What is Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Bend)?
Hastapadasana is an ancient yoga asana which is performed to promote beauty and health of the body. In this posture, you have to stand up and raise your hands towards the head and then bend forward to touch the feet.
It strengthens the muscles of your legs, back, and abdomen, as well as improves digestion. It can also help in creating calmness and reducing mental stress.
Hastapadasana is made up of three Sanskrit words. Hasta means hand, pada means foot and asana means yoga. In this Yogasana, by bending forward, you have to touch both the feet with both the hands.
This is known as “hand to feet pose”. This yoga asana affects your whole body from head to toe. It helps in increasing the supply of oxygen to the brain. Its practice stretches the muscles of the hips, hamstrings and legs, which makes the legs strong.
How To do Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Bend)?
Follow the following steps for Hastapadasana:
1. Sit down and join your feet together.
2. Raise your hands up and exhale.
3. Slowly bend your upper body forward, your head, breasts and stomach should touch your thighs.
4. Join the hands together with the thighs and slowly move your meridians towards your thighs.
5. Your nose should reach near your knees.
6. Stay in this position for some time and breathe from time to time.
7. While exhaling slowly, clasp your hands and rise slowly.
8. Join your feet together and stand comfortably.
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Benefits of Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Bend)?
♦ Lose belly fat: Hastapadasana reduces belly fat and reduces belly size.
♦ Flexibility of the body: This asana increases the flexibility of the body and strengthens the muscles.
♦ Regulating blood pressure: This asana helps in controlling blood pressure.
♦ Reducing back and waist pain: This asana helps in reducing back and waist pain.
♦ Keeping the trachea healthy: Hastapadasana helps in keeping the trachea healthy.
♦ Keeping the intestines healthy: This asana helps in keeping the intestines healthy and improves the digestion process.
♦ Reducing mental anxiety: This asana helps in reducing mental anxiety and provides mental peace.
♦ Improves meditation: Performing Hastapadasana improves meditation and gives mental peace.
♦ Improves body composition: This asana improves body composition and makes your body attractive.
♦ Reducing the effects of increasing age: This asana helps in reducing the effects of increasing age.
♦ Increases self-control: Hastapadasana promotes self-control and improves your mental state.
Precautions of Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Pose)
1. This asana should always be done on an empty stomach.
2. Patients with high blood pressure should not do this.
3. If you are troubled by back pain, then do not do this asana.
4. If you have pain in your thighs or problems in hamstrings, then you should not do this asana.
5. If you have glaucoma or a different retinal problem, then you should not do this asana.
6. Pregnant women should consult a doctor before doing this asana.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of Hastapadasana?
Hastapadasana, also known as the Forward Bend Pose in yoga, offers several benefits, including stretching the hamstrings, improving digestion, stimulating abdominal organs, and calming the mind. It also helps in relieving stress, anxiety, and mild depression.
How do you perform Hastapadasana?
Stand straight with your feet together and arms by your sides, palms facing inward. Inhale deeply while raising your arms up and stretching them towards the sky. Exhale slowly while bending forward from your hips, keeping your spine straight. As you bend forward, lower your arms and try to touch your toes or the floor with your hands. If you can't reach, it's okay to bend your knees slightly.
Does Hastapadasana increase hight?
If your upper body is comparatively shorter than your lower body, it is necessary to practice standing forward bend pose regularly. This yoga pose works on each and every part of your body starting from head to toe. Therefore, hastapadasana helps to increase your height.
What is the importance of Hastapadasana?
Hastapadasana, also known as Standing Forward Bend, is an important yoga pose with several benefits. It helps stretch and strengthen the muscles of the legs, back, and spine, improves flexibility, and stimulates blood circulation. Additionally, it can help calm the mind, reduce stress, and improve digestion. Regular practice of Hastapadasana can contribute to overall physical and mental well-being.
What muscles are involved in Hastapadasana?
Hamstrings, Calves, Lower back muscles, Gluteal muscles, Spinal extensors, Abdominal muscles: The abdominal muscles are gently contracted to support the forward bending movement and maintain balance.
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