This is the latest article in our yoga central series and today we will be looking at a pose known as Legs up the wall Pose or deep lake pose. We will look at how to properly carry out the pose, the benefits you can get from it and anything that you need to consider before beginning. Please read the entire article before trying the pose.

How to Carry Out the Pose

We have put together instructions on how to carry out the pose correctly however there are also a number of modifications that can be done to make the pose easier as well as deeper. These modifications will be found lower in the article.

1. Begin the pose by placing two folded blankets on top of each other about a foot from a wall. If you dont have any blankets you can use a couple of pillows.

2. Sit sideways on the blankets and swing your legs around so that they are up the wall and lie back over the blankets. You should position yourself so that your sit bones are over the edge of the blanket and your sacrum is fully supported.

3. Ensure your legs are straight and use an eye mask to increase the relaxation. Position your arms straight out from the shoulders and close your eyes.

4. Bring your attention to your breathing, particularly in your stomach and use this pose to bring about a deep feeling of relaxation in your stomach. Allow your stomach to sink into the back body and allow your back to relax completely into the blankets.

5. Remain in this position for 2 to 3 minutes continuing to focus on your breathing. To come out of the pose slide the blankets out from under your back and roll on to your side to come up into a seated position.

Tips and Precautions

If you feel discomfort in your lower back when carrying out this pose, move your body back so that your sit bones are fully supported by the blankets. If you still feel discomfort then remove one blanket.

If you have difficulty straightening your legs then move the blankets further away from the wall until you can straighten your legs. You legs may also get tired doing this pose so you can reduce the difficulty by bending your legs, bringing the soles of your feet together and sliding your legs down the wall. You can do this if your legs get tired part way through or if you have difficulties and discomfort keeping your legs straight.

Benefits and Focus

There are a large number of benefits to this pose and many of them are the same as those experienced with more complicated inverted poses. The main areas of focus are the abdomen and lower back with the aim of bringing about a deep feeling of relaxation. This feeling of relaxation can help with various different conditions including stress, anxiety and insomnia. It can also help with relieving stress and tension in your upper back which can be beneficial for conditions like headaches. This is mainly due to the fact that headaches can be caused by tension in the upper back. This can be a great pose to practise before going to bed and can really encourage a deep a restful nights sleep.

Yoga Teacher Training Courses India
For years thousands of yoga practitioners have travelled to South Asia to practice in Ashrams, develop their yoga at intensive workshops or ultimately become qualified yoga teachers on one of the many Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher training courses India has to offer. More and more companies are launching YA certified yoga courses in Varanasi and other spiritual surroundings around India.

Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher Training
Becoming a Yoga Alliance certified teacher has its benefits. Other than the great enjoyment and spiritual satisfaction that teaching to others gives you, the other benefit that cannot be ignored is that YA Certification is a recognized qualification that puts you on the right road to finding work as a qualified yoga teacher enabling you to make a living doing the thing that you love most in this world.

Why Teacher Training Courses India?
The traditional practice of mental and physical health which we have come to know as yoga originated from the North of India and what is now known as Nepal. Even though in recent times it has become more and more popular worldwide and is now taught all over the globe it is likely that the majority of all yoga teachers at one time or another traveled to India to practice yoga or get certified as a teacher; and what better place to bring you closer to yoga and some of the best yoga teachers in the world than the land of its origins, but why not Nepal?

Yoga in Nepal
Anyone who has visited a Himalayan ashram or practiced at a retreat with the magnificent Mount Everest as their backdrop will tell you of an enlightening experience that is not to be forgotten. There is something really special about practicing and learning yoga on the Roof of the World, the Himalayas. The historical association that Nepal has with Yoga, being cut off from the hustle and bustle off modern civilization and the beautiful background that the Himalayas gives the region all adds to the unique spiritual atmosphere of Nepal and so more and more companies have chosen to offer yoga teacher training courses in this wonderful country.

Yoga Teacher Training Courses Nepal
There are number of Yoga companies to choose from that offer yoga teacher training courses in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal but when it comes to making the choice of which company to take your teacher training course with how can you be sure that youre choosing the right one? Firstly the tell tale sign of a reputable company is whether they offer Yoga Alliance certified courses or not and if so then well, youre half way there.

Yoga Companies Kathmandu
When it comes to choosing a yoga teacher training course with a reputable yoga company in Nepal you can be reassured that you will get great value for your money. The prices for yoga training courses in Nepal vary from around 600 USD for a 4 week/200 hour course to around 900 USD for 6 week/300 hour courses.

300 Hours Yoga Courses
There are a number of Kathmandu Yoga schools run by reputable companies that offer an amazing 300 hours yoga holistic course including 200 hours of Yoga Alliance certified training, plus 5-6 weeks of complimentary holistic nutrition training. Unmatched by yoga schools in India these 300 hours yoga courses boast up to 50 hours of yoga teacher training, with a selected few also offering a Thai massage course that will get you certified in Thai massage inclusive of your YTTC price.

Having the right shakti yoga wear may not seem like a big deal, but it can actually help you perform poses easier and enjoy what you are doing more. You need to be able to bend and twist with ease when you perform various yoga positions.

What Not to Wear

Getting the full benefits from yoga depends on your ability to successfully perform the positions. If you dont have the right shakti yoga wear, that could be difficult to do, but just as importantly, you should know what not to wear. Thus, wearing clothes that restrict your body movements are a no-no and so your yoga wear cannot include wearing jeans, and also dress shirts that will only constrain your movements and also not let you breathe in a free manner. So, take a few minutes and really think about your yoga wear. Make sure you wear clothing that is loose fitting and unrestrictive.

Since you will need to perform a number of different yoga poses, you would do well to consider yoga shorts as well as perspiration clothes and even leotards or yoga pants as appropriate shakti yoga wear. Youll also want to make sure your shakti yoga wear is made of absorbent fibers that wont clump and stick to your skin.

Choosing comfortable shakti yoga wear is more important than choosing something fashionable. You want to be able to relax, and you wont be able to do that if you are worrying about how you look. You may want to consider wearing yoga shoes or socks, especially if you attend a yoga class.

When you are choosing your shakti yoga wear there really isnt much difference between womens and mens clothes (other than the cuts/contours of the pants). The only time you would need a specific kind of yoga gear is if you were going to perform Prana Yoga. This form of yoga requires you wear lightweight clothes, especially pants, preferably made of nylon or spandex.

Youll still need shakti yoga wear that absorbs moisture, so go for a cotton/stretch blend. It will allow you to move the way you need for Prana Yoga, its light weight, and it will soak up that perspiration!

Yoga is a holistic therapy originated in India over 5000 years ago. Yoga contributes to physical, mental and spiritual well being. Physical benefits lie in creating a toned, flexible and sturdy body. It facilitate in improving blood circulation and significantly aid to relieve pain. Mental benefits rely on relaxing mind in stressful situations. It encourages positive consideration and focus the intellect. Spiritual benefits depend on creating the awareness of oneself and understanding the interdependence between mind, body and spiritual infinity.

Types of Yoga and their benefits:

Yoga can be classified into Hatha, Bhakti, Karma, Jnana, Raja, Tandra, Mandra and Purna. They are discussed in detail below

Hatha Yoga:

Hatha yoga works to achieve balance between body and mind through asanas (postures), breathing techniques and meditation. The postures, followed in Hatha yoga improves flexibility and opens all energy channels. Breath control is believed to control one’s mind in this form of yoga. It is also practical to prevent diseases like diabetes, arthritis and hypertension. The yoga is principally beneficiary for relieving stress, anxiety and depression.

2. Bhakti Yoga:

Bhakti signifies attachment to God. Bhakti Yoga is based on the principle -Love is God and God is Love-. It is one of the oldest forms of yoga which is believed to have its root in the Vedas of Hindu Culture. Nine types of practices are implicated namely Sravana(listening to God’s stories), kirtana (singing God’s praises), smarana(remembering God at all times), padasevena(service to others to reach God), archana(worship of god with images), vandana(self absorption), dasya(meditating and servicing), sakha bhava(delight to be a companion of God) and atma nivedana(self surrender to God). Bhakti Yoga helps the devotee to attain the highest level of spiritual achievement.

3. Karma Yoga:

Karma means deed or action. Karma Yoga insists a person to be ego free and selfless. One develops maturity to service others and carry out God’s commandments happily. It encourages a hopeless man and puts him to think and speak right. The yoga involves remembering God in all activities and service for humankind. It teaches how to work unselfishly and enjoy peace still in suffering. 4. Jnana Yoga:

It is the yoga that leads to path of wisdom. The second part of Bhagavad Gita called Jnana Yoga is taught to the practitioner. The four components of Jnana Yoga are Viveka (ability to differentiate real and unreal), vairagiya (detachment to purify mind and improve one’s concentration), shad samphat which itself involves six virtues and mumukshutva (liberation). The yoga is purely based on the preaching’s of Vedic literature and helps in attaining knowledge. 5. Raja Yoga or Astangha Yoga:

This branch of yoga aims in synchronizing the breath by following a progressive chain of postures. The word Astanga means -Eight Limbed Yoga-. It engross eight spiritual practices namely yama(moral codes), niyama(self study), asana(postures), prnayama(breath control), pratyahara(sense control), dharana(concentration), dhyana(meditation) and Samadhi(dissolve into universe). Through Astanga Yoga, Blood circulation increases throughout the body which relieves from joint pain, removes toxins and diseases from internal organs. It makes the body light, strong and healthy.

6. Tantra or Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini Yoga is a meditative practice for promoting mental and spiritual wellness. It is an unusual form of yoga based on the fact that energy coiled on the base of the spine like a serpent can be tapped to flow from spine to brain and viz., and bring positive effect for the practitioner. It involves postures, breathing exercises and utterance of mantras. Unlike other yoga, Kundalini helps to develop strengthened nervous system.

7. Mantra Yoga:

In Mantra yoga, one needs to utter words called as Mantras. The rhythmic repetitions of mantras or syllable develop concentration leading to union of mind with the universe. It makes to focus on a single thought and creates vibrating power by certain pitches and pronunciation concealed in the mantras.

8. Purna or Integral Yoga:

Purna yoga leads to wisdom and union of body and mind with spirit. It involves meditation, Asana (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), applied philosophy and change in lifestyle. Meditation comprises of moment to moment techniques which could make you to listen to your heart. Besides postures and meditation, Purna yoga teaches one to follow a good nutritional diet and also protect from environmental toxins to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Yoga gained significant importance worldwide and nowadays in the faster world, it is a remedy to relieve from stress. Apart from the above discussed yoga, there also exists a unique yoga called laughter yoga introduced in the year 1995 in which people laugh with no reason without depending on jokes or humor. It is based on the scientific fact that the body gets both physiological and psychological benefits. To conclude, Yoga is a tool to repair and recondition your life. Only in Yoga, one could attain the awareness of life and the universe. It is pure and truly a spiritual practice that makes a person to think and act globally.

The explosion of yoga lifestyle in todays world has lead to more and more people adopting the principles of yoga into their day-to-day. It is based on the principles of focus, concentration, discipline and love. Yoga provides a complete perfect state of mental, physical and spiritual balance so as to attain inner peace. To attain this state an individual needs to be fully concentrated while practicing yoga and performing different asanas.

Yoga requires physical movement of the body and for that you need clothes which are comfortable to wear so that you can perform different asanas easily. Moreover uncomfortable clothes even make you lose concentration and are a huge distraction during the whole process. Concentration is something which is something that is very important while performing yoga. The last thing that anyone would want is to lose focus because of the clothes they have worn. It is often observed that people wearing proper yoga apparels get better results as it enables the person to have a better focus while performing different asanas.

Organic apparels are the most effective and popular type of yoga apparels. These have become very popular due to the level of comfort they provide which can never be provided by non-organic clothing. Organic clothing is better at absorbing sweat and it does not cause any irritation or itching during rigorous body movements as they do not contain any chemical materials.

Also, organic clothing is a testimony to the principles on which yoga is based. It teaches us to live in peace and harmony with the natural world and respect all the living organisms. Organic clothes are made from organic crops which are farmed using absolutely no chemical materials or genetically modified seeds. Chemicals fertilizers such as pesticides, insecticides, etc. which are used during farming destroy the soil and land quality and pollute the surrounding air and water of the environment. Hence organic clothes not only provide comfort to the body while performing yoga but also protect our surrounding environment.

If you too are the one who lives a yoga-lifestyle promoting sustainable living then we at Kooshoo can provide you with a wide range of organic yoga clothes such as headbands, hair ties, hot organic yoga apparels and more which is both eco-friendly and comfortable. Yoga clothing these days comes in a variety of designs and attractive colors too. The apparels we provide you with come in many fancy designs and up to date with the fashion world.