Kona: Angle
Asana: Pose
Samakonasana at a Glance
Samakonasana is also known as the Centre split pose or Straddle Split pose. This pose is where you split your both legs and spread to sides bringing your hands in the prayer position to the heart centre and it can also be done in the standing posture.
Benefits:
- It helps to open your hip and groin area.
- It helps to give a deep stretch to your inner thighs.
- It helps to stimulate the Muladhara and Anahata chakra (
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- It also increases the blood circulation to the abdomen and reproductive organs.
Who can do it?
Intermediate and advanced-level practitioners can do this pose. Individuals with a good level of hip flexibility can do this pose. Dancers and sports persons can attempt this pose.
Who should not do it?
People suffering from any injuries to their hip, knee, or lower back should avoid this pose. You should avoid this pose if you had any surgery on your knees, hip, abdomen, lower back or any internal organs. Beginners should avoid this pose until they develop flexibility.
How to Do Samakonasana?
Follow the Step-by-Step Procedure
Advanced practitioners and beginners both can do these yoga poses. First, we will see the advanced version, and next the simpler pose.
- Be seated on the yoga mat, keeping your legs straight and extended in front of you.
- Slowly inhale and lengthen your spine let your head to buttocks be in one line and keep your core engaged.
- As you exhale split your legs wide apart. Keep your foot flexed toes pointing to you, and knees straight.
- Rotate your hips internally and the front of the thigh should touch the mat, which helps keep your hips squared.
- Bring your both legs out in a “V” position as wide as is comfortable and palms in front of the heart in the prayer position and gaze in front in between your feet.
- Be in this pose, as much as you can coordinating with your breath and being mindful about the sensation.
- When you exit, come back to the Staff pose. Take a deep breath and relax your legs.
- Now perform Samakonasana the Beginner version (simple asana)
- Stand straight with your feet together as in the Tadasana pose.
- Inhale and extend your arms straight, overhead.
- Exhale and bend forward from your hips slowly
- Lower your upper body until it is parallel to the ground.
- keep your legs straight with a very slight bend at the knees.
- Don’t hunch your back and keep your spine straight.
- Focus your gaze forward.
- Hold this posture for 30 seconds exit the pose and come back to the standing pose.
What are the Benefits of Samakonasana?
- It helps to strengthen your back, upper thighs, waist, chest shoulders, and arms.
- It helps to release tension in your hamstrings and thighs.
- It helps to improve your posture and release stress in your shoulders and back.
- It helps to open and flex your hip muscles and stretches your inner thighs, pelvic floor muscles, and groins.
- This pose helps to improve your body awareness and enhances your concentration level.
- It benefits by giving support to the spine and upper body.
- This seated split can be a preparatory pose for the more advanced seated split pose.
- Stimulates the root chakra (Muladhara chakra) and contributes to a firm and grounded sacrum allowing for free flow of prana through the channels.
Health Conditions that Might Benefits from Samakonasana
- Practice Samakonasana to alleviate stiff hips, and groins and tone the inner thigh muscles.
- People who are looking to improve their posture can practice this pose.
- It can help people with mild sciatica pain.
- People with everyday stress and anxiety can practice this pose in coordination of breath and get a calming effect on their body and mind.
- Practicing Samakonasana can help people with mild digestive issues.
Safety and Precautions
- Any injury to your shoulder, back, knees, and hips avoid this center splits pose.
- If you have arthritis or leg problems avoid this pose.
- Severe pain in the knee, and back, and women during pregnancy should consult their doctor.
- If you are suffering from acute sciatica should avoid it.
- Don’t try to force your body too much.
Common Mistakes
- Avoid overstretching your legs.
- Avoid tension in the shoulder and neck.
- Don’t hunch your back.
- Avoid leaning back, to open your legs wider.
Tips for Samakonasana
- Keep your core engaged with your breath.
- Warm-up and stretch are important even for a simple pose.
- Don’t try to lock your knees.
- don’t force your legs to part wide, progress slowly.
- Keep your spine lengthened.
- Use props (yoga blocks or folded blankets) for comfort.
Physical Alignment Principles for Samakonasana
- Lengthen your spine and keep your back straight.
- The inner edge of your feet (seated) should be parallel to each other.
- Flex your foot, toes pointing up, and engage leg muscles.
- Hips squared and engage core muscles to get a balanced body.
- Slight bend in knees, equal weight distribution on sit bones.
- Gaze forward, head to buttocks in one line.
- Slowly sit with Hands in prayer pose.
- Bend from, the hips (standing version).
- Hands extended straight forward and the tip of the finger to the buttocks in one line.
Samakonasana and Breath
Be mindful of your breath and let it move with the pose and get more depth to your pose. Breathe in deeply and lengthen your spine, engaging your core and opening your legs. Exhale to deepen the stretch (Exhale and bed from your hips). Breathe with a calm mind and keep a check on your physical, and mental alignment which helps to keep you in self-control.
Samakonasana and Variations
- Support your hips with props.
- Seated Samakonasana, split and bending forward.
- Bound angle Samakonasana.
- Twisted Samakonasana.
The Bottom Line
Samakonasana, or Center Splits Pose, is accessible to everyone as long as you listen to your body. With practice and breath awareness you can work towards more advanced versions of this pose. Be mindful when approaching this pose, especially if you are new to it and consider practicing with a yoga teacher. If you have any health issues, consult your doctor before trying this pose.
Samakonasana can help reduce stress and tension and bring calm to your body and mind. Pay attention to your breath and body sensations in the pose and you will find inner balance and peace.
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