Yoga: Salamba-Bhujangasana Variation

BENGALURU: How to practise

•    Lie flat on your belly with toes out, and feet hip width apart.
•    Place your fore-arms beside your ribcage and open-fingers facing forward.
•    Rest forehead on floor, relax the whole body.
•    Press the fore-arms on the floor and gently lift your head and chest off the floor.
•    Make sure that your neck is in line with your spine.
•    Arch the thoracic spine and focus your gaze forward.
•    Hips and thighs should remain on floor.
•    Perform mulabandha squeezing (not hardening) the hips and thighs, pulling the knee-caps up and press the lower abdomen (pubic bone) down on the floor.
•    Open your shoulders and keep neck neutral.
•    Hold for 30 seconds.
•    Exhale and lie down.
•    Repeat 3-4 times.

Benefits

•    Stretches chest, lungs, shoulder, abdomen and thighs.
•    Aligns the spine, particularly thoracic vertebrae.
•    Strengthens the core body.
•    Gives deep stretch to upper and middle back.
•    Tones the reproductive organs.
•    Stimulates appetite, alleviates constipation and beneficial for abdominal organs.

Caution - Perform this asana slowly and gently

with awareness of the stretch in spine

Akshar Power Yoga Academy, #4004, 100 Feet Road Indiranagar

akshar@aksharyoga.com