Yoga For Americans by Indra Devi

Author:Indra Devi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2015-11-14T05:00:00+00:00

The Stretching Posture

Next you will do the Stretching Posture, called Paschimatanāsana in Sanskrit. This too belongs to the group of basic Yoga postures. It very closely resembles the Head-to-Knee Pose, except that here both legs are stretched out, instead of just one.

TECHNIQUE: Sit up straight, with both legs extended, feet together, hands on sides. Take a deep breath, hold it a few seconds while slightly raising the upper part of your body, then begin to exhale, at the same time slowly bending forward until your hands grasp your big toes—or the soles of your feet—and your head touches your knees. Do not bend the knees, which should remain straight.

Remain in this position, holding the breath for a few seconds, then release your grip and return to the sitting position again.

Repeat once more and relax.

TIME: Hold the posture from two to fifteen seconds. Do it twice at first. If you wish, you may increase the number up to six times by adding one turn every fourteen days.

BENEFITS: The benefits of the Stretching Posture are much the same as those of the Head-to-Knee Pose. It helps overcome constipation, indigestion, lumbago, and to reduce abdominal fat. It massages the pelvic region, gives an invigorating pull to the hamstring muscles and the sciatic nerves. Sluggish bowels become more active through the practice of this Asana. It is also practiced in advanced stages of Yoga for its spiritual values.

CAUTION: When releasing the Stretching Posture to return to the original sitting position, do it slowly and smoothly, never in one sudden, jerking, upward movement. People suffering from constipation should practice it especially carefully. If at first you cannot reach your feet with your hands, you may grasp your ankles or calves instead; or try using a belt, handkerchief or towel for a strap, as in the Head-to-Knee posture. Be sure not to bend the knees.

Now lie down and take a brief rest.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.