PICTORIAL PRESENTATION OF ASANA

13 FOR IMPROVING CONCENTRATION

There are various asanas for improving concentration. The pictorial presentation of five asanas is given below:

1. SUKHASANA
Sukhasana is a combination of two words: 'Sukha' and 'asana'. 'Sukha' means
'pleasure' or 'happiness' and asana means posture.
Procedure
Sit with legs straight in front of the body. They bend the right leg and P,lace the
foot under the left thigh. After that bend the left legs and place the foot under the
right thigh keep the hands on the knews in such a way that the palms should rest
on the knees. Keep your head, neck and back straight. Close your eyes and relax
of the whole body.
Benefits
1. A very good meditation posture.
2. It improves concentration. Sukhasana
3. It is a posture important for worship of God.
4. Increases the glandular functioning.
5. Improves leg strength and flexibility.
6. Cures arthritis and knock-knees.
7. It brings calmness to mind.
8. It improves posture.
9. It reduces stress and anxiety.
4 10. It facilitates mental and physical balance without causing strain.
11. It strengthens the back.

Contraindications: The individuals who have knee injury should not perform this asana for Jong duration.
2. TADASANA
Procedure : Stand up in attention position. Lift your arms upwards. Stretch your hands upwards. Raise your
heels, and come on your toes. Also pull up your body upwards. After some time breathe out slowly and
come to the previous position. Repeat the same exercise 10/15 times.
Benefits
1. ft is helpful in developing physical and mental balance.
2 It reduces obesity.
3. It cures constipation
4. It cures digestive problems
5. It improves body posture.
6. It alleviates sciatica.
7. It is an excellent asana for those who wants to enhance their height.
8. It is beneficial in treating hypertension.
9. It improves concentration of mind.
Tadasana

(§0 Saraswatl Lab Manual He:.::a;;.;

ft;;.;
h;..;&
~ P,;.;.
h,_ y_s
_,'·c.;;;.
""' al;..;E;;;..;d;..;;u;..;;c;,;;
a.;;,
ti,;;.;
on ;.;.-.;.;
Xi;1.;.______~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -......◄
-'
>
aindic ations
con tr
If you have low blood pressu re you should not practise this asana.
1. . .
2. Ill case of heada che or msomrua you should avoid the practic
e of this asana.
_ lJldividuals, who suffer from blood circulation problems such
3 as faulty vaJves, should not perfor m this asana.
3. PADMASANA
padrna means 'lotus' and 'asana ' means 'postu re'. It means sitting
in a positio n withou t any movem ent.
procedure .. .
f all sit in a squat position. Place the nght foot on the left thigh
first o . so that the
heel of the right foot may touch th~ hip bone ~f the left thigh.
After that lift the
left foo t and in the same way keep 1t on the thigh of the right leg.
The backbone
should be straigh t and erect. Stretc h your a~ms on the knees.
After practising it
for few days, it becom es easy to perfor m this asana.
Benefits
1. Padma sana increa ses the focus of mind and concen
tration.
2. It calms the brain.
3 . It helps to relax the body.
4. It helps to stimul ate the abdom en and spine.
s. This asana is the base for all asanas and it strengthens hip and knees.
6. It helps in reduci ng blood pressu re and muscu lar tension
.
7. It helps in reduci ng abdom inal fat.
Contraindications
Those indivi dual who suffer from sciatica or weake r injured
knees should not
practise this asana. This asana should not be practised until
you have good Padmasana
flexibility of your knees.
4. SHAS HANK ASAN A (HARE POSE)
Procedure
Sit in Vajrasana. Place hands on the thighs. Keep the upper body
straigh t and relaxed. While inhalin g, raise both the arms
above the head. Keep them straigh t and shoulder width apart.
Exhale while bendin g the trunk forwa rd from the hips,
keeping the arms and head straigh t and in line with the trunk.
After that the hands and forehe ad should rest on the floor
in front of the knees. Bend the arms slightly so that they
are fully relaxed and let the elbow s rest on the floor. Retain
breath for upto five second s in the final position. After that simult the
aneously inhale and slowly raise the arms and trunk to
the vertical positio n. Exhale while loweri ng the arms to the
knees. Practise it 3 to 5 times in total. Those who want to calm
anger may increa se the time of final position from 3 to 10 minute
s.

Shashankasana

Pictorial Presentation of Asana s for Im roving Conce

ntrati on CID.._
 Benefits
1. It helps to relieve fa tigue and promote s concentra tion of mind.
2. It helps in relieving anxiety and depressi on due to its calming effect.
3. It improve s blood supply to the head and there fore nouns · h es th yes and all the brain function s.
ee
4. It releases the pressure on U1e discs.
5. It also regulates the functioning of the adrenal glands.
6. Regular practice relieves constipation.
7. It tones up the reproductive organs.
8. The spine gets a forward stretch and becomes flexible and strong.
9. It stimulate s the functioning of pituitary, pineal, thyroid and parathyr oid glands.
10. It reduces the excess fat in the abdomin al region.
11. It also controls diabetes.
12. It increases the memory power.

Contraindications
Those individu als w ho are suffering from high blood pressure or slipped disc should
not
perform shashan kasana.
5. VRIKSHASANA
Procedure
Stand tall and straight with arms on the side of the body. Then place your hands on the
hips.
After that bend your right knee and place the sole of the right foot on the inner side
of the
left thigh just above the left knee. In fact, the sole of the feet should touch the inner thigh.
The
left leg should remain straight. Try to maintain the balance of the body. The complete
body
weight should rest on left leg. Once you are well balanced, start raising the hands above
the
head. Bring your hands together. Palms should touch each other. The spine and chest
should
be in a straight position. Try to keep the balance. Look s traight forward. Breathe normal
in this
position . Maintain this position as long as you can maintain it easily. For releasing the
pose,
you should exhale slowly and simultan eously bring down the hands to the sides. Then
release
the right leg and bring it to the ground. Then repeat the same procedu re on the other side.
Benefits
1. It improve s the concentr ation of mind.
2. It is bes t asana for developi ng a good sense of balance.
3. This asana has been found to relieve some cases of sciatica.
4. It makes the body stead y as well as strong.
5. It strength ens the ligamen ts of the ankle and the feet.
6. It tons up the leg m uscles and nervous system.
Contrain dication s
You should avoid this pose if you are suffering from insomnia , vertigo, migraine, low
or high Vrikshasana
blood pressure.

□□

C][) Sarasw ati Lab Manual Health & Physica l Educati on-XI