‘Nirlamba’ means unsupported,’ paschimottanasna’ which in turn means back stretching pose. Hence this pose requires a very flexible spine. Before trying this pose one should master ‘paschimottanasana’.
Organising the Pose:-
1. Sit in ‘dandasana’ with the feet together and legs stretched.
2. Bend the knees and bring them to the chest, keeping the feet flat on the floor.
3. Grasp the soles of the feet.
4. Relax the whole body, take in a deep breath, focus on a fixed point.
5. Lean back slightly, onto the coccyx, engage the core muscles and lift the feet off the floor.
6. Slowly raise the feet and straighten the knees, balance on the buttocks.
7. Pulling the arms back, draw the knees towards the head. Relax the back as much as possible in the final position.
8. Try not to strain and hold the position for as long as is possible.
9. Maintaining the balance slowly bend the knees and lower the feet to the floor. Stretch the legs forward and relax the body.
DOs:
-Do relax the muscles in the back while stretching the limbs.
-Maintain the balance by keeping the eye gaze fixed to a point in front of you.
DON’Ts:
-Don’t practise this pose if you have slipped disc, sciatica, high blood pressure, sacral infections or heart disease.
-Don’t practise in the later stages of pregnancy.
BENEFITS:
-Stretches the hamstrings and hips
-Tones and massages the entire abdominal and pelvic region.
-Improves the sense of balance.
-Calms the mind and improves focus. Hence this pose has similar benefits as Paschimottanasana and in addition helps to balance the nervous system.
Namaste!
Neelanjana Bharadwaj– Yoga Expert