LYING DOWN

III. LYING DOWN

1. Fish Pose - good for the neck muscles and lower back, desk workers are able to strenghten the neck.

2. Leg on the Side Stretch - loosen the spine and torso.

3. Lower Body Rock.

4. Leg Gyration - stretches the thighs, increases the blood circulation and gently tones the abdominal organs and knees.

5. Cross Leg Stretch - stretches the hamstring.

6. Vishnu Pose - loosens the hips and hamstrings, reduces waistline fat, benefit pelvic region, helps relieve backaches and prevent hernia.

7. Cobra - keeps the spine in an elastic, healthy condition and helps cure backaches and minor spinal injuries; helpful in relocating slipped disc back into their correct position, stretches all the back and neck areas; circulation is increased and spinal nerves and blood vessels benefit from the extra supply of blood. The jaw, neck, throat, chest, abdomen and legs are exercised and strenghten; glandula activity is balanced, digestion is improved, constipation is eliminated and appetite increased. When holding this posture, pressured is applied to the kidneys and helps wash away harmful calculus deposits. Also, benefits the repreductive organs, helps correct menstrual disorders and helps rectify various female sexual disorders.

8. Bowing Pose - helps one prepare for headstand; increase the blood flow to the head, allowing the brain to slowly adjust to the increased pressure. Its effects are like those of the headstand, but a lesser scale.

9. The Bow - excellent for almost all the body's muscles. Back muscles are strenghtened as well as relieved of aches and stiffness due to fatigue. Chest and abdomen muscles are toned; hip and shoulder muscles and joints are loosened; leg, arm, throat, neck, and jaw line muscles are all stretched and toned. Many of the internal organs such as the kidneys, liver and bladder are also massaged and supplied with an increased blood flow, resulting in an improved functioning. It helps correct gastrointestinal disorders, dyspepsia, chronic constipation and lethargia of the liver. The pancreas is toned and peristaltic movement of the vowel is increased. Like the cobra, the Bow is an excellent preventive exercise against the prevention of kidneys and gall stones. The endocrine glands in general and thyroid in particular is stimulated and strenghtened by the performance of the Bow. It benefits the pelvis, reduces fat in the waistline and helps cure diabetes.
CAUTION: Persons with enlarged or overactive thyroid glands are advised not to practise this posture. Also, because of the pull and stress on the backbone, with slipped disc should consult the doctor before attempting the Bow. Likewise, people with hernia, peptic ulcers, or intestinal tuberculosis should not do this posture without professional guidance.

10. Rocking Cradle - powerfully tones and massages the abdominal organs and helps build elasticity in the spine. It also strenghtens the muscles surrounding the spine.

NOTE: POSTURES ARE FOUND IN THE TWO PAGES GRAPHIC IMAGES WHICH ALSO INCLUDES STRETCHES BENEFICIAL FOR THE OLDER ATHLETES. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

Stretch Exercise - Sitting

II. SITTING

1. Butterfly - good preparatory exercise for restrained angle pose, benifit the pelvis and stimulates the flow of blood into the back and abdominal areas; helps relieve urinary disorders and sciatic pains; helps hernia, corrects irregular menstrual periods.

2. Restrained Angle - excellent for those with urinary disorders; help prevent varicous veins from forming; helps correct irregular menstrual periods and help ovaries function properly; increases flow of blood to the lower back, abdomen and pelvis; helps relieve pain in the testicles and promotes healthy urinary bladder, prostrate and kidneys; very benificial for relievingsviatic pains and prevention of hernia.

3. Sitting Angle - improves blood circulation in the pelvic area; helps prevent hernia and can even help cure less severe cases of of it; stretches the hamstrings, loosens the hips and helps alleviate sciatic pains; helpsregulate the menstrual flow and the ovaries.

4. Spinal Twist - has a wonderful effect on the spinal nerves and the entire nervous system. It compresses the muscles around the spine and this has a stimulating effect on the 32 pairs of nerves which lead out to the spinal cosrd to other parts of the body. It also loosen the vertebrae and make the back muscles more elastic, thereby preventing backaches and lumbago. The spinal twist benefits the internal organs. The liver and spleen are toned, kidneys massaged and the abdominal viscera squeezed. Natural peristaltic action of the intestines is promoted. These factors combined result in better appetite, digestion and elimination (helps prevent constipation). It additionally regulates adrenaline secretion and aids in the relief of muscular rheumatism. Pancreatic activity is increased and this aids in the cure of diabetes. Minor cases of slipped disc can also benefit from this posture.

5. Alternate Leg Stretch - when properly performed, the back feels stretched and relaxed. The hamstring muscles are also stretched and the hip joints loosened, and an increased flow of blood moves in the back and nourishes the spinal nerves.

6. Front Leg Folded with the Back Leg Stretch.

Stretch Exercise - Standing

The Stretch Exercises here are done on three positions: Standing, Sitting and Lying Down Position.

I. Standing Position

1. Arm Locked In-between the Elbows.

2. Tricep Stretch.

3. Neck Exercise - if properly done, neck will make some crackling sound cause by release of tension and massaging of the nerves, muscles and ligaments; helps prevent headaches.
*Do these exercises slowly and gently. Be careful not to strain the neck muscles
by relaxing the shoulders.

4. Right Angle - excellent exercise for people with poor posture; helps correct hunchback, spinal curvature and droopy shoulders; as it relaxes and simultenously strengthens leg muscles.

5. Waist Rotating - tones the arms, waist, back and hip joints; abdominal organs are massaged and waistline fat reduced and redistributed.

6. Extended Arm Stretch - stimulate the blood circulation and helps one overcome "fuzzy headahes", loosen the shoulder joints and is very benificial for people with hunched backs; streches and tones the spine.

7. Waist & Torso Rotating - loosens the spine and back muscles and helps prevent and rectify posture problems; relieves stiffness in the waist and hip joints.

8. Extended Triangle - excellent for increasing all-around flexibility and mobility, preferred by yoga practitioners as it is one of the yoga postures where the backbone is bent laterally rather than forward or backward; helps remove the flab from the waist area and tone the hip muscles.
Yoga practitioners claim this posture is benificial in trerating a wide range of skin disorders (boils, acne, rashes) and imparing a healthy luster to one's complexion.

9. Shoulder Rotations and Joint Opening - increases your scapular power; scapulae are loosened and rounded to develop the type of scapular power used by the tigers and other big cats.

10. Hip Rotation.

11. Knee Rotation.

12. Dip Split - stretches the large muscles and tendons on the front and outer part of the thighs and strenghthens ankles, arches the feet and exercise the muscles that support the lower back and pelvis.
It improves balance and stimulates energy meridians between pelvis and feet.