Yoga Pose:
Bhairavasana
Important Note
Take special precautions while doing any asana. If you are learning yoga, then take the advice of a knowledgeable person. Do not put any kind of force in the event of pain or unable to do so. Keep in mind that you will be able to succeed only with constant practice.
Brief Introduction Of The Bhairavasana
The cycle of destruction and creation is mentioned in the Hindu philosophies. Generally, the cosmos is viewed by the Hindus is cyclic and eternal, and there are metaphors and allegories in many ancient scriptures. Bhairavasana is dedicated to the God Kala Bhairava, the fierce and destructive embodiment of Lord Shiva which is related to annihilation. In this form, the Lord destroys all the evil things of nature – such as bad habits, attachment, ego, ignorance, fears and illusions, as well as other things that come in the way of our happiness.
How To Do The Bhairavasana?
Here are the steps to performing this specific pose:
- Start in the Yoga pose called Dandasana, also referred to as the ‘Staff Pose’.
- Bend the right knee.
- Use your left hand to hold the right foot.
- Bring the right elbow beneath the right knee.
- Lift the right foot up even further.
- Use the right hand to hold the right calf. Take the right knee behind the right shoulder.
- Now rotate the right hip a bit. Take the right foot over the head.
- Push the chest ahead.
- Put your right ankle behind the head.
- Breathe in and straighten the spine.
- Press the right palm gradually. Also press the left foot slowly into the ground. Come to a side plank on the right side of your body.
- Raise the left hand.
- Align the body into a diagonal line to the head, from the left heel.
- Turn the head and face towards the left palm.
- Remain in this posture for a few long breaths (3 – 6).
- Now you have to extricate yourself from this position. Lower the body and take out your right foot.
- Sit straight up.
- Breathe out and duck the head ahead.
- Push in the abdomen, and bring down the right leg.
- Now, back in the Staff Pose (Dandasana), relax for sometime.
- Next, repeat the same steps on the left side for exactly the same time period.
Benefits Of The Bhairavasana
The practice of this Yoga pose can be beneficial in more ways than one.
- Relaxation – It can help calm down your mind. The pose can alleviate your fatigue, anxiety and stress.
- Flexibility – The pose can raise the flexibility in your body. It can stretch the spine, leg muscles and hip flexors of your body.
- Improves digestion – If you feel discomfort after eating or stomach problems at other times, practicing this posture can help you a lot in improving your digestive process. Regular practice of this posture can help massage your abdominal organs.
- Toning your body – The pose can also tone your abdominal muscles and reduce the amount of fat in your belly.
- Strength – The Yoga posture can also help strengthen your oblique muscles, leg muscles as well as wrist muscles. Bhairavasana is beneficial for strengthening various muscles of the body, and is thus incorporated in many yoga sequences, targeting the muscles of the hips, hamstrings, core or abdominal muscles, triceps and biceps. Thus, it can often be found in Hip opening yoga sequences and Core yoga sequences.
- Alleviates reproductive and menstrual problems – The posture can be very effective in providing you with relief from menstrual discomfort. It can also stimulate the uterus and ovaries.
- Improves overall health – It can also improve your hemoglobin levels as well as achieve better circulation of blood. This pose is highly recommended for all those who suffer from problems like sinusitis, insomnia, infertility and high blood pressure.
Precautions To Be Taken While Doing The Bhairavasana
- This pose is not recommended for people who suffer from injuries of shoulder, wrist, neck, knee, spine etc. Severe hip injuries, hernia and sciatica problems are also a red flag, and those with this condition should also avoid it.
- Keep in mind that this is a pose that only advanced level Yoga practitioners should perform. It has to be practiced in a standing position, and involves balance, strength, stretch, twist and side-bend.
- Experts say that this yoga pose is best practiced in the early hours of the morning. It is preferable to practice it in the morning hours, given that the food is digested at this time. The body also has the energy that is necessary to carry out the pose in a proper way. If you are unable to practice the pose during the morning for some reason, you can practice the pose also in the evening. However, you need to maintain a gap of at least 3 to 5 hours between your meal time and practice time for then pose.
- Never perform this pose during pregnancy and menstruation. Else, women might face some acute issues.
- In case there is an acute injury or problem of the spinal column, it is best to avoid performing this specific pose, as it may aggravate the issue even further. In worst cases, you might experience a debilitating pain that might need you to get in touch with your physician as soon as possible.
- Keep in mind that this yoga posa is quite tough to perform. Thus, it is better that you get enrolled into a yoga class and learn and do it under the supervision of an experienced yoga teacher. Once you have got the training and mastered the pose thoroughly, you can do it easily at home.
Conclusion
If you can practice Bhairavasana, it can have immense benefits for your mind and body. Keep in mind that the pose is not as easy as Balasana or some other yoga postures that are quite popular and can be performed without anybody. It is a good idea to have somebody assist you in the initial stages while you are performing it at home, so that you can call for help if you find yourself to be in a tight spot or end up injuring yourself in some way during the practice. Once you have become an expert in this pose, it will be easy for you to enter and exit this posture.
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