Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward facing dog pose

Standing pose

Key Benefits

• Removes fatigue and brings back lost energy
• Good for runners who get tired after a hard race, sprinters will develop speed and lightness in the legs.
• Relieves pain and stiffness in the heels and helps soften calcaneal spurs
• Strengthens ankles and makes legs shapely
• Eradicate stiffness in region of should blades arthritis of shoulder joins is relieved
• Abdominal muscles are drawn towards spine and strengthened
• Diaphragm is lifted heard rate is slowed down
• Rejuvenates brain cells, and relieving fatigue
• Good for High Blood Pressure

How to get into Adho Mukha Svanasana

1. Place thumb and index finger at the wall and spread the other fingers, step your feet back, press your hands into the wall and floor crease to bring your buttocks towards the ceiling.
2. Step your feet towards your hands and come up.

Key Point

1. Press the index and thumb into the wall and roll the triceps together. As you continue that action bring the shoulder blades together and move the torso towards the crown of the buttocks.  Relax the head. 
2. Lift the kneecaps and press the top center thigh back so much that the heels come to the floor. Now lift the inner heel to the inner knee and groin to the crown of the buttocks, as youlengthen theout knee ligament and  roll the groins from the inside out.
3. Contineu to press into the hands and move the torso towards the crown of the buttocks as you press into the heel and lift the inner leg up to the crown of the buttocks. 

Modifications:

• If can’t put hands on floor in uttanasana, bend knees put hands on floor then walk feet abck
• Place heels on a wall if can’t press into ground
• Place crown of head on pillow
• Hands at wall

Urdhva Hastasana

Urdhva Hastasana

Upward hand pose

Standing pose

Key Benefits

• One can feel lighter in the body and mind
• acquires agility
• For an alert body and alert mind and brain

How to get into Urdhva Hastasana

1. Stand in Tadasana with arms extended by the sides, palms facing the thighs, shoulders rolling back as well as down.
2. Exhale, extend the arms straight forward and above the head the upper arm should be in in line with the ears, palms facing each other

Key Point

1. Extend from the inner arms to the inner wrists
2. Squeeze the biceps and triceps together
3. Keep the shoulders away from the ears and spread the collarbones

Modifications:

• lower the arms so they are straight

Yoga and Depression

Yoga has many benefits one for me is the help with depression. There have been many studies done with Iyengar Yoga and depression. Specifically

- A Yoga intervention for young adults with elevated symptoms of depression
       https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15055096
- Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder with Iyengar Yoga and Coherent Breathing: A Randomized controlled Dosing Study
       https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5717996/
- Yoga as a Complementary Treatment of Depression: Effects of Traits and Moods on Treatment Outcome
       https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2176141/

All of the studies showed yoga to a promising intervention and cost effective, and self reported symptoms were decreased by participants.

I have found this true in myself. When I am practicing yoga at least 2-3 times a week I feel better, I am a better mom and I feel I can stabilize my mood better. Yoga is more than a practice for me, it is more than an escape from being a mom it is literally a life saving practice that I hold onto and I rank high on my list of things that will take my depression away, right along with scriptures, prayer, and medicine. I hope one day that I will be able to take medicine off that list. That is my goal.

To help me attain that goal I work harder on the other things that help my depression and happily I have amazing Yoga teachers that have deep knowledge of this subject.

Marla Apt- Intermediate Senior II teacher highlighted 5 poses that have "depression-fighting elements"
These 5 poses are
- Urdhva Hastasana in Tadasana (upward arms in mountain pose)
- Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand)
     or  Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog)
- Viparita Dandasana in Chair (chair backbend)
- Salamba Sarvangasana in chair (Chair shoulderstand)
- Setubandha Sarvangasana over crossed bolsters (supported bridge pose over crossed bolsters)

I'll post how to do these poses over the coming weeks. But I am glad to have these poses to add to my sequence.

Little Yogi

I step onto my mat determined to be

Someone new off the mat, someone I’ve yet to see

A mountain is never changing strong and tall

I stand and imagine myself growing taller than my wall

Moving into triangle pose I become a shape I know

I see them in my body I draw them in the snow.

Next my friends warriors one two and three

Challenge me to conquer, to be brave and free.

As a playful dog I come to lift my hips up high

Relax my head and awaken my soul to again try...

To kick into headstand with will power so great

Confidence boosted, focused, my legs ever straight

Sitting now, balancing as a boat steady sturdy and strong

Feeling my confidence lifted I can do no wrong

Relaxed a little I stretch my legs in front of me

Back straight as a staff, I breath carefree.

Then sit as a butterfly with feet on the ground,

A graceful creature ever changing resting right now.

As a candle’s flame is supported by the wax underneath

My arms lift my body up, toes upward as I quietly breathe.

Lastly I lie down thinking upon every single pose

Remembering as I breathe softly through my nose.

Now I step off my mat different than before

my practice changed me from when I touched this floor

Utthita Hasta Padasana/ Parsva Hasta Padasana

Utthita Hasta Padasana
Expanded Hand Foot Pose

Standing Asana

Key Benefits

• Strengthens legs and arms

How to get into Legs up the Wall

1. From Tadasana jump your feet 4 to 4 1/2 feet apart and at the same time extend your arms over your feet. 

Key Points

1. Press into the big toe mound and the outer side of the feet, lifting the arches and inner legs. 
2. Lift the knee caps and press the top center thighs back as you lengthen the sacrum towards the hamstrings. 
3. Extend the torso towards the ceilings and bring the bottom shoulder blades together expanding the chest. 
4. Expand the arms from the center of the chest outward and look forward. 

Parsva Hasta Padasana
Side Hand Foot Pose

Standing Asana

How to get into Parsva Hasta Padasana

1. From Utthita Hasta Padasana turn your back foot in slightly and turn your whole front leg  90 degrees. 

Key Points

1. Press into the big toe mound and the outer side of the feet, lifting the arches and inner legs. 
2. Lift the knee caps and press the top center thighs of the back leg back as you lengthen the sacrum towards the hamstrings, and roll the front thigh towards the buttocks.
3. Keep the torso parallel to the wall in front of you. Extend the torso towards the ceilings and bring the bottom shoulder blades together expanding the chest. 
4. Expand the arms from the center of the chest outward and look forward. 

Legs up the Wall

Prasarita Padasana 90 supported
Legs up the Wall 

Restorative Pose

Key Benefits

• Helps low back pain
• Helps insomnia
• Prepares legs for inversions

How to get into Legs up the Wall

1. Lay on your side with your hips almost touching a wall and your knees bent towards your chest and your arm straight in line with your ear. 
2. Roll onto your back unbend your legs and straighten them along the wall. Your hips should be near the wall. 

Key Points

1. Press the toe mounds towards the ceiling the bring the pinky sides of the feet towards the ground.
2. Extend from the inner groin to the inner heel and roll the thighs together. 
3. Press the top center thighs back towards the wall and lift the knee caps towards the thighs. 
4. Relax the abdomen and roll the shoulders under opening the chest. 

Modifications:

• If the knees bend move away from the wall till the legs are straight
• Use a chair and bend the knees on the seat of a chair

When to and when not to do yoga

Yoga is so therapeutic that there is hardly a time to not do yoga. But there is clearly a line, if you have a fever stay off your mat, hydrate and rest. I am reflecting on this as my little ones have been sick these past few weeks.

For just about every other condition do yoga. Some conditions require the assistance and guidance of a more qualified teacher that you will need to seek out, such as cancer patients, pregnancy, rehabilitating an injury, or coming back from a surgery. Take time to look up the most qualified Iyengar Yoga Teacher in your area for these concerns.

But, if you have a cold, sore neck, old injury, or a mental disorder such as depression, get on your yoga mat. Some times that is easier said than done. I can attest to that, it is much more comfy to sit on my couch and read about yoga than to practice when I hurt or when my depression is really acting up, but I have to remind myself that even starting with a 15 minute practice will make me feel better, and hopefully will turn into a full practice.

Each yoga pose has therapeutic benefits. A well trained teacher can guide you to the poses that you need for your specific needs, and a well practiced practitioner has experienced and learned them enough to establish a sequence at home to create the needed benefits for their own body.

So unless you have a fever, stay on your mat and practice your body will thank you.