| Description
Padahastasana is one of the easy forward
bend postures
Pad means foot and hasta means hand. In this asana, hands
are brought near the legs, so it is called Padahastasana.
Benefits
Physical
- Makes the spine flexible. Helps remove backache, straightens
thighs, abdominal organs. Improves digestion and activates
liver and spleen.
- Prevents constipation. In women, prevents pre-menstrual
and menstrual pain.
- Activates almost all the glands of endocrinal system in
a mild way. Secretion of hormones from pancreas, adrenal,
thyroid and pitutary begins in a normal way.
Increases blood flow to the brain.
- If you do this repeatedly, it will help reduce fat.
Mental
If you hold this position for about 2 minutes,it
will elevate your mood and bring you out of depression. Reduces
irritability and over-excitement as it soothes the brain cells.
After finishing asana one feels calm and cool, eyes start
to glow.
Pranic
Affects swasdhisthana chakra.
Padahastasana (Feet
and Hand Pose
Techniques
- Stand erect with legs together, hands along the thighs,
keep back straight yet relaxed, face at right angles to
the ground and a nice smile on the face.
- First exhale fully, and, as you inhale, raise your hands
sidewise to form a right angle to the ground. Keeping
the hands parallel to each other, stretch them up and
feel the stretch from the root of the tail bone to the
tip of the fingers.
- Exhale and bend fully forward, maintaining the stretch
of the hands. As you bend forward, keep both the knees
straight and pull up your knee cap. Shift your body weight
on to your toes, without lifting the heels from the floor.
Take the forehead near the knees. If you want to extend
the forward bend, don’t give jerks and don’t
over stretch but, as you exhale, increase the bend by
stretching slowly. Maintain this position breathing naturally.
- Rise slowly as you inhale and raise your hands and
head. Stretch the hands to stretch your spine.
- As you exhale, bring both the hands down from the sides.
Cautions
Those who suffer from high blood pressure,
heart disease, spondylities, Sciatica, should not practice
it or practice it under expert observation.
Duration
30 seconds to 3 minutes 1 to 3 times.
Variations
- In the final position, hold the big toes with thumb and
first two fingers, hold them tight, take the head up and
make the back as concave as is comfortably possible, by
stretching the diaphragm towards the chest.
This variation is useful for slipped spinal disc. In the
beginning, this posture is difficult to practice. If your
flexibility is low you can catch your legs instead of toes.
Please remember that no practice can be adequately learned
from a book, written instructions. The guidelines given in
the web pages are intended to give you an introduction to
different yogic postures. However, it is advised to practice
the asanas under the guidance of a Guru or a qualified yoga
instructor. |
