KURMA ASANAA

An extension to Vistrita Pad Asana is Kurma Asanaa or Tortoise Pose. This is excellent in reducing extra fat from thighs and stretching the calf muscles, opening up shoulder and releasing the compression of lower back vertebrae.

TECHNIQUE

Spread the legs maximum distance apart.

Bend the legs from knee joint.

Slide your arms under the knee, back towards the hips.

Kurma Asana

Try to touch the shoulders or forehead down to floor.

Duration is from 10 to 30 Seconds

A Variation is Ardha Kurma Asana, in which you sit back on your hips keeping hands stretched in front of you and forehead on floor. It is Z position of Surya Namaskar.

Sit back at your heels without changing the hand position keeping the knees and thighs together, forehead on the floor.

From here, you may go to vajrasan or diamond pose by the lifting head up, arms up and sitting in between the heels by rolling them out.

Keep the legs together, both the hands on the side of the chest.

Lift your head up.

Keep the foot on heel and legs externally rotated.

Do not force to bend to bend down, go naturally as per the capacity of your body.

Do not tense the shoulder and calves while in the Asanaa.

In Ardha Kurma Asanaa keep the knees and amp; thighs together,

Do not rest the elbow down and amp; Keep the hands completely stretched.

Do not perform Ardha Kurma Asanaa in case of menstruation, pregnancy, cervical.

BENEFITS

Apart from reducing the stiffness of the lumbar, sacral, thoracic region, it tones up the digestive system, regulates the metabolism, makes the breathing smooth and free, reduces the hyperacidity and opens up the shoulder and hip joint.

It cures frozen hip/shoulder, digestive disorders, asthma, compression of the lower back vertebrae, mental tension and insomnia.

For diabetes and indigestion Ardha Kurma Asana is more useful.