Yoga and Asanas: Technique, Benefits and Precautions
Yoga means union – of body, breath and mind. The exam asks you to describe how an asana is performed, state its benefits, list who must avoid it, and know where asana and pranayama sit in the eight limbs (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi).
Core asanas
- Tadasana – standing tall with arms stretched overhead; improves posture and balance.
- Vrikshasana – one leg balanced against the inner thigh; builds concentration and stability.
- Bhujangasana – lying prone, lifting the chest on the palms; improves spinal flexibility. Avoid in pregnancy, hernia and recent abdominal surgery.
- Vajrasana – kneeling with hips on the heels; aids digestion and is the one asana permitted soon after a meal. Avoid with knee injury.
- Paschimottanasana – seated forward bend; stretches hamstrings and lower back. Avoid with slipped disc.
- Shavasana – supine relaxation with palms up and eyes closed; lowers heart rate and is always the closing posture.
Surya Namaskar
A sequence of 12 positions forming one round, done early morning facing east after a warm-up; it combines forward and backward bends with breath control.
Pranayama
Anulom-vilom (alternate nostril), bhramari (humming), ujjayi (victory breath), kapalbhati and bhastrika. Kapalbhati and bhastrika are avoided in hypertension, hernia and pregnancy. Beginners should not force breath retention.
Worked example
A Class 10 student has 20 minutes: 3 minutes warm-up, 6 slow rounds of Surya Namaskar, 5 minutes of Tadasana, Vrikshasana and Bhujangasana, 5 minutes of anulom-vilom, then 3 minutes of Shavasana. The reasoning: bending postures precede breath work, and Shavasana brings the heart rate down before the student returns to class.
Traps that cost marks
- Writing 10 positions for Surya Namaskar instead of 12.
- Omitting Shavasana as "not an asana".
- Allowing kapalbhati for a hypertensive person.
- Practising asanas on a full stomach except Vajrasana.