ASANAS OR EXERCISES 'Asanas' in Sanskrit means posture. There are around 84 asanas - each one has a specia name!

specia "orm and a distinct #a$ o" per"ormin%. Asanas are desi%ned to promote! a state o" menta and ph$sica #e -&ein% or %ood hea th. This ma$ &e de"ined as the condition that is e'perienced #hen a the or%ans "unction e""ecti(e $ under the inte i%ent contro o" the mind. Asanas ha(e an e'traordinar$ capacit$ to o(erhau ! re)u(enate and &rin% the entire s$stem into a state o" &a ance. *IST O+ ASANAS Sur$a Namaskar

Sur$a Namaskar means %reetin% or &o#in% the sun. ,sua $ a sessions o" -o%a asanas &e%in #ith the 'Sur$a Namaskar' or sun sa utation. It nourishes and ener%i.es the upper part o" the &od$.

,tthan /ada Asana 0*e% *i"tin% /osture1 ',tthan' means to raise up and '/ada' means e%s. In this posture the e%s are i"ted up#ards. It stren%thens the spina code and remo(es disorders o" the &ack.

/aschimothan Asana 0The +or#ard 2end1 /aschimothan Asana a so kno#n as touchin% toes posture! means stretchin% the &ack. It &rin%s " e'i&i it$ and corrects disorders o" the spine.

2hu)an%a Asana 0The Co&ra1 '2hu)an%a' means serpent or snake. This asana is named a"ter the kin% o" the snakes! Co&ra. It pro(ides a $outh"u appearance and "or #omen! makes chi d &irth eas$.

Sa a&ha Asana 0The *ocust1 'Sa a&ha' or ocust is a t$pe o" %rass hopper. It is a re(erse o" co&ra posture. It is strenuous and can &e practiced in parts at the initia sta%e. It "a(oura& $ acti(ates a the or%ans o" the o#er part o" the &od$.

Sar(an%a Asana 0The shou der Stand1 'Sar(a' means a and 'An%a' means &od$! so Sar(an%a is the posture o" the #ho e &od$. As the #ho e &od$ #ei%ht in this posture rests on the shou ders! it is a so ca ed 'Shou der Stand /osture'. It is a puri"$in%! nourishin% and ener%i.in% asana &ene"icia to the #ho e &od$.

3ATS-A ASANA 0T4E +IS4 /OST,RE1 3ats$a Asana is so ca ed &ecause in its per"ect posture! one is supposed to " oat ike a "ish in #ater. It is &ene"icia to per"orm this asana a"ter Sar(an%a Asana. It has correcti(e e""ects "or the neck and shou der trou& es.

5hanur Asana 0The 2o# /osture1 The &od$ "orm in this asana resem& es a &o# or 'dhanur'. It is one o" the &est asana "or acti(atin% and stren%thenin% the )oints o" the &od$. It has some specia &ene"its "or #omen.

4a a Asana 0/ ou%h /osture1 The p o# or 4a a Asana is an e'treme "or#ard &endin% e'ercise. It has some e'ce ent &ene"its and occupies a (er$ prominent p ace in asanas. It is a uni6ue asana "or %ainin% se'ua po#ers.

Sha(a Asana 0Re a'ation /osture1 'Sha(a Asana' means posture o" a dead &od$. A so kno#n as '-o%a Nidra' #hich means $o%ic method o" s eep. It is an asana #hich c aims to pro(ide a satis"actor$ re a'ation o" &oth the &od$ and the mind.