Bharadvajasana (Bharadvaja’s Twist) : Introduction, Steps, Benefits, Precautions, Expert Tips & Alterations

What You Should Know Before You Do Bharadvajasana Asana?

Clear yourselves from all the urges. Make sure that your stomach and bowels are empty before you practice Bharadvajasana asana. Take your meals before four to six hours of doing this asana so that your food gets digested and there is enough energy for you to spend during the practice.

It is best to practice this pose first while doing the yoga. If you cannot practice yoga in the morning, it can be practiced it in the evening.

• Yogasana Level –  Easy
• Yogasana Style – Hip opener, Seated, Twist (Hatha yoga)
• Yogasana Repetitions – once on each side
• Yogasana Strengthens – Lower back
• Yogasana Stretches – Vertebral column, Hip, Shoulder

Effect of Bharadvajasana Asana on tri dosha

• This pose helps to improve the digestion by massaging the abdominal organs. Therefore, it helps to balance samana vata, pachaka pitta and kaledaka kapha. This pose relieves stress and it is therefore helpful in balancing prana vata, vyana vata, sadhaka pitta and tarpaka kapha.

How To Do Bharadvajasana Yoga Posture/Asana?

1. Sit with straight back and stretched legs in front of you on the floor. Put your arms close to the body adjacent to the hips.
2. Now bend your knees and bring them close to your left hip, in such a way that you right buttocks carries the weight of the whole body. Now place inner side of your left ankle on the arch of your right thigh.
3. Inhale and stretch your spine, stretching as much as you can do. Twist the upper trunk within your capacity and exhale. Now place your right hand on the floor, and your left hand on the right outer thigh.
4. Make sure that your hip of the left side presses your body weight down on the floor.
5. Slightly bend the trunk and twist around your backbone, so that you feel the effect from the lower back to the tip of the head.
6. Keep your spine stretched so as you intensify your twist every time you exhale.
7. Turn your head in the direction to look over your right shoulder. Hold the pose for at least one minute.
8. Exhale and gently untwist your upper body and come back to the centre. Take a breath and repeat the pose alternatively.

Benefits of Bharadvajasana Yoga Posture/Asana?

• It gives the spine, hips and shoulders a good stretch.
• It massages the abdominal organs.
• Digestion is improved, and so is metabolism.
• This asana relieves neck pain, lower back pain and sciatica.
• It also helps to reduces anxiety and stress.
• This asana is good for pregnant ladies in second trimester which helps to strengthen the lower back. But it should be done only after consulting a doctor, and under the expert supervision.
• This asana can practiced in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Contraindications And Precautions?

• Diarrhoea
• Headache
• High blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Low blood pressure
• Menstruation

Science Behind Bharadvajasana Posture/Asana?

• This gentle twisting of the spine, rejuvenates it and the muscles in the body while soothing the nervous system. If this pose is practiced regularly, it has a calming effect on the body.This is smilar to all twist, It helps to releases the contraction in the musculature andvconnective tissues. It also helps to improves the physical processes. The functioning of the spleen, liver, digestive system, and kidneys, the excretory system is improved. This pose built an equalizing force in the abdomen which is also known as the Samana this is one of the 10 pranas in the body. It is supposed to give rise to assimilative capacity and helps to remove the physical and mental stillness.

Beginners Tips for Bharadvajasana Posture/Asana?

• If you tilt adjecent the twisting-side buttock (which compresses the lower back), elevate it up on a thick folded blanket. Purposely sink both sitting bones toward the floor.

Advanced Pose Alterations

• One can use their arms to intensify your stretch.
• Exhale while swing your right arm around, when you twist to your right your right arm should come behind you.
• Then, try and clasp your left elbow with your right hand. You can use a strap if you cannot get this position right initially.
• Turn your left arm outwards in such a way so that your palm should faces away from the knees. Slip your hand under the right knee, placing your palms on the floor.
• Repeat this hand movement alternatively.

Related Yoga Poses/Asanas –

1. Baddha konasana
2. Supta padangusthasana
3. Utthita trikonasana
4. Virabhadrasana 2
5. Virasana
6. Vrksasana
7. Uttanasana
8. Paschimottanasana
9. Janu sirsasana

Reference:-

https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/seated-twist-asana-how-to-do-and-what-are-its-benefits/

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-mythology-behind-bharadvajasana-sages-twist

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/bharadvaja-s-twist/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharadvajasana