1.- Feel like tied angle in Baddha Konasana
1.1.- Baddha Konasana: What is it?
Baddha Konasana is a very common posture among beginners, and whether you are one or not, it is good that you know its meaning and its many benefits.
“Baddha” is a Sanskrit word that means “close, closed, tied”, “Kona” means “angle” and “Asana” is the suffix that appears in the name of all Yoga postures, precisely because it means “posture” . This means that the meaning of Baddha Konasana is literally “Tied Angle Pose”. The reason why this name was put is not defined, since the term is thousands of years old. We can imagine that the sense of tying up is because you are holding your feet with your hands.
1.2.- Baddha Konasana: Etymology
In Sanskrit, Baddha means “linked” and Kona means “angle“. Therefore, Baddha konasana is “The Bound Angle Pose”.
2.- The different techniques and stages of Baddha Konasana
2.1.- The technique
This Asana has two stages of immobility: the first stage involves keeping the spine perpendicular to the ground, and the second keeps the spine bent forward. We will study these stages separately.
2.2.- The starting position
Sitting on the floor, with your legs stretched out in front of you, bend your knee and bring your heels closer to the trunk, so that the soles are placed in front of you and stick to each other.
Interlock your fingers and place them under the soles of your feet, pulling your heels as far toward the perineal area as possible.
2.3.- The final position with a straight spine
During this static stage, we must contract the back muscles as much as possible, which determines the compression of the kidneys, bringing the shoulders towards the back, until the spine is straight.
Because the hands are very well anchored to the feet, the contraction of the back muscles acts on the legs and perineum. At the same time, it creates compression at the level of the spine, especially in the lumbar area, which is very important.
In this position, breathe deeply, predominantly at the level of the chest and collarbones, keeping the abdominal muscles contracted.
Stay in this position for at least 2-3 minutes, keeping in mind that with practice, seven minutes would be the appropriate execution time. At the end, proceed to come out of Baddha Konasana by gently curving yourself forward.
2.4.- The final position curved towards the front
The starting pose described above becomes the ending pose with a forward bend. Relax the muscles of the spine and breathe deeply for several seconds. The knees will stay in place and the soles of the feet are still glued together.
Exhale slowly, leaning forward to place your forehead on the ground, not allowing your heels to move away from your perineum.
The beneficial effects come mainly from the correct execution of this Asana, since trying to touch the ground with the forehead at all costs is completely irrelevant.
Keep your breath balanced, in the sense that inhalation and exhalation take approximately the same time. We come out of this position slowly, stretching our legs.
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3.- Baddha Konasana enhances the Svadhishthana chakra
Using Yoga to activate the Chakras is a method by which we achieve inner peace and balance. The Chakras are an element of the physical and energetic body, which must be taken into account if we work on our spirituality and modulate our mind.
We will see this liberation work evidenced in an improvement in both physical and mental sensation, and in a better attitude towards ourselves and towards everything around us.
“We must recognize that part of our life is governed by this center of power; we may find that this part occupies most of our living space”
Enmanuel Torras Mata
The second Chakra is Svadhishthana, associated with the color orange and the element of Water. It is the Chakra where dreams, desires, fantasies, the center of pleasure and pain are awakened… Our emotional state has a great influence on this center of power, and unfortunately, the harmful impulses of the mind are also included. The disharmony of Svadhishthana is common, and tends to generate a lot of confusion, since we relate the pure Love of Anahata with the impulse of the desire of Svadhishthana.
4.- Approach and Contraindications of Baddha Konasana
Focus firmly on the base of the spine. Feel the subtle flow of energy through the legs, lower back, and perineum area.
Feel the activation of Muladhara Chakra and the improvement of your vitality; also the activation of subtle breathing (Apana Vayu), and at the same time the harmony that is generated between Prana Vayu and Apana Vayu.
.As a precaution pregnant women should NOT practice this Asana after their fifth month of pregnancy
5.- Preparation exercises for the Baddha Konasana
The joints and ligaments of modern man are usually quite stiff. This determines that some people do not want to practice this posture.
However, Baddha Konasana is especially recommended for these people. Although one cannot do it perfectly from the beginning, one must persevere in practice.
The flow of energy will gradually lead to the improvement of the flexibility of the joints, so that over time we will overcome the difficulties in performing this Asana.
The practice of Baddha Konasana will also allow us to do Padmasana with much less effort and pain.
6.- Beneficial effects and the column
There are two main areas of action of this asana: the spine and the pelvis.
During the static phase, the musculature of the spine contracts and compresses mainly at the bottom, as if we were lifting a heavy weight.
Baddha Konasana is one of the few yogic poses that have the particularity of working the muscles of the lower back.
In civilized life we have fewer and fewer occasions to work on our spine in this way.
The spine and especially the intervertebral discs must be compressed from time to time to maintain their elasticity.
7.- The hip and knee joints
The mobility of the hip joint is extremely important. After the age of 40, many adults begin to lack mobility in these joints, begin to have signs of arthritis, and slowly the overall mobility of the body deteriorates.
People who allow this to happen are setting themselves up for a future of suffering and premature aging. The mobility of the knees is also very important, as is that of the ankles. Baddha Konasana acts beneficially on all these joints.
8.- The perineum and pelvic organs
During the first phase, the muscles of the perineum contract, which increases blood flow to this area.
Women as a result of the practice of this posture, the muscles of the perineum, vagina, uterus, ovaries, urinary system and kidneys are favored.
If you have irregular menstruation, usually the practice of this Asana helps to stabilize it.
The pelvic plexus and nerve centers in the spine that coordinate the genitals and excretion are toned by the practice of Baddha Konasana.
Men who practice this asana will have healthier genitalia. The prostate will no longer be so congested, and we can perceive a significant increase in virility.