Hari Om, dear friends! Greetings to all of you.
Welcome to the program “One Step from Health to Happiness.” Today, we will talk about *Vakrasana (Twisting Pose). Vakrasana is considered a powerful remedy for *diabetes. As you all know, diabetes slowly damages our body like termites. That’s why today we will discuss:
- How to do Vakrasana?
- What is the correct way to do it?
- What precautions should be taken?
- And what are the benefits?
“Vakra” means twisting. Vakrasana is a simpler version of Ardha Matsyendrasana.
To do Vakrasana, first sit in Dandasana (we’ve discussed this earlier). For this:
- Stretch both legs forward.
- Keep a gap of 1 to 1.5 feet between the legs.
- Place both hands on the ground behind your back for support.
- Keep both heels and toes together and pull the toes towards yourself.
- Now bend your right knee and bring its foot next to your left knee.
- Make sure the knee and foot are in a straight line.
- Keep the right knee at a 90-degree angle.
- Place your right hand behind your waist.
- Now, gently twist your upper body to the right, as much as you can comfortably.
- Raise your left hand and bring it over the right thigh to hold the right foot.
- Keep your back straight and try to twist as much as you can.
- Try to stay in this position for at least 1 minute.
- Then slowly return to the starting Dandasana position and rest for about 30 seconds.
- After that, do the same steps on the left side.
Note: If someone has a big belly, they can use their hand to press the knee in the opposite direction to help twist the body.
For example, if you bend the right knee, try to move your body to the left using your left hand.
Precautions:
- When bending the knee, keep it at a 90-degree angle.
- Both hips should bear equal weight.
- When twisting, the back hand should be aligned with the spine.
- The back should stay straight.
- Do not strain the neck; it should stay in line with the shoulders.
- The toe of the straight leg should be pulled towards the body.
- Weight should be equally distributed on both hips, and both hips should stay on the ground.
Who should not do Vakrasana:
- Women who are on their period or who are pregnant.
- People with ulcers or hernia.
- Those with severe back pain should not do this pose. If they want, they can do it while sitting on a chair.
Benefits of Vakrasana:
- It strengthens the digestive system.
- Keeps the spine flexible.
- It is a great remedy for diabetes.
- It gives a good massage to all abdominal organs.
Thank you all very much.
Stay joyful, stay happy, and live in bliss!
Yogacharya Dhakaram
Founder, YogaPeace Sansthan
