Greetings, friends!
Welcome to the program “One Step from Health to Happiness.” Today, we will talk about Gulph Naman.
‘Gulph’ means ankle, and ‘Naman’ means bending or forward-backward movement. This is a simple yet very effective yogic practice that helps to strengthen and make flexible the ankles, calves, knees, and thighs. Especially, it is very beneficial for relieving ankle and knee pain.
How to do Gulph Naman:
- Starting Position: First, sit on the ground. Stretch both legs straight in front of you in Dandasana posture. Keep about 1 to 1.5 feet distance between the legs.
- Hand Position: Place your hands on the ground behind your waist. Keep your chest open and upright.
- Pulling the Toes (Towards You): Join both feet together and pull the toes towards yourself (in the direction of the knees). Hold this stretch for about 15-20 seconds.
- Pressing the Toes (Towards the Ground): Now press both toes downward toward the ground, as if trying to touch the floor. Hold this position also for 15-20 seconds.
- Repeat the Cycle: This completes one cycle of “pulling toes” (towards you) and “pressing toes” (towards the ground). Do three such cycles (i.e., repeat each action three times).
- Focus Attention: While pulling and pressing the feet, pay attention to the stretch felt in the heels, ankles, calves, knees, and thighs.
- Relax: After completing the practice, completely relax your legs.
- Feel the Difference: Before and after doing Gulph Naman, deeply feel the changes in your legs and joints.
Benefits of Gulph Naman:
- Makes the muscles and joints of the ankles, calves, knees, and thighs strong and flexible.
- Especially helpful in reducing ankle and knee pain.
- Improves blood circulation in the legs.
- Very beneficial for problems like varicose veins (swollen veins).
Precautions while doing Gulph Naman:
- Slow Speed: Always perform the practice slowly and gently. Rushing reduces its effectiveness.
- Feet Position: Always keep the heels and toes together. This ensures equal and complete stretch on both legs.
- Facial Expression: Keep your eyes closed while doing the practice and maintain a gentle smile on your face. Do it with a calm and relaxed attitude.
- Relaxation: After each cycle and at the end, completely relax your body, especially your legs.
How often should you do Gulph Naman?
- People who have pain or stiffness in the ankles, calves, knees, or thighs should do Gulph Naman three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening). (3 cycles each time).
- For general health, it can be done once or twice a day.
Gulph Naman is an extremely *simple, convenient, and effective yoga practice. It works wonderfully for the health of the joints and muscles in the lower limbs. With regular practice, you can get relief from pain and stiffness in these areas. The best part is, you can even do this on your **bed! Just make sure the bed is *not too soft (spongy) and not too hard either. A medium-firm bed is best suited.
With that, thank you very much to all of you!
Yogacharya Dhakaram
Founder, Yogapeace Institute
