The ancient art of yoga has many techniques and methods to help you relax. Whether you have a headache or migraine there is a yoga asana to handle both. There are different yoga styles like Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Kundalini among others. But, out of all the yoga asanas, it is Anantasana that stands out.
Want to know why is it so? Yoga experts have come up with the complete information to help you with that.
Anantasana – A Brief Introduction
The Anantasana is a balancing and relaxing yoga asana. You recline the body to one side in the laying down position. This gives your entire torso and leg muscles a good stretch.
Going deeper into this yoga pose helps improve your mental awareness. This further helps in maintaining balance during the pose. This yoga pose offers you an exhilarating experience with many health benefits.
But, this yoga asana has a deeper meaning.
Anantasana – The Deep Meaning
The word Ananta refers to something that is “boundless, endless”. It is an attribute of someone who exists despite of not being a creator.
The Anantasana represents Lord Vishnu’s reclined position. Do you know the other name of this yoga pose? It is Sleeping Vishnu pose or Vishnu’s Couch pose.
Now let us take a look at how you can practice this yoga pose.
Steps to Practice
- Lie on your right side. Keep your left foot over the right foot in a symmetrical manner.
- Press your right heel. Flex your ankle. Maintain balance with your feet.
- Stretch your right arm parallel to your torso to create a line. Heel your fingertips.
- Slide the right arm outward. Stretch your armpit and keep it on the floor.
- Raise your torso. Rest the right side of your head in the right palm.
- Keep your forearm and upper arm of right hand in a verticle position.
- Rotate your left leg to keep it pointing upside.
- Bend your knees. Draw it to your torso.
- Grab the big toe of the left leg with first two fingers and thumb between the leg.
- Inhale. Raise the leg with at a slightly forward angle.
- Adjust your sacrum against the pelvis. This balances the raised leg in a reclined position.
But, as a beginner, there are a few tips you should keep in mind.
Beginner Tips for Anantasana
- Be cautious while resting your head in the palms. Use your torso to avoid pressure on the neck.
- Do not overstrain and try to go beyond what is comfortable when stretching your legs.
Doing the Side Reclining Leg Lift pose is easy if you do keeping the steps mentioned above in mind.
But, there are some precautions you should remember with regards to this yoga asana.
Precaution and Contradictions
- If you have Spondylitis, Cervical or Slip disc, do this yoga asana with a little precaution.
- Do not try the Anantasana if you suffer from backbone issues like scoliosis. In such a situation practice this yoga asana under guidance of a yoga teacher.
- Do not practice this yoga asana if you have a shoulder injury or Sciatica pain.
Apart from this there are ways for you to release the side reclining leg lift pose without risking an injury.
Tips to Release Anantasana
- When you press both the heels, remain in this position for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Unlock the grip. Release your leg slowly by using core muscles
- Keep your left hand on the side of the thigh
- Remove your elbow back in the vicinity to the side of your torso
- Exhale and relax
If you want to practice the Anantasana in a different way then try its variations. Yoga experts have come up with 2 variations of this yoga asana.
Variations of Anantasana
Given below are 2 ways you can practice the Anantasana.
Variation 1
Want to challenge yourself with the Anantasana? Bend your left knee. Draw it to touch the left ear while balancing this pose.
Variation 2
If you find the Anantasana a bit tough then this variation will make it a bit comfortable. Do not raise your torso. Bend your right arm. Rest your head on its inside.
Keeping the precautions and tips mentioned above offers you a world of benefits. Yoga experts have come up with a few of these.
Benefits of Anantasana
- Stretches and strengthens the muscles of the side of your torso.
- Improves mobility of the Scapula and shoulder joint.
- Increases flexibility of hamstrings and calves muscles.
- Helps reduce weight from the hips and waist.
- Improves circulation to induce mental relaxation.
- Stimulates the Sacral chakra to unlock inner creativity.
- Stretches the abdominal muscles to develop core strength.
The Anantasana is one yoga pose that offers your body complete relaxation. You can learn this yoga pose under the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher. This reduces the risk of an injury when doing this yoga asana.
Conclusion
When you want to learn Anantasana you can do it by enrolling in a certified yoga school. It has skilled yoga teachers to help you practice this challenging yoga asana with ease.
