Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga
Generally, Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga are two of the most popular forms of yoga in the world. Sanjay Yoga is known for its focus on breath and meditation, while Ashtanga Yoga is a more vigorous style that emphasizes a set of postures. Both Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga offer a range of benefits, such as increased flexibility, improved posture, and better sleep.
Sanjay Yoga is also known for its calming and meditative qualities, making it a great way to reduce stress and relax while Ashtanga Yoga, on the other hand, is a more active style of yoga that can help build strength and stamina. Both styles of Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga can help to improve overall health, and can even be tailored to meet individual needs. Whatever your goals may be, Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga are both great options to help you reach them. So if you're looking to get healthy and fit, why not give them a try? You'll be glad you did!
Benefits of Sanjay & Ashtanga yoga
- Better Sleep - Yoga has been shown to improve sleep quality, likely linked to its effects on stress. When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol, which can negatively affect sleep quality. If you can reduce your stress, you may find yourself falling asleep easier and sleeping more soundly.
- Better Health - Basically, regular yoga practice can help improve nearly every aspect of your health. It can help to reduce not only inflammation, but also it can lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and stress, improve digestion, and improve flexibility.
- Improved Focus - Indeed yoga is a practice that helps to train your mind and body to be more present. It also been shown to reduce anxiety and stress, increase focus, and improve productivity.
- Stronger Connection to Body - Also, yoga is all about being connected to your body. While it may not make sense at first, the more you practice, the more you'll be able-or want-to feel every part of yourself.
- Better Resiliency - When life throws you a curve ball, yoga can help you to weather it with equanimity. Yoga also help you to become more resilient to stress and cultivate a more positive outlook.
How to safely practice Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga
- Warm up - Before diving into your Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga practice, make sure to warm up your body with some gentle stretching, breathing exercises, and/or a short yoga sequence.
- Pay attention - It can be very easy to get lost in thought while practicing yoga, but it's important to stay connected to your breath and the present moment.
- Cool down - Lastly, at the end of your yoga session, make sure to do some gentle stretching to bring your body back to its neutral state.
- Hydrate - It's easy to get caught up in your practice and forget to drink water, but it's important to hydrate throughout the day, particularly after exercise.
- Eat well - Just like you need to hydrate, you also need to fuel your body with nutritious food. Indeed eating well will help to reduce your risk of injury, improve your energy level, and keep you feeling great.
Common mistakes to avoid when practicing Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga
- Holding your breath - It can be easy to hold your breath while practicing some poses. If you find yourself doing this, you can also try to focus on releasing the breath, and breath in a way that feels natural.
- Hitting a wall - Meanwhile, there will come a point in your practice where you hit a wall. You may either not feel like you're improving or making any progress. It's important to keep going, even when things feel challenging.
- Not being true to yourself - However, there are a lot of different styles of yoga out there, and it's easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others. Find a practice that resonates with you, and stick with it.
- Judging yourself - As with comparing yourself to others, it's important to be gentle and kind towards yourself. Yoga is a practice of self-exploration, so be curious and open to what you discover.
Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga
1. Seated Butterfly with Breaths
Firstly, begin in an upright sitting position on the floor, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Then, engage your core. Bring your knees out to the sides and bring the soles of your feet together. Afterwards, hold onto your ankles with both hands and keep your spine straight. Close your eyes. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths. Lastly, inhale through your nose for 5 seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 5 seconds.
2. Forward Fold in Seated Butterfly
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Then, bring your knees out to the sides and bring the soles of your feet together. After that, clamp your index fingers onto your big toe, pull your big toes towards you, and elongate your spine. Take several deep belly breaths. Engage your core and fold your upper body forward as much as you can, keeping the clamp and pulling yourself in toward your feet. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths. Lastly, inhale through your nose for 5 seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 5 seconds.
To intensify this movement, lower your upper body as much as your body allows in a pain-free manner.
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Variation 1. Forward Fold in Seated Butterfly
At this time. begin in an upright sitting position on the floor, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Bring your knees out to the sides and bring the soles of your feet together. After that, clamp your index fingers onto your big toe, pull your toes towards you, and elongate your spine. Take several deep belly breaths. Engage your core and fold your upper body toward your feet as much as possible. Let go of your big toes and allow your spine to elongate. You can clasp your fingers and put them above your toes on the floor. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths. Lastly, inhale through your nose for 5 seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 5 seconds.
For this exercise, do not force your body to fold forward beyond what your body can allow. You can also do this exercise on a chair.
3. Wrist Circle
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Bring your knees out to the sides and bring the soles of your feet together. Raise your hands and make big circles using your wrists from one direction to the other. Repeat the movement.
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4. Side Bend
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Bring your knees out to the sides and bring the soles of your feet together. After that, clasp the fingers together and flip them forward, palms facing forward. Move your hands together overhead for a light stretch. Then place one hand on the floor beside your hips for support. Engage your core and extend your opposite arm overhead as you bend your upper body to the side and drop your bent elbow to the floor. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
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5. Cat-Cow
Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. While maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Flip your palms over if you can to intensify this movement. Contract your abdominal area. Slowly lift your head and arch your mid-back. Alternately, round out your mid-back slowly as you lower your head downward. Repeat the movement. Start with one set of five repetitions.
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Variation 1. Cat- Cow
At this time, begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Maintain good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Flip your palms over if you can to intensify this movement. Contract your abdominal area. Slowly move your mid-body in circles from one direction to the other. Afterwards, repeat the movement. Start with one set of five repetitions.
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6. Downward Dog
Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips, wider than hip-width apart. Maintain good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Engage your core. Lift your seat, making an inverted V pose. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
For this exercise, you can bend your knees for comfort.
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Variation 1. Downward Dog
At this time, begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips, wider than hip-width apart. Maintain good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Engage your core. Lift your seat, making an inverted V pose. Take several deep belly breaths through your nose and out through your mouth. Grab your right ankle with your left hand. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
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7. Downward Dog to Forward Fold
From the Downward Dog position, walk your feet towards your hands on the floor into a Forward Fold. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Move to a Half Lift position.
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8. Forward Fold to Half Lift
From a Forward Fold pose, raise your upper body at a 90-degree angle to be parallel to the floor and place your hands on your knees or ankles for support. Keep your back flat and your knees straight.
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9. Rag Doll
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Tighten your core and hinge through your hips to bend your upper body forward. Slowly lower your head and arms towards the floor while keeping your knees slightly bent. Then cross your arms or grab your elbows. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Variation 1. Rag Doll
At this time, begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Tighten your core and hinge through your hips to bend your upper body forward. Slowly lower your head and arms towards the floor while keeping your knees slightly bent. Then cross your arms or grab your elbows. Gently sway your upper body from side to side several times.
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10. Chaturanga
Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips, hip-width apart. Engage your core. Step back with both knees and bend your arms as you lower your upper body toward the floor. Keep your upper body parallel with your elbows bent and close to your upper body. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
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11. Cobra or Up Dog
Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips, wider than hip-width apart. Maintain good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Step back with both feet to move to a straight-arm plank position. Bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your head and chest. Slightly arch your back, and be careful not to overextend your neck or back. Use your back and core strength with minimal assistance from your arms. Take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
12. Downward Dog
Begin in a 4-point kneeling position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips, wider than hip-width apart. Stack your heels over your toes. Tighten your abdominal muscles and push back with your arms. Bend your knees and lengthen your back as you lift your hips. Slowly lift, then lower your heels. Take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Move to the Half Lift position.
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13. Mountain Pose or Tadasana
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Then place your arms out at your sides with your palms facing outward. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Move to the Forward Fold position.
14. Forward Fold
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing forward, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Contract your abdominal muscles and extend your arms overhead. Hinge through your hips to bend your upper body forward. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Move to a Straight-Arm Plank position.
Repeat the sequence of movements twice:
- Exercise #10 Chaturanga
- Exercise #11 Cobra or Up Dog
- Exercise #12 Downward Dog
- Exercise #8 Forward Fold to Half Lift
- Exercise #13 Mountain Pose
- Exercise #14 Forward Fold
15. Wide Legged Squat
Begin in an upright standing position with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Position your heels inward while your toes face outward at a 45-degree angle. Lower your seat into a squat position with your hands together, palms facing each other at your heart center. Push your elbows into your knees and engage your glutes. Push your shoulders down. Afterwards, hold this position for 5 deep belly breaths. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement.
16. Child’s Pose
Begin in a 4-point position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, wider than hip-width apart. Engage your core and shift your hips back to your feet as you extend your arms overhead. Lower your chin or forehead to the floor and relax your mid-back area for a light stretch. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to the starting position.
You can place a pillow under your upper body for support for this exercise.
Variation 1. Child’s Pose
At this time, begin in a 4-point position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, wider than hip-width apart. Engage your core and shift your hips back to your feet as you extend your arms overhead. Lower your chin or forehead to the floor and relax your mid-back area for a light stretch. Put your hands together in a prayer pose, lift them above your head, and move your elbows closer. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to the starting position.
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17. Child Pose to Thread the Needle
Begin in a 4-point position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, wider than hip-width apart. Engage your core and shift your hips back to your feet as you extend your arms overhead. Lower your chin or forehead to the floor and relax your mid-back area for a light stretch. Reach one hand toward the sky, then thread it under your body as you lower your arm and upper body to the floor. Then place the opposite arm overhead. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to the starting position.
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Variation 1. Child Pose to Thread the Needle
At this time, begin in a 4-point position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, wider than hip-width apart. Engage your core and shift your hips back to your feet as you extend your arms overhead. Lower your chin or forehead to the floor and relax your mid-back area for a light stretch. Reach one hand toward the sky, then thread it under your body as you lower your arm and upper body to the floor, Then place the opposite arm on your mid-back, palm facing up. You can put your hand on the opposite side, between your leg and hip, if you can. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to the starting position.
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18. Back Bend
Begin in an upright kneeling position on the front part of the mat, with your head, shoulders, and hips in proper alignment. Shift your weight onto your hips and sit on the mat between your feet, with your toes pointing at a 45-degree angle. Contract your core. Lean your upper body toward the back and plant your hands on the floor behind you for support. Gently drop your head back, focusing on the stretch happening in your low back area. Take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to the starting position.
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Variation 1. Back Bend
At this time, begin in an upright kneeling position on the front of the mat, with your head, shoulders, and hips in proper alignment. Shift your weight onto your hips and place your glutes on the mat between your feet, with your toes pointing at a 45-degree angle. Lean your upper body toward the back and plant your hands on the floor behind you for support. Gently lower your upper body to the floor by gently dropping your elbows for support. Then place your hands on your feet at your sides and relax your upper body. Put your arms overhead and take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. You can place your thumbs on the soles of your feet to stimulate blood flow.
If you feel pain in this movement, immediately get up and stop.
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19. Corpse Pose with Bend Knees
At this time, lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet wider than hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, hips, and knees. Position your feet at a 45-degree angle with your toes out. Put your knees together and place your hands out at your sides, palms facing up. Close your eyes. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths.
Variation 1. Corpse Pose with Bend Knees
At this time, lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet wider than hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, hips, and knees. Position your feet at a 45-degree angle with your toes out. Put your knees together and place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly. Close your eyes. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths.
20. Progressive Figure 4
At this time, lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet wider than hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, hips, and knees. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee and flex your foot. Lift both legs and hold onto your bottom leg with both hands. Pull your bent legs closer to your body to intensify the stretch. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
To intensify this movement, hug both knees and pull them closer to your chest as much as your body allows.
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Variation 1. Progressive Figure 4
At this time, lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet wider than hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, hips, and knees. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee and flex your foot. Lift both legs and hold onto your bottom leg with both hands. Pull your bent legs closer to your body to intensify the stretch. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then lower your knees to one side and place your hands beside your head, just like a cactus pose. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
Hold your upper ankle with one hand to keep it in place for this movement.
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21. Bent Legs Raise
At this time, lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet together, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, hips, and knees. Spread your arms out at your sides, forming a T position. Engage your core and lift your feet up. Gently rock your knees from side to side. Repeat the movement several times.
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22. Happy Baby
At this time, lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet together, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, hips, and knees. Spread your arms out at your sides, forming a T position. Engage your core and lift your feet. Grab your big toes with each hand and come to a happy baby pose.
To intensify this movement, grab your foot soles with each hand and alternately push one leg to the side.
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23. Reclined Butterfly
At this time, lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet together, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, hips, and knees. Put your hands on your belly. Engage your core and spread your knees out to the sides. Then place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly. Close your eyes and relax. Take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
24. Corpse Pose
At this time, lie on your back. Extend your arms out at your sides and close your eyes. Relax your entire body and take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Variation 1. Corpse Pose
At this time, lie on your back on the floor. Extend your arms out at your sides and close your eyes. Relax your entire body and take several deep belly breaths. Turn your head from side to side. Extend your arms overhead for a light stretch. Bring your knees towards your chest and turn your side down to the floor. Then place your head on your arm and hug your knee with the other hand. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
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25. Lotus Pose Prayer Arms
At this time, begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed in front of your body. Maintain good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Then place your hands together at the center of your heart and close your eyes. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Conclusion
To sum up, there are many different types of yoga, and each can be practiced for different purposes. For example, some people practice yoga to improve physical strength, whereas others practice it as a form of movement therapy, to help cope with illnesses, or as an alternative to meditation. However, no matter what your reason for practicing yoga is, as a beginner, you are probably most interested in becoming familiar with the Sanjay and Ashtanga Yoga sequence, the most popular known as "Ashta." Lastly, if you’re just starting the practice, it’s important to start with the easy poses and work through the sequence.
