The animals raced up to the top of the mountain. And, as they sat enthralled by the beauty around them, the mountain rumbled.
Yoga is a wonderful way of destressing and countering the pressures of school, friends, sports, and life in general. You feel strong, flexible and full of confidence. The best part is that yoga is non-competitive, which means that you do it just for yourself! You connect more deeply with yourself. You become aware of your body, of all the muscles that are stretching, bending, contracting… making you stronger, and filling you with self-esteem. Yoga brings to the surface that marvellous inner light that all of you have, so spread that yoga mat, and try some poses that our friends from Yoga Jungle are waiting to teach you!
The story so far: Bunny Rabbit and her friends — Geeya the Giraffe, Dimpy the Duck, Vriksha the Tree, Ellie the Elephant, and of course, the monkeys — have been enjoying the sunny days in Yoga Jungle. We saw them running around, playing hide ‘n’ seek, getting exhausted and finally relaxing (in Shashankasana). Rejuvenated, they soon jumped up and started teasing each other. At the end of the day, Vriksha the Tree taught them about balance (the Vrikshasana). What are they up to today?
Parvatsasana
“Race you to the top of the hill!” shouted Bunny Rabbit, and dashed off towards the majestic mountain.
The other animals enthusiastically joined the race, even good old Turtle Tom, with his slow ponderous march. Everyone had overtaken Turtle Tom even before the race started, except Ellie the Elephant. She was just a baby, remember?
“Come on, Ellie!” Bunny Rabbit could have easily won the race, but she kept stopping from time to time to let her friend catch up. Ellie was huffing and puffing. Dimpy the Duck overtook him with her funny duck-walk. Then Fergo the Frog hopped past. Canto the Caterpillar too crept along with his wavy movement. But Ellie didn’t mind as long as her friend Bunny was with her.
Far in the distance, Heigh Ho the horse had already galloped to the summit. Soon, all the others reached the top. The view was breathtaking.
All the animals became quiet as they gazed at the beautiful streams flowing through the greenery of the forest.
They admired the mountain too, for his majesty and calmness. No sound was heard except for the cool breeze that blew gently over the mountain.
Suddenly they heard a rumbling from deep within the mountain.
“Let me answer that!” said Simba the Lion. He assumed the posture best suited for roaring and let out a thunderous ROAR!
Be happy
An even louder rumble came from the mountain, so loud that the Earth itself seemed to shake!
“Is it an earthquake?” Geeya panicked.
“No,” rumbled the mountain. “I am Parvata Raja, and you are sitting on me!”
“Oh sorry!” said Bunny Rabbit, jumping up in remorse. “We didn’t know where else to…”
“Ha ha ha, it’s okay!” rumbled Parvata Raja. “I don’t mind in the least. But Mr. Lion King, you really need to calm down!”
Simba grinned and said, “A roar must be answered with a roar!”
Parvata Raja said, “Here is a way to attain calmness and majesty at once!”
All the animals followed the mountain and sat in the majestic pose.
*****
Simha Garjan or the roaring Lion Pose is a fun asana that keeps you revived and happy. It also benefits the facial muscles, tongue, throat, vocal chords, respiratory tract and chest. It can help children overcome stuttering and teeth grinding too.
It’s easy to get into this pose. Just kneel down and sit on your heel. Place your hands on the mat facing backwards as shown. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth and make a distinct ‘ha’ sound. It should sound like a roar. Roar a few times.
Parvatsasana or Mountain Pose is a great way to stretch your spine and hands. This also makes your breathing smooth and helps you stay alert. Sit cross-legged on the floor with your back straight. Inhale and slowly raise your hands. Keep your palms in the namaste mudra. Stretch your hands as high as you can.
NOTE: This fun yoga series only aims to create awareness, and not teach Yoga. One must learn Yoga ONLY from a qualified Yoga teacher. Yoga must always be done