Day-29 Yoga Mudra -Mitraasha

SUNDAY SPECIAL: Yoga Mudra

51 Days Yoga Consciousness Series 2nd May-21st June 2021

Knowledge of Yoga is infinite, boundless and timeless. “Learning Yoga is an everlasting journey that leads you within and Within is where you find the world of immortal bliss”. –Mitraasha

Namaste All My Yoga Yaatris! May Yog Bless You!

The idea behind running this 51 Days Yoga Consciousness series is to proffer my modest learnings and share the divine pearls of Yoga science with people at large. Let’s have a conjoint intent to learn, implement and extend the wisdom of Yoga with a positive co-action and harmonious reverberation amongst each other.

Asana for Forward Bending Of The Spine-Yoga Mudra

Yoga Mudra-The symbol Of Yoga

Yoga Mudra is largely depicted as the symbol of Yoga. It resuscitates the idea of human existence as the intrinsic part of the whole divine. It unifies and concentrates the inverses and instills a sense of humility, modesty, grace to be accompanied with greatness and accomplishments. It represents the amalgamation of awareness and prudence that accepts the duality- fragility of human nature as well as its unlimited capabilities. It also teaches to surrender completely to the higher reality.

Limitations / Contraindications

People having issues like severe back aches, cervical and lumbar spondylosis, spinal injury and abnormalities, hernia, hypertension, serious cardiac ailments, high myopia, glaucoma and serious eye disorders should avoid practicing this asana.
Also people suffering from acute and resolving discs prolapsed (slip disc), pain in the hips, acute pain of neck and back, stiffness of back and joints should not do this asana.
It must also not be practiced by pregnant women, people who have undergone recent abdominal surgery and those with protruding bellies.

How to practice?

bending forward

To begin with, sit on a mat in any meditative posture of your choice, padmasana, ardha padmasana or sukhasana with your back erect, neck and head straight in one line.
Now take both your hands behind your back and hold them in a way that the right hand is grasping the left wrist.
Fix your gaze at one point straight in front and keep breathing normally. Inhale at place.
Now, with an exhalation in 3 seconds, bend over in front of you, forwarding the spine in an arch trying to touch the forehead to the floor.
Maintain the abdomen tucked in while the shoulders relaxed without drooping ahead.
Make sure there is no movement in the region below the waist.
Stay in this bent position for 6 seconds with suspending your breath.

Bending on the right side

Next, inhaling in 3 seconds, slowly raise your head and shoulders together, straighten the back and return to the starting position keeping your torso in the center.
Now, with an exhalation in 3 seconds, twist the body waist above, towards your right, gently bend forward and try to touch your forehead to the right knee.
Stay in this bent position for 6 seconds with suspending your breath.
Next, inhaling in 3 seconds, gently raise the head and shoulders together, untwist your body, straighten the back and return to the starting position keeping your torso in the center.

bending on the left side

Now, with an exhalation in 3 seconds, again twist the body waist above, this time towards your left, gently bend forward and try to touch your forehead to the left knee.
Stay in this bent position for 6 seconds with suspending your breath.
Next, inhaling in 3 seconds, gently raise the head and shoulders together, untwist your body, straighten the back and return to the starting position keeping your torso in the center.
Release your hands and the posture with an exhalation to complete one round. It is recommended to practice 2-3 rounds per session with a pause between rounds.

Note: For those who are not comfortable initially to retain or suspend the breath as suggested, may do the entire flow of asana with normal breathing.

For this static practice, upon reaching the bent position when the forehead touches the floor, the pose can be maintained for 30 seconds breathing normally and gradually increasing up to 1 to 2 minutes with repeated practice.

Benefits

It extends good stretches to the posterior muscles of the trunk and neck, improves muscle tone and enhances the venous circulation of the spinal column.

It gives relief in the pain of the lumbar region, ankylosing spondylitis, hip joint pain as well as haemorrhoids issues.

The compression felt on the diaphragm and the abdominal walls gives a good massage to internal organs, gives favourable results to the viscera and aids relief in digestive, gastric and other abdominal problems.

The alternative upward stretch pressurises and invigorates important areas of the colon thereby alleviating constipation.

It improves the health of the pelvic organs and sex organs due to enhanced venous flow-blood circulation and drainage.

It also helps to impede the hanging of the uterus and the postnatal laxities.

It instills the feelings of humility, modesty, thankfulness and surrender.

It supports dealing with anxiety, stress, depression and extends feelings of calmness, mindfulness, gratitude ,serenity and tranquility.

It gives one the experience of completely surrendering to the higher reality.

Thought of the day: “We’re kept from our goal not by obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal.”-Bhagvad Gita

Link to day 28: Yastikasana-The Stick Pose https://kreately.in/day-28-yastikasana-mitraasha/

Link to day 30: Hastapadasana & Paschimottanasana https://kreately.in/day-30-hastapadasana-paschimottanasana-mitraasha/

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