PAWAN MUKTA ASANA

Pawan Mukta Asana is also called Wind Relieving Pose. Beginner may start with Ardha Pawan Mukta Asana. This releases the compression in the lower back vertebrae, activating and massaging the Manipur chakra, toning up the muscles of thigh and abdomen and a good massage to all the abdomen organs.

TECHNIQUE

Lie down on you back with legs together.

Pawan Mukta Asana

Keep your hands straight by the side of the body, chin down, shoulders relaxed.

Fold both the legs together on the chest as you breathe in.

Embrace the folded legs with both the arms from shin, ankle or foot sole by either crossing hands, interlocking fingers or simply holding.

Lift your chin or head up to the knees as close to yourself as possible.

Stay in the position for sometime.

Relax your head down and release the hands.

Stretch the legs straight down.

Press the thigh to abdomen and knees to chest, keep the ankle relaxed. In the variation of head or chin to knee keep the shoulder relaxed.

A variation is Ardha Pawan Mukta Asana. Instead of folding both the legs, fold one leg at a time and repeat the procedure of Pawan Mukta Asana.

Roll and rock in Pawan Mukta Asana.

Head to knee, chin to knee.

Holding foot around knees/ chin/ ankles, foot soles.

Locking with cross hands/ holding by interlocking fingers.

From Pawan Mukta Asana after embracing the folded legs with both the arms from shin/ ankle or foot sole by either crossing hands/ interlocking fingers or simply holding, roll from side to side.

Come back to center.

Now rock up and down from tail bone to neck.

Come back to center.

Release your hands and relax the legs down.

Duration is from 30 seconds to 1 minute

In case of pregnancy fold the foot outside the abdomen and hold individually.

Do not lift the head up to knee in case of cervical, high blood pressure, pregnancy, menstruation, slip disc and ulcer, etc.

BENEFITS

It activates the digestive fire and boost up the digestive system.

It gives a good message to all abdominal organ.

It releases the compression of mid and lower back vertebrae.

Rolling and rocking relieves and neutralizes the spasm of back.

It tones up the abdominal and thigh muscles.

It activates the excretory system.

Rolling and rocking activates the nervous system.

It relieves the mental sluggishness by releasing the toxins of the body.

It activates the brain and thought process by bringing clarity of mind.

It activates the Samaan Vaayu and Apaan Vaayu.

It activates the flow of Prana in solar plexus and Manipur Chakra.

It helps in dyspepsia, flatulence, balancing the metabolic rate of body, lumbago, prolapsed abdomen, diabetes, decrease in compression of lower back vertebra, works on the shoulder, elbow, hips, knee and ankle joint.