sun salutations bring in your body.
Conclusion:-
Exp 3.
Aim:-Perform multiple Surya Namaskar ( Starting with three and gradually
increasing it to twelve) in one go.
Surya Namaskar is a sequence of 12 steps of asanas performed as a warm up in
a yoga session. It originated in India to salute the Sun, which is considered a
deity and worshipped. One Surya Namaskar has 12 steps and one set of Surya
Namaskar comprises 12 Surya Namaskars. You can start with a set of three or six
and gradually increase the number to 12. It is customary that 12 salutations be
chanted before each Surya Namaskar (12 step sequence).
Steps 1
Join your palms and stand straight. Make the salutation: ॐ मित्राय
नमः (om mitrāya namaḥ).
2
Raise your hands and stretch them back. Make the salutation: ॐ रवये
नमः (om ravaye namaḥ.)[3]
1.
3
Bend down and try to hold your ankles with your hands. Make the
salutation: ॐ सूर्याय नमः (om sūryāya namaḥ).
4
Place the right foot at the back, left foot under the torso and look
straight. Make the salutation: ॐ भानवे नमः (om bhānava namaḥ).[5]
2.
5
Put both legs together at the back, keep your elbow straight and
keep your spine straight. Make the salutation: ॐ खगाय नमः (om khagāya
namaḥ).[6]
3.
6
Bend your elbows and push your body towards the floor, keeping
it stiff like a push-up. Make the salutation: ॐ पूष्णे नमः (om pūṣṇe
namaḥ).
4.
7
Push your hips towards the floor, hands straight, chest up and
stretch your shoulders up. Make the salutation: ॐ हिरण्यगर्भाय नमः
(om hiraṇya garbhāya namaḥ).[7]
5.
8
Keep your hands in the same position, raise your hip and back to
form a curve. Make the salutation: ॐ मरीचये नमः (om marīcaye namaḥ).
6.
9
Retract to form position as in step 4 using the opposite legs. Make
the salutation: ॐ आदित्याय नमः (om ādityāya namaḥ).
7.
10
Retract to form position as in step 3. Make the salutation: ॐ सवित्रे
नमः (om savitre namaḥ).
8.
11
Stand straight as you raise your hands above your head. This is the
same as step 2, without a stretch. Make the salutation: ॐ अर्काय नमः (om
arkāya namaḥ).
9.
12
Bring your hands back to the position in step 1. Make the
salutation: ॐ भास्कराय नमः (om bhāskarāya namaḥ).
Exp: 4
Perform Sarvangasna,Halasana,Kandharasana (setubandhasana)
Halasana is a classic yoga pose — or asana in Sanskrit — that’s included
in many types of yoga practices. It involves lying on your back and placing
your feet on the floor behind your head.
benefits of Halasana?
Halasana stretches your spine and stretches, strengthens, and tones your
back muscles. It helps prevent and relieve tightness in your neck,
shoulders, and back. The pose also strengthens your shoulders, arms, and
legs.
Halasana boosts circulation, improves blood pressure, and lowers blood
sugar levels, which is helpful for diabetes management
How to perform Halasana
1. Lie on your back with your arms next to your body and palms
pressing into the floor.
2. As you inhale, lift your legs to 90 degrees.
3. As you exhale, roll your pelvis off the floor, moving your legs back
toward your head. Slowly lower your legs over your head, toward the
floor.
4. Position your hands on your lower back for support.
5. Align your pinky fingers on either side of your spine, with fingers
pointing up toward the ceiling.
6. Walk your hands up your spine to elevate your spine.
7. Draw your shoulder blades and elbows in as close together as
possible.
8. If your toes reach the floor, you can release your arms alongside your
body with palms down or interlace your fingers.
9. Hold this position for up to 2 minutes.
10. To release, reposition your hands alongside your body with
palms down.
11. As you exhale, slowly roll your spine back down to the floor.
12. Pause with your legs extended to 90 degrees.
13. As you exhale, engage your abdominals and slowly lower your
legs to the floor, or simply bend your knees and place your feet on
the floor.
Precautions and common
mistakes
Halasana and other inversions offer immense benefits, but they are not a
requirement for any yoga practice. Halasana can provide a deep, relaxing
stretch, but you must find your sweet spot in terms of comfort.
Always listen to your body and practice Halasana safely. Avoid holding
inversions for too long.
Don’t do Halasana if you have any neck, blood pressure, or digestive
issues. If you have concerns about blood rushing to your head, such as
sinus, ear, or eye issues, avoid this pose.
Halasana is not recommended if you are menstruating or pregnant. If
you’re feeling weak or fatigued, save Halasana for another day.
Putting pressure on your head and neck while your heart is higher than
your head may cause or worsen headache symptoms. If you get
headaches often, you may wish to avoid inversions altogether or do them
for a short time
Sarvangasana or shoulder stand is a yoga pose wherein the whole
body is balanced on the shoulders. It is also a part of the Padma
Sadhana yoga sequence. ‘Sarv’ means all, ‘anga’ means part of a
body, and ‘asana’ is posture. As the name indicates,
Sarvangasana influences the functioning of all parts of your body.
This asana is highly beneficial in maintaining the mental and
physical health and is also referred as ‘Queen of asanas’.
Sarvangasana
Lie on your back with hands by your side.
With one movement, lift your legs, buttocks and back so that you come up high on your
shoulders. Support your back with the hands.
Move your elbows closer towards each other, and move your hands along your back,
creeping up towards the shoulder blades. Keep straightening the legs and spine by pressing
the elbows down to the floor and hands into the back. Your weight should be supported on
your shoulders and upper arms and not on your head and neck.
Keep the legs firm. Lift your heels higher as though you are putting a footprint on the ceiling.
Bring the big toes straight over the nose. Now point the toes up. Pay attention to your neck.
Do not press the neck into the floor. Instead keep the neck strong with a feeling of
tightening the neck muscles slightly. Press your sternum toward the chin. If you feel any
strain in the neck, come out of the posture.
Keep breathing deeply and stay in the posture for 30-60 seconds.
To come out of the posture, lower the knees to forehead. Bring your hands to the floor,
palms facing down. Without lifting the head slowly bring your spine down, vertebra by
vertebra, completely to the floor.
Lower the legs to the floor. Relax for a minimum of 60 seconds.
Hold the sarvanga-asana anywhere from one to five minutes depending on comfort. Repeat
the posture two or three times.
Benefits of Sarvangasana
Stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands and normalizes their functions
Strengthens the arms and shoulders and keeps the spine flexible
Nourishes the brain with more blood
Stretches the heart muscles by returning more venous blood to the heart
Brings relief from constipation, indigestion and varicose veins
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) is a versatile pose. It
can be performed dynamically or restoratively, as a strengthener
or as a resting pose.
How to do Bridge Pose
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the mat, hip-
distance apart. Inch your feet as close to your glutes as you can.
2. Bring your arms alongside your body, palms down.
3. As you inhale, press down firmly through your feet and lift your hips,
initiating the movement from the pubic bone rather than the navel.
4. Press your upper arms down. You can clasp your hands behind your
back and press your pinkie fingers into the mat. Broaden your
collarbones and roll your shoulders beneath you.
5. Continue to press down firmly through your heels and draw your
thighs toward one another to keep them hip-distance apart. Reach
the backs of your thighs toward your knees to lengthen your spine.
6. To finish, exhale as you release your hands and slowly lower
yourself to the mat.
