Home        12 Sivananda Yoga Poses

This series of Asanas, practiced in this order, will balance the 7 Chakras (front and back) while simultaneously providing the physical, mental and pranic benefits listed. Although there are numerous other asanas that may be practiced, the basic 12 are the foundation to a well balanced yoga practice. Private Yoga instruction may be sought in order to learn the advanced versions of each asana.

All forms of exercise must start out with an effective warm up for the muscles, joints and tendons of the body.

Sun Salutations are the customary yoga warm up method.

You can get a very clear description of the Sun Salutation by watching the movie to the right.

1. Headstand: Sirahansana

Physical: Gives the heart a rest, strengthens the respiratory system and the circulation, slowing down the rate of breathing and heart rate while at rest, brings rich supply of nutrients to the brain, spine and nervous system, relieves varicose veins.

Mental: increases memory, concentration, and intellectual capacity, as well as sensory faculties.

Pranic (Spiritual): “He who practices the Headstand for three hours daily conquers time.” – Yoga Tatwa Upanishad; sublimates sexual drive by transmuting seminal energy into Ojas-Shakti.   

2. Shoulder Stand: Sarvangasana

Physical: Presses chin to neck, brining rich supply of blood to the area, massages thyroid gland, improving its functioning, centralizes blood supply to the spinal column and flexes the spine, encourages circulation and relieves varicose veins, massages the heart and lung region

Mental: relieves lethargy and mental sluggishness, helps with insomnia and depression.

Pranic (Spiritual): Focuses on the psychic energy center, Vishuddha charka, in the throat region; stimulates pranic flow in the stomach, small intestine, urinary and gall bladders, pericardium and kidney meridians.

3. The Plow: Halasana

Physical: nourishes many internal organs by stimulating the spinal nerves and bringing an increases blood supply to the region, improves circulation, releases tension in cervical (upper back) and shoulder regions, massages internal organs, indigestion and constipation are relieved

Mental: relieves insomnia and restless sleep, enhances physical and mental relaxation, helps to develop mental poise and inner balance

Pranic (Spiritual): Brings a greater concentration of prana to the neck, the cervical (upper back) region, and the throat; stimulates the stomach, spleen, small intestine, heart, liver, gall bladder, and kidney nadis (acupuncture meridians).

4. The Fish: Matsyasana

Physical: removes stiffness in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions, increasing nerve impulse and blood circulation in these areas, gives a natural massage to the shoulders and the neck, corrects rounded shoulders, increases lung capacity, relieves spasms in the bronchial tubes, helps relieve asthma and other repertory problems, energizes parathyroid glands, stimulates and tones the pituitary gland and pineal gland.

Mental: regulates moods and emotions, relieves stress and mental agitation.

Pranic (Spiritual): Brings increased prana to the neck and shoulder regions; relieves pranic blocks from the lung, stomach, and spleen meridians.

5. Forward Bend: Paschimothanasana

Physical: massages all internal organs, stimulates digestive organs, increases peristalsis and relieves constipation and other problems, counteracts obesity and enlargement of the spleen and liver, regulates the pancreatic functions- valuable to those with diabetes and hypoglycemia, mobilizes the joints and increases elasticity in the lumbar spine, relieves compression of the spine and sciatica, strengthens and stretches hamstrings

Mental: enhances concentration and mental endurance, invigorates the mind and nervous system, controlling many complaints

Pranic (Spiritual): Balances prana; meditation is possible only when the vital energy is centered; establishes perennial “youth”.

6. The Cobra: Bhujangasana

Physical: Increases flexibility, rejuvenates spinal nerves, and brings a rich blood supply to the spinal region, works, massages and tones back muscles, stretches thoracic region and expands the rib cage, bringing relief to asthma, massages all organs through gentle pressure on the abdomen, and relieves problems of the uterus and ovaries, as well as menstrual problems.

Mental: Demands considerable concentration, and thus strengthens this faculty.

Pranic (Spiritual): Stimulates pranic flow to the lung, stomach, kidney, bladder, and spleen meridians; awakens the Kundalini (potential spiritual energy), thus assisting the realization of one’s full potential; produces body heat. 

7. The Locust: Salabhasana

Physical: Brings a rich blood supply to the spine; tones the nerves and muscles, particularly in the neck and shoulders; increases abdominal pressure, regulating intestinal function and strengthening the abdominal walls; improves sluggish digestion; expands the chest, benefiting sufferers from asthma and other respiratory problems; strengthens shoulder, arm, and back muscles; regular practice relieves back pain and sciatica.

Mental: Encourages concentration and perseverance.

Pranic (Spiritual): Stimulates pranic flow in the lung, stomach, spleen, heart, liver, small intestine, pericardium, and bladder meridians; “increases the digestive fire” – an ancient Yogic way of saying that the energy flow maximizes the use of all nutrients; produces body heat.

8. The Bow: Dhanurasa

Physical: Massages and invigorates the internal organs, especially the digestive system; strengthens the abdominal muscles; expands the chest region – a benefit to people suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems; enhances the elasticity of the spine; massages all the muscles of the back; just as the forward bend hyper-extends the spine, the bow hyper-contracts it.

Mental: Regular practice develops internal balance and harmony.

Pranic (Spiritual): The person who practices the bow regularly can never be lazy, but will be full of energy, vigor, and vitality; stimulates the lung, small intestine, stomach, liver, and urinary bladder meridians.

9. The Spinal Twist: Ardha Matsyendrasana

Physical: Helps to keep the spine elastic by retaining side-to-side mobility; helps to relieve muscular problems in the back and hips; removes adhesions in the joints caused by rheumatism; increases the synovial fluid of the joints, and makes the joints active; tones the roots of the spinal nerves and the sympathetic nervous system, and brings a fresh supply of blood to the area; massages the abdominal muscles, relieving digestive problems; benefits the gall bladder, spleen, kidneys, liver, and bowels.

Mental: Helps to cure disorders of the nervous system; brings peace of mind.

Pranic (Spiritual): Augments the prana sakti (vigor and vitality), removing innumerable diseases; rouses the Kundalini (potential spiritual energy).

10. The Crow: Kakasana

Physical: Strengthens the arms, wrists, and shoulders; stretches all the muscles in these regions, bringing increased flexibility; stretches and “lubricates” the joints, tendons, and ligaments of the upper body; expands the chest and increases breathing capacity; revitalizes the nerves and muscles of the hands, the wrists, and the forearms; prepares the chest and arms for any kind of strenuous work.

Mental: Like all the balancing positions, the crow demands and greatly develops the powers of concentration; nourishes mental poise and awareness; encourages a feeling of inner balance; prepares the mind for meditation.

Pranic (Spiritual): Removes lethargy; brings newfound energy into the shoulders and the arms.

11. The Standing Forward Bend: Pada Hasthasna

Physical: lengthens the spine, making it supple and elastic; can even give a little extra “growth”; mobilizes the joints; invigorates the entire nervous system; stretches the hamstrings and muscles of the back of the legs and the lower body; stretches all the muscles on the posterior side of the body; rectifies shortening of the legs resulting from fractures, and can correct inequalities in the length of legs; increases the blood supply to the brain.

Mental: Greatly enhances concentration; expels tamas (inertia or laziness), stimulating intellectual capacities.

Pranic (Spiritual): Renders the body light by expelling tamas; purifies and strengthens the Sushumna nadi (the central astral nerve tube that induces meditation; invigorates the apana vayu (downward-moving, or efferent, prana).

12. The Triangle: Trikonasana

Physical: Stretches the spine and trunk muscles; tones the spinal nerves and abdominal organs, improving the working of the bowels; practice of the triangle improves the appetite and assists digestion; promotes flexibility of the hips, spine, and legs; reduces or eliminates pain in the lower back; invigorates the circulation; practice is especially beneficial to anyone who suffers from a shortening of one leg as a result of a fracture of the hip, thigh bone, or bones of the lower leg.

Mental: Alleviates anxiety and hypochondria; reduces mental stress.

Pranic (Spiritual): Stimulates pranic flow to the spleen, liver, large intestine, gall bladder, small intestine, and heart meridians; steadies the energy, and gives a final “push” to the process of nadi purification begun in the other asanas.

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