Indian Head Massage
March 17th, 2008 in Ayurveda, Massage
Massages can be given basically to aid the process of injury healing, manage pain, psychological stress and improve body circulation. Indian Head Massage is an ancient technique that Ayurvedic healers have been using for thousands of years. This technique is formally called as Champissage (champi is an Indian word for head) based on medicinal principles, specifically those surrounding flow of energy.
The Following are the simple steps to do Indian head massage:
Yoga using Chair
March 14th, 2008 in Ayurveda
Sarvangasana can be done with the help of chair. Here is the method:
Place a bolster or two folded blankets near the front legs of a chair. Then sit side-ways on the chair.
Swing your legs onto the back rest of the chair and hold the sides of the back-rest.
Gradually lean back till your shoulders rest on the bolster or blankets and rest the back of your head on the floor.
Extend your arms backwards within the legs of the chair and hold the back legs of the chair, if possible.
It is easy for a child to stay a while in Sarvangasana performed in this manner. This pose is very effective in removing fatigue and refreshing the child. The inversion leads to healthy blood circulation in the thyroid gland and the brain.
Chairs can also provide useful support to prepare the back for Backward-Bending Poses. Here is the method to perform Viparita Dandasana on the chair.
Insert your legs in the gap between the backrest and the seat of a chair.
Hold the back rest, bend your knees and gradually lie back.
Insert your arms between the legs of the chair and hold the back legs if possible. Straighten your knees and press your toes and heels to the wall. Look at the floor. Stay up to five minutes in this pose.
To come up, hold the back rest of the chair, bend your knees and come up with a swing.
Yoga using Brick
March 14th, 2008 in Ayurveda
Stiff children can’t do Ardha Chandra-asana easily as their palms don’t reach the floor. They tend to get disheartened with such poses. A vertical brick gives them the support they require to learn the pose. Over time the brick can be placed horizontally and when they advance in their practice they can dispense with it.
A brick provides useful resistance between the palms when older children learn to perform Pincha Mayurasana.
Often stiff or heavy children are not able to raise themselves off the floor in Urdhva Dhanursana. Resting their hands on bricks placed against a wall, will enable them to lift up more easily.
Yoga using Bench
March 14th, 2008 in Ayurveda
Benches can be put to good use to support children in Sethu Bandha Sarvanga-asana. This resting pose performs wonders to calm the nerves, rest the brain and refresh the child. This pose can be done by girls during menstruation.
Since children find Forward Bending Poses difficult and unappealing, the teacher can make these poses more endurable for children by asking a child to sit on a bench, the heels on the floor, and then to bend forward.
A bench can also serve as a support to perform Half Hala-asana: rest the toes on a bench.
Shanmukhi Mudra
March 13th, 2008 in Ayurveda
Sit in Padmasana with your eyes closed. Plug your ears with your thumbs. Then cover your eyes with your index and middle fingers. Next place your ring fingers on your nostrils and partially block your nasal passengers. Lastly, rest your small fingers on your upper lip. Keep your elbows lifted and level with your shoulders. Be steady and stay a while in this position. Shanmukhi Mudra done.
Shirshasana
March 13th, 2008 in Ayurveda
Kneel in front of a folded blanket. Place the crown of the head on the blanket and the palms on the floor forming a tripod.
Raise your knees off the floor and walk towards your head.
Raise your legs upwards, together or one at a time.
Come into an inverted position and balance. Lift up and broaden your shoulders. Do not widen your elbows. Stay a while, and then come down. Shirshasana done.
Prasarita Pada Shirshasana
March 13th, 2008 in Ayurveda
Always stand behind your partner.
After your partner has positioned the arms head ask your partner to raise one leg up.
Grab hold of the leg and pull it up to a perpendicular position. The other leg will come up by itself.
Support your partner and ensure that she/he is straight. Let go occasionally so that she/he learns to balance.
To bring your partner down, place your hands at the root of the thighs and ask your partner to descend the legs till the toes touch the floor. Your partner must not land on his/her knees. Prasarita Pada Shirshasana done.
Yoga Mudrasana
March 13th, 2008 in Ayurveda
This is a simple version of Yoga Mudrasana. Sit in Padmasana. Take your hands behind your back. Interlock your fingers. Then bend forward raising your arms to a perpendicular position behind your back. Pause. Then bring your arms down, interlock your fingers the other way, change the crossing of your legs and repeat the pose.