Yoga-meister - Yoga in Bahrain

Many people think Yoga is boring, and just about stretching. They couldn’t be further from the truth as Milkana G, Bahrain resident and Yoga practitioner explains

Yoga is one of the best ways of re establishing your natural balance. And it does this by bringing your body, mind and spirit back into harmony. At the physical level, the practice of postures (asanas) strengthens the body and, over time, creates a feeling of wellbeing. Psychologically, Yoga focuses your thoughts and steadies emotions. The practice of breathing correctly further calms the mind. Spiritually it helps you bring awareness to all your activities, and with that, the ability to be still.

We all know how beneficial for the body, mind and soul union, yoga and its postures are. But do we have the time and patience to ease in a pose, to achieve perfection reaching pure consciousness?

Deep inside ourselves, we all know the true answer is usually no. In this column, I will introduce one basic pose or asana each month, indicating the proper sequence to go in the asana, length or time for holding the position, way out of it, its benefits and therapeutic indications.

Arch Support or Camel Pose

Most of life’s everyday activities round you forward: working on the computer, picking up children, washing dishes, carrying shopping bags - it’s no wonder so many of us walk around with collapsed chests and rounded shoulders. All this weakens our abdominal muscles, compresses our hearts, lungs and diaphragm, and often leads to lower back injuries. Then, there is the effect that poor posture can have on our emotions - we feel tired, down, achy..

Thankfully, Ustrasana (Camel Pose) can counteract forward compression. Dynamic and releasing energy, it offers welcome relief by stretching the muscles along the entire front body - the chest, belly, hip flexors, and thighs. It also creates space in your abdomen and chest, which aids breathing and digestion.

This is an exhilarating pose, but it’s also a bit challenging for beginners. Start slowly. For the simplest variation, place your hands on your back at the upper rim of the pelvis, with fingers pointing down and elbows squeezing toward each other. As you exhale, imagine roots growing down through your knees, shins and feet into the floor. As you inhale, reach the crown of your head up. Stay for 5 breaths, balancing the opposing actions of rooting and lifting.

When your lower body is grounded and your upper body is relaxed and free, you are ready to move into the backbend.

Relax your shoulders down and press your shoulder blades into your back. Inhale as you lift your breastbone toward the sky. Keep lifting your chest until your body naturally begins to arch back. Stay here for several slow, steady breaths, keeping your throat, eyes and jaw soft. If you are experiencing fear or tension, you need to back off the pose. Be patient with yourself - no stress or strain.

It is very important to prepare your body and mind before arching into the pose. Take time to warm up and centre yourself. Try a reclined supported backbend to relax you and open your upper back. If you don’t feel like trying the entire pose, don’t; just sit on the floor and place one end of a rolled blanket against your sacrum. With your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, lie back over the support and release your shoulders. Now, turn your palms up and allow your knees to fall together. Rest for a few minutes, deepening your breath.

Come out of the pose on an exhalation, pressing your shins down and using your back muscles to bring yourself up. Enjoy the feeling, breathe in with your abdominals, diaphragm and chest in this sequence; fill your lungs with oxygen, then exhale fully all toxins, staled emotions, tension and empty the chest completely.

It is advisable to bring your spine to neutral by coming into an Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward - Facing Dog Pose that will be the object of our attention in the next column.

Milkana G is a Yoga Practitioner at the Lotus Yoga Studio at Coral Beach; for more information on how to achieve ‘the oriental yoga spirit’ visit www.lotusyoga.cc. Please don't forget to tell them that you found their details on Newarabia.net. Your comments really do make a difference.

Article provided by Bahrain Confidential.