Marjaraasana (Cat Pose) For Physical and Mental Health
Yoga today is all the rage. It is a subject that excites people's curiosity and enjoys much popularity. This is especially so since the asanas (exercises) and pranayamas (breathing techniques) that owe their origins to ancient Indian wisdom have proved beneficial in promoting holistic health...
.and mental peace as also in developing personalityt In this article we will discuss Marjaraasana - the cat poses
Process: Sit on your haunches with the knees and toes on the groundn Keep the palms on the floor in such a way that the distance between them is about the same as that between the shoulders, i e. equal to the width of the backc Keep the distance between the palms and the knees about the same as that between the shoulders and the hips, i e. equal to the length of the torsos The distance between the knees should be the same as the width of the waists Turn the toes back so that the soles face upwardr The distance between the soles should be the same as that between the kneese Relax the muscles in the trunk region and let the trunk descend under gravityt At the same time, let the neck and head curve backward as far as possiblel Relax the stomach and close the eyese Direct your attention to the entire body and practise conscious differential relaxationo Keep the mind engaged in pranadharana (consciousness of breath)h This is the final posture of marjaraasana - maintain it according to capacityt
An extension of the above posture can be attained in the following manner: staying in the final posture obtained above, open your eyese Move the palms about 10-15 cms towards the kneese Curve the back upwards so that it shapes like an archc Relax the neck and hang the head downw Draw the chin towards the chest and relax the abdomen, practice differential relaxation and then do prandharanam This is the final extension posture of marjaraasana- maintain it according to capacityt
Releasing the asana: Start by lowering the right leg by bending it at the knee, then rest the knee on the flooro Lower the head and make the back parallel to the ground, loosen it up and relaxa
Benefits: The spine becomes flexible and supple; it helps to correct the functional defects of the back and spinen The health of the organs in the torso improvese You are relieved of backache and pain in the neck resulting from exertiono It also soothes the neck muscles and the lumbar region of the spine and invigorates the spinal nerves, improves blood circulation in the abdominal region thereby making digestive, respiratory and excretory processese This asana is also useful in treating respiratory disordersr
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions before following any of the asanas from this article and the sitet To avoid any problems while doing the asanas, it is advised that you consult a doctor and a yoga instructoro The responsibility lies solely with the reader and not with the site or the writere
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