Apānāsana (knees-to-chest pose) is simple, feels really great, and gives an abundance of benefits. Try it every morning as a warm up to your day or every evening before bed and see if it doesn’t make a difference in your life.Phonetic pronunciation: uh-pah-nah-suh-nuh [1]
apānā = vayu of lower abdomen
āsana = pose
In Sanskrit apānā means subtle energy that moves in abdominal area and controls elimination of waste products from the body. “Ayurvedic practitioners and yoga therapists often recommend this pose for the following conditions:
- Releases tension in the lower back. May be helpful for sciatic nerve pain.
- Stimulates peristalsis which helps to relieve constipation. [2]
- Author and yoga therapist Mukunda Stiles notes in his book, Structural Yoga Therapy, that holding this pose for 10 to 30 minutes may relieve back spasms.
- Often recommended for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).” [3]
Basic Instructions [4]
- Lie on your back with your head resting comfortably on the floor. Make sure your chin is not higher than your forehead. If you feel any strain in your neck, place a folded blanket or towel under your head.
- Bend both knees and bring them to your chest.
- Wrap your arms around both shins, grasping your forearms or wrists. Lightly squeeze your legs toward your chest.
- Gently roll from side to side and in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, massaging the lower back.
- For a variation, unfold your arms and place your hands on your knees. Part your knees slightly and make slow circles with them, massaging your hips and sacrum into the floor.
[1] Stick figure instructions, pronunciation, and translation provided by Mikelle Terson, Asana Learning Deck, http://www.yogablossom.com/
[2] Thus, often called the wind-relieving pose.
[3] http://www.the-yoga-place.com/kneestochest.html
[4] Slightly modified from Olivia H. Miller, Essential Yoga, an Illustrated Guide (Chronicle Books, 2003), p. 46.
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