Yoga

Varicose veins occur when the valves get damaged and hamper the flow of blood in one direction. The blood gets pooled in the area and the vein swells thus causing varicose veins. These swollen veins can cause severe pain. It is a common condition that mostly affects the legs and feet, especially of women. It is common among middle aged and elderly people. Yoga is very effective in treating Varicose Veins. It helps in alleviating pain and also prevents future attack.

The beneficial yogasanas are: sarvangasana, shirshasana, pawanamuktasana, shashankasana, tadasana, janushirasana, vajrasana, suryanamaskara and shavasana. Breathing exercises or pranayama also helps get relief from pain.

Sarvangasana or the shoulderstand is considered to be the most effective yogasana in the treatment of varicose veins. While doing this asana, try to remain in the posture for at least 3 minutes. It increases the circulation of blood and also reduces the pressure of the blood that has got collected in the veins.

Brahmari pranayama is known as bee breathing. “Brahmar” is the Sanskrit word for “bee”. While practicing this pranayama, a buzzing sound is produced from the nostrils.

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your spine erect.
2. Inhale through both the nostrils slowly and deeply.
3. Press right nostril with the right thumb and retain the breath for a while.
4. Exhale through both the nostrils concentrating at the throat area and producing a humming sound. The sound will resemble the buzzing of a bee. The exhalation should be slower than the inhalation.
5. Repeat for at least 9 times.

Practicing this pranayama helps in improving the clarity of your speech, boosts the brain functioning, calms the mind, relieves from depression and is useful for hypertension.

“Chandra” in “Moon” and Chandra Bhedana Pranayama is a cooling pranayama. The moon corresponds to the introspective, passive and artistic aspects of an individual’s personality. This pranayama is also known as left nostril breathing because while doing this pranayama, the breathing is done through the left nostril. When the inhalation is done through the left nostril, your body gets cooled.

While practicing this pranayama, use your thumb to close the right nostril and the ring and the little finger to close left nostril. Fold your index and middle finger inside the palm of your hand. Close the right nostril and inhale through the left nostril. Exhale through the right nostril by blocking the left nostril. Hold the inhaled breath as long as possible before exhaling. Repeat for 9 rounds.

“Surya” is “Sun” and Surya Bhedana Pranayama is a heating pranayama. It is also known as right nostril breathing because while doing this pranayama, the breathing is done through the right nostril.

Pranayama opens up and purifies the energy channels called “nadi”. The right nostril is the path of the pingala nadi. Here inhalation is done through the right nostril and exhalation through the left. While inhaling through the right nostril, heat is generated in the body and all the impurities are dispelled.

Using your thumb, close the right nostril; use the ring and the little finger to close the left nostril.  Fold your index and middle finger inside the palm of your hand. Inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril. If you are a left hander, reverse this posture. Repeat the practice for 9 rounds.

Caution:

• Surya bhedana pranayama should not be practiced by people suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure and epilepsy.
• It should not be performed for more than 30 minutes.
• Surya bhedana pranayama should not be practiced along with Chandra bhedana pranayama on the same day.

There are certain very simple warm up yoga postures that help relieve tension and stress at the end of a hectic day.

Neck Exercise

1. Sit in a relaxed position with your spine upright.
2. Drop your head bringing your chin towards your chest.
3. Keeping your head low, rotate and bring the chin to your right shoulder. Lower your right ear towards the right shoulder.
4. Pause for few seconds and then bring your head and chin towards the left shoulder via the centre. Lower your left ear towards the left shoulder.
5. The next time rotate your head in the counter direction by alternating the movement towards left and right shoulders.
6. Repeat 8 times without moving your shoulders.

Shoulder Rolls

1. Sit or stand in a comfortable position.
2. As you inhale, shrug your shoulders and bring them below your ears.
3. From this position, roll your shoulders in circles in the anticlockwise direction for 5 times.
4. Repeat this in a clockwise direction for 5 times.

Om is a bija mantra. A bija is a seed that contains the majestic tree. Om is the primordial seed from which the universe evolved. The three sounds of “aum” represent three states. “A” represents the waking state. “U” represents the dream state. “M” represents the dreamless state of deep sleep. These sounds ultimately dissolve into silence.

Sit in Padmasana. Hold your hand in chin mudra- tip of the thumb touching the index finger. Inhale deeply and then exhale. As you exhale, chant “aum” slowly and gradually. Feel the reverberation while chanting.

Om has to be chanted thrice concentrating on three different chakras. While chanting Om for the first time, concentrate on the “anahat chakra” at the heart. The second time, concentrate on the throat – the “vishuddhi chakra”. Feel the sound coming from the throat. The third time, concentrate on the “ajna chakra” – the centre of the eyebrows.

Height normally stops growing after you reach puberty. There are certain yoga postures that are highly beneficial for strengthening your bones and increasing your height after puberty.

Leg stretch

1. Lie on your back keeping your back and legs straight and stretched. Let the hands remain on the sides of your body.
2. Keeping your legs stretched slowly raise your right leg as much as you can.
3. Repeat this experiment with your left leg.
4. Perform this alternatively for 5-10 minutes.

Bridge pose

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight on the ground.
2. Bend your knees keeping your feet flat on the ground. Bring your heels directly under the knees.
3. Place your palms on the floor beside the hips.
4. With the support of your hands, slowly raise hips and lower back from the floor. Gradually lift the middle and the upper back also till you reach the height of your knees.
5. Breathing slowly, remain in the pose for 30 seconds.
6. To come back to the original position, exhale and slowly lower your spine from the upper back.

Tree pose (vrikshasana) and Foot hand pose (padahasthasana) are also beneficial yoga poses to increase your height.

Mayurasana 

Mayura in Sanskrit means peacock. Mayurasana (the peacock posture) helps in the proper functioning of the digestive system. It enhances the circulation and supply of blood to the digestive organs.

1. Kneel keeping your knees twelve inches apart.
2. Place the hands on the floor between the knees with your wrists facing forward and fingers pointing backward.
3. Support both sides of the navel with your elbows.
4. Balancing on your hands, raise your body and legs to a horizontal position. First raise the upper part of your body and then the legs.
5. Stretch your legs a little wide like the letter V.
6. Remain in this posture for few seconds.
7. Return to the original position by slowly folding your legs and then placing your knees on the ground. Then sit on your soles.

This posture resembles the shape of a peacock.

Vrikshasana (The Tree Pose)

In Sanskrit, the word “vriksha” means “tree”. This pose resembles a tree standing rooted on the ground. Practicing this asana regularly will improve your concentration and relax your mind. Since the entire weight of the body gets rested on a single foot, the muscles of the legs and feet get strengthened.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. As you exhale, bend your right knee and place your right foot on the upper thigh of your left leg. Your entire weight will fall on your left leg.
3. Balancing on your left foot, raise your arms above your head and join the palms together.
4. Take 10 deep breaths remaining in the posture.

Lower your arms and foot and repeat the same asana with the other foot resting on the ground. Repeat the asana 2-3 times with each leg.

While practicing this posture, your body resembles a boat. Naukasana (Boat Pose) is helpful for people suffering from diabetes and dyspepsia.

1. Lie on your abdomen with your chest and chin resting on the floor. Keep your legs straight and close together.
2. Take your arm in front, to the side of your head; and keep them parallel to each other. Let the palms face the ground.
3. Now you will be in a position where your head is between your arms. Make your forehead touch the ground.
4. As you inhale, raise your arms, head, neck, trunk and legs simultaneously. Lift them as high as possible without bending your legs.
5. Your back will be arched in such a way that only the lower part of your abdomen will touch the ground. The entire weight of your body will be balanced at the abdomen.
6. While exhaling, return to the initial position by first bringing the head and trunk to the floor.
7. Lie on the floor as in the initial position.

Naukasana should not be practiced by people suffering from hypertension, heart disease and lumbar spondilitis.