Our yoga expert, Navodita, tells us about three more sitting postures, Baddhakona Asana, Vir Asana and Padma Asana. These help in attaining poise and calm. The asanas help us realise holistic health, says our columnist, in the weekly column, exclusively in Different Truths.
As it’s that time of the week to again get your adrenalin rush going, here are some of the asanas to keep your poise and calm simultaneously. Continuing with the sitting poses reap some more benefits of these by doing the Baddhakona Asana, Vir Asana, and Padma Asana.
Baddhakona Asana
Sit straight in Danda Asana. Bend your knees and sit with your knees close to your chest. Then relax your knees out to either side and gently press the bottoms of your feet together. Hold your feet or your ankles. Lean forward slightly so you can feel your side bones on the ground. You can round over your feet to open up your back and relax your neck, or stay more upright, and breathe with your chest.
The asana is very good for opening up the hips and calming and soothing the mind. The asana can be done with many variations. Inhale and raise your arms overhead. Exhale and bend forward to touch your head to the floor. Stay bent for the next twenty seconds.
Yet another variation of this asana is crossing your arms overhead and lying back on the floor. This posture in Baddhakona Asana aids digestion.
Vir Asana
This word is derived from the Sanskrit term Vira, which means hero or a warrior. This pose increases the flexibility of the legs as it stretches the knees, thighs, ankles, and feet. This asana is similar in a lot of ways to Vajra Asana. In Vajra Asana, however, you are supposed to sit on your calves and the feet are supposed to touch each other whereas in Vir Asana there is a gap between your feet and you have to put your hips in between your toes. This asana is very easy to do.
First, kneel down and parallel your hip girth separately. Bend forward and twist the plump part of calves external with the hands. Sit on the ground with the feet and breath out. If you can’t sit on the ground, use a prop sort of a blanket or a stool. Place your hands on top of thighs just near to knees, your palms facing down. Now relax your upper body and shoulders, your spine should be straight and tall. The crown of your head should face the ceiling and look straight ahead. During the process assume that you are hero or warrior, who sits tall and proud. Hold this pose for thirty seconds to one minute. In the process take normal breathing. After that relieve your feet, ankles, knees and shake your legs.
This pose is useful in meditation. It improves blood circulation in legs. It improves digestion and is beneficial in gas problems. It cures symptoms of menopause. It improves your posture. If done during pregnancy, it helps to reduce swelling of the legs. It is also useful in asthma and high blood pressure. It relaxes the legs.
There are many variations to this pose too. Inhale and raise your head to face the ceiling. Stretching your torso exhale and bend down so that you bury your head into your knees. Hold the sides of your legs and this is called Shashak Asana.
Yet another variation is cross your arms overhead and lie down on your back. Stay in this pose for about five minutes and this can work wonders for digestion.
Padma Asana or the Lotus Pose
This is a cross-legged yoga posture which helps deepen meditation by calming the mind and alleviating various physical ailments. Sit on the floor or on a mat with legs stretched out in front of you in Danda Asana. Keep the spine erect. Bend the right knee and place it on the left thigh.
Take sure that the sole of the feet points upward and the heel is close to the abdomen. Now, repeat the same step with the other leg. With both legs crossed and feet placed on opposite thighs, place your hands on the knees in mudra position. Keep the head straight and spine erect. Hold and continue with gentle long breaths in and out.
This improves digestion and reduces muscular tension and brings blood pressure under control. It relaxes the mind. It helps pregnant ladies during childbirth. It reduces menstrual discomfort.
A variation in this asana is cross your arms overhead while sitting in Padma Asana. Lie down on the floor. Arch your back and slowly unlock your arms and hold your big toes. Keep the arch of the back for about twenty seconds. This is Matsya Asana and works wonders for the lower back.
Sit back in Padma Asana and meditate or breathe deeply for about five minutes. While you enjoy these poses, get ready for some more twisting ones and sitting ones next time.
©Navodita Pande
Pix from the Net.
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