Some Stretching Exercises for your Back & Spine

 

Computer users & specially traders like me & you tend to spend way too much time in front of the computer and simply not moving around enough. Bhujangasana & Shalabhasana may help a lot to all of you. 

Bhujanga means Cobra, Bhujanga Asana is always practiced as the first in a series of backward bending movements. In this asana the spine is arched backward gently promoting flexibility.

Position before Asana:

Lie straight on your stomach, keeping the palms on the floor below the shoulder blades and the elbows touching the middle part of the body. Keep the heels together and toes flat on the floor. Breathe normally.

Steps:

Bend the head and neck backward. Inhaling slowly, raise the head and chest, above the naval area, upwards. Tighten the legs all over from the waist down to the toes.

Retain your breathe and hold in the same position for about 8 to 10 seconds.

Exhale and simultaneously lower the head towards the floor. Relax your body and rest with your right or left cheek on the floor for about 6 seconds. Now you have completed one round of Bhujanga asana.

Daily practice:

Start with 2-3 rounds on the first day and increase to a maximum of 5 rounds.

Benefits:

Bhujanga asana activates and energizes the upper areas of the body like the chest, shoulders, neck, face and head, giving a youthful appearance and the abdominal area, because of this activation, the pancreas, liver and other organs of the digestive system are strengthened and normalized. Increases flexibility, rejuvenates spinal nerves and brings a rich blood supply to the spinal region, it has some special benefits for women. Helps relieve problems of the uterus and ovaries and menstrual problems. A regular practice of this aasan makes child birth easy.

Note:It is recommended to practice the Salabh Asana after releasing the Bhujanga Asana.

Posture Shalabh means 'locust' as the position of the body in the asana appears to be like that of a locust. Its the reverse exercise of Bhujanga asana.

Procedure Exhale and inhaling, raise the legs from the waist keeping it straight in the knee. Keep the toe stretched to the backside and continue normal breathing.

Take the precaution that legs are straight in knee as otherwise the strain on desired organs is reduced and desired results are missed. During the practice chin should rest on ground.

Position In this asana legs should be raised and kept stable without allowing it to bend in the knee. The chin should rest on the ground. The muscles of the shoulders neck and head should be kept relaxed. But the muscles of the thighs and abdomen should be kept stretched. Releasing Inhale and exhaling bring the legs down on the ground and then back to the prone position.

Duration Initially practice it for 10 seconds by counting 1 to 10. After practicing it for few days you can increase the repetitions & counting, once you are able to do 5 repetitions easily then reduce repetitions and increase the time up to 1 min.

Internal Effects This asana mainly centers the lower vertebra of the spinal cord and the muscles of the abdomen and thighs. The strain activates their blood circulation. As a result of this the concerned organs become more active and efficient. This strain is effective on small and big intestine and certain enzyme producing glands.

Precaution:

Jerks and unbearable strains should be avoided always, no violence with body, increase duration by regular practice only.