BENGALURU: Bhu means earth and naman means to prostrate. This is a sitting spinal twist.
STEPS: Sit in dandasan with your legs extended in front. First the warm-up: Inhale and take your arms over your head. Exhale and place both hands on the floor beside your right buttock (your elbows will be bent) do not bend your knees and try to keep both buttocks on the floor. Inhale and take arms over the head and repeat on the other side. FINAL POSE: Now inhale again with arms overhead, when you twist to the right the right hand will be placed on the floor 8-12 inches behind the buttocks in line with the spine and the left hand will be placed beside the right hip (here again do not bend your knees and try to keep both buttocks on the floor). Try to bring the forehead towards the floor by twisting the torso. This is a deeper twist to the spine. Bend your elbows to facilitate the twist and the bend but do not strain yourself.
Repeat on the other side.
BENEFITS: This pose gives a nice twist to the spine and also the lower back. It improves the flexibility of your spine and prepares you for advanced poses.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Do not try this if you have a slip disc, hernia or a chronic back pain.
Anshu Vyas Seetharaman is a yoga and fitness trainer at Sri Aurobindo Society, Bengaluru. (110 Gangadhara Chetty Road, Ulsoor)
Email: bodysculpting.yogatherapy@gmail.com
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