The floating forward bends:
This exercise is performed in shallow waters. To perform floating forward bends, you must be holding on to the pool’s edge; soles of your feet must be placed against the pool’s side; the knees must stay bent. Now, start straightening the legs slowly while resting the torso on the thighs. Stay in this pose for ten seconds; follow it up by 3 seconds of relaxation. This yoga pose must be repeated for three times.

The wall cobra pose:
To perform this yoga exercise, you must be in a pool having water up to the height of your chest. You must stand around 1 ft away from the pool’s edge. Start leaning forward until the navel comes in contact with the pool’s wall. Arch the back and stay in this position for ten seconds. Relax for 3 seconds and repeat the yoga exercise for 2 more times.

The floating boat position:
Position yourself in the pool’s shallow end keeping your back floating on the water. Your toes must be pointed outwards, the abs must be constructed and also hinge at your hips; this will ensure that both your head and toes are out of water. Next, extend the arms in the direction of the toes; stay in this position for ten seconds. Your body will look like a floating boat. For best results, repeat the exercise 3 times, with 3 seconds’ gap between each repetition.

The water handstand:
Get into chest-deep water and float on the stomach. The best way of doing that is diving into the pool keeping the knees folded and placing the palms flat facing the pool’s bottom. Now, extend the legs and straighten the arms to form a handstand. Stay in this position for a minimum of 5 seconds or as long as your body permits you to do so without hurting yourself. This yoga exercise must be performed away from the pool’s edge and from other individuals in the pool.

The wide-legged forward bends:
This is the alternative for the normal forward bends. To perform this exercise, you will need a chair. Place the chair against the wall; the back of the chair must face the wall. Put your feet hip distance away from each other; one foot must be placed parallel to the other. Bend slightly forward keeping the hips above the lungs instead of keeping them behind the heels. Your forearms must be resting on the seat of the chair. Breathe in and breathe out alternately for 10-15 times. You will be feeling a stretch around your groin area and thigh; the muscles on your back on the other hand will feel relaxed.

The downward facing dog pose:
This yoga exercise is performed by glaucoma patients as an alternative of the regular dog pose. Turn around the chair so that the seat of the chair faces the wall. Now, place the hands over the seat’s back and start walking back until you a reach a position, in which the hips are placed above the feet. As a performer you will be feeling that your body is trying to form an inverted L shape. Now, relax the shoulders; however, the arms must be kept parallel to each other and strong; the spine will remain straight. Start rising the knee balls in order to stretch the hamstrings even more. Hold this position for 15 seconds and relax.

The reclining bound angles:
Glaucoma patients perform this exercise when the others in the yoga class are performing inversions. To practice this exercise, lie down on the back keeping the feet together. Your knees must however be fanned out towards the left and right. Prop up the knees using pillows; you can also use blocks or bolsters instead of pillows. This will ensure that your hips are not feeling excessive stretch. Now, place the arms over the ground, on your sides. You can either place the lower back slightly above the ground or keep it pressed onto the mat.

1. Adhomukha swastikasana: These Sanskrit phrase means ‘a cross-legged position facing downwards’. To perform adhomukha swastikasana, sit down on the floor in a cross legged position. Now, bend the upper body in the forward direction while resting the arms on a chair’s seat. Rest the head on the arms. Stay in this position for 2 minutes. This yoga posture can be repeated whenever you experience a nauseous feeling.
2. Viparita karani: Viparita karani means ‘the inverted pose’. For performing viparita karani, you should arrange a pillow or yoga bolster. To start with, you will have to lie down on the back keeping the legs up on the wall. Next, try bringing the buttocks near the wall. Lift the tailbone from the floor and place the pillow or bolster below it; this will allow your body to relax. Stay in this position for a maximum of 8 minutes.



3. The reclining hero posture: This yoga exercise helps in eradicating nauseous feeling by lifting your diaphragm off your liver and stomach. Start from kneeling position keeping the buttocks between the heels. Slowly, start reclining your upper body backwards; continue doing so until you manage to rest your upper body entirely on the ground. You should remain in this position for 1 minute. Yoga props like a yoga bolster can be used for making the position more comfortable and easier.
4. Bona konasana: Bona konasana or the bound angle posture is performed either in a reclining or in a seated position. To perform the yoga pose in the seated position, sit down and bring the soles of the feet together. Bring the heels close to the pelvis holding the feet using the hands. Hold this posture for 3 minutes. While performing bona konasana in a reclining pose, place pillows or yoga bolsters behind your back for relaxing your upper body on them.

2. Yoga pose for contracting urinary sphincter: To start this yoga pose, you will need to interlace the fingers staying in the chair pose. Now, turn the palms up towards the ceiling while straightening the arms. Take a number of deep breaths keeping the torso facing the ceiling; this should be followed by bending of the legs. The inner thighs must be kept together. While bending the legs, the muscles of your back must stay relaxed and you should open up your lower spine. Next, start rotating the pelvis backwards; your lower abdominals i.e. the region of the abdomen resting on your pelvic bone must also play a part. Contract your urinary sphincter in the same way as you do while trying to stop the urine flow. The contraction should be maintained for 5 to 10 seconds; during this phase you must breathe normally. Relax your muscles and then repeat the above steps. Perform this yoga pose 5 to 10 times in a day for gaining control over your urinary sphincter.

Yoga is an art of living. It can be described as a collection of physical exercises (Yoga poses), meditation and breathing exercises. The primary function of yoga is to usher in a harmony between the mind, body and spirit. Yoga philosophy says- Equanimity and composure of the mind is the key to a human’s well being.

Yoga can be very harmful if you practice it incorrectly, so make sure you learn Yogic techniques from an expert Yoga instructor.

There are a few essential Yoga apparatus that you need to arrange before you start.

Comfortable Yoga Clothes are an absolute must for yoga practice. Tight clothes restrict your movements. Shoes are not indispensable in Yoga as it is generally done barefoot. A personal Yoga mat is a good alternative to those stinky overused mats that your class provides you. Yoga props like blocks and blankets support you and ensure correct posture. Yoga straps aid you when you do poses requiring your hands to touch each other or your feet.

It is a proven fact that Yoga effectively heals a host of ailments. It stimulates your body and endows you with concentration and control of the impulses. Yoga can work wonders for your skin making it radiant and blemishless. Yoga boosts up blood circulation and immunity to diseases. Yoga also gives mental peace and helps you take a more optimistic view of life.

There is a common thought that Yoga is a religion, but it is not. It is the science of lulling the thought waves to provide mental clarity. And you certainly don’t need to be a vegetarian to practice Yoga.

Yoga is relevant for people from all walks of life. Start practicing Yoga and discover a marvelous way of living completely free of anxieties, emotional outbursts and diseases.

The big toe yoga pose:

This yoga pose is referred to as Padangusthasana in Sanskrit. The main function of Padangusthasana is stimulating our kidneys; besides this, it also helps in relaxing our body and mind and reduces the stress. For performing Padangusthasana, you will have to first stand keeping your feet separated from each other by a distance of 10 to 12 inches. Now, contract the muscles in the front portion of the thighs and bend in the forward direction (the bend must start right from your hip joint). The middle and index finger of each of your hands must be positioned on the big toes of your corresponding feet. Use the finger to grip the toes firmly. Once, you have attained this position, take a deep breath and lengthen the torso as if you are about to come back to the standing position. While lengthening the torso, you should not release the grip of the big toes. This motion should be performed several times before finally standing up.

Forward bends in the seated position:

This yoga pose also helps in stimulating the kidney functions. Like Padangusthasana, this toga posture also helps in calming our body and mind and gets us rid from stress of day to day life. To perform these forward bends, sit down with the legs stretched to  your front. Now, stretch your upper body towards your front; continue stretching as much as you can without straining your muscles. Slide the hands across the ground beside the legs and try to reach the toes; you must make sure that the spine is straight all through this movement. Next, allow the collarbones to move backwards drawing the torso inwards. Stay in this position for as many breaths as possible; make sure that you don’t strain any of the muscles and joints involved in this yoga posture.

While performing this yoga form, you should never wear loose and baggy outfits; such clothes might interrupt with your physical movements. You should wear tight, but elastic clothes; these clothes will allow you to move your body much freely. Make sure the clothes you are wearing while performing Bikram yoga are made from fabrics that will help you in keeping your body cool. The best option is going for yoga outfits made up of cotton; cotton garments will allow the skin to respire. The most popular yoga outfits among women performing Bikram yoga are: a pair of thin leggings or tight shorts coupled with tank tops over sports bras. Men, on the other hand, love to take part in Bikram yoga session in tight shorts. These clothing options help them in staying cool and comfortable. According to experts, to derive the maximum benefits of Bikram yoga, one must perform this form of yoga bare footed. This will help you to get the perfect balance and grip.

If you have long hair, it can be the biggest hurdle for you while performing Bikram yoga. Bikram yoga results into a lot of sweating, which can enhance the problem even further. People with long hair must tie their hair tightly above their head in a way that they don’t end up inhibiting their postures during the yoga session.

Bikram yoga sessions continue for around 90 minutes. The sessions include 26 postures working each and every muscle group of the performer. Every posture should be completed twice during the 90 minute yoga session. There are some postures that are maintained in a sitting or lying position and some are maintained in standing position. The primary effects of Bikram yoga are: strengthening of the spine, stretching of the muscles and improvement in the body’s flexibility and overall posture of the performer.

Every posture included in the Bikram yoga routine offer deep tissue massage and also massages the glands and organs of the performer. As a result of this, the harmful toxins stored in an individual’s body get released. As these postures are performed staying in high temperature, you will also get extreme perspiration and the toxin gets released via the skin pores.

Bikram yoga is an excellent remedy for people suffering from chronic pains. Performing the postures of Bikram yoga regularly will make your muscles and joints stronger. This yoga form can also strengthen our immune system significantly and also reduce stress promoting a feeling of ultimate wellbeing. As Bikram yoga includes use of a number of stretching techniques, you will also be successful in cutting off the excess fat stored in your body by performing this yoga form. People performing Bikram yoga regularly get rid of the dangerous visceral fats.

In spite of offering so many health benefits often Bikram yoga is associated with some serious health disorders. This yoga form is performed in a hot and humid environment. Staying in such an environment for around 90 minutes and performing 26 strenuous postures may leave the performer dehydrated. The other ill-effects of Bikram Yoga include: severe muscle aches and cardiovascular stress.

The cat pose:

Performing cat stretch affects our spine and stomach, which are the two primary organs protecting our liver. To this yoga asana, kneel down on all four limbs. While doing so, the hands must be positioned exactly below the shoulders and the knees must be exactly below the hips. Now, relax your head and neck into the floor. While starting this pose, your back must be absolutely straight; but as your progress you will have to curve the back slowly. As you rich the maximum limit of curving the back, start lowering it. This yoga pose must be repeated ten times.

The cow pose:

If you manage to relax the back muscles, the overall functioning of your liver will improve significantly. The cow pose helps in making the spine more flexible by heating it up. Performing this yoga pose regularly also relaxes the stomach muscles surrounding our kidneys. To start this exercise, be on the knees and hands keeping the back straight. Relax the head and look towards the ground. Next, lift the chest, tailbone and hips in the direction of the ceiling allowing your stomach to relax towards the floor. As you lift the body, you will also have to lift the head looking straight in the front. Finally, come back to the original position.  This exercise should also be repeated ten times.

The bridge pose:

This yoga pose is meant for strengthening core muscles protecting our liver. First, lie down on the back and bend the legs bringing the feet near your bottom. Your arms will be resting on your sides (the palms must stay facing the mat). Next, clench the glutes while pushing up through the heels and lifting the lower back and hips. You should continue doing so until your body forms straight line between the shoulders and the knees. Finally, lift the arms overhead; count 30 before you relax and come back to your original position. Once you become comfortable with the bridge pose, you can count 60 instead of 30. Your back must remain straight all through this yoga pose.

Sukhasana:

This exercise is performed keeping the body in centered position (all the other yoga asanas originate from this position). If you learn the perfect way of performing ‘Sukhasana’, you will learn how to control breathing and will also start understanding your body better. Other than that, Sukhasana also tones up our hips and lower back allowing the cartilage of these regions to decompress.

To perform Sukhasana, first sit down on the ground with your legs crossed; your hands must rest on the knees. Now, try to gain control over your breathing keeping the breaths deep and even paced. Your spine must be aligned perfectly, the buttocks must be pushed towards the ground and the knees must be lowered gently. In this position, take 5 to 10 deep breaths; next, as you extend the arms upwards over the head inhale. Finally bring down the arms steadily and gently as you exhale. The entire thing must be repeated 3 to 5 times. Once you become comfortable with Sukhasana, you can also repeat the exercise 7 times.

Trikonasana:

This yoga posture is also referred to as ‘Triangle Posture’. This yoga asana is a bit advanced compared to Sukhasana. Performing Trikonasana regularly will help you in improving your body balance and correct your posture significantly. As a result, you will experience increase in your height by a few inches. Trikonasana is also known for being an excellent stress reliever.

The first step of this yoga asana is standing with a gap of 3-4 inches between two legs; your feet must be positioned parallel to each other. Next, rotate the left foot towards the left at an angle of 90 degrees; the right foot on the other hand should be rotated inwards at an angle of 45 degrees. Now, inhale as you lift up your arms sideways; the arms must be parallel to the ground. Then, exhale and move the head towards the left for checking whether the left knee has been located in the same line as the left ankle. Breathe in and stretch in the direction of the left ankle as you move the left hip downwards. When your attain the maximum stretching limit, rotate the arms in a way so that the left hand will be able to rest against your calf’s inside and the right arm will point the ceiling. Again turn the head as if you are looking at the right hand and breathe deeply for several times. Again inhale as you straighten up the body; this should be followed by breathing out as you bring down the arms. Finally, pivot on the heels facing forward. This entire movement will have to be repeated involving your body’s right side.