Yoga Asana - International Day of Yoga Mysuru

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Mysuru: With less than 20 days to go for the all important International Yoga Day event in Mysuru on June 21, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, two top officials from Delhi held a closed door meeting in the city yesterday morning with officials of the District Administration.

Vikram Singh, Director, Ministry of AYUSH, New Delhi and Dr. Eshwar Basavareddy, Director, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Delhi, held talks with top officials of the District Administration at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office.

The meeting was attended by DC Dr. Bagadi Gautham, ADC Dr. B.S. Manjunathaswamy, ZP CEO B.R.Poornima, SP R. Chetan, City Police Commissioner Dr. Chandragupta, DCPs Pradeep Gunti and Geetha Prasanna, MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy, MUDA Commissioner G.T. Dinesh Kumar, State AYUSH Department Commissioner Ramachandra, Deputy Director Dr. Seetha-lakshmi and other officials.

The meeting discussed in detail the preparations underway and security measures at the Palace premises for the grand event and also deliberated on shifting the venue to Chamundi Vihar Indoor Stadium at the last minute, only in case of incessant rains on the day of the event.

After receiving vital inputs and other details, Vikram Singh and Dr. Basavareddy are said to have directed the District Administration not to allow more than 12,000 participants in the Palace premises as a safety and security measure, it is learnt.

Later, Singh and Dr. Basavareddy, along with officials of the District Administration went to the Palace premises, the venue of the event, for a spot inspection. The team went around the entire premises of the Palace and discussed plans to erect two stages at two different points in Palace premises, it is learnt.

Palace Board Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya provided inputs on the geographical features of the Palace premises.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to participate in the International Yoga Day celebrations to be held in Mysuru on June 21 as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav‘, an official communication from the Karnataka Chief Minister’s office stated on Monday.

Modi held a video conference with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to discuss the preparations for the event.

“All the preparations have been completed. The stage is set to conduct the International Yoga Day in a big way at the Mysuru Palace premises in Karnataka and I am looking forward to your arrival,” Bommai told the Prime Minister.

State Chief Secretary P Ravikumar, Additional Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, CM’s Principal Secretary N Manjunath Prasad and other officials were present.

The Union Ministry of Ayush had earlier confirmed the 8th International Day of Yoga (IDY) at Mysuru city on June 21.

The Ministry had written Karnataka Chief Secretary P. Ravikumar and asked him to issue directions to all the concerned to make arrangements for the successful organisation of the main event of IDY-2022.

The letter said “the preparations for IDY-2022 are already underway. As the upcoming 8th IDY is falling in ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ year, this Ministry plans to observe IDY at 75 iconic sites across the country. This year, the IDY will be focused on Branding India on the global stage.”

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Ahead of the International Day of Yoga to be celebrated on June 21, preparations for it have intensified with the Yoga Federation of Mysore stepping up its efforts.

Various preparations have gathered steam since last week when it was officially confirmed that Mysuru would be leading the IDY event in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate and perform yoga with thousands of people.

On Sunday, nearly 2,500 people took part in the rehearsal that was conducted at the Suttur Mutt near the Chamundi foothills in the presence of Suttur seer Sri Shivaratri Deshikendra Swamiji. The seer, who addressed the gathering, said that Mr. Modi himself was a yoga practitioner and hence, the event in Mysuru should be held without any glitches to make it a model for the rest of the country.

The organisers ensured that the rehearsal followed the common protocol for yoga day as stipulated by the Ministry of Ayush and there was synchronised movement to appeal to the viewers. MLA Mr. S.A. Ramdas said that the message of benefits of yoga and the imperatives of good health should be taken to the door steps of the people. With just about 3 weeks left for the event efforts should be stepped up to increase the number of registrations.

The organisers plan to rope in at least 2 lakh people to perform simultaneously and create a record besides sending a strong message that Mysuru is the home for yoga so as to give a boost to the tourism potential.

Mr. Ramdas said that every household should have a yoga practitioner taking part in the event. Next Sunday, a rehearsal will be conducted at the palace premises and the surrounding precincts and the Yoga Federation expects about 30,000 people to take part in it. There will also be a rehearsal at the Race Course grounds a few days before the actual event on June 21.

The Union Ministry of Ayush has confirmed the observance of 8th International Day of Yoga (IDY) at Mysuru city, which is known as the cultural capital and major historic destination of Karnataka on June 21.
The Ministry of Ayush has written to Chief Secretary of Karnataka P Ravikumar regarding the matter and directed him to issue necessary directions to all the concerned to make arrangements for successful organisation of the main event of IDY 2022. “The preparations for IDY-2022 are already underway. As the upcoming 8th IDY is falling in ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ year, this Ministry plans to observe IDY at 75 iconic sites across the country. This year, the IDY will be focused on Branding India on the global stage,” the letter read.
Every year, the main event of IDY observation happens in a particular city where thousands of people participate in Mass Yoga Demonstration by following Common Yoga Protocol. The main event of IDY observation is led by the Prime Minister himself. The main event of this IDY observation will be held in Mysuru.

Some of the common contraindications of asana practice are as follows:

High BP and cardiac conditions: People with hypertension or high blood pressure should generally avoid inverted asanas or any asana where the heart is above the head and poses that put additional pressure on the heart and increase the blood pressure. Ex: Avoid sarvangasana, sirsasana.

Joint issues: People who have problems with ankles, knees, hips, wrists, and shoulders should skip or adapt to asanas that don’t put pressure or stress on the joints. Ex: Avoid plank pose for weak wrists.

Pregnancy: The body keeps changing during pregnancy and so should the yoga practice. It is advisable to modify, and adapt asanas according to the stage of pregnancy and avoid poses that put pressure to the abdomen and back, especially backbends and twisting asanas and prone poses. Ex: Avoid Bhujangasana, chakrasana.

Surgery and injury: People who have undergone surgery or are injured should first consult a doctor to determine when they can resume/start a yoga practice and how it can affect the operated or injured area. Ex: Avoid hip flexing asanas like balasana, garudasana after a hip replacement surgery.

Seniors: Classes for seniors should generally be slow-paced as they may have osteoporosis or other health problems. Asanas should be modified to avoid fractures and ensure safety. Ex: Avoid spinal twists and flexions for osteoporosis.

Hernia and ulcers: People with severe ailments like this should avoid core strengthening asanas as they worsen the condition. Ex: Avoid Naukasana.

Sciatica and back problems: Avoid asanas that involve advanced forward folds and backbends as this will only worsen the condition. Adapt to gentle, restorative asanas that work on easing the pain. Ex: Avoid Paschimottanasana.

How Yoga Can Help Regulate Thyroid

Thyroid disorder has become very common over the last decade. It is an endocrine disorder that either manifests as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism which is excess or under-production of the thyroid hormone. These hormones adversely affect metabolism in our bodies when not produced in precise quantities. Some symptoms include fatigue, weight gain or loss, change in heart rate, and swelling of the neck. A stressful lifestyle is a foundation for all diseases, and there is a known connection between thyroid aggravation and stress. Yoga is known to improve thyroid function by reducing stress. The twisting, compression, and stretching that is required for yoga asanas aids in massaging the butterfly-shaped thyroid gland to regulate the releasing of hormones.

Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand Pose)

Steps:

Lie down in the supine position or lying on your back.
Raise your legs slowly upward and bring them to a 90° angle.
Bring the legs towards the head by raising the buttocks up.
Raise the legs, abdomen and chest; try to form a straight line.
Place the palms on your back for support.
Place the chin against the chest.
Maintain the position as long as it is comfortable.
Try to maintain the pose for up to 30 seconds or more.
Slowly return back to the original position.
While doing this, first lower the buttocks with hands supporting the back and slowly come to the surface or in the original position.
Perform it twice or thrice.

Halasana (Plough Pose)

Steps:

Lie down on the surface of the floor in a supine position. Keep your arms beside the body and put the palms face down.
Bend your knees and rock your legs right up and back.
As you exhale slowly, straighten the knees for attaining proper posture. Make sure that you keep the torso perfectly perpendicular to the floor while stretching and extending the legs fully.
Inhale slowly and draw the chin away from the sternum; soften the opening of your throat just up the shoulders and press into the ground using your upper arms for creating a lift.
In order to make the most of this pose, move your legs as further as possible from your head. You will achieve chin lock during this stage. The pressure at this point is put on the thyroid glands.
Interlace your fingers behind your back to gently the shoulder blades squeeze together. If you want, you can also slide your arms right to your head to grab your toes.
Stay in this position while maintaining your breathing for about 4 to 10 counts based on your overall level of comfort.
Exhale as you gradually retrieve your legs and keep them perpendicular to the mat.

Matsyasana (Fish Pose)

Steps:

Sit in Lotus Posture. Have a couple of slow and deep breaths.
Bend slowly backwards and lie on the floor without releasing Lotus Posture. Support your body with your forearms and elbows while bending backwards.
Lift the chest a little upward. Turn the crown of the head towards the floor. Make an arch of the back to the maximum comfortable extent.
Hold on the big toes with elbows touching the floor. Now the body is supported by the legs, buttocks, and head.
Breathe slowly. Keep the position as long as it is comfortable.
To release the position, bring down the back to the floor and straighten the head. Come back to the sitting posture by placing the palms on the floor. Release the Lotus Posture.
Repeat the above steps with the legs crossed on the opposite side in Lotus Posture.

Setubandhasana (Bridge Pose)

Steps:

First lie down in Shavasana or in spine position.
Your arms should be on the sides of your thighs.
Now, fold your knees and clasp your ankle with your palms.
The distance between the feet should be 10 inches.
With each inhale, raise your back in a relaxed manner as possible as you can.
One can also be on toes by raising the heels. It gives more stretching to the back as well as the neck.
Maintain the pose for 30 seconds or more with slow inhaling and exhaling.
Bring your back down with a deep exhale and have a rest.
Repeat this process 3 to 5 times.

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Steps:

To start the pose, lie on your stomach and place your forehead on the floor.
You can have your feet together, or hip-width apart.
Keep the tops of your feet pressing against the floor.
Place your hands underneath your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body.
Draw your shoulder blades back and down, and try to maintain this throughout the pose.
Draw your pubic bone towards the floor to stabilize your lower back, and press your feet actively onto the floor.
With the next inhale, start lifting your head and chest off the floor. Be mindful of opening the chest, and don’t place all of your weight onto your hands. Keep the elbows slightly bent and keep the back muscles working. Take your hands off the floor for a moment to see what is a comfortable, maintainable height for you.
Keep your shoulders relaxed.
With the exhale lower yourself back onto the ground.
Take 2-3 rounds of inhaling yourself up into the cobra, and exhaling down to the floor. Then hold for 2-3 full breaths, and come back down. Rest on the floor for a few breaths, or enjoy Child’s pose as a gentle counterpose.

Who Should Avoid

Weak or injured cervical muscles. Weak legs, weak hamstring muscles or calf muscles. Pregnant women or women during their menstruation time should avoid these. Those with enlarged thyroid, spleen and liver should avoid these yoga poses as a lot of pressure is put on the lower abdomen during this pose.

1. Controlled Breathing for better running

Breathing is the foundation of the yoga practice. Whether you’re engaging in a powerfully moving yoga session or a mellow meditative class, breath is the key. It helps the practitioner focus, oxygenate the body, bring clarity to the mind, and much more. If you’re a runner, this is optimal for you to improve your running skills. In yoga, you learn how to effectively breathe to improve blood and oxygen flow. Intentional breathing conditions your heart. Mindful breathing also affects your sympathetic nervous system.

2. How does yoga improve Flexibility?

Many turn to yoga to improve their flexibility. This is certainly true if you’re athletic and want to have more mobility and greater range of motion. Yoga classes are designed to open up the body in areas that may hold tension, muscle soreness, or joint tightness. There is a wide range of yoga poses, particularly hip openers and hamstring stretches that will help the runner achieve that goal. If you’re a long distance runner, for example, having flexible legs will assist your performance when you’re aiming for long-range running. Further, having more mobility in your hips will positively impact your stride, especially if you’re a racer and need to get ahead of the pack. Yoga can assist you in these areas.

3. Leg Strengthening is possible with constant yoga practise

As a runner, you generally want to have strong legs. Although you may regard yoga as a practice that only focuses on flexibility, it also helps with strength. There are a number of yoga postures, like Warrior 2 or Goddess Pose, that focus a lot on the large muscles of the legs to build more endurance strength. When you hold yoga postures, small muscle fibres are triggered and overtime grow to enhance the strength in that particular body part.

4. Joint Conditioning

There can be quite a bit of wear and tear on your joints if you’re an avid runner. It would be important to find ways to keep your joints, especially in your hips, knees, and ankles, well-conditioned to endure your active sport. There are several ways you can do this in yoga. There is a style of yoga practice called Yin Yoga in which you hold certain poses for a long period of time to release connective tissue. Areas of focus may be shoulders, hips, back, knees, and hips. When a runner’s joints get tight from overuse, this type of practice is ideal. And because you can build strength in other styles of yoga, you can anticipate strengthening the muscles around these sensitive joints to help support their function over time.

5. Core Strengthening with Yoga

There’s no question that having a strong core is essential for runners. This is the stabilizer for the entire body. When your back muscles and abdominal muscles remain strong, you can become a more effective runner. These stabilizers keep you upright, and manage the movement of your arms and legs. To further condition and strengthen your core, yoga is a go-to remedy for that. One of the physical components of yoga is to intentionally stabilize your core. The idea is so that you’re able to sit upright comfortably while meditating. If your core muscles are weak, there is a tendency to collapse along the spine which may create pain or discomfort; this would certainly be a distraction in a meditative practice. Yoga that involves asana, or postures, help to relieve and strengthen the areas of the body that would cause distraction: tight hips, shallow breath, and a weak core. This can go for your running practice, too. Having a stronger mid-section will keep you upright while running; you may even feel lighter on your feet.

6. How does Yoga Prevent Injuries?

Being an avid runner, you also run the risk of injuries. You can practice yoga to help prevent those injuries. When you’re more limber and strong, your body will have the stamina and overall capacity to take on the impact of running. Taking alignment-based yoga classes, like Anusara Yoga, will help you with proper alignment of your upper and lower body. These tips can translate to your running practice very well. If you have good body alignment while you run, you’re less likely to harm your muscles and joints.

7. Improves Endurance

If you’re a long distance or marathon runner, one thing you’ll need to learn is endurance. It takes a lot of mental and physical endurance to progress in a sport like this. Consider taking yoga classes that also teach this skill. Hot Yoga or Power Yoga classes can test your endurance strength. These styles of practice are quite active and require motivation and stamina to get through. Hot Yoga, as per the name, is taught in a heated studio that can be up to 110 degrees F. Being able to move and hold postures in this type of climate takes quite a bit of endurance. It also teaches you patience and determination. In a Power Yoga class, there may be a significant amount of yoga sequences and poses to practice. This, too, requires dedication and determination to push through to the very end. These are the skills you’ll want to have as a runner, too.

8. Works on Mental Focus

As mentioned, running can be quite demanding on the mind and body. With all the training that you do for your body to be a good runner, conditioning your mind is also important. Running, whether it is marathon running, sprinting, or casual jogging, it all takes a level of mental focus to do. Yoga will certainly help in this department. You can develop this skill in moving practices, but to really enhance your mental focus is to practice Mindfulness Meditation. This is the act of focusing on one thing at a time, in most cases, it is your breath. It is like putting on blinders so that the outside noise and distractions can disappear while you maintain a full dedicated connection to your breath. Cadence, rhythm, and breath are elements of a running practice. To stay in tuned with these attributes consistently, practicing Mindfulness Meditative Yoga will enhance those skills.

9. Relax with Yoga

It is important to rest between bouts of strong running. Give your body opportunities to relax so it can recover completely. Restorative Yoga Practices are ideal for this. It allows your body and mind to fully release and relax. If you experience tension, tightness, or soreness anywhere in your body, a supported restorative experience is what you need. Typically, in a Restorative Yoga class, you use yoga props, like Blankets, Blocks, and Bolsters, to support your body in relaxed reposing positions, to completely relax your muscular system. As an athlete, your body can get quite overloaded with training. A relaxing yoga class can be integrated into your training routine for a balanced experience.

10. Recovery post Running

Continuing on the theme of relaxing your body to ease tension, having a yoga practice along with your running can help you recover faster. That is, using yoga as a tool and resource to recover safely and in a healthy fashion is recommended. Yoga offers a lot of balance for an athlete, especially a runner. When you’re needing mental focus, physical strength, and full recovery from your workouts, yoga is the perfect complimentary agent. As you fully integrate the yoga practice, and use many of its benefits, you will see an improvement in your sport of running.

Heal Your Back With These Asanas

We all suffer from back pain from time to time. As common as back pain is, many of us don’t know how to tackle it, and continue to ignore it. This can lead to the pain getting worse over time, and can even interfere with your daily life and routine. Simple tasks such as bending over or looking over our shoulders can prove to be painful.

In today’s busy world, we’re constantly on the move. Taking care of daily chores and errands, sitting and working in chairs for long periods, or just slouching on the couch. This can lead to us feeling tightness in our backs. It is often very easy to ignore this pain when it’s just a mild and irritating sensation, but this same irritation, if not tackled early, can lead to irreversible damage to your posture and your spine and can leave long term effects on your body. It can affect your quality of life and may even barre you from engaging in certain physical activities.

Aches and pains are our body’s way of telling us that it needs more attention and that if left unattended, it may worsen.

With a consistent yoga practice that actively targets the back, not only can you find relief from the pain that you may be feeling to expedite your healing process, you can also strengthen your back to prevent that pain from coming back.

Causes

Backache is fairly common and can be caused by a number of things. It is important to be mindful of any lifestyle changes that you may need to make for active recovery or to be mindful of any habits that may be causing you to feel tightness in your back.

One of the most common causes of back injury is slouching for long periods. If your work demands you to sit in a chair for an extended duration of time, make sure you do so on a chair that provides adequate support for your back. It may also be beneficial to stretch your back from time to time, even if it’s just on your chair.

Certain sports such as hiking with heavy gear, or cycling may also cause backaches as it requires your back to be in a hunched position for a long time. One way to tackle this is to always ensure that you’re engaging in a proper warm-up and cool-down routine before and after any strenuous physical activity. Even a short warm-up can help prevent injury.

Another common cause of back pain can be bad posture. Sometimes, sleeping in odd positions, or sleeping on soft mattresses can also lead to tightness in your back muscles. In such cases, it may be useful to focus your yoga practice on recovery and relaxation, as well as increasing the mobility of your spine by doing spinal twists and backbends.

How Yoga Can Help

If you already have a back injury, yoga can help speed up your recovery process. Many yoga asanas directly target the muscles in your upper and lower back, as well as your side body to provide immediate relief from aches and pains in the back.

A consistent yoga practice can help increase the range of motion in your spine, as well as increase spine mobility and flexibility. The process of stretching as you do in many yoga asanas can help release any tension you may be holding.

It is also equally important to strengthen the muscles in your back so as to prevent injury and yoga can help you do so gently without adding any extra strain on your muscles and your joints so that your back can continue to heal.

Yoga Asanas For The Back

Here are some yoga asanas that you can try that directly target your back. These asanas help strengthen as well as stretch the muscles in your back to help provide a speedy recovery.

1.Cat-Cow (Bitilasana Marjaryasana)

The cat-cow is a gentle flow that targets the back of your neck, shoulders and your spine. It also prepares and warms up your back for the rest of your practice, especially for asanas that involve backbends or forward folds. The breathing involved in the cat-cow flow also helps calm your mind and helps you connect with your breath.

2.Sphinx (Salamba Bhujangasana)

Another gentle and beginner-friendly pose that can help release tension from the lower back. There are many modifications available for the sphinx pose that can help target the neck and shoulders as well.

3.Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

Cobra pose is another asana that helps you release any tension and pain from the lower back. It also stretches the front of your body and can help open your chest to help you feel calmer and more energized during your practice.

4.Locust pose (Salabhasana)

Locust asana can help strengthen the muscles in your back. This pose stabilizes your core and tones your glutes. The locust pose also stimulates your digestive system.

5.Supine spinal twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

Supine spinal twist can help increase the mobility of your spine as well as release any tension from the backs of your shoulders and your side body.

Our body’s immune system plays a pivotal role in our health. It fights viruses, bacteria and defends us from ailments. For years, medical practitioners have emphasized the importance of building immunity, which can be achieved by adopting a healthy lifestyle. A nutritious diet, healthy sleeping habits and physical activity such as Yoga, enhances our body’s natural defence mechanism.

Yoga is more than just an exercise. It is a way of life. A 5000-year-old subtle science, it focuses on bringing harmony between the mind and the body. It is a combination of physical exercise, diet control, breathing techniques and concentration, which strengthens the body and relaxes the mind. This, in turn, improves immunity.

Here are 3 ways in which Yoga helps boost our immunity:

1. It reduces stress:

Stress is one of the leading causes of sickness. This is because stress reduces our immune system’s ability to fight off antigens, making us more susceptible to infections. Here are 2 Yogasanas that help reduce stress.

Sasakasana: Also known as the rabbit pose, it is the perfect yoga posture for reducing stress. It supplies blood to the crown of the head, which helps in relieving stress. It also strengthens the spine, stretches the back and shoulders while stimulating the immune and endocrine systems.
Shavasana: Also known as the corpse pose, it helps reducing anxiety and blood pressure. It’s also effective in treating Insomnia. This position requires you to completely relax your mind and body while focusing only on breathing.

2. It strengthens the respiratory health:

Breathing practices of Yoga, helps maintain the health of our respiratory system. Controlled breathing improves blood flow, lowers stress levels and increases the efficiency of our lungs.

Here are 2 Yogasanas, practicing which will help improve respiratory health.

Nadishodhana Pranayama: Also known as alternate nostril breathing, it is a powerful breathing practice that helps strengthen the respiratory system while reducing stress and anxiety. It also purifies and balances the subtle energy channels, thereby ensuring a smooth flow of Prana (life force) through the body.
Kapalabhati Pranayama: It involves forceful breathing, which strengthens the lungs and increases its capacity. Practising Kapalbhati regularly helps remove blockages from the heart and lungs. It also helps to clean frontal sinuses.

3. It ensures optimal functioning of all organs:

Practising Yogasana improves blood circulation. This ensures all the organs get enough blood flow for their optimal functioning. These are 2 Yoga postures which stimulate blood flow in the body.

Trikonasana: Also known as the triangle pose, it helps stimulate and improve blood circulation throughout the body. It also reduces blood pressure, stress and anxiety.
Ushtrasana: Also known as the camel pose, it increases blood circulation and stimulates the thyroid gland. It also helps to strengthen the spine and calm the nervous system.

Dirga pranayama is a technique that increases focus and calms your mind. It’s simple to do, and even those without any prior yoga experience can enjoy this rejuvenating practice. Here is how to do a three-part breath and the benefits of this practice. Even a few minutes can make a difference in your day.

How to do Dirga pranayama:

Take the first third of your inhalation into your lower lungs and upper belly, and pause briefly. Then breathe the second third of your inhale into your middle lungs and back, and pause again briefly. Then breathe the final part of your inhale, into the upper portion of your lungs and collarbones, and pause again.

On the exhale, release gradually from the upper lungs, middle lungs, and lower lungs.

Repeat this simple pattern again for several rounds for up to five minutes.

Benefits of Dirga pranayama:

Helps overall respiratory health.
Calms down the body and mind.
Improves concentration and focus.
Bolsters the lungs and serves as a foundation for many other pranayama practices.
The practice of Dirga pranayama is helpful for better skin and hair quality and also beneficial for better sleep.
Helps reduce hypertension and high blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.
Enhances detoxification of the body.
Helps balance hormone health.
Improves the energy levels in the body.
Improves digestion.