Tiryaka – Swaying
Tala – Palm Tree.
Steps:
- Stand with feet a little more than hip width apart. Fix your gaze at a point directly in front.
- Interlock your fingers turn the palms outwards.
- Inhale, and raise the arms up, over the head. Extending the palms towards the ceiling and lifting the chest.
- Exhale and bend to the right from the waist (do not lean forward or backwards or twist the trunk, Imagine you are between two panes of glass.) Feel the stretch up the left side of the body.
- Hold the position for a few seconds breathing normally,
- Inhale, slowly come back to the upright position
- Exhale repeat on the other side
(Alternatively make this a dynamic movement, inhale centre, and exhale to the right, inhale centre, exhale left. Repeat 10-20 times)
Variation:
- Balance on the toes during the practice.
Benefits:
- Develops physical and mental balance.
- The entire spine is stretched and loosened, helping to clear up congestion of the spinal nerves at the point where they emerge from the spinal column.
- Stretches the rectus abdomini muscles and the intestines.
- Good during the first six months of pregnancy to keep the abdominal muscles and nerves toned.
- Stretches and strengthens the obliques (sides of the waist.)
- Improves posture, by balancing left and right.