Keep Yourself Fit and Healthy with Suksham Vayama (Light Exercises)

To keep the joints of the body healthy and to give strength and flexibility to the ligaments and keep them disease-free, practice the following exercises regularly:

Sit in Dhandasan position:

METHOD:

All asanas that are done sitting down are started from the position of Dandasan. Keep both feet together stretched out in front. The palms of both hands should be touching the ground firmly on both sides of the waist. Fingers should be pointing backwards. Keep waist and hands straight and do as directed below.

1. For your toes: Bend the toes of both the feet forward with force. In the same way, also bend them backwards. Keep the heels stable. Do this 8-10 times.

2. For heels and the entire leg: Press the entire feet along with the heels forward and backward. While pressing forward and backward, the heel will rub against the floor. This exercise is very helpful for sciatica pain as well as for the knees.

3. For the feet: Keep both feet at a distance. First rotate the right foot in a circular motion in one direction. Repeat this for 5-7 times. The do the same thing in the opposite direction. Now repeat the whole exercise with the left foot. After that do it with both feet together at the same time.

4. For knees and hips:

(a) Bend your right leg and place it on the left thigh. Hold the right feet with the left hand and hold the right knee with the right hand. Now putting your right hand below the right knee, lift the knee so that it touches the chest. In the same way, do it in the opposite direction too by placing the left leg on the right thigh. In the end, holding both feet with the hands, make the knees touch the floor and then lift them up

. (b)Titli Asan (Butterfly): Bend both legs at the knee, join both feet together at the soles and bring them to near the joint of the thighs. Now move your knees up and down like the wings of a butterfly for 2 minutes. This is very beneficial for giving strength to the hips and to reduce the fat accumulated there.this will also help me

5. For the knees:

(a) Keep both legs straight and keep hands on the waist. Do Akunchan and Prasaran kriyas by tightening and releasing the knee heads. After this join interlock the fingers of the hands and hold the thighs. Now bring the legs towards your hips and while doing a cycling motion, trace out a circle resembling the number ‘0’ in front. Now do it in the opposite direction (that is, if you did it clockwise, now do anti-clockwise)

(b) Stand straight. Press both heels and both knees together. Keeping both hands on the knees, first rotate towards the right and then towards the left in a circular motion. Repeat this execise for 5-7 times. This is good for the knees.

6. For the stomach and waist:

(a) Grinding: Interlock the fingers of both hands and keep them on top of the legs in front. Now rotate the hands from right to left in such a way that the waist bends forward and the hands touch the toes while moving in a circular motion. When the hands come to the thighs, bend the waist backwards. Keep the legs straight and steady. Now repeat this from the other direction.

(b) Spread your legs a bit open in front. Keep both hands at shoulder level in front of you. Touch the left toe with the right hand and rotate the left hand straight backward like a mountain. Also rotate the neck towards the left and look backwards. In the same way, repeat it from the other direction. These two exercises give relief in lower backache and the stomach too becomes healthy. At the same time it also reduces fat accumulation at the waist. However, if someone is suffering from severe backache, he or she should not do these exercises.

7. For the back: with each hand hold the other hand’s wrist and take it upwards behind the head. Inhaling, with the right hand pull the left hand towards the right behind the head. Keep head and neck still. Exhaling take the hands up. In the same way, do it in the opposite direction.

8. For fingers of the hand:

(a: Spread both hands below you, keeping the shoulders straight. Then fold the joints of the fingers with force and then straighten.

(b) Then make tight fists enclosing the thumb and then gradually release. Do this for 10-12 times.

9. For the whole arm and for cervical spondolytis and frozen shoulders: Keep both hands straight in front of you at the same level with the shoulders and make fists enclosing the thumb. Now move the fists in a circular motion in both directions. Elbows should remain straight

10.For the elbows:

(a) Keep both arms in front of you with the palms upwards. Now touch your shoulders by bending your elbows. Slowly straighten once again.

(b) Then keep your arms straight at shoulder level on both sides with palms up. Now touch your shoulders from the sides by bending your elbows.

11.For heart, cervical and shoulder pain:

(a) Fold both hands and touch the shoulders. Elbows should be in front at shoulder level. Now join both elbows in front of the chest and with circular motion, trace out a big zero. Do this in the opposite direction too

. (b) Make fists with both hands and hold them near your chest in such a way so that the lower part of the fingers touch each other. Now, inhaling, straighten the arms in front of you. Keep in mind the fingers are in touch with each other and not separated. After the arms are straight in front of you, exhale and bring the arms close to your chest again. In this way, repeat a number of times.

12. For the neck:

(a) Sitting straight, rotate your neck towards the right, touching the right shoulder. In the same way, touch the left shoulder. Now bend the neck forward and touch the chest with the chin. Now slowly bend backwards according to the best of your ability. Next rotate your neck in a circular movement in both directions alternatively.

(b) Hold your right hand against the right side of your head over the ear and push. Push your hand too with your head. Pressing the hand with the head and head with the hand makes the neck tremble. After doing this for 4-5 times, repeat on left side.

(c) After this, interlock the fingers of the hand and hold them behind the head. Now press your head with the fingers and press the fingers with the head. While doing this the head and neck remains straight. This pushing in opposite direction will only bring about a tremble which will help in blood circulation in the neck and keep it healthy.

13.For the eyes: Move the pupils of the eyes first up and down and then left and right. Then move in a circle, left to right.

SWAMI RAMDEV's COMPLETE (Eight) PRANAYAMAS

Although various procedures of pranayama are described in scriptures and each pranayama has its special significance, yet all the pranayama cannot be practised daily. Therefore, with the grace of his preceptors and on the basis of his own experience, Swami Ramdev has condensed within eight procedures the whole process of prånayama in a distinct scientific method and spiritual way. The benefits which accrue from the complete practice of this pranayama are briefly listed below:

OTHER PRANAYAMAS USEFUL FOR TREATING THE DISEASES

1. Suryabhedi or Suryanga Pranayama

Sit in a meditative pose, do the puraka (inhaling) through the right nostril, then do the kumbhaka (holding in) by applying jalandhara bandha and mulabandha, and in the end do the recaka (exhaling) through the left nostril. The duration of anta¨kumbhaka (holding in) should gradually be increased. This pranayama should be done 3, 5 or 7 times, and up to 10 after practising for some time. While doing kumbhaka one should meditate on the radiance of sun. In summer season, this pranayama should be done for a short duration.

Benefits

It increases heat and pitta (bile) in the body. It is beneficial in vata- and kapha- origin diseases, blood and skin disorders, worms in stomach, leprosy, gonorrhoea, contagious diseases, dyspepsia, indigestion, female diseases, etc. It helps awaken kundalini and delays the onset of old age. This pranayama should be done for a short duration after anuloma-viloma. By doing suryabhedi pranayama without kumbhaka, heart rate and work efficiency of the body improve and weight is reduced, for which it is essential to do 27 rounds twice a day.

SOME RULES FOR PRANAYAMA

Pranayama should be done at a pure, calm and quiet and clean place. If possible, it should be practised near some body of water.
In cities where there is a lot of pollution, the place before practising Pranayama should be scented with ghee and guggulu (incense), or a lamp of ghee should be lit up.
For Pranayama one should sit in siddhasana, sukhasana or padmasana with the spine held erect. The asana used for sitting should be a bad conductor of electricity, e.g. a blanket or kusa- mat. Those who are unable to sit on ground can practise Pranayama while sitting in chair.

• One should always breathe through nose. This filters the air during inhalation. Even during the day one should breathe through nose. This also regulates the temperature of the body through iOEda- pingala nadis and foreign matter stays out in the nostrils.
  
  

THE THREE USEFUL BANDHAS (LOCKS) IN PRANAYAMA

The energy which goes outward from our body while practising yogasana and pranayama is stopped by us and turned inward by bandhas (locks). Bandha only means to tie, to stop. These bandhas (locks) are great aids to pranayama. Without bandhas, pranayamas are incomplete. These bandhas are Jalandhar Bandh, Uddyan Bandh,. and Mulabandh.Described below in proper order.

Bhastrika Pranayama

First procedure : Bhastrika Pranayama

Sitting in a convenient meditative pose and filling the breath inside up to diaphragm through both the nostrils and then breathing it out gently is called bhastrika pranayama.

The noble resolution (siva sankalpa) during bhastrika

While filling the breath inside during bhastrika pranayama one should think (resolve) in his mind whatever is noble and pure in the Universe, such as divine power, energy, sanctity, serenity and bliss, is instilling into my body along with prana. I am getting suffused with divine powers. The pranayama done with this divine resolution is essentially beneficial.

The duration of bhastrika

There should be inhalation of 2½ seconds and exhalation of 2½ seconds in a rhythmic flow.

Kapalabhati Pranayama

Second Procedure : Kapalabhati Pranayama

Kapala means 'brain, forehead', and bhati means 'glow, radiance, lustre, luminosity, etc.' The pranayama which gives glow, radiance, lustre to the brain or forehead is called kapalabhati. The procedure of this pranayama is a bit different from bhastrika. In recaka and puraka in the bhastrika pranayama, equal pressure is exerted on inhalation and exhalation, while in kapalbhati the whole attention is on recaka, i.e. exhaling vigorously. No effort is made to breathe in, the air that is breathed in naturally is allowed to be inhaled; the

whole emphasis is on throwing the air outside. While doing this there is naturally contraction and expansion of abdomen and special force is exerted on muladhara (pelvic plexus), svadhisthana (hypogastric plexus) and manipura cakra (solar plexus).

The noble resolution (Siva sankalpa) during kapalbhati

While doing kapalabhati pranayama one should resolve in mind that with the air exhaled by him all the diseases and disorders of the body are being thrown out, being eradicated. The recaka (exhalation) procedure should be performed with the feeling that he is expelling all the physical diseases and disorders as well as the mental flaws and distortions like lust, anger, greed, delusion, envy, attachment, aversion, etc. With this resolution of eradication of diseases and

disorders while exhaling, one gets a lot of benefit.

Duration of Kapalabhati pranayama

The breath should be exhaled in a rhythmic flow once in a second and should be held up effortlessly.

Bahaya Pranayama (with three bandhas)

Third procedure : Bahaya Pranayama (with three bandhas)

Method:

• Sit properly in siddhasana or padmasana and throw the breath out, as much as you can, in one go.
• After throwing the breath out, apply mulabandha, uddayana bandha and jalandhara bandha, and hold the breath out as much as you can.
• When you feel like breathing in, take the breath while relaxing the bandhas slowly.
• After taking in the breath, throw it out again as before, without holding it up.

The noble resolution (Siva sankalpa) during bahya Pranayama

Like kapalabhati, in this Pranayama also all the disorders and dosas are being expelled while breathing out, this is what we should say to ourselves. We should know it for certain that the stronger is our power of thinking, the sooner will disappear all our afflictions. If our mind is inspired by a noble resolution, all our mental and physical diseases will be eradicated and we will be benefited all over.

Ujjai Pranayama

Fourth procedure: Ujjai Pranayama

In this Pranayama we contract the throat while doing the puraka (inhaling) and when we breathe in by contracting the throat, we make a sound like snoring. We sit in a meditative pose and breathe in through both the nostrils. With some contraction of the throat we feet the friction of air in the throat. There should not be any friction of air in the nose. A sound is produced with the friction in the throat. In the beginning we should practise only puraka- recaka (inhaling exhaling) without applying kumbhaka (holding in). After the puraka we should practise the kumbhaka gradually as long as the puraka, and after practising for some days we should double the duration of kumbhaka. If the kumbhaka is to be done for more than 10 seconds, we should apply jalandhara- bandha and mμulabandha as well. In this Pranayama we should always do the recaka exhaling) with the left nostril and keep the right nostril closed.

Anuloma- Viloma Pranayama Method of closing the alternate nostrils

Fifth procedure: Anuloma- Viloma Pranayama Method of

closing the alternate nostrils

Raise your right hand and with its thumb close the right nostril (pingla nadiand while closing the left nostril use the ring finger and middle finger of the right hand. The palm of the hand should not be in front of the nose; it should instead be held away to the right side. Since ida nadi(left nostril) represents moon, lunar power, coolness and calmness, anuloma- viloma Pranayama is started from the left nostril for cleansing the  nadi(energy channel). 
Closing the right nostril with the right hand thumb, we should gently fill the breath inside through the left nostril. When the inhalation is complete, we should close the left nostril with the ring finger and middle finger of the right hand and exhale completely through the right nostril. The rate of inhalation-exhalation should gradually be increased from medium to vigorous. Inhale vigorously with full force and then exhale. Make the rate of inhaling and exhaling slow, medium or fast according to your capacity.