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I N D O L A S A N A 
This asana is named the Gondola Pose because during its execution the body looks like a gondola. From the profile, the body looks like a gondola sailing on agitated waters, as the body rocks back and forth.HOW TO DO IT THE STRTING POSITION Lie on your abdomen, hands stretched forward on the floor, and the legs close so that the knees and ankles touch each other. 
THE FIRST STAGE The muscular contraction of the upper part of the back lifts up the bust, the arms and the legs. Do not force yourselves to stay immobile, it would be impossible, rather allow your bust to come back to the initial position. THE INTERMEDIARY POSITION In the beginning, do not try to raise your bust and legs very high. You should be content with a moderate amplitude. 
While the balance will occur easier and easier, the amplitude of the movement will increase by itself, with no obvious effort on your part. THE SECOND PHASE OF THE BALANCE While the bust comes back to the floor, along with the arms, a powerful contraction of the lower back musculature will make the legs come up without exaggerated effort. The knees and the ankles need to stay close. Avoid bending the knees too much, as bending them slightly is inevitable. Make your bust go up again and begin once more the rocking movement. 
The balance movement is obtained exclusively from the contraction of the back musculature, and not through pushing the shanks or the hands, alternatively. When the arms and the bust go upwards, then the muscles from the upper part of the back are active. When the legs go up, then the lumbar muscles are active. The legs are close to one another and the ankles are not bent. Thus, the body rocks back and forth, under the impulse of the upper and respectively lower back musculature. Many people consider this exercise too tough because they do it in a too active and energetic manner. We need to start gradually, being content in the first stages with a balance of few centimeters. Once the rocking movement has been started, we will add to each movement a supplementary impulse, which will allow that this technique is done for 30-40 seconds without much of an effort. Otherwise we will be forced to stop in order to breathe. It is indicated that we inhale when the head and the bust go up, and to exhale when the head goes down. When you feel you begin to force yourself too much to do this asana, stop and lie on your stomach to perceive the effects. FOCUS Focus on the rocking movement and on the control of the groups of muscles that need to work in order to allow you to do this asana. We also need to pay close attention not to bend the knees and also to keep them close. Perceive the intense activation of the abdominal area. Perceive the activation of the subtle center of force Manipura Chakra, and secondary the activation of the energy centers Anahata Chakra and Swadhisthana Chakra. RELAXATION Once the exercise is over, relax lying on your stomach. Listen to your heart beat and become aware of the breath. Relax the groups of muscles that were most worked during this asana. These muscles will tend to relax spontaneously after the effort, and it is useful if you accentuate this tendency. 
The reason for which the relaxation after the asana is done on the stomach instead of the back is that when relaxing on the back, the anterior musculature of the body benefits most from it, while when relaxing on the stomach, the posterior musculature - that is solicited more during this exercise - relaxes better and deeper. Begin with the soles of the feet; continue with the shanks, hips, buttocks, then the muscles of the back, the shoulders and the neck. After relaxing the dorsal musculature as well as possible, perceive the abdominal breath and perceive the slight and fine movement of the lower back when inhaling and exhaling. The head is positioned with the right ear on the floor. After approximately 12 breaths, when the neck is completely relaxed, rotate your head with the left ear on the floor and repeat the procedure. You will thus relax the entire musculature of the neck, which is usually the source of numerous tensions, causing migraines, due to the insufficient irrigation of the brain with fresh arterial blood. POSSIBLE ERRORS
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS THE MUSCULATURE In the vision of the yoga system, it is impossible to have a spine in perfect shape, if the back musculature is in a bad condition. It is thus important that our muscles are strong and supple. Indolasana is ideal from this point of view. This asana is mainly indicated to women, as usually women tend to have a weaker spine musculature. Besides the fact that a well-developed back musculature is indispensable to a perfect static equilibrium of the spine, it also ensures an aesthetic aspect. The woman does not need impressive biceps and cyclist hips, yet a straight and healthy back gives her a beautiful figure. In this respect, the daily practice of this asana is a guarantee. THE INTERNAL ORGANS The back muscles are not the sole beneficiary of this asana. The balance movement performs an effective massage on the internal organs and decongests the solar plexus, which is our abdominal and visceral "brain". The solar plexus regulates the functions of the internal organs, and in it we can "read" the state of our anxiety and stress. the massage Indolasana does on this area is unique from this point of view of eliminating anxiety, stress and inner tensions. Moreover, constipation, intestinal and digestive "idleness" will be eliminated. The liver, the pancreas and the suprarenals are stimulated. We also need to mention that the practice of this asana requires that you do not eat at least two hours before it. THE BLOOD CIRCULATION In the case of sedentary people, the blood circulation is slow during the day, especially in the abdominal area. This fact causes sanguine stasis that are highly dangerous for the organism. Indolasana is a great accelerator of the blood circulation. THE HEART The heart is the greatest victim of the modern times, not because it is fragile - it is so solid that it could last for longer than we think, but because it has to endure the consequences of breaking the elementary rules of physical and mental hygiene. The heart is the victim of unhealthy food, vices (tobacco, sweets, alcohol), sedentary and irregular lifestyle, anxieties, and insufficient breathing. The heart needs a daily stimulant to stay in perfect health. Indolasana is a very suitable stimulant for the heart. CONTRAINDICATIONS Any person can do Indolasana, with the condition that they do not force things. When we say any person we refer to any person capable of physical effort. For instance, people who have a disposition to heart attack will not do this asana, this is common sense. |