This asan is simple form of Ardha-MatsyendrasanThose who are unable to perform Ardha-matsyendrasan should practise this asan.
TECHNIQUE:

1. Sit erect stretching yoyr legs in front together. Hands by the side, palms resting on the ground, fingers together pointing forward.
2. Slowly fold your one leg (i.e. left leg) at the knee and place the sole on the ground near the knee of the right leg. The knee of left leg should make 90 deg angle towards the sky.
3. taking the left hand towards back place the palm on the groundat the distance of 9 inches straight from the spine. Fingers together pointing backwards. Then place the right hand towards the other side of left knee. If legs are stretched towards east then fingers of hand will point towards north.
4. Now twist your head towards backside and try to look at the back side.
5. While returning to the original position first bring your head to the original position.
6. Now take the right hand to its original position and then bring the left hand from back and place it by the side of the body
7. Now slowly stretch your folded leg and sit erect in your original position.
8. In the same way practise it from the other leg. This makes one round of vakrasan.

REMEMBER:

1. This asan is simple, but those who are having a big belly may feel it difficult to place the hand to the other side of the knee, they are suggested to place the hand on the knee or wherever it is, if it is not possible to place it on the ground.

BENIFITS AND LIMITATIONS:

1. This removes constipation, flatulence, liver weakness and nervous weaknes.
2. Reduce the rigidity of the spine.
3. This is also useful for the Kidney and other stomach diseasas.
4. Everybody can practice this asan.
   

NAUKASAN

Naukasan is a traditional posture. Its refference in not found in old yoga-Text but traditional is old. In the final position of this asan, the body resembles the formof boat, hence, it is naukasan.
TECHNIQUE:

1. Take supine position with legs together, hands together by the side of the body, palm resting on the ground.


2. Slowly raise your legs together, simultaneously, raise the head and trunk also, stop at the angle of 45 Deg. angle.


3. While returning to the original position first place your trunk on the ground.


4. Now slowly bring your legs and hands lie on the ground as in the first position.

REMEMBER:

• Do not bend legs at the knee.


• Release the asan before youfeel pain in abdominal muscle.

BENIFITS AND LIMITATION:

• This asan is very useful in diabities and Dyspepsia.


• Those suffering from hypertension, heart disease and lumbre spondilitis should not practice it.

SUPTA-VAJRASAN

TECHNIQUE:

1. Sit in Vajrasan.
2. Slowly take the help of right elbow, then left elbow and place them on the ground towards backside.
3. Slowly straighten your hands and completely lie on your back.
4. Shoulders should rest on the ground. Beginners may keep their hands on the respective thighs.
5. After practising this position well, making the shape of the scissor with both hands bring them under shoulders. Right hand will remain under left shoulder and left under right, head in the middle of them.
6. While returning to the original position, first take out your hands and place it by side of your body.
7. Now with the help of elbow sit as in the first position.

REMEMBER:

• While lying on your back, control your weight. Do not jerk other wise you may get muscle pull.
• Those who can not perform simple Vajrasan should not try to perform this.
• Beginners may keep their knees apart if they find difficult to keep them together.

BENIFITS ANS LIMITATIONS:

• This strengthens the abdominal muscle.
• This is useful in high blood pressure.
• It is good remedy for constipation.
• Those sufferig from gases and pain in hip should not practise it.

VAJRASAN

Making the lower legs tight one should place the both feets on the either side of anus. This is called vajrasan. Which brind success to Yogis.
NOTE:
This can be considered as the meditative posture. While practising it for meditative purposes, one should close his eyes at the final stage.
TECHNIQUE:

1. Sit with legs extented together, hands by the side of the body, palms resting on the ground, fingers of the hands pointing forward
2. Fold the right leg at knee and place the foot under right buttock. Sole will remain inside.
3. Similarly folding the right foot, place it under the left buttock.
4. Hands resting on the respective sides.
5. Sit erect, gaze in front close the eyes.
6. While returning to the original position, bend litle towards right side take out your left leg and extend it.
7. Similarly extend your right leg and return to the original position.

REMEMBER:

• While sitting on the bent feet. The heels should remain outside and toes inside.
• Do not sit on the heels.

BENIFITS AND LIMITATIONS:

• This strengthens thigh muscle and calf muscle.
• Person suffering from piles should not practise it.

MAYURASAN

Holding the ground with both palms, supporting the sides of naval by both the elbows and raising oneself like a horizontal stick, in air, is called Mayurasan.
"Mayur" means Peacock in sanskrit. One has to hold his body like a stick on both elbows, as shown in the picture. We assume the shape of the peacock hence it is calles Mayurasan.
TECHNIQUE:

1. Sit on both your upper scales. Knees should be pitched on the ground
2. Stretch out the fingers of your hands and place the palms on the ground, fingers will remain stretched pointing backward.
3. Place elbows gently on the either sides of naval.
4. Slowly stretching both legs together, come little forward very cautiously, and then raise the upper part of the body.
5. If the upper part of body is raised up, thenstraighten your legs like a stick (horizontal) and keep straight your chest, neck and head also.
6. Maintain it for some time then return to original position, slowly fold your legs and place the knees on the ground.
7. Now raise your hands from the ground and sit on the soles.

REMEMBER:

• This is very importent balancing pose.
• Jerk should be avoided at any stage.
• If during practice you feel like coughing of sneezing then return and start practice again.

BENIFITS AND LIMITATION:

• It is useful in diabetes.
• This asan is very good measure against visceroptosis and dyspepsia.
• Those suffring from cervical spondilitis should not practise it.

DHANURASAN 2

Stretching the legs on ground like stick and catching hold of the toes with the hands and curving the body like a bow is callad 'Dhanurasan"
TECHNIQUE:

1. Take prone lying position, legs together, hands straight by the side of thighs, chin resting on ground
2. Fold the legs and bring them near the thighs, then catch hold of ankels with respective hands in lieu of toes
3. Slowly through the legs backward as if they want to get released from your hands. Try maximum but do not leave. raise your thighs. Raise your head and chest also and assume the shape of a bow
4. While returning to the original position, place yoyr chest and thighs on the ground, leave the legs and come to the first position.

REMEMBER:

1. Beginners may keep distance between two knees
2. raise the head backward completely with the chest
3. Do not bend hands at elbow.

BENIFITS AND LIMITATIONS:

1. It makes back and spine muscle flexible.
2. It helps removing constipation.
3. Those suffering from lumber spondilites should not practice this.

DHANURASAN

Holding the toes with hands, stretching them up to the ears, assuming the shape of bow is called "Dhanurasan"
TECHNIQUE:

1. Take prone lying position, legs together, hands straight by the sides of the thighs, chin resting on the ground.


2. Fold the legs at the knees and bring them to the thighs. Knees must remain together.


3. Bring your hands backward and hold the toes of respective legs from the thumb and forefinger of respective hands.


4. Raise your legs a little up and simultaneously raise youe head and chest.


5. Holding the toes, pull the legs towards the ears and bring the toes near the ear. gaze in front.


6. While returning to the original position, loosen your hands, take legs backwards, let the thighs to touch the ground, leave the toes and ultimately bring the legs and hands to the first position.

REMEMBER:

1. Do not try to bring toes near to ears forcefully if it is difficult.


2. Gradually increase the practice.

BENIFITS AND LIMITATIONS:

1. It makes back and spine muscle flexible.


2. It helps in removing constipation and pitta disorders.


3. Those suffering from spondilitis should not practice this.

TADASAN

This is a traditional posture. The final position of this asan resembles the palm tree. Palm tree is usually erect and straight. Therefor, one should stand straight in this asan.
TECHNIQUE:

1. Stand erect, legs together, hands by the sides of thigh. Gaze in front.
2. Raise your hands in front to your arms. Palm facing each other.
3. Bring the hands up straight forward sky, fingers poinitng upwards.
4. Now slowly raise your heels and stand on your toes.
5. Raise your heel as much as you can. Stretch body up as much as possible.
6. While returning to normal position, bring your heels to the ground first.
7. Slowly bring down your hands also.

REMEMBER:

1. This is a balancing pose.
2. Do not make hast so that you loose your balance and get jerk.
3. In the beginning legs can be kept apart.

BENIFITS AND LIMITATION:

1. This improves height.
2. Spine becomes flexible.
3. Visceroptosis and pain in the backbone is removed.
4. Those having complaints of reeling sensation should not practise it.
   

UKTASAN

Firmly fixing two big toes on the ground, the heels being raised up in the air and placing the anus on the heels is called "uktasan"
NOTE: During the final posture of this asan, hips remains a little risen therefore is called "Uktasan"
TECHNIQUE:

1. Stand erect, legs together hands by the sides of the thigh.Gaze in front.
2. Place legs about one foot apart. Raise the arms in front up to the shoulder level, palms facing downwards.
3. Raising the heels, stand on the toes putting weight on the toes.
4. Put both hands on the respective knees.
5. After some time, while returning, raise your arm from the knee up to the shoulder level.
6. Keeping balance, stand erect on the toes, thereafter slowly place the heels on the ground.
7. Bring hands by the sides of the thigh and keeping the legs together return to the original position.

REMEMBER:

1. This is a balancing pose, therefore, maintain balance while sitting on the toes.
2. During final posture, upper part of body must remain erect.
3. Do not pot weight on the heels.

BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS:

1. Calf muscle are made healthy and removes constipation and nervous weaknees of the lower extrimities.
2. Those suffring from the muscle pull should not practise it.
   

ARDHA-PADAMASAN

Place one foot on opposit thigh and on the other thigh the other foot. This is knowon as Virasan.
NOTE: Since the position of legs is like of that of Padamasan (i.e. not complete) the posture is called "Aradh Padamasn"
TECHNIQUE:

1. Sit stretching out both legs, hands by the side of the body, palms on the ground, finger together pointing towards.
2. Hold the right foot with left hand and right ankle with the right hand and place the right leg on left thigh.
3. In the same way, place the left leg under right thigh.
4. Sit erect,Place hands on the respective knees. Gaze should be nasal of infront.
5. While coming back, loosen your hands and stretch out your left leg first.
6. Then stretch out right leg and return to the original position.

REMEMBER:

1. It is considered as preparotory Asan or Padamasan, therefor one should practise this asan first.
2. While in final position, the knees must touch the ground.

BHUJANGASAN

Let the lower part of body from toes up to the naval touch the ground. Place the palms on the ground and raise thehead like a cobra.
NOTE:In Sanskrit bhujang means cobra. The final position of this asaa resembles like "Hooded snake" hence this is called bhujang asan.
TECHNIQUE:

1. Take prone liying position, legs together, toes together, pointing outwards, hands by the side of the body, fingers together palm facing upward and forehead resting on the ground.
2. Fold hands at the elbow, place palms on the ground near each sides of the shoulder, thumb should be under the armpit
3. Bring the chin foreward and place it on the ground. Gaze in front.
4. raise chin and turn head backward as much as possible. Raise the thorax and turning spine backward up to the naval do not raise the naval.
5. Maintain the posture for sometime. Then slowly bring the body to the ground, starting from upper part of naval region thorax shoulder, chin and lastly place the forehead on the ground.
6. Nowe, relax your hands and place the by the either sides of the thigh

REMEMBER:

1. Fingers and hands must remain together.
2. Do not give jerk to raise youe body.
3. Naval ar lower part of naval must not be raised.
4. Put minimum weight on hands.
5. While in final position, the thumb should touch the chest near armpit.
6. In the beginning weight can remainon hands.
7. While coming back some person bend their hands first it should be avoided.

BENIFITS AND LIMITATION:

1. This effects the muscle of the body.
2. It is benificial for flatuletence after meeals.
3. It is more effective for asthama, dyspepsia and helps in keeping the spine flexible.

UTTANPADASAN

This is a traditional posture. It can be viewd as first stage of Viparitakarani-Sarvangasan-Halasan.

TECHNIQUE:

1. Take supine position with legs together, hands together by the sides of the body. Palm resting on the ground.
2. Raise both legs together slowly up to 30Deg angle.
3. After few seconds, raise further up to 45 Deg angle.
4. After few seconds raise up to 60 Deg angle and maintain it there for few seconds.
5. While returning stop at 45 and 30 deg angle for few seconds
6. Finally return both legs to the ground.

REMEMBER:

1. High pressure and stretch is felt on lower abdomen, hence, practice according to the capacity.
2. In the beginning take the help of the hands to rais the legs.
3. While raising do not bend legs at the knees.

BENIFITS AND LIMITATIONS:

1. This asan is very benificial for those suffring from diabities, constipation, indigestion and nervous weakness.
2. People suffring from lumber spondilites and muscle pull should not practice it.

SVASTIKASAN

This is taken among meditative posture. In indian culture Svastika C is very popular as an auspicious sign, when we sit in this posture, the position of the legs resembles like Svastika hensa called Svastika asan.


HOW TO PERFORM: Sitting properly (i.e. evenly) tyhe two soles (i.e. feet) between the opposit thighs and knees, sitting on level ground with erect body is knowon as Swastika asan.
TECHNIQUE:

1. Stretch your both legs together, hands by the side of the body, palms resting on the ground, fingers together pointing forward.
2. Now fold youe one leg at knee and put it against the joint of another thigh
3. Fold the another leg and put it against the joint of another thigh.
4. Put both hands on the knee in jhana mudra
5. While returning to the original position first stretch your right leg.
6. Then stretch out the left leg and keep the both legs together.

REMEMBER:

1. Sit erect keeping the spine straight.
2. The two soles should be placed between the thigh and calf muscle.