In Parighasana, your body makes a shape like a gate with a crossbar formed by your trunk and outstretched arms. It stretches the side of the body and is an intense stretch.
Organising the Pose :-
1. Kneel on your mat with your knees together and arms by your side.
2. Breathe in and as you breathe out raise your arms to shoulder level, palms facing down and stretch them to your side while turning your right leg out extending it to the right pointing the foot out or forwards.
3. Keeping your arms straight and trunk forward, breathe in and as you breathe out bend your trunk to the right, from the hips until the back of your right hand touches your leg.
4. Move your left arm to the right until the upper arm lies over your left ear. Hold the stretch for 10 – 15 seconds.
5. Repeat steps 1-4. Return to step 1 and rest.
DO’S:
l Keep the top arm straight and touching the side of the ear for a deep stretch.
l Keep the thigh of the bent leg at right angles to the mat so the stretch is deeper in the side of the trunk.
DONT’S:
*Don’t let your top shoulder fall forward and keep the trunk facing forward.
BENEFITS:
l This pose is useful in toning the abdominals, improves circulation and increases flexibility of the spine.
l It stretches the muscles connecting to the ribs, increasing the capacity of the lungs for deep breathing.
Namaste!
Neelanjana Bharadwaj– Yoga Expert