Dhanurasana, also known as Bow Pose, has numerous benefits for the body and mind. Some of the key benefits of Dhanurasana include:

• Strengthens the Back: Dhanurasana is an excellent pose for strengthening the muscles of the back, including the erector spinae, which help to maintain proper posture and prevent back pain.

• Stretches the Chest and Shoulders: As you arch your back and lift your chest in Dhanurasana, you'll feel a deep stretch in your chest and shoulders. This helps to counteract the forward-slouching posture that is common in our modern lives.

• Stimulates the Digestive System: Dhanurasana stimulates the digestive organs, including the liver, pancreas, and intestines, which can improve digestion and relieve constipation.

• Relieves Stress and Fatigue: Dhanurasana is a great stress-reliever, as it helps to calm the mind and reduce tension in the body. It can also help to combat fatigue and boost energy levels.

• Improves Respiratory Function: Dhanurasana opens up the chest and lungs, which can improve respiratory function and increase oxygen intake.

• Tones the Abdomen: Dhanurasana engages the abdominal muscles, which can help to tone and strengthen the core.

• Increases Flexibility: Dhanurasana is a deep backbend that requires flexibility in the spine, hips, and shoulders. Regular practice of this pose can improve overall flexibility and range of motion.

Overall, Dhanurasana is a powerful posture that can have a profound impact on the health and well-being of the body, mind, and spirit. It is counterindicated during periods, pregnancy, any sort of hernia and other abdominal issues.

As with any yoga practice, it's important to listen to your body and practice safely and mindfully

Prasarita Padottanasana, also known as Wide-Legged Forward Bend, is a standing forward bend yoga pose that has a number of benefits for the body and mind. Some of the benefits of practicing Prasarita Padottanasana include:

• Stretching the legs and spine: This pose stretches the hamstrings, calves, and lower back muscles, which can help to improve flexibility and reduce stiffness in these areas.

• Relieving stress and anxiety: Forward bends have a calming effect on the mind and can help to reduce stress and anxiety. For a more calming effect the forehead can be rested on a bolster. For people who are not able to access the full version, a chair/ stool can be used as a prop to rest the forehead on.

• Improving digestion: This pose can help to stimulate the digestive system, which can aid in digestion and the elimination of waste from the body.

• Improving balance: Prasarita Padottanasana requires balance and stability, which can help to improve balance and coordination in other yoga poses and in daily life.

• Strengthening the legs and core: As you hold this pose, you are also strengthening your legs and core muscles, which can improve overall physical strength and stability.

• This pose is also helpful to decrease the symptoms in menstrual cramps and excessive bleeding.

Prasarita Padottanasana is a great pose for improving flexibility, relieving stress, improving digestion, and building strength in the legs and core.

Ushtrasana, also known as Camel Pose, is a pose that can have many benefits for the body and mind. Some potential benefits of practicing Ushtrasana include:

• Stretching the front of the body: Ushtrasana stretches the muscles in the front of the body, including the chest, abdomen, and quadriceps. This can help improve posture and flexibility.

• Strengthening the back muscles: This pose also helps to strengthen the back muscles, which can improve spinal stability and reduce the risk of back pain.

• Improving digestion: Ushtrasana can help stimulate the digestive system and improve digestion.

• Reducing stress: This pose can help to reduce stress and anxiety by calming the mind and promoting relaxation.

• Improving respiratory function: The deep, controlled breathing used in Ushtrasana can help improve respiratory function and expand the lungs. When we hold this pose for a long time say 2-3 minutes we see many changes in our breathing pattern and consequently on the mind. However it is not an easy posture to hold and requires regular practice of asanas.

Vajrasana yog mudra,also known as adho mukha veer asana, is a seated yoga posture that can be performed with or without the use of a bolster. When performed with a bolster, the pose can offer a number of benefits, including:

• Improved digestion: The pose helps to stimulate the digestive system by compressing the abdominal organs and increasing blood flow to the digestive tract.

• Relief from constipation: By pressing on the abdomen, Vajrasana with a bolster can help to relieve constipation and promote regular bowel movements.

• Reduced stress and anxiety: The pose helps to calm the mind and reduce stress and anxiety by promoting deep breathing and relaxation.

• Strengthened pelvic muscles: The pose helps to strengthen the pelvic muscles, which can improve urinary incontinence and sexual function.

• Improved circulation: The pose helps to improve circulation in the legs and lower body by stretching and compressing the muscles.

• Relief from menstrual cramps: For women with menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding, this asana helps in relieving the symptoms to a great extent.

Supta Swastikasana, also known as the Reclining Swastikasana or the Sleeping Swastikasana, is a restorative yoga pose that involves lying on your back with your legs bent and your arms extended at your sides in a "T" shape. Using a bolster can help support your body in the pose, allowing you to relax more fully and derive additional benefits from the pose.

Some potential benefits of practicing Supta Swastikasana with a bolster include:

• Stress relief: The pose is deeply relaxing and can help to reduce stress and tension in the body and mind.

• Improved digestion: The pose can help to stimulate the digestive system and improve digestion.

• Increased flexibility: The pose can help to stretch the back muscles and improve flexibility in the spine.

• Improved circulation: The pose can help to improve circulation in the legs and lower body.

• Increased relaxation: The use of a bolster can help you to sink more deeply into the pose, allowing you to relax more fully and feel more grounded.

It's important to note that Supta Swastikasana is a restorative pose and should be practiced with a relaxed, effortless approach. It's not necessary to push yourself or strain in the pose. Instead, focus on letting go and allowing the bolster to support you as you relax into the pose.

Trataka means to’gaze steadily’, to gaze at any one object without blinking the eyes and is one of the  six yogic shudhhi Kriyas or purification processes. It also acts as a stepping stone from the physical practice to the mental practice leading to higher awareness which is the ultimate goal of Yog .

Why Trataka

The movement of the eyeball reflects the ongoing thinking process of the mind. Most of the sensory experiences of a person are through the eyes. These experiences then give rise to emotions leading to negative reactions and movement of the mind. Fixing the pupil on an object leads to stillness of the gaze subsequently leading to stillness of the mind.

How to practice

Choose your method

Trataka can be done in three ways:

1. Bahir or outer trataka where the gaze is fixed at the chosen object.

2. It can also be a combination of outer trataka and antar or inner trataka where the eyes are closed after gazing at the chosen object and then the gaze is focused on the after image at the eyebrow Center.

3. Antar or inner trataka.

Choose your object

The gaze can be fixed on 

• The rising sun(surya trataka)

• A candle flame(Jyoti trataka)

• A dot or point(Bindu trataka)

• Imageof a deity 

• Aum symbol 

• Yin and yang symbol .

The object once chosen should not be changed because the mind takes a long time to develop the same awareness for the new object. The candle flame is a good choice as it’s brightness keeps the mind engaged easily.

Get ready

Trataka is to be done in a comfortable seated position with a straight spine, however any meditative posture is better if a person can hold it for some amount of time. For maximum benefits the practice should be done everyday for at least 10-15 minutes.

The chosen object (we will choose candle flame as an example)of awareness should be kept at eye level. Sit in a comfortable position with spine straight. Keep the eyes closed  till some stillness of the body is achieved. Slowly open the eyes and focus the pupil on the flame. Gaze at the flame and the wick for 3-5 minutes and then slowly close the eyes. Focus on the after image of the flame at the centre of the eyebrows for antar trataka till the image disappears. Open the eyes again and focus on the flame. Continue the process for 10-15 minutes. Sometimes tears may flow through the eyes but don’t try to wipe them.

In the next stage the gazing can be accompanied with ujjayi breathing and now the focus becomes on both- the object and the breath. This takes you deeper into awareness.

It is advised that the eyelids should not be blinking while doing outer trataka but if there is irritation or watering from the eyes it’s okay to blink. Keeping the gaze fixed without blinking is difficult for beginners but as you grow in the practice you will find it becomes easier. Steadiness of the gaze is very important to create a clear after image.

Benefits:

There is continuous bombardment of the mind through events in the external world and cantering the awareness cuts down on this. Trataka makes the mind strong so that it can be used for mental and spiritual progress. It helps with sleep so it can be useful for people with insomnia. It strengthens the eye muscles that control the movement of the eyeballs. It also helps in weak eyesight. Due to mental fluctuations (Chitta-vritti) the concentration and memory power decreases, trataka helps to increase both.

Yoga is often viewed as an outward exercise when, in fact, the real purpose of yoga is meditation or the development of higher consciousness. It is an inward exercise that in the process yields the outward effects that people seek.

In the Patanjali Yog Sutras, the great sage Patanjali tells us that ‘Pratyahara’ or ‘Restraining of the Sense Organs’ is bringing one’s attention, energy and awareness back inside and happens when the mind eliminates the impressions produced by the external world.

Pratyahara is especially important in today’s age as our senses are constantly bombarded by various vibrations emanating from the world. If the mind can be detached from external impressions and vibrations, the sense organs can follow suit and can instead be tuned towards one’s own Self. This can be achieved by the help of Pranayama or breath control because it is the prana (life force or breath) which helps in the movement of the mind.

According to Yog Vasistha, when the breath is stilled, the mind becomes still [6:69:41]. By the cessation of prana, cessation of the mind takes place. Even as the shadow follows the body, so does the mind follow the prana [5:13:83]

The practice of Pratyahara gives us complete mastery over the sense organs or the Indriyas. We are then no longer slaves to our sense organs and are able to look inward and find our highest Self – the true purpose of yoga.

योगेन चित्तस्य पदेन वाचां ।

मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन ॥

योऽपाकरोत्तमं प्रवरं मुनीनां ।

पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिरानतोऽस्मि ॥

Which translates to:

1: I bow down to him who purifies the impurities of the Mind by Yoga, who purifies the expression of Speech by Pada (Grammar) ...

2: ... and who purifies the impurities of the Body through Vaidya (Medical Science), ...

3: ... He who is an expert in removing the impurities of the Body, Mind and Speech, the most excellent of Munis, ...

4: ... (Who is) Patanjali, I bow down with folded hands