Standing Half Wheel Pose (Ardha-chakrasana)

Standing Half Wheel Pose (Ardha-chakrasana)        

                            or  

Standing Backward Bend Pose

Standing Half Wheel Pose

                 Pronunciation -       ardha-chakra-sa-na

                 Meaning – ‘ Ardhachakrasana ’ is the Sanskrit word. Ardhachakra means a ‘Half  Wheel’.

                                                                  And asana means 'Posture' or 'Pose'.

                 Difficulty – 5 out of 10.

              This is balancing asana or pose. Poor balance means restless mind or distracted attention.

How to do Standing Half wheel Pose  Or  Ardha-chakrasana?

Steps –

How to do Ardha-chakrasana

                  1) Stand straight with legs together and hands straight down touch to the side of the thighs.

                              As starting position in Palm tree yoga pose.

                  2) Take couple of deep breath and calm your mind.

                              While breath – in bring your hands straight over the head and touch the palms.

                              You can interlock your fingers, if you want.

                  3) While breath - out slowly start bending backward, as shown in picture above.

                              Stay in this pose or Hold this pose for few seconds.    

                              10 seconds are enough for beginner. 30 seconds to 1 minute are enough for everyone.

                  4) To maintain the balance, focus on fixed point.

                               Gently breathing also helps to maintain the balance.

                               Your breathing must be gentle and at normal depth, while doing this Yoga pose.

                  5) Then slowly come back to the original / starting position.

                               Stand straight with legs together and hands straight down touch to the side of the thighs.

*Beginner Advice - If you are beginner, you may feel heavy, fast or deep breathing at step no. 3, because of  G force (Gravity). It’s normal thing, no need to worry, if you feel this.

Because of Gravity force and your lungs upside-down position your body start feeling heavy.

*Beginner Advice - If you are unable to balance this pose for 10 seconds, then place your feet at shoulder-width apart and then slowly start bending backward.

Note –

        a) Focus on one fix point to maintain the balance.

        b) Do not bend your knees.

        c) Do not try to bend beyond your capacity.

        d) Thumbs of your hands must be interlocked in this Yoga pose.

Benefit –

        a) Standing backward bend pose strengthen respiratory, endocrine and cardio-vascular system.

        b) Regular practice of this yoga pose improves balance and co-ordination of the body.

        c) This Yoga pose, stretches and give benefits to muscles of lower back, chest and stomach etc.

        d) This Yoga pose, helps to remove fatigue and laziness.

Limitation –

        a) Those who have back pain or neck pain also should avoid doing Standing half wheel pose.

        b) Those who have knee-joint pain or ankle-joint pain should avoid doing this Yoga pose.

        c) Avoid this Yoga pose, if you are feeling like qualm or reel.

Variation –

              If you are beginner and unable to do this Yoga pose in extending hand then put your palms on pelvic girdle, just below the waist to support vertebra / spine and then slowly start bending backward as shown in image below -

Variation of Ardh-chakrasana

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Headstand Pose (Shirshasana)

             Headstand Pose (Shirshasana)

Headstand Yoga Pose

                             Pronunciation -       shir-sha-sa-na

                             Meaning – ‘ Shirshasana ’ is the Sanskrit word. Shirsha means a ‘Head’.
                                                                                    And asana means 'Posture' or 'Pose'.

                             Difficulty – 3 out of 10.

                                  This is Balencing Yoga Pose. Poor balance means restless mind or distracted attention.

How to do Headstand pose ?

Steps –

How to do Handstand Pose

                  1) Sit in the Thunderbolt Yoga Pose (Vajrasana).

                 2) Take couple of deep breath and calm your mind.

                            Now lean forward in Vajrasana and place your elbow & palms on the floor or Yoga mat at shoulder – width apart or interlock your fingers of both hands, as shown in below image.

Headstand interlock fingers

                 3) Now place top of the head / skull flat on the floor or yoga mat.

                 4) Now it’s really important to keep your mind calm, while doing this step.

Headstand steps

                         

                               Slowly lift – up your legs from the floor and straight the knees (not bended). 

                 5) Stay in this pose or Hold this pose for few seconds, with normal breathing.

                            30 seconds are enough for beginner. 30 seconds to 1:30 minute is enough for everyone.

                            Your breathing must be gentle and at normal depth, while doing this Yoga pose.

                6) Then slowly come to the starting position.

                            Slowly bring your legs to the floor and again seat in Vajrasana.

                7) If you are new to Yoga and you are unable to balance this yoga pose, just do the same steps only near to wall or anything you can take support.

Note –

      a) Your mind MUST be calm while doing Headstand yoga pose or you will lose balance and fall on the ground.

      b) If you want to keep continuous balance in Headstand, gently breath is the key.

Benefit –

      a) Headstand increase blood flow to the head and scalp.

      b) This Yoga pose, improves blood flow to the eyes.

      c) This yoga pose, strengthen your arms and shoulder.

      d) This Yoga pose, improve digestion and stimulates Lymph system.

      e) This Yoga pose, helps to remove fatigue, laziness and improve focus, concentration.

Limitation –

     a) Those who have High / Low Blood Pressure problem shouldn’t try to do Headstand.

     b) If you are Heart patient or have heart problem should avoid doing this Yoga pose.

     c) For women, if you are in menstruation period should avoid Head Stand Yoga pose.

Previous – Standing Forward Bend pose                                  Next – Standing Backward Bend Pose

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Standing Forward Bend Pose (Uttanasana) How to do & Benefits

Uttanasana

                                 Pronunciation -        ut-ta-na-sa-na

                                 Meaning – ‘ Uttanasana ’ is the Sanskrit word. 
                                                                                              It means a ‘Standing Forward Bend’.

                                                                                              And asana means 'Posture' or 'Pose'.

                                 Difficulty – 5 out of 10. (depending on your legs flexibility)

                    This is one of the best Yoga Pose for Relaxation and my Favorite too.

How to do Standing Forward Bend Pose  Or  Uttanasana?

Steps –

           1) Stand straight with legs together and hands straight down touch to the side of the thighs, like we did in Tadasana’s 1^st step.

          2) Take couple of deep breath and calm your mind.

                   While exhaling last deep breath, slowly bend forward from your Hip-joint, not from the waist. (There is big difference between bending from Waist and Hip-Joint.) Do not bend your knees.

          3) If you are regular Yoga practitioner and your body flexibility is moderate level, then after bending forward, grip your back of ankle and slowly-slowly pull until your head touch to the knees. (For beginner & advance level variation of this yoga pose, see at the end of this article.)

Uttanasana Variation 2

Variation for beginner & expert are at the end of this article...

          4) Stay in this pose or Hold this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 10 seconds are enough for beginner.

             Gently breath from Nostrils. Your breathing must be gentle and at normal depth, while doing this Yoga pose.

          5) Then slowly come back to the original / starting position.

                     Stand straight with legs together and hands straight down touch to the side of the thighs.    

 Note –

          a) Do not bend from Waist, only bend from Hip-Joint.

          b) Do not bend your knees, your legs must be straight.
          c) Do not try to bend beyond your limit. I already specify instruction for different level of flexibility.

Benefit –

          a) Standing Forward Bending Pose is good for Stomach, Kidney, Liver and Heart functioning.

          b) This Yoga pose, helps to strengthen leg muscles like hips, thighs, calf’s etc.

          c) Regular practice of this yoga pose increase concentration.

          d) Regular practice of this yoga pose improves balance and co-ordination of the body.

          e) This Yoga pose, helps to remove fatigue and laziness.

Limitation –

          a) Those who have knee-joint pain or ankle-joint pain should avoid doing Standing Forward Bend pose or Uttanasana.

          b) Those who have back pain also should avoid doing this Yoga pose.

          c) Avoid this Yoga pose, if you are feeling like qualm or reel.

Variation - 

                 Variation of this Yoga pose, totally depend on your Body flexibility (specially leg).

             * If you are beginner and doing this yoga first time then obviously your hands will not touch to the floor or Yoga mat, so just cross your forearms and hold your elbows. After this - read / do Step 4.

             * If your body flexibility is more than Moderate level, then after bending forward from hip-joint touch your palms to the ground or Yoga mat. Once you touch your palm slowly try to touch your head to below the knees.

Uttanasana Variation 3

 Variation 4 for Yoga Expert, read below...

              * If your body flexibility is really great then I have really great variation for those people. Some different steps for them. 
First : Stand with shoulder width apart, so there will be lot of distance or gap between legs. 
Second : Slowly - slowly Bend from hip-joint. 
Third : Try to bring your head beyond your legs. At comfortable level & limited. Do not try to pull beyond your capacity.

Uttanasana Variation 4

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Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana) How to do & Benefits

 (Back-View) Parivratta Trikonasana

                            Pronunciation -     pa-ri-vra-tta- tri-ko-na-sa-na

                            Meaning – ‘ Parivratta Trikona ’ is the Sanskrit word. 
                                                                                 It means a ‘Revolved Triangle’. And asana means 'Posture' or 'Pose'.

                            Difficulty – 3 out of 10.

                                 This yoga pose is the variation of " Traingle pose ”.

How to do Revolved Triangle pose ?

Steps –

          1) Stand straight with legs together and hands straight down touch to the side of the thighs.

                    Like Tadasana’s first step.

         2) Take couple of deep breath and calm your mind.

                    Now take distance with your feet shoulder width apart.

                    Raise the arms to shoulder level.

         3) Now slowly bend from hip-joint (Pelvic Girdle), at the same time move/change angle of right foot as shown in picture below.

(Front-View) Revolved Traingle Pose

                                     Just revolve little bit & touch the right foot with your left hand and extend right hand towards the ceiling, so your arms make 180 degree angle.

         4) Stay in this pose or Hold this pose for few seconds, with normal breathing. 10 seconds are enough for beginner.

                     Stay in this pose from 10 seconds to 1 minute.

                     Your breathing must be gentle and at normal depth, while doing this Yoga pose.

        5) Then slowly come to the starting position.

                     Stand straight with legs together and hands straight down touch to the side of the thighs.

       6) Now just change the side, this time touch Left hand to Right Foot by revolving.

                     Repeat the steps from 1 to 5.

Note –

* Bending from Hip-Joint and Waist are different. Waist is above the Hip Bone-Joint

        a) Bend from hip-joint (Pelvic Girdle) only, not waist. 

        b) When you touch the feet, do not look down.

        c) When you touch the feet, look at ceiling or sky.

        d) Don’t try to bend beyond capacity.

        e) Do not bend your knee in this variation.

Benefit –

       a) Revolved Triangle yoga pose helps to strengthen leg muscles like hips, thighs, calf’s etc.

       b) Regular practice of Triangle yoga pose improves balance and co-ordination of the body.

       c) This Yoga pose, improves flexibility of spine.

       d) This Yoga pose, relieves the pain in back & neck.

       e) This Yoga pose, helps to remove fatigue and laziness.

Limitation –

       a) Those who have extreme back pain should avoid doing Revolved Triangle Pose or Parivrtta Trikonasana.

       b) Those who have knee-joint pain or ankle-joint pain should avoid doing this Yoga pose.

       c) Avoid this Yoga pose, if you are feeling like qualm or reel.

           Previous – Traingle pose                                                          Next –  Standing Forward Bend Pose

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