Abhyasa

03/03/2022

Absolutely loved hosting this retreat with the most amazing group of students; and above that, wonderful human beings 🤍

12/12/2021

One of those asanas that took me forever to even attempt ~ another pose that needs a beautiful combination of strength and flexibility. Grateful for this practice that keeps me grounded every single day 🌟

15/10/2021

The Gurus who made this journey possible.

Srivatsa Ramaswami Sir - training under this phenomenal personality changed my life and brought me to this path. I have no words to express my gratitude to him.

Ravi Sir, Srimathy aunty - my first and forever yoga teachers. Thank you for believing in me. Appa - who taught me everything I know about the human body and how to teach yoga safely to others.

Amma - for being the guiding light in my life always. Everything I do is because of her unfailing support and belief in me. PS - now she is my yoga student 😅

Happy Vijayadasami!

12/03/2019

21/06/2018

Happy International Yoga Day! Here's what some of our students have to say about their practice in Abhyasa for the past one year :)

05/06/2018

Abhyasa completes a year today!

It has been a lovely experience with our wonderful students and we hope to continue and grow over the years to come :) We are thankful to our inspiring and dedicated teachers Dr Shankar Kumar, Jharna Kannan and Gajendran Dharmakumar for making this happen.

If you're someone who has always wanted venture into the world of Vinyasa Krama, feel free to DM / call us to know more about our classes :)

07/05/2018

ASANA OF THE WEEK - PARSVA UTTANASANA

Standing postures are important in Yoga Abhyasa. They give a lot of stability & strength, thereby giving a good foundation for more difficult postures to follow. Standing postures are hence to be included in all Yoga practice sessions.
Parsva Uttanasana in one such important standing posture.

STEPS :
Stand in Samasthithi.
Turn to the right side. The right foot should point straight ahead & the left foot should be turned slightly inwards. The feet should be spread by a distance of roughly three to three & half feet.
Turn the body to face straight ahead.
Inhale & raise both arms (as shown).
Exhale & bend forwards from the hips while tightening the knee caps. Touch the floor with your fingers or palms keeping one hand on either side of the feet. If one finds it difficult blocks may be used as shown. Stretch the low back by looking up on inhalation. On the next exhalation bend forwards & try to get the head close to the knee or the shin. Stay for five long breaths. It’s important not to bend either knee in this posture. The weight should be evenly balanced on both feet.
The posture may be attempted with the hands between the shoulder blades as shown. The palms must be pressed firmly against each other. If one finds it difficult to keep the hands in this position the elbows may be locked.
Turn to the other side & do Parsva Uttanasana on the left side.

BENEFITS :
The hip joints & the hamstring muscles gain flexibility
Pressure on the abdomen tones the organs inside the abdominal cavity
In the second variation the wrists & the shoulders gain strength & flexibility. The second variation also expands the chest & improves the lung capacity

29/04/2018

ASANA OF THE WEEK - ADHOMUKHASVANASANA
This posture is called “The Downward facing dog”. This can be done as an independent posture or as part of Suryanamaskar (Sun salutation). Here it will be described as an independent posture.

METHOD:

Sit in Vajrasana (see earlier post).
Slowly raise the seat off the heels & come to cat pose as shown. In cat pose one may arch the low back by looking up on inhalation.
On the next exhalation raise the knees off the floor and come to Adhomukhasvanasana (as shown).

Points to bear in mind while in Adhomukhasvanasana
a) Keep the palms firmly planted on the floor, fingers pointing straight ahead. The palms should be separated by a distance of one’s shoulder width.
b) Keep the heels planted on the floor. The feet should be separated by a distance of roughly 6 inches. Do not bend the knees.
c) Keep an adequate distance between the hands & feet, so that the body assumes the shape of an inverted V.
d) Try to tuck the chin onto the chest & breathe deeply. With every exhalation one should feel the stretch in the region between the shoulder blades. Stay for at least five breaths before coming back to cat pose & then to Vajrasana.

BENEFITS:

a) Relieves heel pain & pain due to Calcaneal (Heel) spur
b) Gives a nice stretch to the calf muscles
c) Gives flexibility & strength to the shoulders
d) By breathing deeply in this posture, the diaphragm is lifted onto the chest & this slows down the heart beat
e) Staying in this exhilarating posture for a few minutes relieves fatigue & makes one refreshed
f) It is an excellent posture for runners

17/04/2018

ASANAS OF THE WEEK - VAJRASANA AND VIRASANA

Vajrasana & Virasana are good postures to practice Pranayama. The postures require certain degree of flexibility of the knees & the ankles, but with constant practice, perfection in these postures can be attained.

METHOD:

Squat & rest your knees on the floor as shown.
Inhale & raise the arms. On exhalation rest the seat on the heels as shown. This is Vajrasana.
If one finds it difficult to place the seat on the heels, a cushion may be placed on the heels. With regular practice it will be possible to sit without the cushion. Place the hands on the knees and stay for a few breaths.
After a few breaths one may bend forwards without lifting the seat and try to place the head on the floor as shown. Breathe in this posture also for a few breaths.

When one can stay comfortably in Vajrasana, the heels may be separated so as to place the seat on the floor. This posture is called Virasana. As in Vajrasana one may sit in Virasana for a few breaths.
In Suptavirasana one has to recline and rest the back, shoulders & head on the floor. The arms may be taken all the way back to intensify the stretch.

BENEFITS:

Strengthens the spine
Removes stiffness in the knees & the ankles
Relieves pain due to flat foot & helps to maintain the plantar arch
Relieves pain due to Calcaneal (Heel) Spur

08/04/2018

ASANA OF THE WEEK - BADDHAKONASANA

METHOD :
Sit in Dandasana. Fold the legs as shown in the picture, keeping the heels close to the perineum.
Keep the back straight & the chin locked. The knees may lift off the floor for one whose hips are tight. With continued practice the knees will eventually touch the floor. This requires good flexibility of the hips.
The hips can be opened further by
a) holding the feet & turning up the soles of the feet &
b) Pressing the thighs with one's elbows
If the back tends to hunch one may sit in Baddhakonasana with the back supported on a wall. Stay for a few minutes breathing deeply. This is one the postures in which Pranayama can be practiced.

In the following variation of Baddhakonasana bend forwards from the hips (on exhalation) keeping the back straight. In the final position after completely stretching the back one may place the head on the floor. Stay for five breaths in this variation of Baddhakonasana.

BENEFITS :
Sitting in this posture stretches the groin muscles and improves hip joint flexibility
Keeps the pelvic organs healthy including the urinary tract (Kidneys & Urinary bladder)
Regularises menstrual cycle & normalises ovarian function
Pregnant women who regularly practice Baddhakonasana will find the period of pregnancy & childbirth easy

01/04/2018

ASANA OF THE WEEK - URDHVADHANURASANA

Urdhva means upwards & Dhanush means bow. This posture resembles an upward facing bow.

METHOD :

Lie down on your back. Keep the palms on the floor & bend the knees as shown. Raise the hips on inhalation & come down on exhalation. You can repeat this three to six times. This posture is called Dwipadapeedam (image 1) & it is a good warm up for Urdhvadhanurasana.

Keep the feet in the same position. Raise the arms, bend the elbows & place the palms on the floor slightly below the level of the shoulder, fingers pointing towards the feet. Take a few breaths. Press the palms firmly on the floor & lift the hips on exhalation resting the top of the head on the floor (image 2). Stay here for a few breaths. On the next exhalation press even more firmly with the palms, lift the head & try to stretch the arms & the legs. You can get more lift by raising the heels & arching your back (image 3). In the final position the heels must also rest on the floor. This is called Urdhvadhanurasana (image 4). Stay for five breaths before coming out of the posture.
Breathing will be very fast initially as the abdomen is stretched taut. With regular practice breathing becomes comfortable.

Please attempt this posture only under the guidance of a teacher.

BENEFITS:
Strengthens the spine
This is an invigorating posture and makes one feel refreshed & light
Makes one ready for the more difficult backbends