VAASTU YOGA

1. Tada Asana (Mountain)
Stand erect, take a few deep and long breaths. Maintain pose for three minutes.

2. Mahavir Asana (Hero)

Stand erect. lift your right foot and place it in front of you as for as possible with the toes for left foot and stand on toes. Both the feet should be in a straight line. Bend the right knee. Lift your right arm and bend the elbow. Bend the wrist keeping the palm upward. Take your left arm backward by twisting the spine at the waist and bend the arm at the elbow and hand at the wrist, keeping the palm upward. Now start swinging up and down with bent right knee while lifting the right heel. Stop and remain in the posture for 10 seconds. Repeat on opposite side, and hold posture for 10 seconds. Bring both feet together and lie down in Shav Asana for about 2 minutes.

3. Veerabhadra Asana (Warrior)

Stand erect. Take one or two deep breaths. Spread your feet three or four feet apart and raise you arms horizontally to shoulder level. Now turn your right foot to the right and bend the right knee fifty degrees keeping the left leg straight. Now turn your head to the right side and look towards the right arm. Hold the posture for ten seconds and repeat on the left side.

4. Trikon Asana (Triangle)

Stand erect. Place the right foot in front with heel pointing in. The distance between right and left feet should be about two feet. The heels of both the feet should be in one straight line, keeping the left foot slightly slanted. Twist the chest towards the left and bend the upper body so that the right fingers touch the right toe and the left hand goes over the head in a straight line above the left shoulder. Turn your face toward the left hand and gaze at the left palm. Be careful that your knees do not bend. Remain in this pose for 5 seconds and raise the body up straight with the legs apart as before. Bring the left arm down on your buttock. Practice three times. Repeat this pose three times starting with the left foot forward. Stand at ease.

5. Padhast Asana (Hands to Feet)

Join the heels together and keep the toes four or five inches apart. Without lifting the heels, inhale and raise your arms up sideways, keeping them straight to the fingertips, pressing the elbows to both sides of the head. Exhale, and bend forward touching the right foot with the right hand, and the left foot with the left hand. Try to touch your forehead to your knees. Inhale and lift the body up, bringing the arms straight over the head. Exhale and bring your arms down to your sides. Stand at ease for 10 seconds.

6. Bhujang Asana (Cobra)

Lie face down. Keep the legs and feet close together and stretch them backward by keeping the toes pointing back. Keep the forehead on the ground. Bend your arms at the elbows, keeping the palms on the ground on both sides next to your shoulders. With a slow inhalation, raise your head and then chest bending the neck and spine and look up. Retain the breath for 10 seconds and then bring your head back down. Repeat 3 times. In this practice the weight placed on the hands should be as little as possible.

7. Dhanur Asana (Bow)

Lie face down. Bend the knees and lift them over your back. Grasp the ankles with the hands. Inhale, raise your head up and bend the neck back. Raise the knees as far as possible. Hold your breath, and hold the posture for 10 seconds. Exhale, bringing the body back on the ground. Repeat three times. Last, turn over and rest in Shav Asana.

8. Shalabha Asana (Locust)

Lie face down with your chin resting on the ground and your hands palms up under the thighs. Press together the heels and toes and stretch your legs backwards. Inhale, raise the legs together as far as possible without bending the knees. Hold for 10 seconds. Bring down the legs and place them on the ground. Exhale and rest for a few seconds. Repeat 3 times, then rest.

9. Ardha Matsyendra Asana (Spine Twist)

Sit erect and stretch your legs forward. (Dandasana). Bring the right foot over the left thigh. Place the right palm on the ground right behind the back, the fingers pointing backwards. With the left arm, keep straight, push the bent leg towards the left. If possible place the left palm on the ground near the right knee. Pressing against the right bent leg and ground, twist the head and the shoulders as far back as possible. While returning, first bring back the head and shoulders. Hold the posture for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

10. Akarna DhanurAsana (Shooting Arrow)

Sit erect and stretch your legs forward. (Dandasana). Place the right foot on the left thigh. Catch hold of the right toe with the left hand and raise the right toes up to the left ear. Then grasp the left foot with the right hand and bend your head a little. Hold the posture for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

11. Janu Shira Asana (Head to Knee)

Sit erect and stretch your legs forward. Slowly bend the left leg and place the left heel under the perinium. Bend forward and grasp the right foot with both hands and try to touch the right knee with the forehead. Hold the posture for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

12. Pashchimotan Asana (Forward Bend)

Lie on your back with feet together. Bring your arms straight overhead and rest them on the ground. Inhale, raising the arms, head, chest and belly and sit erect with legs stretched in front. Exhale, lowering the arms, chest and belly forward and grasp your big toes. Keeping the legs straight, place the forehead on the knees. Let the body lean forward as far as is easily possible. Do not strain. Inhale, lifting the hands, head, chest and belly and sit erect. Repeat three times.

13. Sarvang Asana (Shoulder Stand)

Lying face up, place your feet together and place the palms facing down at your sides. Raise the legs 30 degrees and pause. Raise more to 60 degrees and pause again. Raise more to 90 degrees and hold. Now raise the legs up, raising the buttocks and back until the body is resting on the shoulders in a straight line, while supporting your back with your hands behind your waist. Press your chin down on your throat. Hold for 30 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on your ability. Now bring the body slowly back, with control, to the ground. Relax in Shav Asana.

14. Hal Asana (Plough)

Lie on your back with feet together and palms facing down. Raise your legs as in the Shoulder Stand, but without pausing. Keeping the legs straight, lower them over your head, until the toes touch the ground, or as far as you can go comfortably. When the toes touch the ground overhead, remove the hands from your back and stretch forward and put your palms on the ground. Remain in this pose up to 2 minutes. Now lift the toes from the ground and bring the body back slowly and smoothly so that each vertebra of the spine touches the ground one by one while . Relax in Shav Asana.

15. Matasya Asana (Fish Pose)

Sit up with the left foot resting on the right thigh, and the right foot resting on the left thigh. Lie down on your back, keeping the knees on the ground. Press the shoulders back, and place the center of the head on the ground. Left the trunk to form an arch on the support of the head and buttocks. Grasp the big toes with both hands. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Release, bringing the head back, and lifting the feet from the thighs. Relax in Shav Asana pose.

16. Pavan Mukta Asana (Gas Removing)

Lie down, facing upward, with the feet together, palms at your sides. Inhale, and raise the right leg up to an angle of about 30 degrees. Bend the right knee, catching the knee with both hands and pressing into the chest. Exhale, and raise your head, touching the forehead to the knee. Inhale and bring the head back to the ground. Stretch the right leg forward at an angle of about 30 degrees. Exhale, and bring the right leg back to the ground. Repeat the steps with the left leg. Next do the steps with both legs together. Repeat a second time first with the right leg, then with the left leg, and finally with both legs together. Rest in Shav Asana.

17. Padma Asana (Lotus Pose)

Sit erect, then lift the right leg and place the right foot on the left thigh so that the heel touches the joint of the abdomen and the thigh. Lift the left leg and place in a similar way on the right thigh. Place the right palm on the right knee, and the left palm on the left knee.Keeping the backbone, neck and head all in a straight line, fix your gaze at the tip of the nose. Remain in this pose for one minute. When meditating one can sit in this asana for one hour.

18. Shav Asana (Blissful Relaxation)

Lie on your back with hands a little apart from the body with palms upward and with feet a little bit apart. You can use a pillow under the head if you so desire. Close your eyes, take two or three deep and long breaths. Feel that you are growing lighter and lighter and also feel that you are floating in the "blue sky". Enjoy this "blissful relaxation" technique (Shiv Asana) for five or ten minutes.

(B.Tech., M.Tech., P.G.D.C.A., P.G.D.M.)