Two poses for today are Wind relieving and Extended puppy poses

Wind relieving and Extended puppy poses

Wind Relieving Pose

Wind-Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana) yoga pose is a perfect cure for gas and constipation, two niggling problems of the stomach.

Steps

• Lie on your back with your feet together and arms beside your body.
• Breathe in and as you exhale, bring your right knee towards your chest and press the thigh on your abdomen with clasped hands.
• Breathe in again and as you exhale, lift your head and chest off the floor and touch your chin to your right knee.
• Hold it there, as you take deep, long breaths in and out.
  Checkpoint: As you exhale, tighten the grip of the hands on the knee and increase the pressure on the chest. As you
  inhale, loosen the grip.
• As you exhale, come back to the ground and relax.
• Repeat this pose with the left leg and then with both the legs together.
• You may rock up and down or roll from side to side 3-5 times and then relax.

Benefits

1. Strengthens the back and abdominal muscles
2. Tones the leg and arm muscles
3. Massages the intestines and other organs in the abdomen
4. Helps in digestion and release of gas
5. Enhances blood circulation in the hip joints and eases tension in the lower back

Extended Puppy Pose

Uttana Shishosana or the extended puppy pose is a much easier and less complicated version of performing a forward twist that almost everyone should practice in their yoga session. Practicing this asana regularly is considered to be a great stress buster and calms the mind and the body.

Steps:

1. Get into a tabletop position, i.e; on all four limbs. Your hips should be stacked on your knees and your shoulders should rest on your knees. Press your feet firmly on the mat and keep your toes in the straight direction. Make sure your feet are parallel to each other and your hips are width apart.
2. While exhaling, keep your hands in front of you. Now allow your chest to meltdown towards the floor while slowly releasing your forehead on the mat.
3. Spread your fingers in a way that your thumb and index finger is pressed firmly on the floor. Now activate your palms by squeezing them into the palms of both your hands.
4. Roll your upper arms in the outward direction away from your ears so that your shoulders get broadened. You should feel your triceps wrapping in the downward direction towards the mat in a way that your biceps are towards the ceiling.
5. Make sure that your arms stay active through this asana and your elbows are slightly above the mat.
6. With the next inhalation, you can deepen the stretch by reaching for your hips upwards and backward towards the wall which is behind you. In the meanwhile, you can also continue to allow your chest to meltdown on the floor.
7. To support your spine, gently hug your front ribs and prevent collapsing into the lower back.
8. Hold the stretch for around 5-7 breaths while breathing deeply.
9. Release by coming back into the tabletop position and then standing up in a straight position.

Benefits 

Amongst the best benefits of practicing this yoga asana regularly, some are:

1. It helps in stretching your spine and shoulders.
2. It also helps in fortifying the body.
3. Your spine becomes flexible and strengthened.
4. The symptoms of stress, tension, and insomnia almost disappear.
5. Your hips, upper back, and arms get strengthened and stretched.
6. Your mind attains a level of much needed calm with its regular practice.