Vajrasana (yoga)
Vajrasana (/vədʒˈrɑːs[invalid input: 'ɨ']n[invalid input: 'ɨ']/; IAST: vajrāsana), "vajra Pose", is a sitting asana in yoga. It is a kneeling position sitting on the heels. A person need not be sitting in an erect position to do it.
Etymology
The name comes from the Sanskrit words vajra meaning "thunderbolt" or "diamond like",[1] and asana (आसन, āsana) meaning "posture" or "seat".[2]
Description
The practitioner sits on the heels with the calves beneath the thighs. There is a four finger gap between the knee-caps, and the first toe of both the feet touch each other and sit erect.
Benefits
This asana helps in digestive issues like constipation.[3] It also strengthens the muscles of the legs[4] and back.[5]
Contraindications and cautions
Some orthopaedic surgeons claim Vajrasana may be harmful to knees.[6]
It has also been linked to damage to the common fibular nerve resulting in foot drop, where dorsiflexion of the foot is compromised and the foot drags (the toe points) during walking; and in sensory loss to the dorsal surface of the foot and portions of the anterior, lower-lateral leg. In this context it has been called "yoga foot drop".[7][8]
See also
References
- ^ Budilovsky, Joan; Adamson, Eve (2000). The complete idiot's guide to yoga (2 ed.). Penguin. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-02-863970-3. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
- ^ Sinha, S.C. (1 June 1996). Dictionary of Philosophy. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. p. 18. ISBN 978-81-7041-293-9. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ "Yoga to relieve constipation". http://www.artofliving.org.
{{cite journal}}: External link in|journal= - ^ "Vajrasana (The adamantine pose)". http://sivanandaonline.org.
{{cite journal}}: External link in|journal= - ^ "Vajrasana, Diamond pose, thunderbolt pose". http://www.yogawiz.com. 9 November 2010.
{{cite journal}}: External link in|journal= - ^ Nelson, Dean (23 December 2010). "Yoga bad for your knees, Indian doctor warns". Telegraph. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
Many yoga gurus had suffered knee and joint problems from performing the 'vajrasana' posture [...]
- ^ Joseph Chusid (9 August 1971). "Yoga Foot Drop". JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association. 271 (6): 827–828. doi:10.1001/jama.1971.03190060065025. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ William J. Broad (5 January 2012). "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
Further reading
- Iyengar, B. K. S. (1 October 2005). Illustrated Light On Yoga. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-81-7223-606-9. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- Saraswati, Swami Janakananda (1 February 1992). Yoga, Tantra and Meditation in Daily Life. Weiser Books. ISBN 978-0-87728-768-1. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
- Saraswati, Swami Satyananda (1 August 2003). Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Nesma Books India. ISBN 978-81-86336-14-4. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- Saraswati, Swami Satyananda (January 2004). A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya. Nesma Books India. ISBN 978-81-85787-08-4. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
External links
- "Vajrasana". Retrieved 11 April 2011.
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