Exercise-84: Chakrasana (the wheel pose)

  • Lie flat on the back with knees bent and the heels touching the hips with the feet about one foot apart.
  • Place the palms on the ground beside the temples, with fingers pointing towards the shoulders.
  • Slowly raise the trunk.
  • Let the head rotate slightly and allow the crown to support the weight of the upper body.
  • The legs will form right angles at the knees.
  • Straighten the arms and legs, lift the head off the ground and raise the body so that it is fully arched.
  • You can straighten the knees almost completely by moving the trunk upward.
  • Slowly lower yourself back to the ground and then in to the supine position.



Breathing-

  • Initially practise chakrasana with the breath retained inside.
  • After some regular practice, chakrasana may be maintained for long periods by breathing normally in the fully raised position.

Duration-
Practice chakrasana once for as long as you can comfortably maintain it.
Concentration-
On the back, abdomen or respiration.
Sequence-
Always follow chakrasana with a forward bending counter pose.
Limitations-

  • Chakrasana should not be practiced by sufferers of high blood pressure, coronary ailments, stomach ul­cers, toxic intestines, partial deafness or dilated eye capillaries, or by anyone who has recently fractured bones or undergone abdominal operation.
  • It is not to be attempted until the practitioner is able to do the preliminary backward bending poses.



Benefits-

  • This asana is beneficial to the entire nervous and glandular system.
  • It influences all hormonal secretions and relieves varied ailments of the female reproductive system.
  • It fully stretches the back and abdominal muscles.
  • It powerfully compresses and massages the abdominal organs.

Variations-
After sufficient practice once you can perform this asana without even the slightest difficulty one can improve its effect by moving the hands and feet closer together in the final position. You may also try raising first one leg and then the other in the final pose.

 

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Backward Bending Asanas

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