Ushtrasana - a yoga complex for opening the chest

An open chest and straightened shoulders are not only a beautiful appearance, but also an opportunity to breathe deeper, succumb less to respiratory diseases and generally feel more cheerful and confident, because as a result of a psychosomatic connection, our usual postures directly affect our sense of self and will help us This includes asanas such as matyasana and ustrasana.

• Positive effect of a complex of yoga asanas and contraindications
• Setting up for practice
• Video: Kapalbhati (YouTube)
• Backbends in Sukhasana - benefits and technique
• Reverse Prayer Pose (Paschima Namaskarasana)
• Cow Head Pose (Gomukhasana)
• Video: Cow Head Pose
• Camel Pose (Ushtrasana) (photo)
• Video: Camel Pose
• Fish Pose - Matsyasana (Matsyasana)
• Child's Pose (Balasana)

Positive effect of a complex of yoga asanas and contraindications

Let's outline the reasons why additional impact on the thoracic region may be required. And the reasons can be very different: sharp or dull pain in the thoracic region (no matter, front or back), aching or pulling sensation, difficulty breathing, inability to fully bend back or forward.

All this can happen due to a number of violations:

• scoliosis;
• neuralgic disorders / VSD;
• enslavement due to low activity;
• excessive physical activity;
• slouch.

As you understand, before starting classes you need to consult a doctor so that he can establish the correct diagnosis. In this case, it will be possible to select a suitable complex to solve the problem.

But sometimes it happens that there seem to be no physiological problems, but there are symptoms. The reason may be psychosomatic:

• isolation, holding back emotions;
• depression;
• severe stress;
• guilt.

In this case, yoga can also help, since it also works with psychosomatic phenomena.

In addition, all pranayamas and poses of the complex affect the internal organs: massage and normalize the functioning of the intestines and stomach, expand the diaphragm (to a greater extent if practiced at a young age), improve the condition and function of the kidneys, and also help improve metabolic processes due to the normalization of liver function .

However, this complex has some contraindications:

• You should postpone classes if you have high or low blood pressure;
• Do not exercise if you have a headache, nausea, dizziness or weakness;
• During pregnancy, some positions are excluded in the later stages.

If you have problems with the spine, it is important to select an individual complex and exercise under the supervision of an instructor.

Some asanas may have a strong impact on the knee and hip joints. In this case, you can use blocks or rolled blankets, or perform other poses with a similar effect.

Setting up for practice

Like any complex, we start this one with preparation for practice. You should take a comfortable position. Traditionally, we sit in a simple cross-legged pose (Sukhasana). We place our hands on our knees. It is important to straighten your spine, pull your shoulders back and push your chest up, but there should not be excessive tension in your back.

This pose is used in yoga for various breathing and meditation practices.

We close our eyes and draw our attention inside ourselves. It is important to note what is bothering you now: is there pain or some kind of tension in the chest area; how breathing is carried out: is it difficult, is it accompanied by any painful or unpleasant sensations. Next we will compare these impressions with the state after the lesson.

Now we try to clear the mind of all thoughts - negative and positive, leaving all stress and feelings outside the mind, outside the room. There should be a pleasant silence and emptiness in your head. We focus on breathing. We take several deep exhalations and inhalations and move on to kapalabhati breathing.

A breathing exercise called kapalabhati is very common in various schools of yoga and is known for its positive results.

1. The brain is saturated with oxygen, blood circulation increases, which helps improve mental activity.
2. The respiratory system is worked out and trained. If you are specifically experiencing breathing problems, this may help. And in this case, you should resort to this pranayama outside of practice regularly.
3. Psychological symptoms such as anxiety, increased emotional reaction, and fear are relieved. As a result of this, you will be able to calm down. If your problem is psychosomatic, you will feel significant relief with regular exercise.

This exercise is quite simple, but may require some practice.

1. We sit with a straight back, keeping the body motionless.
2. Inhalation and exhalation are carried out using the abdomen; the work of the chest should be excluded.
3. We first exhale, drawing in the abdominal muscles. That is, exhalation occurs automatically when we forcefully pull our stomach inward.
4. Next, we immediately relax the muscles, due to which we inhale.
5. This is all done quite quickly. To begin with, you can do 1 cycle per second. Inhalation and exhalation are carried out continuously one after another.
6. It is important to maintain a rhythm. Experienced practitioners can do kapalabhati at a faster pace.
7. At the initial stage, you can put your hand on your stomach, this will help you feel how the press works.
8. You can perform pranayama in several approaches; 3 of 30–40 breathing cycles will be enough. Thus, we spend about 5 minutes on kapalabhati.

You can also watch a video with a visual demonstration of the practice.

Video: Kapalbhati (YouTube)

What loads are allowed for pneumonia?

Forget about classic fitness! Whatever the cause of your illness (a complication of the flu or coronavirus), you cannot train until you have fully recovered. “Sports activities for pneumonia are strictly contraindicated, but physical therapy is recommended: it speeds up the healing process,” says Andreas Stromberger, head of the rehabilitation department at the Center for Congenital Pathology, a specialist in manual therapy and physiotherapy at the GMS Clinic.

Active sports training can aggravate the course of the disease. But you shouldn’t give up movement completely: as your condition improves (weakness gradually goes away, breathing becomes easier) and after consulting a doctor, you can start doing breathing and rehabilitation exercises. “When to start exercise depends on the severity of the disease: the more severe and prolonged it is, the more time it takes to recover,” notes Andreas Stromberger. - Be patient".

The right exercises will help speed up your recovery. “The integrated use of exercise therapy tools and methods that affect the main mechanisms of disease development will help reduce recovery time,” adds Yesenia Kalyuzhina, a rehabilitation specialist at the SportMedica sports medicine clinic.

What do such exercises give? “They train the physiological patterns of exhalation and inhalation, strengthen the respiratory muscles, improve the function of healthy lung tissue and counteract the occurrence of adhesions,” reminds Yesenia Kalyuzhina.

Plus, such a light load increases the overall tone of the body, which is also important during the recovery period after pneumonia.⠀

Backbends in Sukhasana - benefits and technique

After we have tuned in to practice, we should prepare the body for subsequent deflections.

We open our eyes and calm our breathing. Inhalation is equal to exhalation. Observe your sensations for 1–2 minutes.

1. Then we begin to perform backbends while remaining in Sukhasana.
2. We take a breath, move our chest forward, try to bend our back more, and move our shoulders back.
3. Hold your breath for 2-3 seconds.
4. With an exhalation, we move the chest back, pull the navel towards the spine, round the back.
5. Hold your breath for 2-3 seconds and repeat again.

Perform the exercise for 30–40 seconds, trying to increase the amplitude. Be careful not to feel dizzy.

How to build a lesson

Start with 5-10 repetitions of each exercise and gradually increase this number as you adapt. If you feel very weak, reduce the number of repetitions.

Follow this program every other day.

Move smoothly, try to breathe deeply and evenly.

Monitor your well-being. “The following symptoms should alert you: shortness of breath, cough, pain in the chest and intercostal space, increased frequency of respiratory movements (RR). Normally there should be from 16 to 20 breaths per minute, if there are more than 30, this is a cause for concern,” says Andreas Stromberger.

Before starting training, consult your doctor.

To perform the complex, you will need a chair and a low-resistance expander band.

Reverse Prayer Pose (Paschima Namaskarasana)

We start with a simple asana that will prepare the chest for opening. It has a beneficial effect on the entire thoracic region and shoulder girdle, improves posture, and therefore expands the chest.

This asana is also beneficial for the hands, wrists and elbows. However, if there is any problem with these areas, you need to treat it with caution.

Our task is to join our hands in a Namaste gesture behind our backs, as in the photo.

If you can't connect your palms completely, start with your fingers

This can be done from any convenient position. You can stay in Sukhasana, or sit in hero pose (Virasana). For some, the latter technique will be more convenient.

1. Straighten your back, you should even bend a little to make it more convenient to put your hands behind your back.
2. Place your palms together behind your back in the lower back area. If possible, you can raise them higher. However, there should not be any discomfort. With regular practice, the tendons will stretch and performing the asana will become easier.
3. Breathe evenly and deeply and hold this position for 40–60 seconds.

Why is chest opening necessary?

The influence of correct posture on well-being and appearance
If a person is stooped, his chest is compressed and the internal organs are in the wrong anatomical position. Correct posture has been developing for decades. To avoid the development of scoliosis or other diseases, you need to monitor how your child walks from childhood. Curvature of the spine also entails flat feet, and this disease limits a person’s full life and after only a short walk his legs begin to hurt.

In a person with correct posture, all muscle fibers are toned and tightened, internal organs and systems are not compressed, and perform their functions correctly. The gait is usually light and smooth. Expert observations have shown that people with correct posture do not suffer from constipation.

Conditions that must be observed for natural opening of the chest:

• the back is straightened as much as possible;
• the lower back should not be bent;
• shoulders spread to the sides;
• shoulder blades are lowered;

• head raised;
• the chin always “looks” a little upward.

If you do not monitor the condition of the chest and posture, this will lead to the formation of distortions in the neck and shoulder girdle, tension and atrophy of muscle fibers, and the condition of the skin worsens.

Identifying incorrect posture at home is not difficult. To do this, you need to lean close to the wall and pay attention to the ledges. Only the back of the head, buttocks, and shoulder blades should touch the wall. There should be an interval of no more than 5-10 cm between the lower back and the surface.

Minor curvatures can only be detected by a surgeon or orthopedist during a medical examination. Moderate and severe lesions are visible to the naked eye. The more curved the spine is, the more difficult it will be to perform asanas and breathing practices.

Symptoms of arterial hypertension
To relax the chest muscles, you need to familiarize yourself with the information for safe training:

• You cannot exercise under the scorching rays of the sun.
• It is prohibited to perform exercises with diagnosed arterial hypertension, hypertension, as well as on an empty or full stomach.
• If a muscle has been strained during training, you need to take a warm bath.
• When performing a workout for the first time, you should perform each exercise with extreme caution, and not “more and faster.”
• Gymnastics should not be performed in the evening before bed.
• To avoid damaging muscle fibers, all movements should be smooth and slow.

To relax the chest, if possible, exercises are best performed in a pool or pond located near the house. Water naturally has properties that painlessly stretch muscles and straighten the spine. It is recommended that people be nearby as the exercise may cause a person to experience cramps.

Cow Head Pose (Gomukhasana)

Following Pashchima Namaskarasana, we perform Gomukhasana, the effect of which is similar to the effect of the previous pose. The cow's head pose improves the mobility of the shoulder joints and prevents the development of arthritis. It has a positive effect on posture and, of course, opens the chest.

Since the legs are also involved in the work, Gomukhasana affects the hip joints and serves as a prevention of hemorrhoids.

If you have injuries to the spine, wrists, or fingers, you should approach the asana with extreme caution.

Do not force your hands towards each other, you can easily stretch the ligaments

The pose can be performed in different ways. Let's consider one of the most effective and popular options.

1. We sit in staff pose (Dandasana): legs are extended and pressed to the floor, hands are on the palms near the buttocks, the spine is straightened.
2. From this position, bend the left leg at the knee so that it is near the right buttock.
3. We place the right leg on top of the left in the same way so that the heel is closer to the left buttock.
4. If sitting in this position is uncomfortable, you can move your feet away from your buttocks a little.
5. Raise your left arm up and bend it at the elbow so that it goes behind your head. At the same time, we place our right hand behind our back with the back of our hand facing our body.
6. If you can reach out and interlock your fingers, good. If not, you should strive to do it gently. To do this, you need to bend your back slightly. You can also grab a belt or scarf.
7. We hold this position for a comfortable time (from 20–30 seconds).
8. Next, repeat on the second side.

Please note that in order to align the body and maintain balance, you need to place the opposite arm and leg on top, that is, if we bring the left arm over the top, then the left leg should be on the floor under the right and vice versa, only then the exercise will bring maximum benefit.

Video: Cow Head Pose

Camel Pose (Ushtrasana) (photo)

The camel pose (ustrasana) strengthens and stretches the abdominal muscles, has a positive effect on the abdominal organs, has a beneficial effect on the nervous and respiratory systems, activates the functioning of the glands and improves hormonal levels.

Be careful if you have problems with blood pressure or intracranial pressure

However, you should be careful, since the backbend is quite significant, and if you have problems with the lower back, you should not do it. A lot of the stress is placed on the kneecaps, so try placing something under your knees for cushion.

1. You should kneel down, positioning them hip-width apart.
2. The shins and feet lie on the floor, the toes pointing back. Legs are parallel to each other.
3. If you find it difficult to stretch from this position, place your feet on your toes, so the deflection will be less.

   You can try this option, it will reduce the deflection a little

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4. Slowly lean back, arching your back. The pelvis does not move back or down! The angle between the thigh and shin remains 90 degrees.
5. If the stretch is not very good yet, you can bend only slightly and put your hands on the lumbar region. At the same time, it is important to strive to open the chest, pull the shoulder blades towards each other. If there are no problems with the cervical spine, we throw our heads back and look up.

   If your back is very tight, you can remain in this position, trying to gently lower yourself lower.

6. If you have good flexibility, you can place your hands on your heels or feet.
7. It is important not to raise your shoulders, but to pull them down.
8. We remain in this position and breathe evenly.

What you need to do is improve the flexibility of your back in the asana, and not help yourself with the help of your hips, so if the position is lost, you need to use simpler options.

Video: Camel Pose

Fish Pose - Matsyasana (Matsyasana)

The fish pose can be performed in several variations; we will consider the simplest one, which does not require good stretching of the legs.

This is a simplified version; in the classical version, the legs are placed either in Padmasana or Virasana

In addition to the fact that the Matsyasana pose helps open the thoracic region, it also strengthens the muscles that support the spine and stretches the abdominal muscles well. It can be performed as compensation after inverted poses.

Of course, those who have problems with any part of the spine, experience migraines or severe headaches should be careful. For knee injuries, perform only the simplified version of Matsyasana with straight legs.

1. We lie on our backs, stretch out our arms and legs. Let's relax.
2. Inhale and bend your back, pushing your chest forward. In this case, you can rest your elbows on the floor, placing your hand on your forearm, this will reduce the load on the thoracic region.
3. We bring our shoulder blades together and place our head on top of the head.
4. We hold this position for 15–20 seconds and slowly lower our back to the floor. It is important not to abruptly leave the asana.

If you feel confident, you can enter fish pose from a sitting position - Dandasana. In this case, we slowly lower ourselves with an arched back until our head lies on the floor.

Massage of the cervicothoracic spine

The first massage techniques were used by ancient people. Stroking and kneading the sore area with your hands was simple and quite effective. However, there were practically no alternatives then. Medicine of the 21st century has a huge number of methods of prevention and treatment, but massage is still widely used. Positive changes are noticeable after the first session of therapeutic massage of the cervicothoracic spine (or others), and during the course the disease can be completely eliminated or significantly alleviated.