Yoga Pose: Bhekasana
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 Bhekasana
Bhekasana is a Yoga pose that is also referred to as Mandukasana, which has many variations. The name of this pose comes from the “Bheka”, a Sanskrit word that means ‘frog’, and ‘asana’ - which stands for ‘posture’. In the modern age, physical activities often take a backseat due to poor posture during work and following a sedentary lifestyle. This often results in fatigue and tight hips. When you perform the ‘Frog Pose’, as Bhekasana is also known as, you can get relief from groin pain and soreness, as well as stimulate your core or abdominal muscles.
How To Do The Bhekasana?
It is highly recommended that you perform this pose on a yoga mat. Here are the steps to performing it.
- Lie on the floor flat on your stomach.
- Stretch back your arms.
- Keep your face in the downward direction.
- Now start doing the pose.
- Breathe out, fold your knees and bring your heels to the thighs.
- Now grab the upper area of the right and left feet with the corresponding hands.
- In this pose, you have to take two breaths.
- Now turn the hands. Put your wrists over the upper area of your feet in such a way that the fingers are on the toes and face in the direction of your head. Your elbows need to be pointed in an upwards direction.
- Press your hands down now, and push your feet to the direction of the floor. At the same time, lift your trunk from the floor surface and elevate your head. Ensure that your thighs and core muscles are engaged.
- At the very outset, you might find it quite tough to bring your feet near the floor. However, after some amount of practice, you will find yourself to be capable of touching your feet to the surface of the ground.
- Take a few deep breaths, and stay in this position for a period of 15 - 30 seconds. Do not bother in case your knees get lifted up while stretching. This is quite common, and you need not worry about it.
- Once you have finished, you need to release yourself from the asana. Breathe deeper now. As you breathe out deeply, you can release your hands and lower your head and trunk.
- Straighten your legs now, and get relaxed.
Benefits Of The Bhekasana
Bhekasana has immense benefits for the body of practitioners. Know about 10 of them.
- Boosts flexibility – The pose can improve the body’s overall flexibility, particularly of the neck, shoulders, core, back and legs. It can make the body stronger and improve the overall posture of the body. This can also help improve the strength and flexibility of the ankles. It also offers a deep stretch to the quadriceps in the upper thighs, which can make them stronger.
- Improves metabolism and digestion – This pose can also put the abdominal muscles under pressure, which helps massage the glands and organs of the abdomen, like intestines, adrenal glands, pancreas, kidneys and liver. This leads to improved metabolism and digestion.
- Detoxifies the body – It can stimulates the cleansing or detoxification process of the body.
- Tones the body – It has also been found that regular practice of this yoga pose helps in toning the abdominal or core muscles. The pose helps massage and tone the muscles of the whole leg.
- Reduces stiffness – During Bhekasana, the knees are stretched, which makes them quite firm and can alleviate the stiffness of the same. You can get relief from the aches in knee joints caused due to Gout and Rheumatism. It can also improve the knee joint arrangement, and provide patients with relief from knee discomfort.
- Cures flat feet – While performing this pose, it is possible to feel some pressure in your feet. This can improve the feet arch, and cure flat feet problems for you.
- Softens the heels – It can also remove the firmness of the heels and can soften them quite well. It is regarded as extremely assistive for all those who are experiencing Calcaneal Spurs.
- Offers more energy – When this pose is performed, it can exert soft pressure on the middle and lower back. Due to this pressure, the back muscles are massaged and stretched, and can offer more energy and flexibility.
- Improves circulation – This pose can also help improve blood flow to the spine, and alleviate its stiffness. It can make the spine quite healthy and improve its overall alignment.
- Offers spiritual enlightenment – It can also benefit in terms of spirituality, given that it can open up the Kundalini energy. It can also direct the flow of life or Prana to your core or abdomen. It can also be useful in arousing your Sacral Chakra, which is situated immediately under your navel as well as the Manipura Chakra – which is immediately over the navel.
Precautions To Be Taken While Doing The Bhekasana
These are a few precautions that you need to remember while performing this pose.
- In case you happen to be a beginner, always try these postures under the supervision of a yoga expert.
- Do not strain your knee or shoulder while trying to perform this pose.
- Work gradually. Never practice the pose if you feel any discomfort.
- Make sure that you have warmed up enough and have stimulated the core muscles, so as to safeguard your back.
- In case you experience any discomfort at any point, stop forcing your body. Just exit gradually from this posture and get some rest.
Conclusion
Although an intermediate level pose, Bhekasana can also be performed by beginners with enough practice and proper guidance. This is a great Yoga pose that you can try to get fast relief from daily stress, stiffness of the body and many other problems. It can make you more flexible and improve the overall posture of your body. If you are athletic, this pose will not be difficult for you. You can practice it every day.
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