Yoga techniques

As discussed earlier, there are various branches of yoga that each employ their own style of postures, breathing and even philosophies. The following is a presentation of the principally practiced forms of yoga in the West today, and an introduction to their techniques and tips for better practice.

Hatha Yoga

In the West at present, the most popular form of yoga is Hatha yoga. It is a style of yoga originally propogated by Swami Swatamarama in the 15th century. The philosophy that underpins Hatha Yoga is a purification of the body that renders the mind fit for higher meditation, with a view to eventually obtaining enlightenment.

Hatha ('Ha' meaning sun, 'Tha' meaning moon) represents opposing energies - hot and cold, male and female, positive and negative. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body via physical exercises (asanas), controlled breathing (pranayama), and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. Asanas teach poise, balance & strength and are practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for meditation.

Postures (Asanas)

Absolutely central to the practise of Hatha and various other branches of yoga are the asanas (postures). Asanas are widely described as the third of the eight limbs of ashtanga yoga. Asana is Sanskrit for sitting posture and the various positions that are assumed by the participant are intended to restore and maintain a practitioner's well-being, improve the body's flexibility and vitality, and finally, exercise the ability to remain in a meditative position for extended periods of time. Essentially, the postures are designed to hold the body in a firm, but relaxed position.

Over the centuries, many postures have emerged, some of which involve lying on the back or even standing on the head. The body should be held steady and comfortably, with no discomfort felt. Many devotees believe there are hundreds of possible asana postures, encompassing both those seated and standing, but also balance postures and postures that twist and stretch the torso.

Below are described several common postures, accompanied by a description of how to perform them correctly and their benefits to the body, ideal to quickly try out some basic yoga:

Standing postures:

Five pointed star (Utthita Tadasana)

• Place the feet wide apart and stretch out the arms horizontally to each side.

• The feet should be beneath the wrists, pointing forward.

• Press all your weight downwards, so the feet feel firmly rooted in the ground.

• Stretch out the fingertips. Relax the shoulders down and back, stretching out the chest cavity.

• Inhale and press the crown of the head upwards, releasing upon exhalation.

• Hold for 4-8 breaths.

If performed correctly, the five pointed star should make you feel as though your body is expanding out in 5 directions. The posture is excellent for realignment of the spine and opening up the chest to improve circulation and respiration.

Seated Postures:

Table (svaasana)

• Position yourself on your hands and knees, “on all fours”, with the knees positioned hip width apart and with the feet directly behind the knees.

• Place the palms on the ground in front, aligned forward, directly below the shoulders.

• Look directly downwards towards the palms and flatten the spine.

• Place downward pressure on the palms so as to drop the shoulders away from the ears.

• Stretch out the spine by pressing the “tail bone” of the spine towards the back wall and the crown of the head to the front wall.

• Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.

The Table is the starting point for a number of seated postures and is used to help lengthen and realign the spine. From the table, the yoga instructor will often move into the dog tilt pose.

Dog tilt pose

• From the table pose position, inhale and raise the tail bone upwards, dropping the belly downwards, leaving the spine in an arched form.

• Spread the fingers apart once again, pressure the palms into the floor.

• Drop the shoulders downward, reach the crown of the head up towards the ceiling, looking upwards as high as you can.

• Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.

• To release, exhale and move back into the table posture.

The dog tilt pose stretches the spine, middle and lower back and also the hips. The other seated pose that is tied in with the table and dog tilt postures is, somewhat predictably, the cat pose.

Cat pose

• From the table posture, arch the spine upwards this time (reverse of the dog tilt) and “tuck the tail bone in” so to speak.

• Press the palms and drop the shoulders down and away from the ears.

• Begin to breathe, holding the breath a few seconds on each inhalation. Inhaling into the dog tilt posture and exhaling into cat.

• Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.

• Again, release by inhaling and flattening the back into the table position.

Balance posture:

Upward Boat (urhava navasana)

• Seated with the legs extended out forward and straightened, place your hands behind your hips, pointing the fingers away.

• From this position (staff position), bend the knees and bring the feet to a position in which they are flat.

• Hold the knees with the hands and lengthen the spine by pressing down on the hips but pushing upwards with the crown.

• Release the arms forward, with the palms parallel to the floor.

• Inhale and leaning back, begin to lift the heels from the floor, maintain the chest open and the shoulders relaxed and down.

• Slowly straighten the legs while reaching out with the heels and tilting backwards, lifting the legs upwards.

• Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.

• To release from the pose, exhale and bend the knees, therefore lowering the feet back to the floor.

The upward boat pose is excellent for strengthening the abdominal muscles, while stretching the backs of the legs.

Twisting posture:

Half prayer twist (ardha namaska parsvakonasana)

• Once again starting with the table position, move the right foot between the palms so that the right knee is directly over the right ankle. The left knee and foot should remain on the floor.

• Move the left elbow to rest on the right knee and clasp the palms together in a prayer-like grasp upon the chest.

• Use the arms to push the shoulders up and down, whilst twisting the upper back, but be careful not to push too far.

• Hands should be pressed together upon the chest, with the fingers pointing up to the chin. Look up to the ceiling.

• Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.

• Release from the exercise by lowering the arms back down to the floor and exhaling.

Of course, the above postures are only a few among hundreds of possibilities. If you take a yoga class, your teacher will design the class to fit the needs of the students and will select the postures to be performed accordingly.

If you are a beginner, or an individual wanting to learn more postures, an excellent website is Yoga Basics. The website gives clear guides on how to carry out hundreds of asanas and divides them into seated, standing postures and other categories.

As well as a comprehensive database of postures, Yoga Basics also has a useful and informative section on the various breathing exercises (Pranayamas).

As observed above, it is very important to control breathing as the postures are performed, in order to gain maximum benefit from the exercise. If you take yoga as a class, your teacher will direct the control of your breathing, but if you are practising yoga individually, below is an explanation of the ways in which to control your breathing effectively.

To conclude this section on asanas, below are a list of common practices and recommendations to be observed when performing the postures:

• Drink a glass of water before starting your asanas.
• You stomach should be relatively empty.
• Try to avoid employing too much force or pressure when doing asanas.
• When changing positions, be careful to lower the head and heels slowly.
• Try to control the breathing in accordance with the Pranayama, that way gaining the maximum benefit from the postures.
• If the body is stressed, perform the corpse or child pose.
• Use a mat! You shouldn’t feel any discomfort when performing asanas.

Some believe that asanas should be avoided during menstruation, but there is no firm evidence to suggest this.

Posture Sequences

Posture sequences, or vinyasa (translated as yoga flow), are quite simply a series of postures that are regularly used in sequence to achieve an objective in a yoga session. In any yoga session, your instructor will lead the posture sequences and the general code is that you start with more basic sequences and then proceed onto the more advanced vinyasa. Combining postures in this way, you move from one to another in a breathing-synchronized flow. The idea is, that your breathing leads the way, but your form, movement and breathing are all integrated and are, in fact, one unit. You can learn more about vinyasa on a website such as Yoga Basics or alternately, Yoga Wiz that contains a comprehensive description of vinyasa yoga and some examples of sequences.