Uttana means ‘upright’ or ‘stretched up’ and manduka means ‘frog’. In final position of this asana, the body looks like a stretched up or upright frog, hence, it is called Uttana-mandukasana.
Let us perform Uttana-mandukasana by following the steps given below:
1. Sit in Vajrasana.
2. Keep both the knees wide apart to such an extent that toes of both the feet touch each other. The head, neck and trunk are kept erect. The eyes are either closed or kept open.
3. Raise the arms above the head, fold them and take them behind.
4. Place the right palm below left shoulder and left palm below right shoulder.
5. Maintain this position comfortably for 5-10 seconds.
6. To come back, remove the arms one by one, bring the knees together and come to Vajrasana.
Remember the following points:
| Dos |
Don’ts |
| The head is surrounded by the elbows. |
Do not bend the arms. |
| Keep the spine and neck erect. |
Do not lean forward. |
Benefits
- It helps in reducing backache.
- It improves the blood circulation in the chest and abdomen.
- It tones the abdominal and shoulder muscles.
- It improves the functioning of lungs by improving the movements of diaphragm.
Limitation
- Those suffering from chronic knee pain and piles should avoid this asana.
