I am back with yet another pose which is beneficial for back problems. Bhujanga Asana (Cobra pose) is one of the most famous Yoga poses which cures Back problems. This is a beautiful pose and it acts on the muscles of the back. It also strengthens the arms.

Actual difference is felt when we stay in this pose for some time rather than trying to come out quickly. In case there is discomfort then you should come out sooner.

How to Practice Bhujanga Asana (Cobra Pose)?

1. Lie down on the mat face down.


2. Bring the palms near your chest on both sides. Arms should be as much close to the body as possible.


3. With inhalation raise your trunk or upper body. Try to use strength of the back more than the arms.


4. Lift as much as possible then with the support of the arms try to stretch the back as much as possible. Try to push the neck backwards while trying to look up. This will help you to achieve greater arch of the back.


5. Breathe normally in the final position for as much time as you are comfortable and then with exhalation come back to normal position slowly.


6. Repeat this sequence 2 to 3 times.

Note : Try to keep the awareness on the back. This will enhance the beneficial effects of this asana.

Benefits of Bhujanga Asana(Cobra Pose)

1. Strengthens the back and excellent as therapeutic cure for back problems like back aches, weak back and slipped disk.


2. Strengthens the arms and tones them.


3. Massages the organs in the abdomen region like Kidney and Liver.

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Leg pain affect lot of people and is a cause of discomfort and leads to medication which are mainly pain killers. I personally do not like pain killers although there are certain condition when these are must but we can avoid pain killer with the help of painkillers. Rheumatic Leg pain can be treated with acupressure quite easily. Apart from Rheumatic pain, our legs also ache when we are tired at the end of playing or physical exertion when we are not used to such activity. Another condition when these is pain in the legs is cases of Chemotherapy for patients with bone cancer. One of my relatives is suffering from Cancer of various organs and there is slight spread in the bones present. When she takes her chemotherapy there is tremendous pain in the legs and she is unable to sleep in the night. I have tried acupressure on her to successfully make her sleep at least for few hours.

Acupressure points for leg pain
Several people especially children and older people suffer from leg pain and usually it affects them in the night time. Acupressure can be used to give them relief and long term treatment can cure them also.

1. There are several nerve endings in the feet which end at the intersection of the toes. Pressing those points send electrical signals through the nerves. Press there points between each toes for 1 minute each. These are depicted as point 1 in the picture.

2. Now press the points which between the bones which originate from the fingers. These are also important points for the nerves. Press these points for 1 minute on each line. These are depicted as point 2 in the picture.

3. Now press the big toe on the outer and inner edges for a minute. After that press all the points on the outer edges of the feet. On the inner side of the feet there are several nerves which stimulate the spinal cord and the waist as well as back region. If the pain is originating from those region it will be cures and it relaxes those regions. Finger Massager is a good tool to use for pressing the outer edges of the toes and the feet.

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Kati Chakrasana (Waist Rotation Post) is a very simple but powerful asana which has multiple benefits. Practicing Kati Chakrasana cures stiff back and also tones the hips. It is very easy to learn and practice.

How to Practice Kati Chakrasana?

1. Stand with the feet around 2 feet apart. Make sure that the body is balance equally on both the legs.


2. Spread the hands on both sides of the body with palms down parallel to the shoulders.


3. Inhale. With exhalation swing the hands and move towards left side. Hold the left shoulder with the right hand and move the left hand and try to touch the right waist from the back of the body.


4. Rotate the neck towards left and try to look back as much as possible.


5. Stay for around 10 to 15 seconds and then with inhalation come back to initial position.


6. Now repeat the same for the other side.


7. While in the final position make sure that the weight does not fall on one leg.

Benefits of Kati Chakrasana

1. Kati Chakrasana removes stiffness of back.


2. Tones the lower back, shoulders and neck. Gives a nice stretch to the back in general.


3. It is one of the poses in Shankha Prakshalan which is a yogic cleansing routine of the digestive system.

Today morning as I was preparing water to practice Jal Neti the thought suddenly came to my mind about asking my dad to try it out. My dad who is around 74 years old, practices Pranayama regularly every morning for around half and hour to 45 minutes. He has been practicing this for last 4 to 5 years now and attributes his alertness to the practice. He earlier had double heart attack around 24 years back and then around 10 years back had a stroke which temporarily paralyzed his left side. After the initial treatment, he started practicing Pranayama every morning after watching Swami Ramdev's programme on TV. After practicing Pranayama for last 4 to 5 years he has regained most of the strength and control on his limbs. He does not practice any asanas apart from some loosening exercises.

When I asked him if he would like to try Jal Neti it took him by surprise. He was initially apprehensive. I assured him that it is a very easy. Once I instructed him properly he was able to easily do it easily. This process also made me realize few doubts or questions which I think may arise in the mind of anyone who has not tried Jal Neti before.

I have written on Jal Neti before this and reason behind writing again on this topic is I find it extremely effective. I started it few months back and results for me are excellent. Earlier I used to get running nose very easily whenever I had throat infection, but I have seen that now a days even in case of throat infections also it is very mild and I don't get running noses.

Common Queries and Questions on Jal Neti.

1. I need to pull the water into the nose, and that is difficult
   When you see any one performing Jal Neti either directly or watch a video it might appear as if water is pulled through one nose and thrown out of the other nose. But the fact is only thing one needs to concentrate on is breathing through the mouth during the duration of Jal Neti. Just start with breathing through the mouth and then attach the nozzle of the Neti pot on one of the nostrils and tilt the head. The water will follow its natural course and flow out of the other nose automatically. Follow this with the other nose.


2. How warm should the water be?
   You might come across this question after you have made your mind to try out Jal Neti. It is best to keep it lukewarm or may be very slightly warm initially. You nose may be very sensitive initially and you will feel tingling sensation on the tip of the nose. If you are comfortable with the warmth of the water you can try to increase it a little bit more next time.


3. What to do if one of my nostril was blocked and the water does not flow properly?
   In such cases I found that we can try two approaches. Firstly you can heat up the water a little bit more. This usually opens up the nostrils. Other approach can be to try from the other nostril first. Rarely is the case when both the nostrils are blocked. Trying both these methods will surely open up both the nostrils. Regularly practicing Jal Neti also reduces the incidence of blocked nose.


4. I still think Jal Neti is Gross
   In reply to this I would like to ask a question. Do you feel passing of stool or urine is gross? Even if you feel so you still need to do that to keep the body clean. Similarly to keep the respiratory system clean and to cure many diseases it is necessary to practice Jal Neti from time to time. More frequently you do it better it is for you.

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You may be a night owl and be at your best during the late hours but the fact is your energy and freshness is more likely to be more in the morning. It is law of nature that morning time is the time for renewal of everything. Sun rises after the dark night, birds starts to leave their nest to begin another day with the first rays of sun. Flowers start blooming again. Similarly morning is the ideal time for Yoga Sadhana or practice.

In the morning the body may be stiffer compared to evening but it is also having more strength and no mental fatigue which happens after a day of work. Apart from the mental fatigue, there are not thoughts which accumulated after interacting with people around us during the day. The thought process disturbs the mind while in the morning when the mind is calmer, the Yoga poses can be done with more awareness.

You will need more determination in the morning for the poses because of the stiffness but with practice the poses become easier to practice. Morning time is also the best time to detoxify using various therapies like water therapy and practicing yoga after that enhances the detoxification process.

Practicing in the Morning
If possible try to practice in a airy room or balcony which has fresh air.
This is one of the routine I can suggest you to try out which works very well.

1. Start with some small routine where in you rotate the joints of wrists, shoulders with breath awareness. Then follow with neck stretching and followed by kriyas which open up the leg joints. Take some rest in Shavasana.

2. Try some stretching asanas in the beginning like Tadasana. Try out some new asanas which is easy for you but keep changing this every few days. For example you can try out asanas which strenghten the arms and upper body for few days, then go for spinal twists or back bends etc.

3. Practice 7 to eight rounds of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutaions). This will set the blood flowing quickly in the body, remove lethargy and increase the alertness.

4. Follow with 5-10 minutes of Shavasana.

5. Practice Kapalbhati pranayama for 10 minutes and Nadi Shodhana pranayama for 10 minutes followed by 3 to 5 rounds of Bharamri pranayama.

Practicing yoga in the morning sets your day in the right direction with right mindset and healthy body. Within few days you will see the difference this practice make in your day and you will looking forward to the next morning eagerly.

Kandharasana or the Shoulder pose is an pose in which part of the body weight is on the shoulders. This asana is good for Thyroid and can be practiced after inverted asanas like Sarvangasana.

How to practice Kandharasana

1. Lie down on your back on the mat with the hands placed near the body.


2. Fold the legs from the knees and place the feet near your hips.


3. Hold the legs near the ankles with the hands.


4. Raise the buttocks and try to lift the body as much as possible.


5. In the final position keep the weight on the shoulders, neck, arms and feet.


6. Stay for as long as possible and slowly come back to ground with exhalation.


7. Practice this for 2 to 3 times.

Benefits of Kandharsana

1. During this pose there is more blood flow through the thyroid glands therefore it is good for treating the various conditions of thyroid glands.


2. The back is also strengthened and cures back pains and helps in realigning the spinal cord.


3. This pose opens the lungs and it is good for respiratory problems including asthma


4. The upper thigh and groin is stretched and toned.


5. Practicing this asana after Sarvangasana increases the benefits of Sarvangasana.

Precaution
Persons having neck pain or hernia should not practice this.

Constipation is the reason for many diseases and can be caused by variety of reasons. Irregular motions which can some times last for 2 or 3 days is known as constipation. Constipation causes lethargy, loss of appetite, head ache, bad smell from mouth, piles, mouth sores and other diseases.

Major reasons behind constipation are lack of physical exercise or activity, excessive consumption of tea or coffee, lack of fiber in food and eating refined food or high fat animal products, diseases of liver, not chewing the food properly etc.

Here are few ways to prevent and cure constipation. To cure and prevent constipation it is very important to maintain an healthy lifestyle. Drink around 1.5 liters of water first thing in the morning. Please see the article on water therapy for this. Regular exercises and inversion asanas like Sarvangasana are extremely good. Including vegetables in the diet and chewing the food properly helps in the easier digestion and prevents constipation.

Guava

Guava is a much ignored fruit but contains the vital vitamins A, B and C and various minerals like phosphorus etc. It contains lot of fiber and excellent for treating constipation. Taking one or two ripe guava in the evening is extremely beneficial.

Triphala
Triphala consists for three herbs Amla, Baheda and Hartaki and is one of the most potent combination for curing constipation. Taking two teaspoons spoon of Triphala with water or milk in the night clears the stomach quite easily and at the same time it is not habit forming. To increase the effectiveness of Triphala take it with one third amount of Carom seed powder(Ajwain in Hindi) and Rock salt and take it with warm water.

Gulkand (Rose Petal Jam)

Gulkand is prepared by mixing rose petals and sugar in a glass jar and putting the jar in the sun for 3 to 4 weeks. The ratio of Rose petals to Sugar is 1:2. This is an excellent tonic for enhancing the digestive system and relieves constipation. It cleans the intestines, reduces the body heat therefore the acne and pimples are cured. Apart from this it is excellent for treating acidity. Take Gulkand with warm milk or water for constipation relief.

Amla Aloe Vera Juice

I recently wrote on Amla Aloe Vera juice and its benefits. Please visit the article here.

Here are some Yoga Poses Which are Good For Constipation
Utthitha Parsvakonasana

Sometime back I had written an article on treating eczema through various techniques including yoga and ayurveda. Here is another potent combination which is extremely effective for treating skin diseases including eczema. Here is what you need to do.

Buy Amla and Aloe Vera juices from some reputed ayurvedic brand. Mix then in equal portion about 15 ml each. Mix this in a glass and fill rest of the glass with water. Just drink it. Make sure that you shake the Aloe Vera mixture before pouring it. If you drink it with empty stomach it will provide better results. Take it twice a day to be more effective. Within around 2 week you will see the difference and regularly consuming it for 2 month will cure various skin diseases.

Other Variations with Amla and Aloe Vera
In case you practice water therapy you can also mix it in the water which you consume. Water therapy is practice first thing in the morning and is an excellent cleansing mechanism, and adding these two juices will enhance the benefits of water therapy.

Another variation you can try is to add one or two tea spoons of triphala powder in the glass along with Amla and Aloe Vera. Pour water and keep it for 10 to 30 minutes and then consume this mixture. Triphala is another powerful ayurvedic tonic which balances the Doshas and cleanses the body.

Benefits of Amla - Aloe Vera Juice

1. It cleanses the body and flushes out the toxins and therefore good for skin diseases.


2. Amla is full of Vitamin C which is good for skin.


3. It improves digestion process


4. Problems of stomach like acidity and heartburn etc are solved. I know people who have been taking treatment for acidity for years but did not get the desired benefits. As soon as they started consuming Amla Aloe Vera juice they started getting immediate relief.


5. It is good for skin and hair problems.


6. Aloe Vera has properties which stops the spread of cancer cells. It is good for general health and can be used as general tonic.


7. Amla is also good for eyes and adding Triphala also makes it excellent for eye problems.