Yoga Pose:
Kurmasana
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 Kurmasana
- An advanced level pose of the Ashtanga Yoga series, Kurmasana gets its name from the merger of the two Sanskrit terms ‘Kurma’ or tortoise and ‘Asana’ or pose. Thus, this posture is referred to as the ‘Tortoise Pose’ in English.
- When you perform Kurmasana, you look like a tortoise due to the turtle-like shape that your body assumes.
- When you perform this specific pose, you can be able to distance yourself from various mental issues and pressing matters. You can get physically and mentally healthier.
How To Do The Kurmasana?
Here are the important steps that you need to perform in order to practice this pose:
- Sit on a Yoga mat.
- Spread your legs ahead, to your front.
- Try spreading the claws as much as you can.
- Now turn your knees a little and keep your ankles in touch with the surface of the ground.
- Bend your hips exactly from the front, and put your hands over the knees.
- Keep the palms downwards or upwards, as you like.
- Bend a little more and slowly move back to the sides from the feet down.
- Now turn the knees even more as much as you are capable.
- Move your hands even more, unless your elbows get close to the back part of your knees.
- Never allow your back muscles to be under tension. Gradually move your ankles ahead and let your legs stay straight. Your body will bend to itself as there will be pressure on your feet and hands.
- Now comfortably tilt your body ahead. Tilt it when the chin is not in contact with the ground. Never use any type of force as you tilt your body further.
- Next, wrap your hands about your back as well both hand fingers in the back part of your hips.
- Get your entire body relaxed, close the eyes and inhale gradually.
- Retain this posture for half to one minute.
- Now get back to the original position.
- You need to perform 3 – 5 cycles in this way.
Benefits Of The Kurmasana
There are plenty of benefits of practicing Kurmasana.
- It helps alleviate disorders of the stomach. When Kurmasana is performed, there is pressure over the stomach – which can be very useful for digestion. It can make the stomach clearer and provide you with relief from poor digestion problems. You can get relief from constipation issues.
- It can make the spinal cord stronger, and let you move about more easily. The spinal cord gets more flexible with the regular practice of this asana. You can feel nimbler with this specific pose.
- This Yoga pose can also lead to stronger knees, and can decrease knee pain – which makes it very effective and useful for those suffering from aches in their knee area. This is a great posture for all those who suffer from weakness of feet, and are unable to walk well. You can get stronger knees with this posture.
- With the regular practice of this pose, you can also get a stronger mind. Its practice can help make the senses and mind more focused. You can also have a calmer and more relaxed mind.
- The Yoga pose can also help cure the issue of diabetes, and lowered high blood sugar in a natural way is what this posture guarantees – although you have to practice it for a long time to witness the benefits for diabetes reduction.
- Other than this, it can also aid you in getting over kidney, heart and lung disorders. You can make these stronger and get a healthier and fitter body. The whole body can work in a proper way with the performing of Kurmasana.
- When you perform it every day, it can cure hernia in a natural way.
- This is a great pose to practice regularly, as you can get trimmer and more toned all through, thus getting away from obesity issues. You can get fitter as you do it on a regular basis.
Precautions To Be Taken While Doing The Kurmasana
While this is a great pose, you need to exercise the following precautions to stay safe as you perform Kurmasana.
- As this is a powerful and advanced form of Yoga, it is important that you practice it only if you can easily bend your body, and not have to stress much while doing it.
- If you are suffering from back pain problems, this pose should be avoided. Otherwise, your backache issues might get more aggravated. You will have worsening pain to deal with, which can even be debilitating enough to jeopardize your daily activities. If you have spinal pain, avoid this posture and try those that do not put your spinal column at risk.
- Do not practice this pose in case you suffer from problems in your hip, elbow or shoulder areas. These regions can suffer from pain and aches otherwise.
- If you are menstruating and pregnant, this is a pose that you would like to avoid.
- Those suffering from chronic arthritis problems should also avoid this specific Yoga exercise.
Conclusion
- With regular practice of this pose, you can exercise your entire body very easily.
- You can keep healthy and fit, and keep safe from being a victim to various diseases.
- It can stretch your waist and back areas, and also improve the flow of blood to your spine.
- It can give you relief from constipation and gas in the stomach.
- For all the holistic benefits that you can get with this posture, it is a good idea to practice it regularly.
- It is a good idea to practice this pose in the early hours of the morning, as this is when it can give you optimal health benefits.
- If you are unable to get up in early morning, it is better that you practice the pose during the evenings.
- In any case, it is important for you to know that the pose needs to be performed 4 to 6 hours after having your meal.
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