CHATURANGA DANDASANA to strengthen arms

Chaturanga dandasana is a technique to strengthen arms, chest and core. You can do it static or dynamic (yogic push ups).

Chaturanga means "four members" and danda means "stick". We remain as a horizontal stick supported at 4 points (2 hands and 2 feet). It's a hard stance, but gives great strength.

TECHNIQUE

We get in horizontal, as if we were to do a push up, with the toes flat on the floor and hands at shoulder width.

Inhale and slowly down while exhaling. Keep elbows close to the body and look forward. When we get at half height, we keep static posture as long as we can, breathing normally.

Important: Maintain the body taut and straight as a stick (abdominal work), don't support the knees on the floor nor separate elbows from the body.

At the beginning it will cost hold the pose a few seconds, but with practice will enhance our stay and our strength.

Dynamic exercise: Yogic push ups

We can do this exercise dynamically, which we will keep in shape. You can do several sets of 4, 6, 8 or 10 repetitions. Always slowly and coordinated with breathing, as shown in the video. 

Other uses

You can apply the chaturanga dandasana during the Sun Salutation, in the position nº 6, to give more intensity.

Gopal

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SUN SALUTATION, step by step

Sun Salutation, Surya Namaskar in Sanskrit, is a combination of 12 yoga asanas coordinated with breathing in a fluid rhythm. 

Animation of Sun Salutation

 Benefits:

It is one of the most complete exercises that I know:

• Develops basic physical abilities: strength, endurance, speed, flexibility, coordination and balance. 

• Good cardiovascular workout.

• Trains the respiratory muscles and concentration.

Cautions: 

 

• Ask your doctor before doing if you have serious health problems.

• If you feel discomfort or pain, stop the exercise and see if recur again; if so, abandon the practice and try again another day; if repeated, consult a specialist.

• Take special care in the positions 2, 7 and 11. Not bend too much the back and the neck.

Practice:

To learn well the Sun Salutation, here's a short tutorial where I explain step by step. At the end of the post there are two videos for clarity.

Important! Do relaxed, without competing with anyone, without forcing your body and focused on what you do. 

1. Beginning (prayer pose). EXHALE

Start from the mountain pose: feet together, body straight and relaxed. Do a great inhalation. When exhale, join palms to chest level and press moderately; chin to chest to stretch neck and adopt a reverent attitude. 

2. Raised arms pose. INHALE

Inhaling, fill the lungs well, raising arms and arching slightly the back. Be careful not to bend too much back and neck. 


3. Forward fold (padahastasana). EXHALE

As you exhale, release all air stretching your body, without bending your legs. Move from position 2 to 3 looking at hands. Some reach the ground with his hands and some people don't… Don't worry about it, stretch as far as you can without forcing. 


4. Step back with left leg lunge (equestrian pose). INHALE

The first round do bringing the left leg back. Look up without taking your hands off the floor. Inhale deeply.

 
5. Plank. HOLD

  
Hold the breath with outstretched arms and firm abdomen. Look down. We can start by holding 1 or 2 seconds, and with practice hold 5 or 6 seconds.


6. Eight limbs position. EXHALE

  
As you exhale, support knees on the floor, bend your arms and slide forward, resting your chest and chin on the floor.


7. Cobra (bhujangasana). INHALE

 
Stretch arms, raise the chest, look up and inhale deeply. Be careful not to bend too much.


8. Downward dog (adho mukha svanasana). EXHALE

 
Also called 'inverted V'. As you exhale, support your feet on the floor and downward the body with legs straight. Chin to chest.


9. Step forward with left leg lunge (equestrian pose). INHALE

 
Look!, step forward the same leg before you step back, and adopt the same position as in position 4. Inhale.


10. Forward fold (padahastasana). EXHALE

Same as position 3. Exhale.

 
11. Raised arms pose. INHALE

  
Same as position 2. Inhale.


12. Ending (prayer pose). EXHALE

  

When exhale, join palms to chest level and press moderately; chin to your chest to stretch your neck and adopt a reverent attitude.  Finish the Sun Salutation and return to the mountain pose (tadasana).

Repeat the salutation with the other leg in positions 4 and 9.

Try to do a minimum of two Sun Salutations in each session, to do it once with each leg. With practice, 12 Sun Salutations in a row is a good number to keep the body in shape. 

*The videos are in spanish but with english subtitles.

 

Sun salutation (technique)

 

Sun Salutation (improvement) 

Practice, practice, practice... 

If you have any doubt, post a comment.

Gopal

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Morning yoga routine (5 minutes)

In yoga, like most things in life, the key to success lies in routines. It's easy to start practicing, but success lies in the acquisition of routines easy to follow. It is best little work continued over time than long sessions with little continuity.

 Explanation video of the routine

The routines are the key because they generate habits, and once an habit is generated, we have advanced a lot in the way. Habits are indicators of success.

It is said that something should be repeated at least 21 days for a physiological change in us, to ensure that sufficient neural networks are built in the brain that allow the implementation of a new habit in our lives. How many times have you started something without finishing? How many times have you started a diet, an activity, a book, a sport...? Have you achieved success? Well, now you know, at least 21 days of continuous work, and do not forget to get affordable routines; if they are too difficult is probable to give up. This same philosophy is what characterizes the "Kaizen Method".

Let's start with a simple but effective yoga routine which will take 3 to 5 minutes. We will do in the morning, just when we get up.

Theory:

Most of us slept in a closed room a minimum of 6 hours daily. This causes three things: poor oxygenation (because the room fills with carbon dioxide), muscle stiffness (due to the immobility of the night's rest), deactivation of the digestive tract and slight dehydration (because we have not eaten and drunk anything overnight). Well, of course we have to solve this: oxygenate, activate muscles (especially the back, which is what suffers most) and hydrate a little.

Routine: 

 

1. We get up, do our needs, wash our face and opened a window. We look out and joyfully do a few broad and deep breaths through the nose, in order to oxygenate blood. We also welcome the day and we feel grateful to stay alive one more day.

2. Stretch our back doing this exercise, I call it "the great stretch back." It's simple: We open the legs wide shoulders and a half, with bended legs, arms and hands relaxed and loose head forward.

Important: Use the force of gravity only, not force or give rebounds. The body is stiff in the morning and should be treated gently. Release your entire body, especially the neck. Do soft diaphragmatic breaths and pay attention to the spine. If you concentrate, you can feel the stretch of the entire back, from the coccyx to the neck. Relax, release well without forcing. We maintain the posture 1-3 minutes. When finished, slowly undo posture, with chin tucked and ample breathing. Once upright, we turns our head a few times in each direction, slowly, consciously.

3. We drink a glass of natural water. So, we activate the digestive, purify and hydrate a bit.

And that's it... See how easy is this routine! From here you continue with your daily activities. You don't have time? Just get up five minutes earlier.

How long do I have to practice this? Every day of your life, even if you forget one, nothing happens. If you acquire the habit, you can replace it with other longer routines.

Benefits:

 

Try it for 21 days and then tell me...

Don't underestimate the simplicity of this routine. Small steps for great results over time... That's the key. 

Gopal

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Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

The position of the "Seated Forward Bend" (Paschimottanasana), is one of the most important, known and effective yoga asanas. It is similar to the position of padahastasana but is done sitting on the floor.

Stretches your entire back, it has a very beneficial effect on the abdomen and internal organs (due to the pressure of the position if accompanied with abdominal breathing), and is one of the more conducive asanas to develop body awareness.

Technique: 

1. Sitting on a mat, we put our legs together and straight. 

2. We join hands and when inhale extend upwards (look hands). 

3. Exhaling, hands down (looking hands), and grab the toes. We can grasp the toes, and if we do not, we grab the ankles or the edges of the pants. If your flexibility is limited, don't worry, leave your hands on your knees. We look forward and remain so for several seconds. 

4. Relax head, shoulders and back.

5. Maintain the posture a few minutes (you can start with several seconds and eventually extend to 3 or 4 minutes).

Important details:

• Yoga is not stretching or warming up before jogging, cycling or swimming. Each technique of Yoga is a complete exercise in itself, exercising body and mind.

• It is very important that you remember the following points:

• Do not strive to stretch, but relax.

• Do not force the body, nor keep too comfortable; you have to find the right point and keep stretching.

• As the seconds pass and relax more deeply, muscles will loosening, at that moment you will have to force a bit until the new right point.

• Remember to keep always the diaphragmatic breathing fluid and controlled

• The mind constantly wanders, keep it busy feeling the physical sensations that produces the stretch.

• Try to relax the muscles that are not involved in the posture. This is important because we usually keep unnecessary tension. This requires close attention to the body and be developing body awareness.

• Feel peace, communion (union with yourself) and well-being.

• Although you do thousands of times, live in the present, don't do it mechanically. Do it like the first time.

What not to do:

    

• You do not have to strain your limits or compete or compare yourself with others... 

• Don't give sudden jerks nor bounces.

• If you stay several minutes when undo not make any sudden movements, to avoid injuries. 

• Don't think about anything else while maintaining the posture (you will see how difficult is this, but if you try, the asana becomes an excellent concentration exercise).

Practice this asana several times a week, for weeks, for many years. With practice you will discover the enormous benefits that have (for both body and mind).

Gopal

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