Projo Fitness Blog

My boss has been seeing an acupuncturist lately because she's having difficulty sleeping. When she complained to her daughter about this problem, this knowing 20-something told her mom that the pains in the right side of her body had to do with being a woman in a male-dominated profession.

According to Buddhist beliefs, and other Eastern practices including yoga, the right side of our bodies is male, the left, female. When one side of the body is out of balance with the other, then we become achy, lethargic, and don't feel as well as we should.

Acupuncture, and yoga, too, work to re-establish this balance, by unblocking energy flows through the body. Where energy, or "Chi" -- in the Chinese practice -- is blocked, the body is weakened.

There are many yoga poses that help with moving your energy flow through your body, however, a specific group of poses, called Pawanmuktasan, work especially well for digestive and back problems.

Here's four suggested poses from energyfanatics.com to keep the male and female parts of your body in wedded bliss.

1. Knee Bend

* Sit on the floor in the "L" position, put both of your palms underneath your right knee and lift your right leg. When you breathe in, straighten your leg. When you breathe out, bend your leg. Try not to let your feet touch the floor, repeat this procedure 5-10 times and then do the same for the left leg.

2. Shoulder Rotation

* Sit on the floor in the "L" position, put your right fingers on top of your right shoulder and put your left fingers on top of your left shoulder. While in this position, start rotating your elbows in small circles (opposite from each-other). After a few rotations make the circles bigger, breathe in as your elbows are at the top of the circle and breathe out as it drops.

3. Toe Ankle Flex

* Sit on the floor in the "L" position, rest your right palm on your right knee and rest your left palm on your left knee. When you breathe in, bend your feet back toward your body. When you breathe out, bend your feet and point your toes away from your body. Repeat this procedure 5-10 times.

4. Wrist Bend

* While in the "L" position, stretch your arms straight in front of you with your fingers pointing straight. When you breathe in, bend both of your hands upward. As you breathe out, bring your hands straight, then bend it downward. Repeat this procedure 5-10 times.

These poses are easy enough for just about anyone to do, and can be the warm-up to a full practice.

The above photo is an 11th Century bronze sculpture of the god Shiva, who along with his goddess consort Shakti are the symbols of the male and female union in Indian mythology.

 Tags  acupuncture balance body female male Pawanmuktasan yoga

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