Bherunda: Terrible or frightening
Asana: Pose
Supta Hasta Padangusthasana at a Glance
Ganda Bherundasana, Formidable Face also refers to a bird with two heads to in Indian mythology. Ganda Bherundasana is an intense backbend, advanced yoga posture. Ganda Bherundasana is an advanced pose and part of the Ashtanga and Hatha yoga or the third series, vinyasa.
Benefits:
- It helps to strengthen your back, legs, and hip area.
- It helps to stretch and tone the back muscles, your spinal nerves, and your thighs.
- It improves the flexibility of your back and corrects your posture.
- It helps to activate your root chakra, sacral chakra, and throat chakra.
Who can do it?
Advanced yoga practitioners can do this pose. People with strong upper body strength and core strength can attempt this pose. Individuals with good balance, coordination, and core strength can do this pose. Sportspersons and dancers can do this pose. Intermediate yoga practitioners can do this under the guidance of the yoga teacher.
Who should not do it?
Individuals with any injury to their neck, back, arms, and legs should avoid this pose. If you had any surgery done, should avoid this pose. Women during pregnancy and their menstrual cycle should avoid this pose. Beginners should avoid this pose.
How to Do Ganda Bherundasana?
Follow the Step-by-Step Procedure
- This Ganda bherunda is a challenging pose, and you should start with a warm-up and practice prep variations pose. You can also start with a dolphin pose and even with the downward-facing dog pose.
- Start with the chaturanga pose or the low plank pose and ease here with some relaxed inhales and exhales.
- Now bring your chin down to the mat and your arms should be in a 90-degree angle.
- Keep your palms firm on the mat and fingers wide and your arms should be close to your body and elbows near the ribs.
- Press your palms against the mat engage your core muscles and shift the weight to your arms.
- Now exhale and slowly lift your right leg high and once you are confident about the balance then kick your other leg (left leg) in the air.
- Bring both legs together and keep your legs active this will help to keep up your balance and stability and gaze forward.
- Keep breathing normally and hold the pose, within your physical limits.
- When you are ready to release, inhale and release slowly by lowering your legs one by one.
- In this pose version presented above will be focused more on the core strengthening elements.
What are the Benefits of Ganda Bherundasana?
- It helps to open up your chest, and shoulders and lengthen your back, hips, and thighs.
- With regular practice, it strengthens your arms, back, neck, shoulders, and wrist.
- It helps to stimulate your digestive and reproductive system.
- It helps to tone the spine and abdominal organs.
- This pose helps to enhance your focus and concentration and helps boost your energy levels.
Health Conditions that Might Benefit from Ganda Bherundasana
- This pose will help to improve the digestion process and relieve constipation and bloating.
- Ganda Bherundasana helps calm your mind, by reducing stress and anxiety.
- When practiced regularly it increases your lung capacity, which helps with deep breathing.
- The deep backbend of your upper body helps to reduce back pain and improve your body posture.
Safety and Precautions
- Initially use support for doing this pose.
- Be gentle and slow while getting into and coming out of the pose.
- Any injury or surgery avoid this pose.
- If the students have, any sign of pain or discomfort just come out of the pose.
- People with, high blood pressure, glaucoma, or ear infections should avoid this pose.
- Avoid doing this pose immediately after any meal.
Common Mistakes
- Avoid doing this pose before you develop your overall strength, stretch, and body balance.
- Avoid holding your breath.
- Avoid rushing into the pose, be slow and consistent.
- Avoid spreading your elbows.
Tips for Ganda Bherundasana
- Hold all of your weight with your arms and chest.
- Be confident and practice this pose.
- Warmup and preparatory poses are important.
- Keep your core engaged and your shoulders should be away from your ears.
- Use props or modify the pose according to your comfort.
- Initially practice it under the guidance of your yoga teacher.
Physical Alignment Principle for Ganda Bherundasana
- Formidable Face Pose or Ganda Bherundasana means which it ends resting flat on your face with your feet on the floor and straddling your head.
- Your palm should be grounded to your mat and firm and spread your fingers.
- The hands and your chest should take the weight of the body.
- Chin would touch the ground, but not take any body weight.
- Shoulders are blades drawn toward each other and away from the ears.
- The navel tucked toward your spine and glutes are active.
- Legs are hugging each other.
- Keep legs straight, engaged and toes pointed or dropped as in scorpion pose.
- Gaze down at your comfortable pace.
Ganda Bherundasana and Breath
Take a deep breath, and ground your palms to the mat firmly. Keep breathing and let your chin touch the mat and when you exhale lift one leg in the air, focus and balance inhale, and bring the other leg to join with the first leg up breathe gently and engage your core to keep your balance. Inhale and release the pose exhale and come back to the dolphin pose and relax.
Ganda Bherundasana and Variations
- Support your palms with the blocks (blocks aligned – shoulder width).
- Chin stand poses near the wall.
- Lifting one leg chin stand pose.
The Bottom Line
This is an advanced and challenging back-bend pose that needs great strength and balance. Focus concentration and consistency in the keys to achieving this pose. The physical and mental benefits can be achieved if you follow the physical alignment procedure coordinated with your breath with movement. It helps to activate the Muladhara, Svadhishthana, and Vishuddha.
This pose should be practiced under the supervision of the yoga teacher and for any health concerns consult your doctor. This pose can help calm your mind by reducing your stress and anxiety if done mindfully and being aware of your physical and mental sensations.
Ganda Bherundasana is not just an impressive advanced backbend; it is a powerful practice that enhances physical strength, flexibility, and energetic alignment. By embracing this formidable pose, you can unlock new levels of resilience and well-being in your yoga journey. If you’re inspired to deepen your practice and share your passion with others, consider enrolling in our online yin yoga teacher training Yoga Alliance accredited program or our online vinyasa yoga teacher training courses. These comprehensive training options will equip you with the skills to guide others on their yoga paths while enriching your own practice. Take the next step towards becoming a certified yoga instructor and empower others to discover the transformative effects of yoga!