302 Light on Yoga
5· Then put the right leg behind the neck and repeat the cycle of
asanas given above, reading the word 'left' for the word 'right' and
v1ce versa.Effects of the asanas in the Eka Pada Sir �asana Cy cle
The various movements in this cycle of asanas tone up the muscular,
nervous and circulatory systems of the entire body. The spine receives
a rich supply of blood, which increases the nervous energy in the
chakras (the various nerve plexuses situated in the spine), the fly
wheels in the human body machine. These poses develop the chest and
make the breathing fuller and the body firmer; they stop nervous
trembling of the body and prevent the diseases which cause it; they
also help to eliminate toxins by supplying pure blood to every part of
the body and bringing the congested blood back to the heart and lungs
for purification. By the practice of these asanas the haemoglobin
content of the blood improves, the body and mind become vigorous and
the capacity for work increases.- Viranchyasana I Nineteen* (Plates 386 and 387)
Virancha or Viranchi is one of the names of Brahma, the supreme