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It is believed that willpower and gut feeling are two of the most mystical attributes of a human being, as these attributes have the power to make waves and change the fabric of reality of the individual who exerts it. If history is to be closely examined, these two traits have been responsible for some of the major events and revolutionary movements worldwide. Even when we speak about ourselves, we are certain that some of your life's most transformative and life-changing moments must have occurred when you have shown a certain degree of willpower and/or followed your intuition.
If there are times that you feel that you are running low on either of the aforementioned attributes, thankfully, there is a Yoga asana that can help you stay in tune with your gut feeling as well as build your willpower. The name of this particular Yoga asana is Astavakrasana, or the Eight Angle Pose.
Let's embark on a journey into the depths of Astavakrasana, exploring the benefits of Astavakrasana, unraveling a step-by-step guide on how to perform the Eight Angle Pose, delving into the anatomy of Astavakrasana, addressing important considerations regarding when to practice the Eight Angle Pose, and finally, addressing common questions and doubts that may arise along the yogic journey.
Astavakrasana, also referred to as Eight-Angle Pose, is a difficult arm balance that needs concentration, balance, flexibility, and strength. The lower body and the hamstrings are stretched out, while the upper body, core, and abdominals are strengthened in this yoga pose.
Therefore, this pose requires a significant amount of strength in the core, back, and arms to keep the body's sideways balance on the arms for even brief periods. This pose is, however, not everybody's cup of tea for it requires a great deal of strength in the abdominal areas as well as your arms, especially the shoulders.
While doing Astavakrasana also know as Eight Angle Pose, your body sits sideways on one arm at a time, with your arms bent in the manner of Chaturanga arms. This position is ideal for the development of a mind-to-muscle connection, and what's more, it also helps you tone the entire body.
Some of the most remarkable and noteworthy benefits of Astavakrasana are as follows:
Astavakrasana Activates Your Manipura Chakra: The Manipura Chakra is the third energy reserve/pathway in the human body that is associated with self-confidence, willpower, and gut feeling. Practicing this intricate pose activates the same and therefore makes the practitioner more intuitive, confident, and resilient in their endeavors over time.
Astavakrasana Strengthens Your Entire Body: Astavakrasana also know as Eight Angle Pose stretches and contracts the biceps, triceps, diaphragm, back, abdominal, core, psoas, pelvic floor, gluteus, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves. This is all to say that this Yoga asana benefits all parts of your body, starting from the near of your top right to the bottom.
Astavakrasana Improves Energy and Endurance Levels: This intricate Yoga asana builds endurance by staying close to the ground without actually touching it. In such a situation, maintaining balance can be hard and requires stamina. However, with time and practice, this pose will become easier on your body, courtesy of the increased endurance and stamina levels that have developed over time.
Astavakrasana Improves Awareness and Focus: By ignoring the limits and focusing on the finer details of this Eight-Angle Pose, the practice can be done with full awareness and balance. While performing this pose, the focus is on the core and abdominal strength while breathing to stand up. This kind of focus and awareness lets the practitioners twist their torso and lengthen their lower limbs while in the process.
Astavakrasana Improves Balance And Stability: Astavakrasana also know as Eight Angle Pose can be mastered with awareness of body and mind stability. Mind and body work together to maintain balance without distractions, therefore it makes Astavakrasana an excellent way to improve physical and mental equilibrium.
Astavakrasana Tones and Lengthens The Body: This intricate yet very rewarding position tones the abdominal muscles, legs, arms, buttocks, hips, and sides of the back. With a toned body, the spine can be lengthened while keeping its shape, therefore reducing the risk of any posture-related ailments in the future.
The Astavakrasana also know as Eight Angle Pose is a yoga pose that requires a considerable amount of physical strength and flexibility. In other words, only advanced-level Yogis or those on the intermediate level for a substantial amount of time can execute the Astavakrasana with relative ease. If you feel confident enough to do the Astavakrasana, follow the step-by-step guide below to the tee to do it right.
Astavakrasana Step 1: Sit down on your mat in Dandasana.
Astavakrasana Step 2: Bend one of your legs at an acute angle and make sure that the sole of the feet of your respective leg is firmly planted on the ground.
Astavakrasana Step 3: Take your opposing hand and wrap your palm around the exposed side of your feet. Comfortably grab on to continue.
Astavakrasana Step 4: Lower the shoulder corresponding to the leg you raised in Step 2. Simultaneously, raise that very same leg high enough for you to be able to rest the posterior side of your corresponding knee on top of your shoulder. Finish this step by planting both your palms firmly by your side.
Astavakrasana Step 5: Lift your entire body with the help of your planted arms. Extend the other leg further to cause a pull in its muscles. Take a quick moment to feel the stretch in almost every single muscle of your body and then bend your straight leg in a way that its heel ends up resting comfortably atop the other feet. Complete this step by stretching your feet as much as you can to create a hook.
Astavakrasana Step 6: Extend your legs even further in a particular direction and lock your arm between your inner thighs. If you raise your right leg in step 2, go right and vice-versa.
Astavakrasana Step 7: Bend your elbows to form a 90-degree angle between your upper and lower arms. As a result, your torso will become parallel to the ground.
Astavakrasana Step 8: Complete one repetition of this pose by bending your head either to the side of your legs or bending it in such a way that you are looking straight ahead.
You can practice the Astavakrasana either in the morning or the evening, depending on your schedule, although experts recommend that you do the same in the morning and in an open space to absorb some Vitamin D while you are at it. Irrespective of the time of the day, you should maintain an empty stomach and bladder to avoid any kind of unnecessary pressure on either your gut or the pelvic region.
Given that the Astavakrasana also know as Eight Angle Pose is a fairly complicated pose that engages multiple parts of the body, there are several scenarios under which you should either completely avoid the Astavakrasana or get a second opinion from a certified medical professional and/or a trained Yogi. Some of the major ones are as follows:
Note: Although you should preferably avoid the pose if you find yourself in any of the situations mentioned above, it can differ from case to case and depend on the extent of the injury and the amount of time passed since the incident that caused the same.
An anatomical exploration of Astavakrasana reveals its several fascinating intricacies, which reveal the numerous body parts it leaves its positive impact on. It is as follows:
As soon as you sit in Dandasana, you are letting all the muscles in your legs go into a relaxed mode. It will perhaps behoove you to sit for a couple of seconds like that before going further.
Now comes the first challenging part of Astavakrasana, wherein you will have to hinge your right leg atop your shoulder. When doing so, you activate all of the muscles that exist on the posterior side of your legs, starting from your gluteus muscles to your hamstrings and then onto your calves.
Next, you will need to plant your palms firmly on the ground and use the strength of your shoulders to lift your entire body. This will put a significant amount of stress on your trapezius (The muscles between your shoulders and your neck), your deltoids (Shoulder muscles), your arms (both your biceps and triceps), and your Flexor group of muscles (Forearms). Additionally, since you will also be using your hips in the process as well, you will feel a significant amount of pressure there too.
Now comes the second most intricate part of the pose, which is making the Eight Angle of the Eight Angle Pose. Here, you will need to cross over the heel of your straightened leg over to that of the leg that is hinged on your shoulder. This is where the muscles will get activated. At this point, you will feel the pressure build up nearly all over a body, which is really a prelude of what is to come.
And now comes the final pose, which activates all your muscles and produces the desired effects one expects from Astavakrasana if practiced over time. Here, you will have to create a hook with your feet, extend your legs as far towards the right as you comfortably can, and then you will have to bend your elbows to make your torso parallel to the ground. This is the final Astavakrasana pose, and in this case, you will feel a great deal of pressure on your triceps, shoulders and upper back. Simultaneously, you will feel a stretching sensation in your legs. And finally, you will also feel your core coming into play as well.
Why Is It Called Astavakrasana?
The name Astavakrasana comes from Sanskrit. This name can be broken down into three parts, all of which have their own meaning. You will find the breakdown below:
Asta: Eight
Vakra: Angle, and
Asana: Pose/Posture
Interestingly, the name also has its roots in Indian mythology as it is believed that the name of the yoga pose was inspired from the the tale of Sage Ashtavakra.
What Are The Techniques Of Astavakrasana?
Some of the alternative techniques of Astavakrasana are as follows:
The Plank Pose: This is one of the simplest forms of Astavakrasana that is in fact done by a lot of people who want to work on their core muscles. In this case, all one needs to do is lift your torso while planting your palms firmly on the ground and keeping your arms straight, while simultaneously taking the support of the fingers in your feet to keep the lower half in the air.
Forearm Plank Pose: In this scenario, the upper body is supported by the forearms. It is done by those who will find the above method of doing the same challenging. Everything else remains the same.
Plank Pose With Bent Knees: This too is a variation of the standard plank pose. Everything else remains the same, with the only exception being that the practitioner keeps their knees bent to a sizable degree. This variation is done by those who would find it difficult to keep their legs straight as is directed in the case of the standard plank pose.
Plank Pose With Knee To Elbow: This is a slightly challenging version of the Plank Pose and it is done by those who would like to up the ante a little bit. In this iteration of Astavakrasana, the practitioner gets their knee as close to the corresponding elbow as they comfortably can. This executed one knee at a time and once the practitioner has done the same with both their knees, it can be said that he/she has completed one repetition of the same.
Plank Pose With Knee To Ground: In this version, the practitioner uses his/her knees to support the lower body. This version should be avoided by those who have recently injured their knees and/or have had them operated on.
How Can One Get Better At Astavakrasana?
You can get better at Astavakrasana with practice, patience, and perseverance.
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