It is widely known that practicing yoga regularly helps keep our body and mind healthy. Each yoga asana has several health benefits. One such asana is Karnapidasana. Some of the benefits of performing this asana include a boost in one’s concentration power, improvement in the body’s posture and proper functioning of muscles, to name a few. Let’s take a look at many health benefits of Karnapidasana and a steps to perform it properly.
Benefits of Karnapidasana:
1. Stretches and strengthens muscles: To perform Karnapidasana, your muscles like abs, pelvis, neck, and shoulders are involved. This asana helps in boosting blood flow throughout the body. An improved blood flow further helps in strengthening the muscles effectively.
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2. Improves Body Posture: When Karnapidasana is practised properly on a regular basis, it offers a flexible and strong core (abs), neck, back, and shoulders. It further results in better body alignment and a great body posture.
3. Helps with smooth function of intercostal muscles: Karnapidasana requires chest breathing. Due to the contraction of the core, the primary way of breathing shifts from abdominal breathing to chest breathing. It helps in improving the functions of the intercostal muscles.
4. Calms the mind: Once you complete the yoga pose by closing your ear with your knee, your mind becomes calmer. Once the pratyahara state is achieved, both body and mind reach a state of steadiness and comfort, which helps to calm the mind.
5. Boosts concentration power: The Karnapidasana helps practice the pratyahara limb. This not only calms the mind but also helps in enhancing our concentration power.
How to perform Karnapidasana?
Step 1: Lie down on your back and keep your hands on the side with your palm pointing to the ground.
Step 2: Take a deep breath and then, as you exhale, raise your legs upwards to achieve the pose of Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand Pose).
Step 3: Bend your legs over your head and touch your toes on the ground to shift from Sarvangasana to Halasana (Plough Pose). Make sure that your legs are parallel to your hands.
Step 4: Once done, raise your buttocks and bend the knees, holding them together till they reach the ground.
Step 5: As the knees touch the ground, ensure that they are aligned with the shoulders and place them next to your ears.
Step 6: Try to look towards your nose while performing Karnapidasana.
Step 7: Hold the pose for at least 60 seconds.
Step 8: After 60 seconds, follow the steps backwards from Karnapidasana to Halasana, followed by Sarvangasana, to your initial resting position.
Karnapidasana is also helpful in keeping the menstrual cycle regular, increases the range of motion for the involved joints, improves flexibility of the body, helps in alleviating back pain, reduces chances of insomnia, stress, and fatigue, and strengthens abdominal organs.
