Ustrasan

Vajrasana is a good preparation for Ustrasana because it lengthens the skin on the front of your shins, ankles, and feet so that they make maximal contact with the floor, pressing your shins maximally into the floor.   Try to get your heels in Vajrasana quite close together, touching if possible.   It may help to belt your ankles together.

Then hold Vajrasana for a good long time (may be do some arm and shoulder work during this period) as a preparation for Ustrasana.   This pose is also good for working toward the leg actions of Gomukhasana.

steps for Performing:- 
Kneel on the floor with your knees hip width and thighs perpendicular to the floor. Rotate your thighs inward slightly, narrow your hip points, and firm but don't harden your buttocks. Imagine that you're drawing your sitting bones up, into your torso. Keep your outer hips as soft as possible. Press your shins and the tops of your feet firmly into floor.

Rest your hands on the back of your pelvis, bases of the palms on the tops of the buttocks, fingers pointing down. Use your hands to spread the back pelvis and lengthen it down through your tail bone. Then lightly firm the tail forward, toward the pubis. Make sure though that your front groins don't "puff" forward. To prevent this, press your front thighs back, countering the forward action of your tail. Inhale and lift your heart by pressing the shoulder blades against your back ribs.


Now lean back against the firmness of the tail bone and shoulder blades. For the time being keep your head up, chin near the sternum, and your hands on the pelvis. Beginners probably won't be able to drop straight back into this pose, touching the hands to the feet simultaneously while keeping the thighs perpendicular to the floor. If you need to, tilt the thighs back a little from the perpendicular and minimally twist to one side to get one hand on the same-side foot. Then press your thighs back to perpendicular, turn your torso back to neutral, and touch the second hand to its foot. If you're not able to touch your feet without compressing your lower back, turn your toes under and elevate your heels.

See that your lower front ribs aren't protruding sharply toward the ceiling, which hardens the belly and compresses the lower back. Release the front ribs and lift the front of the pelvis up, toward the ribs. Then lift the lower back ribs away from the pelvis to keep the lower spine as long as possible. Press your palms firmly against your soles (or heels), with the bases of the palms on the heels and the fingers pointing toward the toes. Turn your arms outwardly so the elbow creases face forward, without squeezing the shoulder blades together. You can keep your neck in a relatively neutral position, neither flexed nor extended, or drop your head back. But be careful not to strain your neck and harden your throat.

Stay in this pose anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. To exit, bring your hands onto the front of your pelvis, at the hip points. Inhale and lift the head and torso up by pushing the hip points down, toward the floor. If your head is back, lead with your heart to come up, not by jutting the chin toward the ceiling and leading with your brain. Rest in Child's Pose for a few breaths.

Benefits of Ustrasan:-

Reduces fat on thighs

Opens up the hips, stretching deep hip flexors

Stretches and strengthens the shoulders and back

Expands the abdominal region, improving digestion and elimination

Improves posture

Opens the chest, improving respiration

Loosens up the vertebrae

Relieves lower back pain

Helps to heal and balance the chakras

Strengthens thighs and arms

Improves flexibility, especially in the spine

Stimulates endocrine glands

Releases tension in the ovaries

Stretches the ankles, thighs, groin, abdomen, chest, and throat

Cures constipation

Tones organs of the abdomen, pelvis, and neck

Complements overall health and well-being

Ardhachakrasana

Half-circle Posture, Ardha Chakra Asan, Half round Pose. Chakra means wheel and Ardha means half therefore this is the Half Wheel Posture. The Ardha-Chakrasana is also known as the urdhva-dhanurasana. Urdhva means raised, elevated or upright and dhanur means bow. Both "wheel posture" and "raised bow posture" describe the appearance of this asana.

Ardhachakrasana position:-


1. Bend the knees and place the feet together near the buttocks.
2. Bring the arms over the head and clasp the elbows.
3. Exhale and inhaling raise the hips from the ground making a straight line from the shoulders to the knees.
4. Either stay in that pose or continue by shifting the weight to the right side and straightening the left leg. The knees will remain together.
5. If the body is comfortable raise the right foot so that all the weight is on the toes of the right foot. Stretch the toes of the left foot away from the body.
6. The position of the whole body should be maintained steadily and comfortable as there is a smaller base for one to balance in the pose. However, if you cannot balance properly in the pose, you can place the soles of your right foot on the ground for better support of the whole body.

7. A straight line is maintained, from the leg to the shoulder. The toe of the lifted leg is pointing to the front to maintain that straight line.
8. The raising of the hand and holding of the opposite elbows is call swastika bandha.
9. The hips should not be lifted too high up, as this would cause a deep arch on the spine and it is not recommended to do so in the preparatory pose.
10. Breathe normally while in the pose, so that all muscles are relaxed. This is one pose where most people would tense up immediately after going into it or while doing it and this would place strain on the body. Facial muscles are also relaxed in this posture. Strain might be there at first for beginners; however, it is necessary to try and minimized the strain in the body.

Breathing while performing:-

1. Keep the breath slow and rhythmic.

2. Tuck the tailbone in to maintain the straight line from the shoulder and all the way to the toes.
3. Remain relax, steady and comfortable in the pose. People often start to tense up the whole body while in the pose, so try to relax the whole body with the slow and rhythmic breath.
4. Build up to 30 seconds to gain benefits and after some practice, time can be increased up to 3 minutes.

Do While Performing:-


1. Keep the raised leg straight; parallel to the opposite knee.
2. Try to keep a straight line from the shoulders to the toes of the raised leg.
3. Place the heel of the other leg flat on the ground for better support, and for maintaining steadiness and comfort in the pose.
4. Relax the facial muscles and arms.

Do not While Performing:-


1. Let the hips fall.
2. Raise the leg too far, separating away from the other knee.
3. Come into the full position unless the body is comfortable.
4. Arch the back in this position by lifting the hips too high up.

Benefits of Ardhachakrasana:-

1.The muscles of the pelvic and hip region tones and strengthens due to the pressure that comes from tucking in of the tailbone. The organs in the pelvic region are also tone and strengthen at the same time with the work of slow and rhythmic breathing. Thereby, Massaging and stretching the colon and abdominal organs and thus improving digestion.


2.Strengthens the buttock, calf, thigh and lower back muscles.
3.Reduces back pain (especially holding the pose in stage three) and is useful for lumbar spondylitis.
4.It also strengthens the muscles around the spinal region.
5.Tones the female reproductive organs and can be useful for menstrual disorders and after childbirth.
6.Increase the awareness of the spinal movement, especially the lower back.

 Precautions:-


1. Those with serious hip or spinal problems should avoid this asana as well as those with high blood pressure and brain ailments.
2. It is best avoided by those with peptic or duodenal ulcers and hernia.
3. People suffering from the later stages of pregnancy and menstruation should avoid doing this posture.

CHAKRASANA

The body is bent towards the back in circular pose, hence it is known as Chakrasana. The body can be bent at the waist forward or backward. While bending forward, the body does not appear in a circular pose. However in backward bends, the body looks like a circular pose. Hence, it is known as Chakrasana. The pose is the same, except while doing a back bend, the person is standing and keeps bending further back till his palms rest on the floor whist forward or backward. While bending forward, the body dile in the Chakrasana, the person is lying down, and slowly lifts his body up.


Method of Performing:- 

1. Lie down on a mat, on your back. 
2. Spread your legs so they are shoulder-length apart. 
3. Bend your knees so that your feet are touching your buttocks.  Similarly, bend your elbows so your fingers are touching your shoulders. (Your palms should be inwards, facing your shoulders.)
4. Breathe In. Slowly, using the force of your hands and legs, push yourself up until your body is fully extended in an inverted u. Feel the blood rush to your head, and your lungs expand and fill up with air. 
5. Hold this pose for a few seconds. 
6. Breathe Out and let yourself down slowly.  

Benefits of Chakrasana :-


The wheel pose or chakrasana offers a variety of benefits, both physical and mental.
The more obvious physical benefits are those that derive from the stretching action. It stretches the lungs and chest, while strengthening the muscles of the buttocks, legs, calves, wrists, arms, and spine.
It also strengthens and tones the muscles of the abdominal region and helps regulate the digestive function.
It acts as a natural stimulant for the thyroid and pituitary glands.
It helps re-energize you and is invigorating, and stimulating. It helps counteract depression.
This pose has therapeutic value and is recommended for back pain, infertility, asthma, and osteoporosis.

Caution:-

Do not attempt to perform the wheel pose if you suffer from spinal injuries or cardiac disease, or hernia. It should never be attempted unsupervised, particularly if you are not very experienced in the discipline.

Do while Performing:-

1.     Keep the breathing slow and rhythmic
2. Keep the shoulder blades and neck region relaxed and comfortable
3. Keep the facial muscles soft and relaxed
4. Keep the arms and knees straight
5. Keep some distance between the feet for better support and balance while in the pose
6. Respect and find acceptance with the body, by not pushing yourself into the pose.

Dont do while performing:-


1.     Exert excessive force, which may cause undue strain onto the arms while lifting the body up into the position.
2. Force yourself into getting the arch in the spine
3. Strain and tense up the body while moving into the pose and/or while doing the pose.

Benefits of Asana:-


1.     The entire front part of the body is being stretch entirely, which is good for people who are introverts as the openness in the heart may work on their heart chakra.
2. Due to the stretch at the upper part of the abdomen muscles, it gives some pressure on the internal organs of the abdomen and therefore, increasing their efficiency
3. The muscles on the front part of the thighs are stretch and the calves are strengthening while doing and holding the pose. This will also help to strengthen the leg muscles.
4. This pose is extremely beneficial for those who sit long hours in front of the desk or computer as they usually hunch over the desk all day long. The backward bend in the pose will relieves tension or stress from the body and help in decreasing the ailments arising out of it.
5. This pose will also help in toning and strengthening the entire back muscles.

precautions while performing this Asana:-


People who suffer from serious spinal column ailments, such as cervical and lumbar spondylities should avoid doing this pose
2. If there is not much spine flexibility at the beginning, one should not force or push the body into doing the pose.
3. Because of the deep arch to the spine, it is best to do a counter pose, such as Matsyasana(Fish pose) after practicing Chakrasana, to relieve any strain from the spine.