VAJRASANA & BENEFITS

V A J R A S A N A

(The Adamantine Pose)

Those who sit in this asana have a steady, firm pose. They cannot be easily shaken. The knees are rendered very hard. The spinal column becomes firm and strong. This asana resembles more or less the namaz pose in which the Muslims sit for prayer.

Technique:

Sit back on the heels with the soles of the feet on both sides of the anus. The part from the toes to the knee should touch the ground. The whole burden of the body is put on the knees and ankles. In the beginning of practice you may feel a slight pain in the knee and ankle joints, but it passes off very quickly. You can use a little Iodex or Amritanjan for rubbing. After fixing the feet and the knees, put both the hands straight on the knees. Keep the knees quite close. Sir like this, keeping the trunk, neck and head in one straight line. This is the most common asana. You can sit in this for a very long time comfortably. Yogis generally sit in this asana.

Benefits:

If you sit in this asana for about half an hour immediately after food, the food will be digested well. Dyspeptics will derive much benefit. The nerves and muscles of the legs and thighs are strengthened. Myalgia in the knees, legs, toes and thighs disappears. Sciatica vanishes. Flatulence is removed. The stomach works vigorously. The practice of vajrasana exercises a stimulating, beneficial influence on the *kanda, which is situated above the anus and from which the 72,000 nadis spring.

VARIETIES

• Some people will keep the heels quite separate, while the anus and the buttocks are kept between the two heels and the legs by the side of the two thighs.
• ARDHA KURMASANA: Sit in vajrasana and stretch your hands to your face level, and slowly bend forward so that the chest rests on the thighs and the face is on the ground, hands touching the ground.
• MANDUKASANA (Frog Pose): Take the feet towards the back. Let the toes touch each other. Spread the knees apart. Keep the hands on the knees. This is called mandukasana.
• PARVATASANA: Sit in vajrasana posture. Raise your body and bring the hands above your head very slowly. This is called parvatasana. A better variety of parvatasana is described elsewhere.
• ANANDA MANDIRASANA: Sit in vajrasana and catch hold of the heels with the two hands.
• ANGUSHTHASANA: This is an important asana for keeping up brahmacharya. While sitting in vajrasana slowly raise you knees.
• SUPTA VAJRASANA: This is sleeping pose and vajrasana combined. It is sometimes called ardha savasana. First you must be perfect in doing vajrasana.

Then you can take to this asana. More strain and force come to the knees in this asana than in vajrasana. Sit in vajrasana and then lie down on the back. Make a finger-lock. Allow the head to rest on the palms, or, you can place the arms alongside the body. In the beginning the entire portion of the back may not touch the ground. The lower portion will remain raised up. With a few days’ practice you will be able to do this asana quite satisfactorily.

In this you will get all the advantages of vajrasana. Hunchback is removed as the spine is bent backwards. The spine gets elastic also. He who does this asana will find it easy to do chakrasana.