KURMA ASANAA / TORTOISE POSE

An extension to Vistrita Pad asana is Kurma Asana/ Tortoise Pose. This is excellent in reducing extra fat from thighs and stretching the calf muscles, opening up shoulder and releasing the compression of lower back vertebrae.

Duration 10 to 30 Seconds

Procedure

• Spread the legs maximum distance apart.
• Bend the legs from knee joint.
• Slide your arms under the knee, back towards the hips.
• Try to touch the shoulders or forehead down to floor.

Benefits

Body/ Mind/ Pranic:

• Apart from reducing the stiffness of the lumbar, sacral, thoracic region, it tones up the digestive system, regulates the metabolism, makes the breathing smooth and free, reduces the hyperacidity and opens up the shoulder and hip joint.

Contraindications

• Do not perform Ardha Kurma Asana in case of menstruation, pregnancy, cervical.

Variation

• Ardha Kurma Asana, in which you sit back on your hips keeping hands stretched in front of you and forehead on floor. It is Z position of Surya Namaskaar -
• Sit back at your heels without changing the hand position keeping the knees and thighs together, forehead on the floor.
• From here, you may go to Vajrasana or diamond pose by the lifting head up, arms up and sitting in between the heels by rolling them out.
• Keep the legs together, both the hands on the side of the chest.
• Lift your head up.

Helps in

• Frozen hip/ shoulder, digestive disorders, asthma, compression of the lower back vertebrae, releasing mental tension, insomnia,(diabetes, indigestion-Ardha Kurma Asana).

Key Points

• Keep the foot on heel and legs externally rotated.
• Do not force to bend to bend down, go naturally as per the capacity of your body.
• Do not tense the shoulder and calves while in the Asana.
• In Ardha Kurma Asana - Keep the knees & thighs together,
• Do not rest the elbow down & Keep the hands completely stretched.