Recharge Yourself With This Posture
Yoga not only allows you to tone your muscles: there are also postures, like this one, that tone the adrenal glands that regulate the response to stress.
When stress seems to have used up a good part of the forces one has available and the body feels rigid with tension, a simple forward stretch can be practiced to activate the energy that, according to Chinese medicine, resides in the kidneys .
This posture is known in yoga as Paschimottanasana or “the pincer”. Paschima means “west”, since the back is considered to be the west side of the body, just as the front is the east. Utana means “to stretch”.
Benefits of “The clamp” (Paschimottanasana) for the body
Practicing this pose:
- You stretch the spine, especially the sacral region.
- You untwist your hamstrings, the muscles in the back of your thigh.
- You increase the blood flow in the spine, nourishing the nerve networks that start from it.
- Due to the stretching in the pelvic region, the supply of oxygenated blood to the area is greater, which benefits the reproductive organs and increases vitality.
- You work on the adrenal (or adrenal) glands, located just above and somewhat in front of the kidneys. This has a calming effect, as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
- You apply gentle pressure and massage to the abdominal organs, which tones them.
- It also relieves constipation, as it promotes digestion and evacuation.
Benefits of “The clamp” (Paschimottanasana) for the mind:
Yoga teacher BKS Iyengar explains in his book Light on Yoga that in this posture the heart is protected, below the spine.
This is how he receives a massage, like the back and the abdominal organs : “one and the other feel replenished and the mind rests.” It is therefore the optimal posture to take a breath and feel calm and safe while we regain the strength that we noticed was weakening.
How to perform the “pincer” pose
- Sit with your legs straight, your spine straight, and your abdomen firm.
- Inhale raising your arms and as you exhale, lean forward, keeping your arms next to your ears to make it easier to keep your back straight.
- When you can’t bend further without hunching your spine, lower your arms and put your hands on your shins, ankles, or feet.
- Stay in the position for four to eight breaths, relaxing your spine.
