Step-By-Step

1. Sit on the ground with the legs straight out in front of you, hips supported on a creased blanket. Bend the knees, place your feet on the ground, and thereafter slide your left foot underneath the right leg to the outer of the right buttock. Lay the outside of the left leg on the floor. Step your right foot above your left leg and stand on the floor outside the left hip. The right knee would point directly up at the ceiling.

2. Breathe out and twist towards the inside of your right thigh. Push your right hand against the floor just behind the right buttock, and set the left upper arm on the outer side of the right thigh close to the knee. Draw your front torso and inside right thigh tightly together.

3. Push the inside right foot very energetically into the floor, free the right groin, and extend the front torso. Bend your upper torso back a little, against the shoulder blades, and carry on lengthening the tailbone into the floor.

4. You can turn the head in any one of the two directions: maintain the twist of the torso by rotating it towards the right; or counter the twist of the torso by rotating it towards the left and looking above the left shoulder at the right foot.

5. With breathing, rise a little more through your sternum, pressing your fingers against the floor to help. Turn a little more with every exhalation. It is important for you to be sure to distribute the twist uniformly all through the complete length of the spine; don’t concentrate it in your lower back. Stay in the similar pose for about thirty seconds to a minute, and then release with an exhalation. Return to the initial position, and repeat to the left for the same duration of time.

Anatomical Focus

• Upper back

►Therapeutic Applications

• Sciatica

► Benefits

• Therapeutic for infertility and asthma
• Relieves menstrual discomfort, backache, sciatica and fatigue
• Stimulates the digestive fire in the stomach
• Energizes the spine
• Stretches the neck, hips and shoulders
• Stimulates the kidneys and liver
• According to traditional sayings, Ardha Matsyendrasana destroys most deadly diseases, awakens kundalini and increases appetite.

► Contraindications and Cautions

• Spine or back injury: Perform this pose only under the guidance of an experienced teacher.

►Beginner’s Tip

In this pose, the opposite-side arm is draped around the outside of the raised-leg upper thigh. This might not be practical and potentially injurious for beginners. Therefore, be sure that you sit up well on a blanket support and for the time being wrap your arm around the lifted leg and clasp the thigh to the torso.

►Modifications and Props

Often it is difficult in the beginning to get the torso snug against your inside thigh. Position yourself a foot away from a wall, with your back leaned towards the wall; the accurate distance would depend upon the length of your arms. Breathe out into the twist and reach back for the wall. Your arm should be almost but not quite extended (it si important fro you to ensure that you are not sitting too close to the wall, which can jam the shoulder). Push the wall away and move your front torso against the thigh.

► Partnering

With the help of a partner, you can work the opposite-side elbow to the outer side of your upper thigh. Bring your legs in position as mentioned above and rotate to the right. Ask your partner to sit towards your right side, a foot away, facing you. Lengthen the left arm towards your partner, pressing the back of the arm against the top of your right thigh. He or she can hold the wrist and, simultaneously, press his/her feet against the outer side of your right thigh. Gently pulling with the hands and pushing with the feet, your partner can pull your left side of the torso out of the internal left groin even as you slide the back arm further along and push the left side fully against the top thigh. Keep in mind that your partner should not force you into a deeper twist, however is only helping you to extend and lengthen.

► Preparatory Poses

• Baddha Konasana
• Bharadvajasana
• Janu Sirsasana
• Supta Padangusthasana
• Virasana

► ▼

Follow-Up Poses

• Paschimottanasana
• Janu Sirsasana

► ▼

Deepen The Pose

If you have the flexibility in the hips and spine you can bring the upper left arm to the outside of the upper right thigh. With the legs in place, exhale and turn to the right. Lean slightly back, away from the upper thigh, and bend the left elbow, pressing it against the outside of the upper right thigh. Then snuggle the torso in against the thigh and work the left upper arm further on to the outer leg until the back of the shoulder presses against the knee. Keep the elbow bent and the hand raised towards the ceiling. Lean into a slight upper-back backbend, firming the shoulder blades against the back, and lift the front torso through the top sternum.

1. with the feet less than shoulder width apart, knees wide.
2. Now, tilt the torso forward between the inner thighs. Thereafter, keep the torso low raising the buttocks until the thighs become analogous to the floor.
3. Sung the shoulder and upper left arm as much as possible under your left thigh’s back above the knee. Then, put the left hand on the floor at the outer edge of the left fingers, foot pointing forward. Repeat the same procedure on the right side. While doing this, the upper back would round.
4. Press the inner hands strongly against the floor and gradually start to rock your weight back, onto the hands and off the feet. While straightening the arms, the feet would lift slightly off the floor, not by raw strength but by shifting the centre of gravity carefully.
5. Now, squeeze the outer arms with the help of inner thighs. Now is the time to cross right ankle over the left ankle. Make sure you look straight ahead. Stay in the same position for thirty seconds, and thereafter bend the elbows releasing the feet back to the floor again with an exhale.
6. Repeat the similar pose again with the left ankle on top.

Anatomical Focus – Groins

Benefits

• Improves balance
• Tones the belly
• Strengthens the wrists and arms

Contraindications and Cautions

• Elbow, wrist, shoulder and low back injuries

Beginner’s Tip

• In order to balance yourself properly, it is important for you to support your hips on a yoga bolster or block.

Preparatory Poses

• Garudasana (Eagle Pose)

• Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)

Bakasana (Crane Pose)

Malasana (Garland Pose)

Follow-Up Poses

• Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog)

• Adho Mukh Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)

• Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

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Step-By-Step

1. Lie relax on your back. Bend the knees into your stomach with an exhale.

2. Inhale then hold the outer side of the feet with your hands (in case, you find it difficult to hold your feet directly with the hands, hold them up onto a belt looped over every sole). Open the knees wider than the torso, and bring them towards the armpits.

3. Place each ankle over the knee in such a way that your shins are perpendicular to the floor. Now, flex through your heels. Smoothly, push the feet in your hands as you bring the hands down for creating resistance.

4. Coax the thighs in towards the torso and down towards the floor while lengthening your spine – release the tail bone towards the floor and increase the base of the skull away from the neck.

5. Stay in the same position for about thirty seconds to a minute. Thereafter, release your feet back to the floor with an exhale. Rest and relax for a few breaths.

Anatomical Focus – Hips

Benefits

• Helps relieve stress and fatigue and calms the brain

• Gently stretches the back spine and the inner groins

Contraindications and Cautions

• Neck injury, support head on a thickly folded blanket

• Knee injury

• Pregnancy

Beginner’s Tip

• If you fail to hold your feet with your hands, try to hold each foot with a yoga strap looped around the middle arch.

Preparatory Poses

• Virasana (Hero Pose)

• Balasana (Child Pose)

Follow-Up Poses

• Adho Mukh Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)



Step-By-Step

1. Knee bend from Tadasana with the inner feet a few inches apart. If you find it difficult to keep your heels on the floor surface then take the support of a thickly folded blanket. Separate the knees broader than the hips and lean your torso forward between the inner thighs. Now stretch the arms forward and bend the elbows. Put the hands on the floor surface and the backs of your upper arms against the shins.

2. Snuggle the inner thighs against your torso’s sides, slide the upper arms down as low to the shins as possible and the shins into the armpits. Now, lift onto the balls of the feet and lean forward taking the weight of the torso to the backs of your upper arms. In Crane Pose (Bakasana), you attempt hard to round your back and contract the front torso completely. In order to help yourself, keep the tail bone extremely close to the heels.

3. Now, lean forward onto the back of the upper arms with an exhalation. You have to lean forward to the point where your feet balls leave the floor. Now your legs and torso are perfectly balanced on the backs of the upper arms. As a novice you may want to stop yourself here, perched securely on the bent arms.

4. However, in case you are willing to go further, squeeze your legs against the arms and press the inner hands strongly to the floor surface and straighten your elbows. When seen from the side, your arms are angled forward towards the floor. Make sure your inner knees are glued to the outer arms, high near the armpits. Further, keep your head in a neutral position looking at the floor surface or slightly lift your head without compressing the neck back, and then look forward.

5. Continue stay in the similar pose from twenty seconds to a minute. In order to release, exhale and gradually lower the feet to your floor surface, back into a squat.

Anatomical Focus – Wrists

Benefits:

• Tones the abdominal organs

• Opens the groins

• Strengthens the abdominal muscles

• Stretches the upper back

• Strengthens arms and wrists

Contraindications and Cautions:

• Pregnancy

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

Beginner’s Tip:

Beginner’s move in this pose by lifting their hips high far away from their heels. In Bakasana (Crane Pose), try keep your body tucked tight, with the hips and heels close together. The moment you are ready to take your feet off the floor, push the inner groins deep into the pelvis and draw your upper arms against the shins to help you with the lift.

Variations:

One of the most accessible variations of Crane Pose (Bakasana) is a twist – Parsva Bakasana pronounced as PARSH-vah, parsva meaning flank or side.

Squat as mentioned above, however it is advisable to keep the knees together. With an exhale, turn the torso towards the right, bracing the left elbow to the outer side of the right knee. Work your arm along the knee until it becomes firm against your upper arm, near the armpit. Set your hands on the floor surface leaning towards the right and lift your feet off the floor with an exhale and balance it with the outer left arm presses against your outer right leg. Straighten the arms as much as possible, though undoubtedly for majority of the students, the elbows would continue to remain little bent. Stay in the same position for twenty to thirty seconds, exhale again to the squat and repeat it to the left side for the same duration of time.

Modifications and Props:

There are a few students who encounter difficulty lifting into Bakasana from the floor. Generally, it is advisable to prepare for this particular pose squatting on a block or any height so that the feet remains a few inches off the floor.

Partnering:

Having a partner helps you in learning to balance Bakasana, particularly when you feel reluctant to incline forward and take the feet off the floor. Squat in the ready pose refers to your hands on the floor and up on the balls off the feet. Make sure that your partner stands in front of you. The moment you would lean forward, she or he would give support to your shoulders with her or his hands in order to prevent you toppling forward on to your head or face. Remain in the same position for a few breathes enjoying the balanced position in the secure hands of your partner.

Preparatory Poses:

• Adho Mukha Svanasana

• Balasana

• Virasana

• Plank Pose

• Baddha Konasana

Follow Up Poses:

• Adho Mukha Svanasana

• Plank Pose

• Chaturanga Dandasana

Deepen the Pose:

There is a high possibility that full pose may cause varying degrees of pain in your wrist. Rather than spreading your fingers on the floor surface, it is suggested to curl them slightly. This, generally, takes away pressure off your wrists.

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Step-By-Step

1. Start with Adho Mukha Svanasana. Thereafter, inhale and draw the torso forward until the shoulders are over the wrists, arms perpendicular to the floor and torso analogous to the floor.

2. First, press your outer arms inward, and thereafter strengthen the bases of the index finger into the floor. Strengthen the shoulder blades the back and spread them away from the spine. Moreover, you even have to spread the collarbones away from the sternum.

3. Press the front thighs up towards the ceiling, however resist the tailor bone towards the floor while lengthening it towards the heels. Now, lift your skull base away from neck back and look straight down on the floor, keeping your eyes and throat soft.

4. Plank pose is considered as one of the positions in the conventional Sun Salutation sequence. This pose can also be performed by itself and remain in this position anywhere from thirty seconds to a minute.

Anatomical Focus – Wrists

Benefits:

• Tones the abdomen

• Strengthens the spine, wrists and arms

Contraindications and Cautions

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

Beginner’s Tip:

In order to help strengthen the arms in this position, loop and secure a strap around the upper arms, above the elbows. Push the inner arms outwards against this strap. Release the outer arms from the shoulders towards the floor, and lift the inner arm from the base of the index fingers to the shoulders.

Variations:

Just like Adho Mukha Svanasana has a one-leg-lifted variation, Plank Pose also has the similar variation. After coming into this position, first inhale and then lift one leg analogous to the floor. Press firmly through the raised heels and lengthen through the head crown, keeping your tailbone pressed towards the pubis. Stay in this position for ten to thirty seconds, exhale the foot towards the floor, and then repeat the same pose with the left leg for the same duration of time.

Modifications and Props:

Do Adho Mukha Svanasana with your thumbs and index fingers pressed against a wall. Inhale the torso forward, as mentioned above, and press the head crown against the wall. Make use of the pressure of the head on the wall to know about the release of the shoulder blades down the back.

Partnering

A partner helps in learning more about the lift of the top thighs in this particular pose. While in this position, ask your partner fasten a strap around the topmost thighs, at the place where they join the pelvis, and lift up. Now, press your tailbone in downwards direction, against this lift, and lengthen along your back thighs through your heels.

Preparatory Poses:

• Adho Mukha Svanasana

• Chaturanga Dandasana

Follow Up Poses:

• Adho Mukha Svanasana

• Chaturanga Dandasana

• Bakasana

Deepen the Pose:

Open the space between your shoulder blades. Whiel pressing the outer arms inward, push the inner borders of your shoulder blades in this resistance. It is important for you to ensure you don’t narrow across the collar bones to perform this. This is considered as one of the most useful actiosn to know more about the poses like Sirsasana and Bakasana.

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Step-By-Step

• In this asan, begin on your knees and hands in “tabletop” position. It is important for you to ensure your shoulders and elbows are perpendicular and in-line to the floor and knees are set below your wrists and hips. In a neutral position, center your head with your eyes looking at the floor surface.

• While exhaling, round your spine towards the ceiling, however make sure your knees and shoulders remain in position. Now, release your head towards the floor, however, do not force your chin to chest.

• Coming back to your neutral “tabletop” position on knees and heads, inhale.

• Usually this pose is compared to cow pose on the inhale for a mild, following vinyasa.

Anatonimical Focus – Uterus

Therapeutic Applications – Stress

Benefits-

• Provides a gentle massage to the belly organs and spine
• Stretches the neck and back torso

Contraindications and Cautions:

With a neck injury, keep the head in line with the torso.

Beginners Tip:

If you have face any difficulty in rounding the top of your upper back, take the help of a friend to lay a hand just between and above the shoulder blades to help you activate this area.

Preparatory Poses:

• Garudasana
• Balasana

Follow Up Poses

• Cow Pose

Step-By-Step

• Begin in Dolphin Pose with your knees bent. Thereafter, walk your feet back until your shoulders are over your torso and elbows in parallel to the floor.

• Press your elbows and inner forearms firmly against the floor surface. Firm the blades of your shoulder against your back and spread away from your spine. In the same manner, keep your collarbones spread away from the sternum.

• Press front thighs towards the ceiling, however resist tailor bone towards the floor surface lengthening it towards your heel. Lift the skull base away from the back of the neck and look down at the floor surface, keeping your eyes and throat soft.

• Stay in the same position from thirty seconds to a minute. Therefore, release knees to the floor surface with an exhale.

Anatonimical Focus – Upper Back

Therapeutic Applications – Stress

Benefits-

• Helps prevent osteoporosis

• Strengthens the legs and arms and arches

• Stretches the arches, calves, hamstrings and shoulders

• Hep relieve mild depression and stress and also calms the brain

Contraindications and Cautions:

Neck injuries, support forehead on a block; Shoulder injuries, support torso on a bolster

Beginners Tip:

Relieves neck tension by resting your forehead on a block set between your forearms.

Preparatory Poses:

• Plank Pose

Follow Up Poses

• Salabhasana

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Lay on the floor surface on your right. Flex the ankle, press actively through the right heel and using outside of the foot stabilise your position (in case, you feel unstable, brace the soles against the wall).

Stretch the right arm straight along the floor analogous to the torso. This will help you in creating a long line form the heels towards your finger tips. Bend the right elbow and support the head in the palm. Slide your elbow away from the torso in order to stretch the armpit.

Rotate the legs externally so that your toes point towards the ceiling. Thereafter, bend and draw your knees towards the torso. Reach crossways the inside of the legs and hold the left of your big toe with the middle and index fingers. Hold the grip by wrapping the thumb around your two fingers (in case, you fail to comfortable hold your toe, loop a trap around the sole, and then hold the strap). Extend the leg upside towards the ceiling with an inhale.

The alleviated led would probably angle slightly forward whereas the top hip will drop. Strengthen the sacrum against the pelvis. This in turn, creates fulcrum that would help you in moving the leg back towards a perpendicular position.

Press actively through both the heels. Continue stay in the pose for thirty seconds to one minute, and then release your leg. Take a few breathes and roll onto your left side. Repeat this again for the same duration of time.

Anatomical Focus – Hips

Benefits:

• Tones the belly

• Stretches the sides of the torso

• Stretches the backs of the legs

Beginner’s Tip:

In case, you still feel unstable with the soles presses to a wall then wedge a bolster against your back.

Preparatory Poses:

• Utthits Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)

• Parighasana (Gate Pose)

• Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose)

Follow Up Poses:

• Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

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• Sit on the floor surface with your legs straight out in front. Now, press hands on the floor surface, behind your hips, fingers pointing towards feet and firm your arms. Lift yourself through the top of your sternum, and then lean back slightly. While doing this, it is important for you to ensure that your back does not round; continue lengthen your torso between the top sternum and pubis. Sit on “the tripod” of the tail bone and two sitting bones.
• Bend your knees while exhaling. Lift your feet off the floor so that your thighs are angled about 40-50 degrees relative to the floor surface. Lengthen tail bone into the floor and lift your pubis towards the navel. If it is possible, slowly and gradually straighten your knees, alleviating the toes tips slightly above your eyes level. In this case, this is not possible, stay with your bent knees, lifting the shines analogous to the floor.
• Stretch out your arms alongside the legs, analogous to the floor and each other. Spread out shoulder blades across back and reach firmly out through the fingers. In case, this is not possible, keep your hands on the floor surface beside hips or hold on to the thighs back.
• It is important to keep the lower belly firm, but remember it should not get thick and hard. It is advisable to keep the lower belly relatively flat. Press the heads of your thigh bones towards the floor. This would help in anchoring the pose and lifting the top sternum. Now, breathe easily. Tip your chin towards the sternum so that the base of your skull lifts slightly away from the back of the neck.
• Stay in the similar pose for ten to twenty seconds. Slowly increase the time to stay in the similar position to one minute. With an exhalation, release your legs and sit upright with an inhalation.

Anatonimical Focus – Thyroid

Benefits –

• Improves digestion
• Helps relieve stress
• Stimulates the thyroid and prostate glands, intestines and kidneys
• Strengthens the hip flexors, spine and abdomen

Contraindications and Cautions:

• Pregnancy
• Neck injury
• Menstruation
• Low blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Heart Problems
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Asthma

Beginners Tip:

You can easily practice for this pose periodically all through the day without leaving your chair. Sit on the front edge of a chair with your knees placed at right angles. Grab to the sides of the chair with your hands leaning slightly forward. Strengthen arms and lift your hips off the seat, and then raise your heels off the floor surface. Let your thigh bones head sink into the force of gravity and pull the top of your sternum up and forward.

Variations:

Ardha Navasana (ARE-dah; ardha = half)

From Full Boat Pose, clench your hands together on the back of head. Lower your legs slightly with an exhalation. It is only at this time that you have to round your back so that you can rest on the sacrum. Stretch the elbows out to the sides, bringing your toes tips in line with eyes.

Modifications and Props:

There are times when it becomes really difficult to straighten the alleviated legs. Bend the knees and loop a strap around your feet soles and grip them firmly in your hands. Lean the torso back while inhaling, exhale and lift and straighten the legs, now, push your feet firmly against the strap.

Partnering:

A partner helps you in bringing the shoulder blades into the back and also helps in lifting sternum by keeping his or her hands gently on your upper chest and back so that you can easily lift.

A partner can help you bring the shoulder blades into your back and lift your sternum by placing his/her hands gently on your back and upper chest to give you something to lift from.

Preparatory Poses:

• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Uttanasana

Follow Up Poses:

• Utkatasana
• Salamba Sirsasana
• Halasana
• Baddha Konasana
• Adho Mukha Svanasana

Deepen the Pose:

Full Boat is often considered as an abdominal strengthener which is true to a certain extent. However, more importantly, Full Boat pose gives strength to the deep hip flexors attaching the inner thigh bones to the spine front. It is important for you to know how to anchor the heads of your thigh bones in the pelvis and lift from that particular anchor through the front spine. Moreover, always remember that lower portion of front belly should never be hard.

Menswear for yoga

Mens yoga clothing consists of a wide variety of choices. You can get some excellent shorts or slacks which make you look great, and at the same time are extremely comfortable. There are also some great quality T shirts available which give you ample space to breathe and to workout. Yoga postures require you to stretch a lot. You need clothes that will be able to stretch along with you, and will not cause any obstruction in your movements. Thus, you will be able to breathe easier. These special clothes are very well designed and take into account all of these needs. You can get clothes that fit your size perfectly, as though they were made only for you. While it is better to wear clothes that are not flowing, the clothes must also feel loose and comfortable. These clothes take into account all of these requirements in their design. They have great sweat absorption capabilities, and the material with which they are made is very carefully chosen. This material allows for ease of air circulation between your body and the atmosphere.

Options available

Best mens yoga clothing is available online. You can select between different sizes and varieties. If you feel conscious about your thighs, you can go for three fourths or full length pants. If you prefer complete unrestricted movement, you could go for shorts instead. There are many T shirts available in different sizes which will suit your needs perfectly. The material of these clothes is really excellent – they don’t allow the body to react with sweat, and so you will not develop any unpleasant rashes. The latest trend these days is to use eco friendly apparel for yoga. These are made out of special natural and organic materials, and which are able to draw the energies from the cosmos much better. These clothes are scientifically proven to have helped people much better in their yoga sessions. You can also get shirts that have some interesting messages on them.