We continue our study of twists with Bharadvajasana I. The pose is dedicated to the sage Bharadvaja, one of 7 legendary seers. Let’s begin.
Doing the Pose:
1. Sit on the floor or your mat in Dandasana (legs straight out in front of you, feet together so that your body looks like the letter “L”.)
2. Bend your legs at the knees and sweep the legs to the left, placing your right foot top down on the floor and cradling your left ankle in the arch of your right foot.
3. Place you hands on either side of your hips, with your fingertips touching the floor.
4. Turn your torso to the right, taking care to keep both of your buttocks evenly on the floor.
5. Place your left fingertips next to the outside of the right thigh and the right fingertips behind the right hip. If you are a beginner, end the pose here.
6. If you feel comfortable completing the pose, turn the left arm out and place the palm under the right thigh.
7. Swing the right arm around the back and grasp the left bicep or elbow with the right hand.
8. Turn your gaze over the left shoulder. Hold for a few moments, breathe normally.
9. Release your arms and turn your torso back to the middle.
10. Release your legs, bringing them back in to dandasana for a few moments to release the knees.
7. Repeat on the left side.
Benefits:
This is a great pose to relieve stress. Beyond that, it helps improve digestion, relieve lower back ache, sciatica and carpal tunnel syndrome. It stretches the spine, hips and shoulders, and is great for strengthening the lower back during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Please note, the image shows the beginner’s version, not the finished pose. We’ll continue Saturday with another twist.
