Pashimatāsana: Posterior-stretching Pose
The student sits on the floor, fully extending his legs in front of him. He then bends forward to catch hold of the right big toe with the right hand, and the left big toe with the left hand. The student then pulls on the toes, stretching the muscles at the back of the legs.
Next, he bends farther forward, until the head rests on the knees, the hands still holding the toes, and, if possible, the elbows resting on the ground outside the legs.
The exercise is similar to that common exercise of the West called 'touching the toes', except that in that the student stands up and bends his trunk down for the hands to touch the toes.
There is, however, one vital thing that the two exercises have in common—the legs must be kept straight. If a student is stiff in the knee-muscles, their elasticity being poor, he should do this exercise grasping the ankles, or even the legs below the knees if the muscles are very stiff. The important thing is to keep the legs straight. Practice will bring the elasticity required for the complete posture.
It is sufficient to give three minutes to this exercise, which benefits the hamstring muscles behind the knees, the abdominal muscles, and the nerves of the pelvic region.
Sarvangāsana: Whole-body Pose
The aim of this exercise, which affects the thyroid gland, is to rejuvenate the whole body.
The thyroid is a gland in the neck discharging a secretion into the blood-stream materially influencing the nerve system and the human body generally. If this gland holds up the secretion the body is thrown out of balance and various parts affected.
The student lies flat out on his back with his muscles relaxed and his arms at his sides.is also efficacious for those suffering from dyspepsia, constipation, and hernia.
It may be described as an all-round exercise for improving metabolism (the balancing and harmonious process of cell-destruction and cell-building in the body) and for developing the disease-resisting power of the blood.
The legs are then raised slowly, making an angle of 50 degrees with the ground. They are held there for three seconds, then raised another 50 degrees, held, and then raised again, until they are perpendicular with the floor.
The body is then raised, still keeping the legs straight, the weight being thrown on the arms. When this exercise is done well there is little weight on the arms and hands, the body balancing itself when the legs reach upward. The chest is against the chin, and to increase the pressure the arms are bent at the elbows and the hands push the back. The neck lies flat on the ground.
When doing this with other exercises, never give more than five minutes to its practice in the early stages of training; with proficiency ten minutes may be allotted.
This exercise promotes general health by its healthy reaction on the thyroid gland, and in addition it benefits the sex glands of both sexes, countering sexual disorders. For women, it is a good exercise for a displaced uterus.