Month: June 2019

This is the latest article in our yoga central series and today we will be looking at a pose known as Legs up the wall Pose or deep lake pose. We will look at how to properly carry out the pose, the benefits you can get from it and anything that you need to consider before beginning. Please read the entire article before trying the pose.

How to Carry Out the Pose

We have put together instructions on how to carry out the pose correctly however there are also a number of modifications that can be done to make the pose easier as well as deeper. These modifications will be found lower in the article.

1. Begin the pose by placing two folded blankets on top of each other about a foot from a wall. If you dont have any blankets you can use a couple of pillows.

2. Sit sideways on the blankets and swing your legs around so that they are up the wall and lie back over the blankets. You should position yourself so that your sit bones are over the edge of the blanket and your sacrum is fully supported.

3. Ensure your legs are straight and use an eye mask to increase the relaxation. Position your arms straight out from the shoulders and close your eyes.

4. Bring your attention to your breathing, particularly in your stomach and use this pose to bring about a deep feeling of relaxation in your stomach. Allow your stomach to sink into the back body and allow your back to relax completely into the blankets.

5. Remain in this position for 2 to 3 minutes continuing to focus on your breathing. To come out of the pose slide the blankets out from under your back and roll on to your side to come up into a seated position.

Tips and Precautions

If you feel discomfort in your lower back when carrying out this pose, move your body back so that your sit bones are fully supported by the blankets. If you still feel discomfort then remove one blanket.

If you have difficulty straightening your legs then move the blankets further away from the wall until you can straighten your legs. You legs may also get tired doing this pose so you can reduce the difficulty by bending your legs, bringing the soles of your feet together and sliding your legs down the wall. You can do this if your legs get tired part way through or if you have difficulties and discomfort keeping your legs straight.

Benefits and Focus

There are a large number of benefits to this pose and many of them are the same as those experienced with more complicated inverted poses. The main areas of focus are the abdomen and lower back with the aim of bringing about a deep feeling of relaxation. This feeling of relaxation can help with various different conditions including stress, anxiety and insomnia. It can also help with relieving stress and tension in your upper back which can be beneficial for conditions like headaches. This is mainly due to the fact that headaches can be caused by tension in the upper back. This can be a great pose to practise before going to bed and can really encourage a deep a restful nights sleep.

Once you have selected a high-quality yoga mat, you may be wondering which accessories or yoga props will help you improve and deepen your yoga practice. We cover the five most important yoga accessories: blocks, bolsters, straps, mat bags, and mat cleaners.

Yoga blocks are props to help improve your alignment and make you more comfortable during practice. They can be made of a variety of materials, such as eco-friendly cork and bamboo, or more conventional foam. Blocks are often used during standing poses in which one hand is on the floor, and can be great transitional aids while you develop your flexibility. Some poses also make use of sitting on a yoga block. Yoga blocks are often sold individually, but we recommend buying two for the most versatility.

Yoga bolsters provide extra support in difficult poses. They are basically stuffed cushions or rolls, and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. A single bolster may be used in a variety of ways, supporting the head and neck in one pose, supporting the back in another, and stretching the abdomen yet another pose. Bolsters are commonly used in the “restorative” varieties of yoga, such as Kripalu. Many bolster options are available, including rectangular and round shapes, cotton, organic cotton, or hemp covers, and foam or organic cotton filling.

Yoga straps, also called yoga belts, are useful for developing flexibility. They can help beginners to transition into certain poses that would not otherwise be possible. One common use is a hamstring stretch, in which the yoga strap is hooked around the foot while the leg is held straight. They can also assist in bound poses such as cow face, or Gomukhasana, if your hands are not able to naturally clasp each other. Yoga straps are commonly available in materials such as nylon and hemp, and often have buckles on the end to aid in storage and transportation.

Mat bags are useful for convenience and helping to protect your mat and yoga accessories. Depending on how much you carry back and forth to class, you may want a small mat bag that is sized slightly larger than your mat, or a larger, duffel-style mat bag that can carry extra supplies: yoga blocks, towels, water bottles, extra clothing, etc. Some people choose to make their own yoga mat bag out of silk or other materials – there are many great resources online that give instructions on how to do so. Ready-to-buy yoga mat bags are made out of materials such as nylon, cotton, organic cotton, or hemp.

Yoga mat cleaners are also very important. After regular practice, a yoga mat can become a breeding ground for bacteria, fungi, mold, and mildew. According to the New York Times, some dermatologists and podiatrists say that in the past two years or so, they have noticed a rise in the number of skin infections in their patients who practice yoga and use public mats. You do not need to use harmful chemicals to clean and sterilize your mat, however. There are some great natural choices available, using natural oils and plant extracts that thoroughly clean your mat. You can use a mat cleaning solution that you put in your washing machine, yoga mat cleaning wipes, or cleaning sprays that can be wiped down with a towel.

Maharshi Pathanjali, an adept who is known to have written the famous Yoga aphorisms (The Yoga Sutras of Pathanjali), which concisely describe the path and experiences of Yoga. Pathanjali describes constant practice and detachment as the means of Yoga. However, Pathanjali states that this practice becomes firmly established when properly and consistently attended to over a long period of time. The obvious question now is What to practice? For this, Pathanjali describes the Ashtanga Yoga (the 8 limbed path to Yoga) which serves to prepare us for the experience of Yoga (Self realization).

The eight limbs of Yoga are:

1. Yama – restraints

Non violence (absence of desire to kill or injure )

Truthfulness and sincerity

Non- stealing

Sexual restraint

Greedlessness

2.Niyama – observances

Purity

Contentment

Constant practice

Self study

Self surrender or surrender to lord

3.Asana – postures

4.Pranayama – breath regulation

5.Pratyahara – control and withdrawal of senses

6.Dharana – concentration with effort

7.Dhyana – meditation or concentration without effort

8.Samadhi – cognitive absorption.

Constant Practice:

The first 6 steps are to be practiced constantly over a long period of time. The last two steps happen on their own. The Yama and Niyama are for training the mind for Yoga.

Pathanjali does not emphasize any particular techniques for Postures, Breath control and Meditation as they require guidance from a teacher. This is where we resort to Hatha Yoga classes wherein the postures and breathing techniques are described in great detail. Contemporary schools of Yoga like Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Power Yoga etc also teach various postures and breathing techniques. One is free to follow any school, but the most important thing to do is constant practice over a long period of time. One cannot ignore any of the first six limbs if one is seriously pursuing Yoga; just practicing postures is not enough in Yoga.

Detachment:

In modern Yoga there is hardly any emphasis given to detachment. Yoga today has become attached to performance or achievement of various states, especially in schools of Hatha Yoga. When practiced with attachment, the practice does not become a spiritual practice; it just becomes an exercise to make you physically fit. Therefore, it is very important to do the practices with a feeling of detachment, and with an open mind. Through the constant practice of detachment, the causes of our suffering will also eventually be eradicated.

Thus it is only through constant practice and detachment that we can progress in the journey of/to Yoga, irrespective of what school of practice we resort to.

Yoga has become popular among many ages through many countries all over the world since the turn of the century. It has long been established that Yoga provides immeasurable help for achieving a sense of total well-being, get relief from stress and reach levels of tranquility previously sought. But there is still a not-as-popular gain from yoga and that’s growth acceleration! If this were more known, there would be a lot more getting into regular yoga.

Yoga is turning out to be much more than getting or keeping the body shape and size of your dreams, even than bestowing rest and serenity in the hustle and bustle of todays living. Yoga postures contain a great number of stretches and extensions, so the muscles of your spine and related areas of your body get to be prodded to limber up and grow upwards. The basic movements and the smooth movements for centering in yoga are the more widespread information on yoga. The body becomes supple and more flexible and the consistent practitioner acquires the ability and capacity to regulate breathing. It is said (another not-commonly-known fact) that proper breathing, which is encouraged by yoga breathing and postures, helps the body grow upwards.

There is real change wrought by yoga to hasten upward growth through its stretching and demanding poses to be done by practitioner. All of these render a satisfied spine, one that has gained total assortment of movements. This gives the body the resistance against the regular pull of gravity, which brings about a tightening of the spine. Which then deters upward growth.

The extensions caused by the different postures make the spinal cartilage thicker and the joints longer. This adds to the general stature and maintains correct posture, which is essential in growing taller.

Some yoga poses are definitely directed towards this end-result. Sukhasana results in more controlled breathing and tones the hips and lower spine. This is done on the floor with crossed legs, hands on top of knees. With back straightened, the buttocks are pushed to the ground while lowering the knees. Take 5 deep breaths while maintaining that stance and bring your arms over your head. Then lower your arms as you exhale. Do this position repeatedly 5 to 7 times.

The Trikonasana is a bit more complicated, with legs 3 feet apart, the left foot rotated in a 90-degree angle toward the left arm and the right leg 45 degrees inward. With a deep breath the arms are raised to the side and exhale as the face is turned to look along the span of the left arm. This is followed by a deep inhalation and stretching towards the left ankle with left hip leaning down as much as possible. At the limit, both arms are rotated until the left hand is wound up against the inner leg at the calf area, while pointing the right arm upwards. This ends with a deep inhalation while straightening back, and exhaling while both arms are lowered gradually.

These two are just among the particular postures in yoga that can enable one to gain more inches to ones height without any drastic effects or complications.

The age old practice of yoga is considered as a blueprint to a healthy, spiritual and blissful life. The concept of Yoga originated in India some five thousand years back and since ages, yoga practice unites the mind, body and the spirit of the individual. Yoga helps an individual to attain an eternal divine insight. With yoga, the dormant potential energy lying within one’s body is awakened which ultimately results in a spiritual and healthy well being of the individual.

As such, there are no constraints to yoga practice but choosing the right kind of clothing for yoga is a necessity. The proper yoga clothes will make the yoga sessions a lot more enjoyable. Since yoga intends to promote a healthy and fit body, a yoga clothing must make the practitioner feel calm and relax. The clothes that restricts the bodily movements should be avoided. The clothes should not be too tight so that they cling to the practitioner’s body. Rather, the yoga clothes must be comfortable enough and must be at par with the requirements for practice of different yoga asanas. Loose fitting clothes are apt for yoga practice as it will not restrict the blood circulation within the body. The clothes are preferred to be stitched in natural fabric like cotton and linen so that they can allow the air to move into the body. Loose and natural fabric made clothes can absorb the sweat and keep it away from the skin. Elasticity is another aspect that should be kept in mind while choosing yoga clothes. The elasticity of the apparels will allow the practitioner to conveniently stretch his body parts.

Spirit Voyage is a company that offers various kinds of yoga apparels and clothing for men and women. All the yoga clothing are made of natural fibers as they are good for the psyche and the nervous system. Spirit Voyage yoga clothing for women includes a variety of cotton kurta, cord embroidered kurta, soft tie kurta, light weight white rayon kurta, Kashmiri kurta and many more. The kurtas feature side slits, making it easy for the practitioners to perform the yoga poses comfortably. The company also offers yoga pants for woman. The pre-shrunk sweat pants for woman feature drawstring waist. In addition, there are Rajasthani wrap pants and Double Wrap Tie Pants that helps in carrying out yoga asanas with utmost ease. Spirit Voyage’s Capri Yoga Pants for women have a roll-down wide waist band, fitted contour and a slight flare at the calf. The added spandex on the pants provide better flexibility while maintaining a smooth and fitted look.

Spirit Voyage offers different yoga apparels for men which include embroidered shirts, Rajasthani wrap pants, Linen Shirts, Cotton Shirts and Cotton Kurta. The cotton sweat pants for men that Spirit Voyage offers are apt for practicing Kundalini yoga. These wrap pants comes with covered elastic waist and elastic ankle cuffs. All the yoga apparels are light weight and have unique and appealing design. The natural fibers of the clothes are beneficial for the practitioner’s psyche and the nervous system, enhancing their energy levels.

Color is another important aspect that needs to be kept in mind while choosing yoga clothing. Spirit Voyage offers all the yoga clothing in white colors. White is considered to be the absorbent of all other colors. Wearing white expands the radiance. The color white represents calmness, purity and cleanliness. Drape yourself in all white and dive into the stream of serenity and calmness as you practice meditation and yoga.

Spirit Voyage is a well known company which is into offering various items that are necessary for daily yoga practice. As a record label company, Spirit Voyage offers different kinds of Yoga music CDs and yoga DVDs which takes the senses of the practitioner to a different high. The practitioner can calm himself with the harmony of meditation music or yoga music for Kundalini Sadhana. The meditation music pieces, yogic chants and Sanskrit mantras by artistes like Deuter, Wah, Shiva Rea, Deva Premal, Snatam Kaur, Hari Bhajan Kaur, Dev Suroop Kaur Khalsa, Bachan Kaur and others aim to take the listening mind to a world of divine euphoria. There are different yoga books available with Spirit Voyage which contains in-depth knowledge for all kinds of yoga. With detailed instruction, information and images of different kinds of yoga like Kundalini yoga, Hatha yoga, Anusara Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and others, these books are the best guide for any yoga aspirant. Besides different Yoga DVDs and spiritual CDs, the company also offers a varying range of yoga accessories like yoga rugs, yoga cushions, yoga mats and others.

Yoga and meditation are the ways to develop a positive frame of mind. With Spirit Voyage, surrender your inner being to the acts of devotion. Feel the divine bliss as you cleanse your mind, body and soul with soothing yoga music. Rejoice with Spirit Voyage music and feel eternally blessed! Let the veils of falsehood and illusions vanish as you realize the presence of Divine within yourself.