Padahastasana consists of three words: pada, hasta and asana. In Sanskrit pada means ‘feet’, hasta means ‘arms’ and asana means ‘posture’. In this asana, the hands are brought near the feet, hence it is called Padahastasana. It strengthens the organs located in the abdominal area and improves their functioning.
Padahastasana
Let us perform Padahastasana by following the steps given below.
1. Stand erect, keep both feet together with hands beside the body. Balance weight of the body on the sole of the feet.
2. Inhaling, raise both arms above the head and stretch them up.
3. While exhaling, bend forward from the waist. Place the palms on the floor beside the feet or touch the feet with palms.
4. Maintain this position comfortably for 10–15 seconds.
5. To come back, slowly come to the standing position keeping your arms up over the head. Then slowly bring the arms down to the starting position.
Remember the following points
Dos
- Keep the legs straight.
- Keep the arms straight and bring them down along the head while bending down from the waist.
Don’ts
Benefits
- It improves digestion.
- Liver and spleen are activated by this asana.
- Abdominal muscles are toned by this asana.
- It improves circulation of blood to the head and upper region of the body.
- It increases the flexibility of the legs’ muscles.
Limitations
In case of severe backache and high blood pressure one should avoid this asana.
