Paschimottanasana/Seated Forward Bend Yoga Asana - Case Study of its Anatomy and Physiology
Yoga Involves More Than Just Touching Your Toes
It's About What You Discover Down Below
People today lead sedentary lives because they rarely engage in any physical activity. Because of this, individuals experience a great deal of stiffness and lack of flexibility in their bodies when they begin any activity. According to our Yogic Concept, life is not flexible when the spine is not flexible. When referring to life itself, flexibility connotes a rigid, lazy, stressed-out existence that leads nowhere. A flexible body and spine also creates a myriad of opportunities. We are able to expand these possibilities because to the linkages between yoga and daily life. These poses are also. -Tanmay Bhati
Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Bend Yoga Asana or Intense Dorsal Stretch
According to legend, city life is filled with
mental stress and physical rigidity, hence the Forward Bending pose aids in
overcoming these strains. This is one of the four most significant asanas,
according to the Shiva Samhita.
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| Snap from a Book by Leslie Kaminoff (edited in X-Ray view for better understanding) |
Sanskrit, where Paschimo means "west" or
"the back of the body," Uttana means "extended" or
"intense stretch," or "stretch," and asana means
"posture," is the source of the term "Paschim-ottan-asana."
Regarding a better understanding of yogic science,
"strong mental awareness" and "breathing" are two wonderful
aspects of yoga. The union of the body, mind, and soul is formed by the two
items requiring bodily postures. And things became more evident as I
investigated this more intellectually. I learned that each asana is distinctive.
Shiva introduced and brought 8400000 asanas, however after filtering, we were
only given 32 asanas out of the 84 lakhs. This demonstrates how these
poses impart to them the power and importance of these 84 lakh poses. One such pose is this one, Pashimottanasana.
"Curving Back Within Myself, I create Again and Again" - The Bhagavat Gita
Anatomy of Paschimottanasana -
Gravity is a crucial factor in this asana. While the body escapes the restrictions of gravity when bending backwards, when bending forward, gravity supports the body. Since the entire back region of the body is extended in this seated forward bend, gravity's pulling power helps to stretch the targeted muscle area, which also relieves stress and pain. In other words, it stretches the entire back, from top to bottom. The most significant advantage of this pose is revealed in this claim, which is that it promotes height gain. This pose should be taught to kids so they can grow adequate height in addition to the numerous other advantages detailed in the following paragraphs.
Again,
the physiology of this asana is such that when we bend forward, the lungs
compress, which causes exhalation to occur and also separates the vertebra. The
neurons stimulated by this split vertebra promote circulation around the spine
and support the spinal code. Along with the lungs, other vital internal organs
including the kidneys, pancreas, and intestines also receive massages when the
lungs are compressed.
"This Asana allows our body to be like a fetus in the womb, like mother nourishes the baby for the growth and vitality, we bow to mother nature to take care of ourselves in the same manner.". - Tanmay Bhati
A constant network of muscle and fascia runs along
the back of the human body. This pose stretches and massages the entire body,
including the "plantar fascia" in the feet and the scalp fascia in
the head.
It is stated that a skilled Paschimottanasana
practitioner can hear "Anahat Naad."
You could physically feel that it's a little
challenging to straighten the knees in one of the anatomical components of
Paschimottanasana. When I first started practising, I was studying the same
subject and encountered the same resistance. But I've also come to a judgement
on the anatomical structure of the muscle there. Touch the soft lobe of muscle
which is the hamstring muscles, which are located right behind your knee at the
rear of your leg. The entire physiology now revolves on this. The hamstring
muscle is sometimes referred to as a "multi-joint muscle" since it
consists of essentially three different types of muscles that are joined
together.
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| Anatomy of Seated Forward Bending Asana |
Step-by-step approach -
First, sit with your spine straight in Staff Pose,
also known as Dandasana.
Second, take a big breath in and gently exhale as
you bend forward while holding your thumb (or, if more comfortable, your thumb,
index, and middle finger).
Third - With the same exhale, move closer to your
knees and try to contact them as much as you can with the top of your head.
Fourth, while bending forward, draw your belly
button.
Fifth, aim to gently touch your elbow to the ground
as you take your final step.
Sixth, for novices, hold in this position for 5 to
10 seconds at first since you are not a regular practitioner and this much
bending is initially beyond of your reach due to a stiff spine, as illustrated
in the image. However, if you do it
consistently, you should see some improvement in your flexibility and range of
motion within a week or so.
Seventh, take a deep breath in and descend to your
last pose, Dandasana (Staff pose).
Eighth, exhale and unwind while remaining mindful
of the changes taking place within you.
Awareness -
Yoga asanas' most crucial component is awareness.
Consciousness arises from awareness. The Swadhisthana (Sacral Chakra), which is
connected to sensuality, passion, the emotional body, and creativity, is
activated by Paschimottanasana. Your focus should therefore be focused on this
Chakra. It is located around two inches in and two inches below the navel. When
executing an asana, we can direct our mind on the parts that feel stretched.
The basic goal is to detect subtle changes in the body that are occurring.
Breathing -
Start by inhaling, then gently exhale while bending
forward. Exhale slowly and deeply while bringing the trunk closer to the knees
with the aid of the arms. Inhale while standing still. As you assume the final
position as illustrated in the image above, keep your breathing calm and
steady. Finally, when you come out of this pose and resume your normal
breathing, take a slow breath in.
Counter pose Asanas
The goal of the counter poses is to restore
equilibrium to the body, particularly to the pelvis and spine, and to
counteract the effects of a particular asana. Backwards-bending poses like setu
bandhasana, matsyasana, bhujangasana, and chakrasana should be used as a
counterbalance to the asana.
From the research point of view -
According to one study on Paschimottanasana, daily practice of this pose and Kapalbhati, together with dietary limitations, is more effective at lowering obesity. Dr Ravi Shukla and Sangeeta Gehlot from UP, India, conducted this study in which 60 subjects were interviewed and their anthropometric measurements, including weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, body fat percentage, and visceral fat percentage, were recorded.
All I need to say is to practise regularly and to the best of your ability. Do not exert all of your might at once. Increase your practice timing gradually. If you were to ask me how long I should hold that position, I would respond that it entirely depended on your level of practice. During my visit to a world record event in Jaipur, I saw a student or experienced yoga practitioner, maybe 8 or 9 years old, set a world record by remaining motionless in Paschimottanasana for around 1.5 hours. Our party was taken aback by his calmness and the fact that he barely moved the entire time.
Many people have been able to practise asanas for
much longer; it all depends on your commitment and dedication. The two most
potent soldiers are patience and time, just as Leo Tolstoy said. You will
discover your way out if you move forward patiently and persistently.
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17. Pranayama form Heart and Related Research.
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19. Awareness is the key: how consciously we deal with yogic practices to increase awareness.
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