EKA PADA RAJAKAPOTASANA

STEPS :

1. Start in a seated position: Sit with your legs extended in front of you.

2. Bend the right knee and bring the right foot towards your groin: Place your right foot near your left thigh, keeping the right knee bent.

3. Extend the left leg back, keeping it straight: Extend the left leg back, keeping the knee straight and the foot pointed.

4. Find your balance: Adjust your seated position to find a stable base, ensuring your hips are square and your spine is long.

5. Engage your core: Engage your core muscles to stabilize your body and protect your lower back.

6. Backbend and Reach – Bend your left knee, bringing your foot toward your back, and reach back with your left hand to grasp your foot or ankle.

7. Full Expression – If possible, bring both hands overhead to grasp the foot, arching the back and lifting the chest.

8. Hold and Breathe – Stay in the pose for several breaths before gently releasing and switching sides

BENEFITS :

Physical Benefits:

1. Deep Hip Opener: Stretches the hip flexors, glutes, and outer thighs, improving mobility and flexibility.

2. Spinal Flexibility & Strength: The backbend component strengthens and lengthens the spine.

3. Quadriceps & Psoas Stretch: Opens the front of the extended leg, helping relieve tightness from prolonged sitting.

4. Chest & Shoulder Opener: The full variation expands the chest and shoulders, counteracting poor posture.

5. Sciatic & Lower Back Pain Relief: By stretching the piriformis muscle, it may alleviate sciatica discomfort.

Mental & Emotional Benefits:

1. Stress & Tension Release: Since emotions are often stored in the hips, this pose can help release emotional blockages.

2. Encourages Patience & Stillness: Holding the pose requires relaxation and breath control, promoting mindfulness.

3. Enhances Focus & Mental Clarity: The balance and flexibility challenge improve concentration.

Energetic & Chakra Benefits:

1. Sacral Chakra Activation: Helps with emotional balance, creativity, and sensuality.

2. Heart Chakra Opening: Encourages self-love, compassion, and emotional healing.

3. Improves Prana Flow: Opens energy pathways, revitalizing the body and mind.

CLINICAL IMPORTANCE :

1. Hip Flexibility & Mobility: Stretches the hip flexors, external rotators, and gluteal muscles, beneficial for individuals with tight hips due to prolonged sitting or running.

2. Spinal Health: Enhances spinal extension, improving posture and reducing the risk of kyphosis.

3. Sciatica Relief: Helps alleviate sciatic nerve compression by stretching the piriformis muscle, reducing sciatic pain.

4. Postural Correction: Helps counteract the effects of prolonged sitting by opening the hip flexors and strengthening the lower back.

5. Knee and Hip Joint Therapy: Useful in physical therapy for hip osteoarthritis or mild knee stiffness (with modifications).

6. Stress & Anxiety Reduction: Stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing cortisol levels.

7. Improved Mind-Body Connection: Enhances proprioception and balance, aiding in neuromuscular re-education in post-injury rehab.

8. Improved Blood Flow: Enhances circulation to the lower body, reducing the risk of varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

9. Digestive Stimulation: The compression on the abdomen may aid in improving digestion by stimulating the intestines.