The name Baddhakoṇāsana is derived from the Sanskrit words Baddha meaning “Bound”, Koṇa meaning “Angle”and asana meaning “Meditative Pose”. Baddhakonasana is widely known as “Butterfly Pose” as the pose resembles a bird called ‘Titali’ (Butterfly). In the Butterfly Pose, the movement of the legs during the posture gives the appearance of a butterfly flapping its wings.

A butterfly is a beautiful, weightless creature, whose body is well balanced. The butterfly pose (Baddhakonasana) brings the lightness within you, your inner beauty blossoms and you get a Physical symmetry of a butterfly. Performing butterfly pose gives the practitioner strength, balance, and energy. The mind becomes more creative and the thoughts would be more logical. Around the whole world, people view the butterfly as representing endurance, change, hope, and life. There is no doubt the butterfly has significant meanings to us.

POWERS OF BUTTERFLY

PHYSICAL POWERS

The butterfly has a physical body that is almost without any mass, this allows the creature to float in the air effortlessly. Butterflies are known to sense and to spot the nectar, hence a good sense of smell is also among the physical powers of the yogi who practices the butterfly pose. Some of the Butterfly species like the monarch butterfly are migratory and are able to cover thousands of miles by flight without losing their way. Another fascinating fact about the migratory pattern of butterflies is that the fixed destination is conveyed by some natural force at the time of pupa. Butterflies are also beautiful, the pigmentation on their skin attracts mates and repels predators. Butterfly wings are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. The micro topography on the wings allows water molecules to easily roll off the surface. This quality teaches the yogi to be unaffected with certain actions. Butterflies use their antennae to detect which plants are producing nectar. The antenna works for assessing the environment’s physical and chemical properties. This quality yogis can incorporate within by sensing the situation better and can develop a good sense of discrimination. 

MENTAL POWERS

The butterfly is among the most patient creatures, they are able to stay still for long hours to escape predators and while laying eggs. A butterfly lays eggs, waits for the larvae to flap and tends to the pupa even while the group is on the move. Butterflies whisper of your hidden potentials. The transformation from caterpillar to winged wonder happens, quite naturally. As the butterflies are so graceful, Balanced and weightlessness, these qualities can be acquired by a yogi upon performing Baddhakonasana. This asana teaches us how to be calm, balance, steady and still even when there are chaotic situations in life.

PSYCHIC POWERS

“We are all butterflies. Earth is our chrysalis.” – LeeAnn Taylor

The butterflies are the symbol of a powerful transformations. The butterfly emphasizes the ability to move from one state, perspective, lifestyle to another. They create such a light and graceful energy around which is so impactful, that transforms everything within us so positively.

Performing this pose may change the way to look at a conflicting situation with more lightness and different perspectives. In addition to this, you start to know that this is the time for a change and need courage to break free from your “cocoon.”You may experience a major life change and you will start to take things sincerely. The spiritual powers that manifests on a yogi who performs the butterfly pose might reflect the same.

HOW TO DO THE ASANA

Overview & Steps

Be seated on a flat soft surface with your spinal cord upright.

Curve your knees and make the soles of your feet touch each other.

Take hold of your feet with your palms and maintain a strong grip.

Draw the joined feet as close to your body as possible.

Inhale in slowly and exhale while aligning the knees with the floor.

Imitate the flapping of butterfly wings with your legs increasing the pace steadily.

Press your elbows on the thighs or on the knees, pushing the knees and thighs closer to the floor.

SAFETY & PRECAUTION TO PREVENT INJURIES

Avoid arching your back and keep the spine erect while practicing.

Ensure you don’t use force on the knees while practicing this asana. Only push the thighs down.

If you experience discomfort in the knees place a blanket below the thighs for support.

ANATOMY OF BADHAKONASANA

Badhakonasana can be challenging for the knees. The supination of the feet (soles toward the ceiling) causes a rotation of the tibia that, combined with flexion, destabilizes the ligamentous support for the knees. If the hips are not very mobile and the legs are pushed into this pose, the lower leg torque can travel into the knee joints. One way to protect them is to avert the feet (press the outer edges into the floor). This activates the peroneal muscles, which, via fascial connections, can stabilize the lateral ligaments of the knees and help to keep them from rotating too much. The result is that more of the pose’s action is directed into the hip joints.

PREPARATORY AND FOLLOW UP POSES

Preparatory asana –

Supta Padangusthasana

Virasana

Vrikshasana

Follow up asana – 

Standing poses 

forward bends 

KEY ALIGNMENT OF ASANA

IMPORTANCE OF BREATHING IN BADHAKONASANA

Practicing Butterfly pose generates a good amount of strength and requires the normal breathing process in the pose. In this pose while holding both the feet with hand, keeping the spine erect, it opens the chest up widely. This helps to bring more oxygenated blood into the stream and supply them all across the body. This helps to give more power and stamina to flap the legs for higher repetitions.

PROCESS OF MEDITATION IN BADHAKONASANA

(Sthiram Sukham Asanam)

Baddhakonasana is a simple, but powerful hip opener pose. This pose allows the practitioner to focus on the benefits, to experience. While performing this pose, the practitioners can withdraw their senses away from mind, body, emotions and thoughts and visualize themselves transforming into a universal butterfly which is light, cosmic and beautiful.  As the butterfly floats in the air effortlessly, likewise practitioners can also visualize themselves floating very lightly, without effort high in the sky. This will help the practitioners into the process of Meditation.

BENEFITS OF BADHAKONASANA

PHYSICAL BENEFITS

The butterfly posture is beneficial to the nervous system, respiratory system, skeletal system and muscular system. 

It opens up the breathing tracts, enriches nerve sensitivity, strengthens the bones and tones the muscles. 

The yogi develops a sense of smell, attains heightened auditory sense and forms sensitive taste buds through this pose. 

This asana builds the back muscles and thigh muscles. 

The neck and the upper spine is stabilized through this pose.

Blood circulation to the brain and the face increases through this pose.

It is also beneficial for sciatica.

It stretches thighs and legs, easy bowel movements, reduces fatigue, enhanced menstrual health, and easy childbirth.

PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS

For the mind the Baddhakonasana offers quietness, light heartedness, and balance. Encourages you to dig deep to reconnect with your courage and excitement to live in alignment with your passions and heart’s desire. This pose helps to let go of a limiting belief, negative pattern or habit, or a way of relating to others and to the world. Butterfly pose encourage staying positive, to reconnect with joy and follow your inner happiness and excitement to positively transform your life experience.

MYSTICAL BENEFITS

This pose connected with the Power of Intuition, Openness and Evenness. Butterfly sign is a powerful mystical symbol that signifies rebirth, reincarnations, and deep transformation. A balance between the subtle form and the gross form of human existence is formed through the determined practice of the Baddhakonasana. It helps you to let go of the physical world and transform yourself at a higher level.

SPIRITUAL BENEFITS

The true power of Butterfly is to bring the feel of love within.  This practice supports and encourages you to be happy and follow your heart to live in joy and love the whole world as a part of you. A wider vision of this asana is to cultivate the courage to serve others selflessly, which is the highest form of spirituality. This is the entrance into a new phase of life where you transform and begin to experience greater love, peace, harmony, and spiritual connection.

CONTRA INDICATIONS

If you suffer from any of the following condition avoid practicing this Pose – Knee or groin injury, thighs or legs injury, lower back injury, sciatica, sacral conditions.

Discover the profound impact of Baddhakonasana on your overall well-being during your yoga journey. This transformative pose, integral to 300-hour and 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, epitomizes the essence of yoga in this renowned spiritual hub. Immerse yourself in the teachings of a yoga school in Rishikesh, experiencing physical, psychic, and emotional health metamorphosis.