Flutter into the butterfly pose for these 5 fantastic benefits

Yoga is an ancient Indian practice of bringing together the body, mind and spirit towards a state of wellness. Yoga has helped its disciples to improve and maintain the health of their muscles, joints, and is great for flexibility, strength, and mental health.

The best part about yoga is that you can do different poses to reap benefits for specific parts of your body. So, if you are looking to relieve yourself from neck and back pain, and improve blood circulation, the butterfly pose is what you should try.

What is the butterfly pose and how do we do it?

This asana goes by many names, such as ‘titli asana’ and ‘Baddha Konasana’. This posture makes you tuck both the feet close to the pelvis area, with hands clasped tightly together. The highlight of this asana is how the legs give the appearance of a butterfly flapping its wings.

Here’s how to do the butterfly pose

Step 1: Sit on the floor on a mat or a well-cushioned area. Start by straightening your spine with legs stretched out.

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Step 2: Now, bend both the knees to resemble a winged butterfly. Then, bring your feet towards your pelvis area, as close as you can and join them together, clasping your hands.

Step 3: Slowly breathe in and out, while pressing your thighs and knees downward towards the mat. Taking a cue from this position, start flapping both the legs up and down, like the wings of a butterfly.

Step 4: Remember to keep your spine straight while performing the pose and stretch your legs out to come back to the starting point.

Benefits of doing the butterfly pose

From improving flexibility to reducing back pain, this pose provides a variety of benefits:

1. Reduces back pain

This pose helps people dealing with back pain issues, as it stretches and engages the lower back muscles without adding extra pressure on the hamstrings. As the pose requires placement of the heels close to the pelvis area, the lower back gets adequately lengthened and the back muscles are relieved of stress and pressure.

2. Lowers stress levels and helps with headaches

Butterfly pose releases tension from the neck, back and head and this helps reduce the severity of headaches as oxygen reaches the brain more easily. Also, regular breathing while performing the asana is a great way to release anxiety and tranquillity.

3. Strengthens inner thigh area

As legs have to be placed close to the inner thigh area, the muscles, joints, and connective tissues get engaged and strengthened as a result of prolonged holding of this posture.

4. Improves reproductive health

The butterfly pose improves the functioning of the ovaries as it helps increase blood circulation to the reproductive system. This further boosts fertility levels as the overall health of the reproductive system improves due to more blood and oxygen reaching it.

5. Helps with fatigue

The improved blood circulation as a result of practising this pose will help reduce fatigue and lethargy. People who stand or walk for long hours will especially benefit from this pose as it will enhance their energy levels.

So, try this pose for improving your physical and mental wellbeing!