Bhadrasana: Benefits, Steps, and Precautions – A Complete Guide

Bhadrasana is also known as “Baddha Konasana”. The name comes from the Sanskrit words Buddha, meaning “bound,” Koṇa, meaning “angle”, and Asana, meaning “posture” or “seat.” So, the whole meaning of this asana is “angle pose.”

Yogi Swatmarama, the author of Hatha Yoga Pradeepika, cites four main asanas for meditation. Bhadrasana is one of the fourth asanas. It is ideal for long periods of sitting. The text also mentions Bhadrasanaasna, the “destroyer of diseases,” and says it helps relieve fatigue.

The Bhadrasana yoga pose brings the Muladhara, or Root Chakra, to life. This comfortable seated yoga position can be held for extended periods. The pose’s defining characteristic is a comprehensive extension of the spine and the relaxed way it allows the shoulders to drop down.

This Angle pose yoga naturally brings groundedness and calmness. Its alliance with the Root Chakra suggests a connection with the Earth.

Importance of Bhadrasana

Bhadrasana is a significant pose in yoga due to its numerous benefits for physical and mental wellness. This seated asana promotes abdominal organs and improves digestion.

Bhadrasanacan (the gracious pose) is extremely helpful for women by supporting them during pregnancy, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, and preparing their bodies for childbirth. According to yoga philosophy, this pose stimulates energy flow in the pelvic area, providing balance and vitality. Also, with the daily practice of this asana, the menstrual cycle becomes regular.

Bhadrasana yoga enhances flexibility and mobility by stretching the hip joints. This asana is specifically helpful for people with inactive daily routines.

Preparation for the Bhadrasana

Before starting the asana, we recommend you follow a few preparation steps:

• Sit on a mat with legs stretched onward, toes jointly, and pointing upwards.
• Hands relax beside the body, palms on the carpet.
• Maintain the neck straight forward, upper body along, and chin slightly drawn.

Key Tips for Angle Pose Yoga

Here are a few key tips to keep in mind while performing the angle pose yoga:

• While performing the Angle pose yoga, focus on controlled, deep breathing throughout the practice.
• Execute Bhadrasana on an empty stomach for optimal comfort.
• Try to avoid forcing the knees down. Let them slowly fall with each breath.

Bhadrasana Procedure

Know to follow the Bhadrasana steps to perform correctly:-

1. Start to inhale for almost 3 seconds and pull both legs close to the body.
2. Keep your legs touching the floor with your knees bent outward. The feet of souls should touch each other.
3. Hold the toes of the feet. With your hands and the toes pointing outward, bring your feet close to the genital area and let the heels touch the perineum.
4. The legs should rest on the ground, touching the floor. This will initially require some flexibility.
5. Keep the spine straight and relax the trunk, especially the shoulders.
6. Place your hands on the knees gently, keeping the upper body and neck erect.
7. Exhale for 3 seconds and repeat the starting position by slowly stretching the legs.
8. Breathing can be slow and rhythmic. Practice the final pose with breath awareness at the nose tip for physical benefits. For spiritual benefits, one may also practice awareness of the Mooladhara chakra.

Advised Practice:

• Repeat it for 3-4 rounds per session, or take breaks.
• If you are a beginner, you can maintain the pose for 1 minute, slowly increasing time as you feel comfortable.
• While performing the asana, gently release the posture if you feel discomfort or numbness.
• Those who hold this posture for a more extended period can be beneficial. 

Bhadrasana Benefits

Bhadrasana proposes multiple physical, mental, and spiritual benefits to well-being. Let’s explore each benefit in detail.

1. Vitalizes the System: Bhadrasana is a remedy therapy for exhaustion. After an exhaustive day, sit in Bhadrasana for a few minutes to holistically energize your body, mind, and soul. This asana inherently rejuvenates the body and makes you feel fresh.

2.  Leg flexibility: Regularly practicing butterfly poses will increase your leg flexibility. Bhadrasana helps improve the pliancy of leg muscles, including quadriceps, hamstrings, thighs, and more. Even many martial artists’ stretching sequences combine Bhadrasana in various forms. 

3. Healthy Back: Bhadrasana stretches the spine during posture, helping restore its natural curve and alleviating a backache. This angle pose yoga can benefit people with lethargic jobs by keeping their backs healthy.

4. Stomach Health Problems: This asana is designed to be a natural and safe method for treating acidity, constipation, and several stomach problems. It enhances the practitioners’ digestive process and keeps them in check on stomach health.

5. Inner Calm and Stability: This is a meditative posture, so its practice calms the brain. The warm pose relieves hyper-mental activity and allows the mind to relax. The pranic energy of this asana is directed upwards, which grants yogis a healthy body and mind.

6. Increase Confidence and Stability: This Asana helps activate the Muladhara Chakra at the bottom of the spine. According to Yoga Muladhara, this Chakra encourages feelings of safety, inner stability, and confidence. It forms the basis of our spiritual development. Through it, we obtain nourishment and improvement toward self-realization.

7. Spiritual Benefits: Yogis who have practiced angle pose yoga for many years reap spiritual advantages. The Hatha Yoga Pradipka suggests this asana as one of the excellent asanas for practicing Dhyana(meditation).

8. Suitable for beginners: Angle Pose Yoga is the simplest yoga asana, making it ideal for Beginners who can start their yoga journey by practicing it regularly. Practitioners from different yoga levels can efficiently perform it to develop spiritual rewards.

Anatomy Applied in Bhadrasana

1. Hips and Inner Thighs: Bhadrasana butterfly leg pose stretches the hips and inner thighs.
2. Pelvic Floor Muscles: While maintaining balance and stability in the pose, These muscles strengthen as you engage them.
3. Spine: Angle poses yoga increases the spine, which helps improve alignment and posture.
4. Shoulder Blades: This pose helps to increase strength and flexibility in the shoulder blades, which promotes a more open and relaxed upper body.

Who Should Avoid Bhadrasana?

The Bhadrasana yoga pose is a simple and easy asana. However, some may need to approach it cautiously. Here are the main Bhadrasana contraindications and precautions associated with it.

• Knee Injuries: Since performing this asana requires fully bending the knees, people with knee injuries or pain should avoid this asana. This includes injuries like arthritis, recent knee surgery, and torn ligaments.
• Ankle or Foot Injury: People with a sprained ankle or plantar fasciitis may find it difficult to hold the position for a few minutes. The weight upon the feet in this seated position can further strain these conditions.
• Pregnancy time: It helps open the pelvic floor, benefiting Pregnant women. However, women in the third trimester should seek prenatal yoga advice.

Note: If you experience pain or discomfort while performing angle pose yoga, consult an expert yoga master or a medical practitioner.

Conclusion

Bhadrasana yoga is much more than a yoga pose. It helps you achieve physical and mental well-being and has many spiritual benefits. But Suppose you’re passionate about Asana and have gained understanding. In that case, you can join the 200 Hour Yoga TTC in Rishikesh at Rishikul Yogshala. This yoga school teaches you about yoga philosophy, breathing techniques, and meditation.

Frequently Asked Questions:-

Question 1. Which disease is cured by Bhadrasana?
Answer. The Bhadrasana is a safe way to treat acidity, constipation, and several back problems.

Question 2. What are the 5 benefits of Bhadrasana?
Answer. Bhardaasan has many benefits. It improves leg flexibility and enhances digestion. It also strengthens the backbone, thighs, hips, and buttocks.

Question 3. Which asana activates the Muladhara chakra?
Answer. Bhardaasan activate Muladhara chakra.

Question 4. What is another name for Bhadrasana?
Answer. The butterfly pose is also known as Bhardaasan.