Thursday, January 10, 2008

For Everyone




You may wonder why I am adding a yoga posture, but I am a firm believer that yoga promotes peace not only externally but internally. It is also a therapy. This time of year I have heard a lot of complaints of sinus issues and headaches - so, here is Downward Dog. Please note contradictions before trying this.
Men - you will have a harder time with this posture as even if you don't work out to build muscle you still have more muscle mass - so, you'll be a little tighter.

Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and turn your toes under.

Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

Then with an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them. Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly. Narrow the front of the pelvis.

Firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. From these two points lift along your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms; don't let it hang.

Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. It's also an excellent yoga asana all on its own. Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes.

CONTRADICTIONS: Carpel Tunnel, Diarrhea, pregnancy (last term), High blood pressure (not regulated), macular degeneration.

BENEFITS: Calms, relieves stress and mild depression, energizes, stretches much of body while strengthening, relieves symptoms of menopause and PMS for women, helps prevent osteoporosis, improves digestion, improves prostate health for men, relieves headache, insomnia, back pain and fatigue, and under care is a therapy for high blood pressure. Is also a therapy for asthma and sciatica pain. Most back weakness responds well to this posture.

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