Benefits Of Paschimottanasana
I would stare at yogis in Paschimottanasana, or the Seated Forward Bend, and both awe and jealously looked at the yogis bending forward with such ease. I was doing more of a rough lean that my hamstrings were protesting. I believed that it was only touching my toes. I was so wrong. My unending experience with this asana of ancient yoga has shown that its effects of Paschimottanasana extend well beyond mere flex. It has now become a basic part of my personal practice and a silent refuge of my body and my mind.
This is no mere far-fetched stretch, it is an entire tune-up. When you are stiff, stressed, or even simply have no connection, the real power of this pose can be a game changer like in my case, who like you, has ever felt that. I would like to present you with the transformational advantages that I have witnessed personally.
What is Paschimottanasana, Anyway?
First things first, so before closing the benefits of life-changing, it is better to define the pose itself. In Sanskrit, the word Paschima is translated as west (usually the back of the body), Uttana as intense stretch, and Asana as pose. It is an acute pull of the whole back chain–of your heels all the way up to your head. It is a basic posture in Hatha and Ashtanga yoga, however, it is deceiving in its simplicity. It is not the distance you cover with folding, but the folding.
My 7 Life-Changing Paschimottanasana Benefits.
This commitment has endowed me with a series of good things. These are the greatest advantages of Paschimottanasana that make me go back to my mat.
1. It Soothed My Anxious Mind
This is the least proscribed gain to me. Something spectacular occurs as I fold over, leaning my head. It is my nervous system changing gears. The pose is also introverting and it promotes withdrawal of senses. This will automatically arouse the parasympathetic nervous system- the rest and digest part of your body. The panicky chatter of my head subsides, my breathing becomes deeper, and the awareness of a sense of calm is overwhelming me. This five-minute hold will work better than a pill on a stressful day.
2. I Real Flexibility (Without Force) Unlocked.
I used to push myself into forward bends over the years and this just resulted in tightening and exasperation of the muscles. The actual advantage of Paschimottanasana lies in patience and breath. I learned to:
Inhale to lengthen my spine.
Breath in order to create a deeper fold.
This conscious thought gives a profound, lasting length to my whole back body. I observed unprecedented changes in my:
Hamstrings: They no longer seemed to be tight, rope-like muscles, but instead were loose and functional muscles.
Spine: My complete vertebral column relaxed and became mobile.
Hips: The stretch opened my hip joints, softly releasing tension in my lower back.
3. My Digestion Got a Large Declension.
This is one of the cliched advantages of yoga, which I can affirm myself. Paschimottanasana is a mild internal massage of your organs as a result of the abdominal compression. This stimulation can:
Enhance blood circulation to the digestive system.
Enhance the peristalsis (the wavelike movements that transport the food).
Aid in reduction of mild bloating and depression.
I usually do this pose on the days when I have a high meal and wait a few hours later and I experience a significant change in comfort and digestion.
4. I Found a New Tool of Insomnia.
Due to its strong calming effect, I began to practice Paschimottanasana in the evening. Resting in it some few minutes using aids (such as a pillow between my legs) works all my system to sleep. It sends the message to my brain and my body that the day has ended, and it is time to close down. In my case, it is a natural and non-drug sleeping aids.
5. It Cured My Lower Back Pain Which was Nagging.
Being a desk sitting person, my lower back would always be aching. I learned that one of the greatest culprits was tight hamstrings. When the hamstrings are tight, they push back your pelvis making a lower back flatter. This tension was relieved with the help of the committed lengthening in Paschimottanasana, where my pelvis sat in a more neutral position. The result? The lower back pain, which was chronic before, has considerably reduced.
6. It Taught Me Patience and Letting Go.
This is a yoga and life lesson that I have greatly learned. My ego would have reached my toes yesterday. But Paschimottanasana requires me to give in. It showed me to lose the objective and be in the present with just where my body is now. This has been applied in my day to day lives and I am more patient and tolerant now that I have learnt this lesson of patience and non-attachment.
7. I Learned to Breath through Discomfort.
Practicing deep stretch is difficult. My first reaction was to suspend breathing. However, what I got to know is that smooth, steady Ujjayi breath is the key to the process of going forward and relaxing into the position. This breathing by experiencing slight physical pain has proved to be supremely empowering. It has taught me to treat stressful situations that are not on the mat in the same relaxed, deep breath, rather than causing myself to panic.
My Safer and More Effective Paschimottanasana.
Form is all in order to gain these advantages. The following step-by-step method is effective to me:
Start Seated: I am sitting on my mat in a straight-legged position in front of me. I use my thigh muscles and bend my legs.
Lengthen First: I amhaling, I raise my chest and extend my spine, up to the top of my head to the ceiling.
Fold with an Exhale: As I exhale, I use my hips, and not my waist, to bend forward. I maintain a straight back as much as possible.
Find My Edge: I never take any farther than I do with a long spine. I do not want my toes, but the feeling of a great, good stretch.
Hold and Breathe: I travel with 5-10 deep breaths, potentially even more. I perhaps may take my shins, or ankles, or feet–wherever they can be reached.