Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose)

Gomukhasana, or Cow Face Pose, is one of the best and most popular seated postures listed in Hatha Yoga. Gomukha is translated into ‘Cow Face’, which means that the practitioner’s face resembles to that of Cow when he/she does this pose.

Procedure for Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose):

 

• Begin the pose Push your knees together ahead of your body and place the right knee over your left one.

• When you find the right alignment, sit between your two feet. Make sure that they are equidistant from your buttocks. Ensure that the body weight is evenly shared on your sitting bones.

• Raise your left arm towards the ceiling.

• Pull the left hand towards the mid-region of your spine. Extend your right arm towards the same side.

• Rotate your arm inwards so that your thumb would be facing the floor first while your palm faces the sky.

• Inhale and while exhaling, bring back your right arm behind your lower back.

• Keep your body straight and hook (interlace) your fingers tightly behind your back. If you find it difficult to do that, use a strap or belt.

• Raise your left elbow and gently pull the other one to the floor.

• Raising your chest, tighten your shoulders blades and thrust them against your lower back.

• Breathe in and out steadily/deeply 4-5 times as you hold the pose.

• Now release both your arms and uncross your feet. Repeat the steps while keeping your left knee on top.  Note that whichever leg would be placed on top, that side arm would always point to the ground.

Advantages of Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose):

• Gomukhasana is a great pose for relaxing and removing stress/tension/depression.

• The posture has also been known to be beneficial for kidney patients.

• Gomukhasana is also therapeutic in hypertension, diabetes, and sexual problems.

• Gomukhasana is also useful in treating sciatica, backache and rheumatism because it stretches your back properly

• The pose, when done regularly, also massages and stimulates your reproductive organs

• Stretches the back of your arms, your rotator cuff, and your upper back and chest muscles

• Stretches your gluteus, tensor fascia late, piriformis and other hip rotator muscles

• Opens your chest and thoracic spine

• The yoga posture aids in treating digestive disorders

Therapeutics:

• Hypertension

• Diabetes

• Sexual problem

• Sciatica

• Backache

• Rheumatism

• Depression

• Shoulder problem

             Yoga Asanas on Sitting Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Head Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Supine Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Hand Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Abdominal Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Leg Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Kneeling Positions

Mandukasana (Frog Pose)

While performing this asana, the body takes the shape of a frog. So this asana is called Mandukasana.

Procedure for Mandukasana (Frog Pose):

• Take the legs backwards. Let the feet touch each other. Stretch the knees on both the sides. Rest the hands as shown in the figure.

• Keep the knees as apart as possible. Keep the trunk straight. Look straight and breathe normally.

• Remain in this position for eight to twelve seconds. Perform this asana in the first week. Later, practice this asana four times.

Advantages of Mandukasana (Frog Pose):                                                                             

• Abdominal organs are massaged in this yoga

• Its controls your weight

• It will cure the pain in knees, ankles and toes

• Keep your blood pressure normal

• Stretches the inner thighs, groins, and hips

• Opens the chest and shoulders

• Relieves stress, anxiety, and mild depression

• Therapeutic for menstrual cramps

• Keep all your gastric problems at bay

• Exercises pancreas and cures diabetes

• This asana provides good exercise for heart

Therapeutics:      

• Blood pressure (BP)

• Menstrual cramps

• Gastric problems

• Cures diabetes

• Relieves mild depression

• Control weight

             Yoga Asanas on Sitting Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Head Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Supine Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Hand Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Abdominal Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Leg Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Kneeling Positions

Sinhasana (Lion Pose)

This asana is also called Bhairavasana. The face posture of this asana, when followed in Vajrasana and Bhadrasana, is known as Sinhasana.

Procedure for Sinhasana (Lion Pose):

• Bend legs from knees and bring them on the backside.

• Sit on heels. The heels must be on both sides of hips.

• Let the distance between knees be six inches.

• Place right palm on right knee and left palm on left knee.

• Begin exhaling through nose and mouth stretching tongue out from mouth.

• Exhaling should be completed as soon as process of stretching tongue out from mouth is completed.

• Do not breathe now. Keep the trunk erect. Stretch all the facial muscles and widen eyes in such a way that face appears frightening.

• Look straight. Stay in pose for about six to eight seconds.

• In the first week, perform this exercise twice a day. Gradually, with practice, increase it to four times a day.

Advantages of Sinhasana (Lion Pose):

• It relieves tension in the face and chest

• It works as a medicine for throat-trouble or voice-trouble. It also cures tonsillitis. It helps prevent asthma, and other respiratory ailments

• It has also a good effect on respiratory system and on larynx.

• It is very useful for increasing power of memory

• It improves circulation of blood to face. So, it increases beauty and luster of face.

• It is recommended to persons suffering from stammering. It is beneficial to the eyes, the nose and the skin.

Therapeutics:

• Frequent colds, laryngitis, and pharyngitis

• Weak immunity of oral cavity

• Snoring

• Impaired venous drainage from the cavity of scull

• Cervical osteochondrosis

• Neck pains

             Yoga Asanas on Sitting Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Head Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Supine Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Hand Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Abdominal Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Leg Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Kneeling Positions

Siddhasana (Accomplished Pose)

This asana is performed mostly by the Siddhas-semi divine beings. This is the reason why this asana is called Siddhasana. The main function of this asana is to awaken the power of Kundalini (annular power residing in the mystical circle above the reproductive organs).

Procedure for Siddhasana (Accomplished Pose):

• Sit on the ground with your head and spine erect without dropping your shoulders. Extend your legs forward such that your knees and heels are placed together. With help of your hands, place your right foot against your left thigh. Next, place your left foot over your right ankle. The soles of the feet must touch thighs, and heels must be close to pubic bone.

• Touch the thumb of each hand to index finger at tips to form a circle. Ensure that other three fingers are straight. Rest your left hand on your left knee and your right hand on your right knee with palms facing upwards. Keep your arms straight at the elbows. This hand position is called Jnana Mudra (Knowledge Hand Gesture) because it signifies knowledge of connecting Individual Soul (Atma) with Supreme Soul (Paramatma).

• Remain in this final posture with your eyes closed for about 1-2 minutes (in early stages) or your breakpoint. Increase this time gradually to several minutes.

• Repeat the above steps with your left foot placed first against your right thigh and your right foot then placed over your left ankle. This will ensure that both legs are built uniformly.

Advantages of Siddhasana (Accomplished Pose):

• This asana awakens Kundalini Shakti. It purifies all nadis (tubular channels) in the body through Shaktichalana Mudra.

• The asana is good for curing indigestion, chronic fever, dysentery, heart-disease, tuberculosis, asthma, diabetes, etc.

• The diseases which can be cured by Padmasana can also be cured by this asana.

• This asana is useful for the cure of stiffness in the joints of the loins.

• This asana helps the mind to be firm, attentive and alert.

Therapeutics:

• The placement of heels and their stimulation of blood flow to genitals can help improve continence. This can also help improve sexual disorders, cardiac function and blood pressure. Additionally, the pose is beneficial for those who suffer from health conditions like piles and hemorrhoids.

• In men, Siddhasana can help regulate flow of hormone testes. This can therefore control masculine emotions as well as sexual metabolism. The pose also prevents problems such as nocturnal emissions

• The posture is useful in redirecting blood circulation to abdomen and lower spine. This makes a lot of blood available to the pelvis, abdominal region and reproductive system.

• The pose also helps reduce weight and help with conditions such as asthma and insomnia.

             Yoga Asanas on Sitting Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Head Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Supine Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Hand Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Abdominal Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Leg Positions

             Yoga Asanas on Kneeling Positions