Health Benefits of vajrasana

Yoga is part of our life. Vajrasana is a popular yogasana, to strengthen our body and focus our mind.

It is also known as :

• Thunderbolt Pose
• Diamond Pose
• Adamantine Pose

Health Benefits of Performing Vajrasana Every day Are:

1. Good for our Digestive System:

Performing vajrasana helps our digestive system in many ways. It obstructs blood flow to our legs and thighs and increases it in our stomach area, thus improving our bowel movements and relieving constipation.

Vajrasana also helps us to get rid of flatulence (gas) and acidity. It ensures better absorption of nutrients by our body.

Normally any kind of exercise or yoga is usually not performed immediately after having meals. But it is good to perform Vajrasana after meals since it helps indigestion.

2. Relieves Low Back Pain:

Performing Vajrasana helps to strengthen our lower back muscles, thus providing relief from occasional pain and discomfort.

It also helps to relieve pain caused by sciatica.

3. Relieves Rheumatic Pain:

Performing Vajrasana helps to increase the flexibility of thigh and foot muscles and also the muscles around our hip, knees and ankles. This helps to relieve rheumatic pain in these areas due to stiffness.

Vajrasana also helps in reducing heel pain caused due to calcaneal spurs and pain due to gout.

4. Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles:

Performing Vajrasana increases blood circulation in the pelvis and strengthens our pelvic floor muscles.

It is thus useful for women suffering from stress urinary incontinence. It also helps to ease out labour pains and menstrual cramps.

5. Calm Our Mind:

Vajrasana is a good asana to practice meditation. Performing breathing exercises in this pose help to calm our mind and benefits us emotionally.

Vajrasana reduces stress, improves concentration and keeps depression and anxiety away.

6. Treatment of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension):

Vajrasana helps to reduce stress, blood pressure levels and thus protects us from various cardiovascular disorders.

7. Improves Sleep:

Performing Vajrasana calms us and reduces stress and anxiety. It thus helps us in getting a good night sleep.

8. Reduces Obesity:

Vajrasana boosts our digestion and helps to reduce belly fat. It is found to be effective in reducing BMI (Body Mass Index) and Obesity.

How to perform Vajrasana?

• Start with the kneeling down position. You can sit on a yoga mat for comfort.
• Then gently sit back on your legs, taking the weight off your knees.
• Keep a gap of four fingers between the knees and sit erect with buttocks resting on your heels. Thighs of both the legs should rest on both the calves respectively and the big toe of both the feet should touch each other.
• Place your hands on your knees, keep your back straight and look straight with your gaze forward, head straight and chin parallel to the ground.
• Concentrate on your breathing as you slowly inhale and exhale air, in and out of your lungs.
• Try to remain in this position for 5 to 10 minutes. You can gradually increase the time to around 30 minutes per day.

Precautions & Contraindications:

• Avoid performing vajrasana if you are suffering from knee pain due to any underlying medical condition or have recently undergone knee surgery.
• Pregnant women can perform vajrasana but they should keep more gap between their knees, so as to avoid putting pressure on their abdomen.
• People with hernia and problems related to intestines should perform vajrasana only under the guidance of an expert yoga instructor.
• People with problems related to back like disc prolapse (slip disc) should avoid performing this asana.
• People with stiffness or any other problem of the foot, ankle and knees should avoid performing vajrasana.