kona: “angle”
āsana: “posture”
Baddha Konasana at a Glance
Baddha Konasana has many names and every name represents something. It’s also known as the butterfly pose, as the movement of the legs while doing this asana is similar to the butterfly flapping wings. This hip opening pose stretches and strengthens the inner hip area, groin, and thighs. It offers relaxation to the mind and body.
Benefits:
- Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) stretches the hips, groin, and inner thighs.
- Strengthens the pelvic floor muscles.
- It helps to relieve tension and improves the flexibility in your hip area.
- It increases your concentration, which adds to better focus.
- It stimulates the organs in your lower body part and increases blood circulation.
This helps you balance your emotions, which helps you stay stable and calm.
Who can do it?
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) is a simple and relaxing pose, that could be done by beginners of any age – kids, youngsters, middle age, people with desk jobs, and senior citizens. Pregnant women can do it under the supervision of their prenatal yoga teacher.
Who should not do it?
People with any recent hip, groin, or knee injury, sciatica issues, and any hip or groin area surgery. Pregnant women having any complications should avoid or contact their healthcare professional. People suffering from osteoporosis should avoid or consult their doctor before doing Bound Angle Pose.
How to Do Baddha Konasana?
Follow the Step-by-Step Instructions
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) is about stretch, stability, strength, balance and concentration, calmness, and focus.
- Start with the Dandasana or staff pose. While in this pose, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax your mind and body.
- See that you are sitting on your sitting bones and be steady and ready.
- Fold your legs, both your knees pointing outside, legs flat on the ground.
- Catch hold of both your feet with your palms and join the soles of your feet together.
- Keep the grip on your feet and move the feet as far as you can towards the perineum area, between your thighs (don’t try to push too hard).
- Exhale and let your knees touch the ground or the yoga mat. This is the Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose).
- Keep your shoulders and arms relaxed.
- See that your spine is straight and steady.
- Imagine how a butterfly flaps its wings and similarly flaps its legs slowly up and down, touching the ground. Feel the stretch in your inner thigh muscles. Keep breathing gently.
- Be in this Bound Angle Pose for 2 min, or be in the pose according to your comfort.
- When you release the pose, straighten your legs one by one, slowly return to the Dandasana and breathe normally to relax and feel the pose.
- Then go for the next round and do the same procedure for Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana).
- People with stiff hips or mild back issues can sit supporting the wall or talk to your yoga trainer for better guidance.
- Props like yoga blocks, cushions, or folded blankets can be used for better support while doing Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana).
Bound Angle Pose or Baddha Konasana is all about relaxing your hip and groin area, getting rid of the stiffness of your hips and embracing calmness. Keep involving your breath slowly and gently with the sequence of the pose.
What are the Benefits of Baddha Konasana?
The Bound Angle Pose, also known as Cobler’s pose, maybe a simple yoga asana, yet yields many benefits to your Physical and mental health.
Countereffect on Desk Jobs
People working from the office or home can face pain or tightness in the hip or legs. Regular practice of Bound Angle Pose asana gives counter to your rigid hips, improving the blood flow and releasing physical and mental tension.
Tripple ‘S’ Power
The Bound Angle Pose asana helps to give a good stretch to the inner thighs, hips, and groin area and strengthens your pelvic floor muscles and abdominal organs. This pose improves your stability and promotes a better posture.
Flexibility
This helps if you have tight hips and groin area. While you flap your folded legs, it helps to release the tension in these areas. This is very helpful for people sitting for a long duration.
Improves Digestion
The Bound Angle Pose gives gentle pressure to your abdominal organs, which results in better digestion and relieving from bloating and gas.
Pregnant women
This asana can be included in your prenatal exercise to ease your delivery and help with the natural birth process.
Pelvic Floor Muscles
It activates the pelvic floor muscles, improving the blood flow and helps to maintain a healthy reproductive system.
Balances and Calms Your Mind
This asana activates your Muladhara Chakra, Svadhishthana Chakra, and Manipura Chakra, which helps you stabilize and balance your emotions.
Better Awareness of Your Mind and Body
With regular Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) practice, you become more aware of your body and mind and the sensations within your body.
Health Conditions that Might Benefit from Baddha Konasana
Eases Childbirth
You can include this in your exercise routine to help ease your childbirth process and support a smoother delivery process.
Improve Reproductive Health
Bound Angle Pose helps with better blood circulation to the pelvic area and helps with discomfort during the menstrual cycle.
High Blood Pressure
This asana helps you relax and soothes your mind, which could be helpful in controlling high BP.
Flat Feet
Baddha Konasana also called a cobbler’s pose, helps strengthen and stabilize the muscles of the feet and knees and stretches the calf muscles, which creates an arch inside.
Lower Back Pain
It helps reduce your lower back pain, as this asana helps stretch and strengthen the back muscles.
Sciatica
People may find relief from sciatica pain.
Digestive Issues
Regularly practicing this asana gently stimulates the abdominal organs and can help with mild digestion issues.
Stress and Anxiety
When you perform this asana with mindful breathing, it calms your mind, which is helpful in relieving your stress and anxiety.
This might give you many health benefits, but consult your healthcare provider or professional yoga trainer to guide you better before taking any step. Never ignore your health condition and decide for yourself.
Safety and Precautions
- This is a safe pose, wherein any beginner can do it, but it’s always better to consider the safety and precautions to get the benefits out of it.
- If you are a beginner and your hip or thigh area is too stiff, don’t force it too much. Just go slow. With regular practice, you will gradually get into the pose.
- If you have any injury or recent surgery done, consult your health care professional.
- Props are to support you for better comfort. So, try using props under the guidance of your yoga teacher.
Common Mistakes
- Mistakes can happen with advanced or simple yoga poses, so always go through the step-by-step procedure to perform this asana.
- In your seated position in dandasana, sit straight and know your body posture.
- Don’t forcefully bend your legs. Don’t try to force your knees to touch the ground. Take it slow and listen to your body.
- Breath is very important, gives you a sense of calmness, and should go hand in hand with this pose.
Tips for Baddha Konasana
- Always use a yoga mat or do it on any soft surface.
- Initially, start doing it under the guidance of a professional yoga trainer.
- Keep your spine straight. Listen to your body and proceed accordingly.
- Breathe gently and deeply to support the pose.
- Uses props if needed.
The Physical Alignment Principles for Baddha Konasana
- Keep your back straight (don’t hunch).
- Relax your shoulders and arms.
- Get hold of your feet with your ten fingers and get hold of it firmly.
- Bring your soles to the pelvic area and both soles of the feet should touch each other.
- Your knees should point outward.
- Be grounded on your sit bones and lengthen your spine to get a balanced posture.
- Don’t forget to engage your core muscles to get better back support.
- Gently press your knees with your elbows to the ground; don’t do it forcefully. Press until your body allows you to, or use props for better comfort.
- While you flap your legs, do it slowly to feel the stretch.
- Keep your breath engaged throughout the pose. You can hold the pose for 1 to 2 minutes and increase it according to your comfort and flexibility.
Baddha Konasana and Breath
- Breath plays a very important role in yoga asanas; the same is true for Baddha Konasana.
- Baddha Konasana is a Meditative pose so breath is very crucial.
- Take gentle, deep breaths, inhale, and come to the preparatory Dandasana by stretching and lengthening your spine. As you breathe, feel the stretch in your spine. Let open your chest and feel the air filling in.
- Exhale and feel like you are letting out your stress and worries. Bend your legs slowly and try touching the groin area.
- Every time you exhale, you can let your knees go closer to the ground and the movement should be gentle by not hurting yourself.
- Continue your rhythm of breathing throughout the pose, be aware of the bodily sensations and let your mind be in a calm state.
- Finally, when ready to come out of the Bound angle pose, inhale deeply, stretch your legs forward, and exhale deeply.
Baddha Konasana and Variations
Variations are done according to your comfort and flexibility level. Accordingly, you can opt for advanced variation or simple variation and can also opt for props for comfort.
Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Suppta Baddha Konasana)
You lie backward in the Baddha Konasana pose.
Bound Angle Forward Bend
In the Baddha Konasana, you bend forward from the hips.
Revolved Bound Angle Pose
In the Baddha Konasana, you turn towards your left side, back your left hand for support, and right on the left knee.
Upavistha Konasana (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend Pose)
Avoid bringing your soles together. Keep your legs straight, spread the legs wide apart, and bend to hold your feet to fold forward.
Bound Angle Pose on the Chair
This pose could be done by sitting on a chair.
Modify with Props
Cushions, yoga blocks. People who cannot bring their knees to the floor can use cushions or yoga blocks to comfort them.
Wall Support
To improve stability, you can sit with your back to the wall for better support and perform this Bound Angle yoga pose.
Conclusion
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) is a meditative pose that helps calm our body, mind and soul. It helps to relieve stress and anxiety.
Bound Angle pose will help with stiff hips. It helps to release tension and add flexibility. It also reduces pain in the lower back. It is very helpful for the digestive organs, which keep away from indigestion, gas, and bloating, reduces stress, and keeps fresh and energetic.
It also helps strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. It’s suitable for women during their menstrual periods and is a good prenatal exercise to help with a smooth birth process.
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