Supta Vajrasana- An Overview
Vajrasana, also known as the thunderbolt pose, is a basic yoga exercise which makes your body firm and strong. When you sit in vajrasana pose after the meals, the blood flow to digestive system organs increases to improve digestion and body metabolism.
We have already discussed in detail about Vajrasana and its various health benefits in one of our previous posts.
Read more: Vajrasana for Digestion and Weight loss
In this post, we would know about a very popular variation of Vajrasana- Supta Vajrasana.
Supta Vajrasana
Supta Vajrasana – Lying down in the vajrasana pose
It is an advanced version of Vajrasana. Hence, don’t try supta vajrasana until you become extremely comfortable in vajrasana. During this pose, your knees would be exposed to more pressure than Vajrasana.
How to do Supta Vajrasana
- Sit in Vajrasana
- Slowly take both the hands behind and rest the palms on the floor in such a way that the fingers point towards your side.
- Slowly rest the elbows on the ground.
- Slowly slide the hands forward one by one.
- Rest the whole back on the ground.
- Make sure that knees are close to each other and the thighs are touching each other.
- Make yourself comfortable and take a few normal breaths.
- Raise the hands and slowly rest them behind your head. Keep the fingers locked.
- Close your eyes and enjoy this wonderful whole body stretching exercise.
- Keep breathing normally, without any agitation.
Initially, remain in this pose for 30 to 60 seconds as per your comfort and gradually increase the time up to 3 to 5 minutes. You can practice this pose 1 to 3 times per sitting.
Video tutorial link (in English)- Click here
Video tutorial link (in Hindi)- Click here
When to practice Supta Vajrasana
Like vajrasana, supta vajrasana can be performed after the meals to improve digestion and stimulate the body metabolism.
How it works
During supta vajrasana, the blood flow to the organs of upper half of the body increases- brain, lungs, abdomen and reproductive organs. The increased blood flow would improve their functioning. Also, this pose increases the flexibility of spine, knees, hips and ankles.
Health Benefits of Supta Vajrasana
- Aids in digestion and weight loss– When practiced after the meals, it speed up the body metabolism to ensure proper break down of food. It would result in better digestion and less accumulation of body fats to promote weight loss. Regular practice of supta vajrasana can help treat constipation, indigestion and hyper-acidity.
- Increases the lung capacity– It is a fantastic yoga to increase the lung capacity by providing oxygen to the system. That’s why it is quite popular among professional swimmers who try Yoga- provides relief from lungs related disorders like asthma and bronchitis.
- Provides stretch to the abdomen and thighs– It provides massage to the abdomen area and gives a good stretch- tone the abdominal muscles by reducing the belly fat. It is a wonderful stretch exercise for the thighs as well. Also, provides strength to the intestines.
- Makes your body more flexible– It makes the ankles and knee joints more flexible. It can be used as a preventive measure against arthritis, gout and joint pain.
- Improves brain functioning– By increasing blood circulation to the brain, it relieves stress, anxiety and improves confidence and clarity of thoughts.
- Provides relief from back pain and sciatica (nerve pain related to the hip, back and outer side of the legs)
Safety Precautions
If you are dealing with any of the below health issues, better you avoid it:
- Slip disc or severe back pain
- Any surgery or injury related to knee, legs or back
- Chronic arthritis, joint pain or gout
- High blood pressure
- Women during pregnancy or menstruation
hi, I heard many ways that Supta Vajrasana is not advisable or say can`t perform after meal but here u allowed to do so ! is that sure or may b harmful…-pl. can u correct me…Tx