Utkatasana ( Squat )

Utkatasana:

Steps:

1. Stand in Samastithi
2. Inhale raise your arms up from the front and join your palms.
3. Exhale and squat all the way down. Heels should be kept down. Feet and knees together.




Coming out of Asana:

Inhale and come up all the way and exhale drop your arms down.

Classification:

       -  Forward Bend
       -  Symmetrical
       -  Standing
       -  Dynamic / Static

Focus:

       -  Abdomen
       -  Thighs
       -  Ankles
       -  Calf Muscles

Modifications:

       -  Feet apart
       -  Squat how much you can
       -  Knees apart
       -  with wall support
     
Benefits:

       -  Strengthen Ankles, Thighs, Calves and Spine.
       -  Tones legs muscle.
       -  Works on abdomen

Variation

Variation

     

Trikonasana ( Triangle Pose) Lateral

Trikonasana

Steps:

1. Stand in Samastithi. Take a big step sideways parallel to each other.
2. Inhale lift your hands sideways to shoulder level and palms facing down.
3. Exhale and bend down laterally. Keep your palms parallel to the feet and look up at the raised arm.

Coming out of Asana:

Inhale and drop your neck and come all the way up.
Exhale and drop your hands down. Now repeat on the other side.

Classification:

     -  Lateral
     -  Asymmetrical
     -  Standing
     -  Dynamic / Static

Focus:

      -  Hips
      -  Spine
      -  Neck
      -  Hamstring

Modifications:

      -  Knees can be bent if hamstrings are tight.
      -  Palms can be kept on Ankles / Thighs / Knees if you can't reach the floor.

Benefits: 

      -  Works on Hamstring.
      -  Hip mobility
      -  Neck mobility
      -  Ankle flexibility
      -  Chest Opening
      -  Spine Stretch

Virabhadrasana ( Warrior Pose )

Virabhadrasana 

Steps:

1. Stand in Samastithi. From Samastithi take a big step forward and the back leg slightly turned away. Look Straight.
2. As you Inhale lift your arms from the  front palms together and simultaneously bent your front knee. Front knee should be bent (90 degree)
and the back knee should be straight.


Coming out of Asana:

As you exhale straighten your legs and hands down.
Repeat on the other side.

Classification:

     -  Back Arch
     -  Asymmetrical
     -  Standing
     -  Dynamic / Static

Focus:

     -  Thighs
     -  Knees
     -  Upper Back
     -  Lower Back
     -  Chest

Modifcations:

      -  without joining palms
      -  Hands can be kept at shoulder level 
      -  can be done like a lunge to intense the posture.

Benefits:

      -  Chest Opening
      -  Upper Back Tightening
      -  Lower Back Strengthening
      -  Thighs and Knees Strengthening
      -  Ankles Strengthening

Variation

Variation

Tadasana ( Mountain Pose )

Tadasana                                           Steps:
                                                         

     1. Stand in Samastithi.
     2. Inhale and lift your arms from your sides and join your palms
     simultaneously lift your heels and stand on your toes.

     Coming out of Asana:
     
      Exhale drop your arms down from your side and drop heels down simultaneously.


Classification:

       - Back arch
       - Symmetrical
       - Standing
       - Dynamic /  Static

Focus:

       - Spine Stretch
       - Ankle
     
Modifications: 


       - without heel raise
       - without joining palms
       - one arm movement
       - arms upto shoulder level
       - with wall support

Benefits:

        - improves ankle flexibility
        - improves focus
        - Spine Stretch
        - Mild back arch

Prasarita Pada Uttanasana ( Spread Legged Forward Bend )

Prasarita Pada Uttanasana
                                                                                   Steps:

1. Stand in Samastithi. Take a big step sideways parallel to each other.
2. Inhale and raise your hands from the front and palms facing front.
3. Exhale and bend forward and keep your palms between the feet. Palms and feet parallel to each other. Also keep your crown of your head between palms. Knees should be straight and all 3 ( feet, palms, crown) are in line. Body weight should be on your feet not on your hands.

Coming out of Asana:

As you inhale come up as your arms leading your movement. Exhale and bring your arms down.

Classification:
                                                   
      -  Forward Bend
      -  Symmetrical
      -  Standing
      -  Dynamic / Static

Focus :

      -  Hips
      -  Spine Stretch
      -  Pelvic
      -  Hamstrings
      -  Groin
                                           
Benefits:

     - Hamstring opening
     - Groin opening
     - Pelvic opening
     

PRAYER

 Prayer to Patanjali ( Vyasa)
                                                                                             
Yastyaktvaa roopamaadyam prabhavati
 jagataha anekadhaa anugrahaya    
 praksinaklesarasihi vishamavishadharaha
 pritaye yasya nityam
 devo hishaha sa vovyat sitavimalatanuhu
 yogato yogayuktaha

Prayer to Patanjali (Bhoja)

yogena cittasya padena vaacaam
malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
yo pakarot tam pravaram muninaam
patanjalim praanjaliranatosmi
abaahu purushaakaaram sankhacakraasi dharinam
sahasrasirasam svetam pranamaami patanjalim
srimate anantaaya nagaraajaya namo namaha


                                                         



Prayer to Krishnamacharya

śrī kṛṣṇavāgīśa yatīśvarābhyām saṃprāpta cakrāṅkaṇa bhyāṣyasāram |
śrī nūtnaraṅgendra yatau samarpitsvam śrī kṛṣṇamāryaṃ guruvaryamīḍe |
virodhe kārtike māse śatatārā kṛtodayam yogācāryaṃ kṛṣṇamāryaṃ guruvaryamahaṃ bhaje ||                                                                             

Trikonasana ( Triangle Pose ) Twist

Trikonasana (Twist)

Steps:

1. Stand in Samastithi. Take a big step sideways parallel to each other.
2. Inhale and lift your hands sideways to shoulder level and palms facing down.
3. On exhale bend forward and twist your body to left. Keep your right palm by the side of your left foot. Then look up at the extended arm (right). Knees should be Straight.


Coming out of Asana:

Inhale drop your neck and come all the way up.
Exhale and drop your hands down. Now repeat
on the other side.

Classification:

    - Twist
    - Asymmetrical
    - Standing
    - Dynamic / Static






Focus:

     - Abdomen
     - Hamstring
     - Hip and Spine mobility

Modifications:

1.  Knees can be bent if hamstrings are tight.
2.  Palms can be kept on the Ankles / Knees / Thighs if you can't reach the floor.
                                                                            







Benefits:
                                                                                                                                                                          -Works on Hamstring.              
      - Abdomen.
     - Neck flexibility.                                        
     - Hip mobility.  
     - Ankle flexibility.            
 

Parsva Uttanasana ( Asymmetrical Forward Bend )

Parsva Uttanasana

                                                                                    Steps:
                                                                                          

1. Stand in Samasthithi. from here take a left foot forward and the right leg slightly turned out.
2. As you Inhale raise your hands from the front and the palms facing front.
3. Exhale and bent forward from your hips and keep your palms on either sides of your leg. Knees should be straight.
Make sure the weight is equally distributed between your left and right leg.

Coming out of Asana:

Inhale and come all the way up and on exhalling
slowly drop your arms down. come back to
Samastithi and do it on the other side.

Classification:

       - Forward Bend
       - Asymmetrical
       - Standing
       - Dynamic (Repeat) / Static (Stay)

Focus:
       
       - Abdomen
       - Hip Flexibility
       - Hamstrings
       - Spine Stretch

Modifications:

       1. If Hamstring are tight or if the focus is the abdomen knees can be bent.
       2. If your focus and you are working on your hamstring then knees should be straight.
       3. Repitition gives you a good hip mobility.
      

Benefits:

        - Works on abdomen

        - Stretching the Hamstrings.

        - Hip mobility.

Uttanasana (Forward Bend)

Uttanasana ( Forward Bend )

Steps:

 1. Stand in Samasthithi.
 2. As you Inhale raise you hands from the front, hands touching  your ears and palms facing front. Stretch your spine nicely.
 3. Exhale bent down from your lower back  and keep your palms on either sides of your leg. Knees should be straight.

Coming out of Asana:
 Inhale come all the way up, hands should be leading the movement.
 As you Exhale drop your hands down from the front and come
back to Samastithi.

Classification

     - Pascimatana ( Forward Bend )
     - Standing
     - Symmetrical
     - Dynamic (Repeat) / Static (Stay)


Focus:

    - Lower Abdomen
    - Hip Flexibility
    - Hamstring
    - Spine Stretch

Variations of Forward Bend:                                                                              

Padagustasana

Padahastasana

                                                                 



















Modifications:
     1. If hamstring are tight or if the focus is the abdomen knees can be bent.
     2. If your focus and you are working on your hamstring then knees should be straight.
     3. Repitition gives you a good hip mobility.

Benefits:
      - trimming the waist.
      - restoring elasticity to the spine
      - stretching the ligaments of the legs, especially the Hamstring.
      - aids blood flow to the brain.         

About Myself

I am RevathyPriya motivated Certified Yoga Teacher / Instructor with advanced training in yoga and also specializes in therapeutic yoga.

*   Completed  Diploma in Yoga Teacher training program
(400hrs) from Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM).

*   Also finished Advanced teacher training program (200 hrs)
from Vineoyoga Centre.

*   Completed Heartsaver First Aid  CPR AED Program

*   Masters in Yoga Therapy ( SVYASA University )

*   8 years of Experience in teaching  Yoga for various age groups
 ( Kids, Teens, Ladies, Men's and Elderly ).

*   Course plans includes Asanas (for the body fitness and flexibility), Pranayama  (breathing techniques to regularize and to control the breathing), Meditation (to relax and calm the mind).

*   Course plans are theme-based and focus oriented. Focus can be an Asana / Parts of the body / an Organ.