Bhujapidasana
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Bhujapidasana (Sanskrit: भुजपीडासन; IAST: Bhujapīḍāsana) or Shoulder pressing posture[1] is a hand-balancing asana in modern yoga as exercise.[2] A variant pose, Eka Hasta Bhujasana, has one leg stretched out straight forwards.
Etymology and origins
The name of this asana comes from Bhuja (Sanskrit: भुज) meaning "arm" or "shoulder", Pīḍa (Sanskrit: पीडा) meaning "pressure" [2] and Asana (Sanskrit: आसन) meaning "posture" or "seat".[3]
The pose is described in the 20th century in Krishnamacharya's 1935 Yoga Makaranda, and it was taken up by his pupils Pattabhi Jois in his Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and B. K. S. Iyengar in his Light on Yoga.[4][2]
Description
Bhujapidasana is an arm supported asana in which the base of support are the palms of the hands. It requires both balance and strength to maintain.[2]
Variations
Eka Hasta Bhujasana or Elephant's Trunk Pose has one leg stretched out straight forwards, between the supporting arms.[5]
Claims
Twentieth century advocates of some schools of yoga, such as B. K. S. Iyengar, made claims for the effects of yoga on specific organs, without adducing any evidence.[6][7] Iyengar claimed that this pose strengthened the hands, wrists, and abdominal muscles, and made the body "feel light".[8]
See also
- Bakasana – a similar hand balancing pose, with the shins resting on the upper arms
References
- ^ YJ Editors (7 May 2008). "Shoulder-pressing posture". Yoga Journal.
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(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d Iyengar, B. K. S. (1979) [1966]. Light on Yoga. Schocken. pp. 280–282. ISBN 0-8052-1031-8.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Sinha, S. C. (1996). Dictionary of Philosophy. Anmol Publications. p. 18. ISBN 978-81-7041-293-9.
- ^ Sjoman, Norman E. (1999) [1996]. The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace. Abhinav Publications. pp. 100, 102. ISBN 81-7017-389-2.
- ^ YJ Editors (30 August 2010). "Challenge Pose: Eka Hasta Bhujasana". Yoga Journal. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
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has generic name (help) - ^ Newcombe 2019, pp. 203–227, Chapter "Yoga as Therapy".
- ^ Jain 2015, pp. 82–83.
- ^ Iyengar 1979, p. 282.
Sources
- Iyengar, B. K. S. (1979) [1966]. Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika. Unwin Paperbacks. ISBN 978-1855381667.
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(help) - Jain, Andrea (2015). Selling Yoga : from Counterculture to Pop culture. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-939024-3. OCLC 878953765.
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(help) - Newcombe, Suzanne (2019). Yoga in Britain: Stretching Spirituality and Educating Yogis. Bristol, England: Equinox Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78179-661-0.
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