Gorakshasana

 Gorakshasana was used as a meditative pose by the yogi Gorakhnath. To perform this asana, the practitioner needs lot of flexibility of the legs muscles. It may take months to loosen the leg muscles to achieve the final pose.

How to do Gorakshasana (Yogi Gorakhnath’s Pose)?

1. Sit on the floor in a comfortable position.
2. Fold both the legs and bring the feet together with your hands. The soles of both feet should be touching each other.
3. Place both the hands in front on the floor and lift your buttocks up. Sit on top of both your feet.
4. Place your hands on the knees.
5. Make your trunk, head and neck straight and look straight ahead.
6. Sit in this position for as long as you are comfortable.
7. Nasikagra drishti or the nose-tip gazing can be practiced in this pose.

 

There is an advanced form of Gorakshasana (as shown in the figure) where the heels of the feet are brought to the front and kept near the navel. The toes touch the ground and support part of the body weight. The knees too touch the floor. Bring the hands closer, cross the wrists and touch the heels with the fingers. The right fingers should be over the left heel and the left fingers over the right heel. This is a difficult asana and needs extreme flexibility of the leg muscles. The muscles should be stretched slowly over a period of months to achieve this final pose.

Those suffering from sciatica and problems of the lower spine should avoid this asana. Please consult a qualified yoga instructor for learning the advanced version.

Benefits of Gorakshasana (Yogi Gorakhnath’s Pose)

1. Gorakshasana make the legs and feet extremely flexible.
2. It helps to awaken the kundalini Shakti
3. It can relieve piles and urinary disorders
4. It tones the reproductive system.