Baddhakonasana – Butterfly Pose |Beginner’s Yoga Pose|

Butterfly Pose

Badha = Bound or Restrained, Kona = Angle, Asana = Pose or Posture

This pose is pronounced as BAH-dah-cone-AHS-ana

The posture is named Badhakonasana because of the way it is carried out – both the feet tucked close to the groin, clasped tightly with the hands as though tied or bound together in a particular angle. It is also popularly known as the Butterfly Pose because of the movement of the legs during the posture, giving the appearance of a butterfly flapping its wings. The posture is also sometimes known as the Cobbler Pose as it resembles the sitting position of a cobbler at work.

A Hatha Yoga posture, Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose) is a wonderful grounding position that leads to the creation of a serene place for delving into a meditation state that involves deep, relaxed breaths coordinated with the leg movements.

Origin

The name Baddha Konasana is relatively recent, but the pose is medieval, as the meditation seat Bhadrasana (from भद्रा Bhadra, “throne”) is described in the 15th century Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā ( a classic fifteenth-century Sanskrit manual on haṭha yoga) 1.53-54.

Steps

1. With a firm and straight spine, sit down on your Yoga Mat.
2. Adjoin the soles of both your feet by bending your knees and also bring them closer towards the pelvis.
3. Hold both your feet tightly with your hands. Also, you may place your hands below the feet for support.
4. Doing so, make a gentle effort to bring the heels a little closer to the genitals.
5. Now, take a deep breath in. Slowly, breathing out and press the thighs and knees down towards the floor.
6. Continue with the gentle effort to keep pressing them downwards.
7. Breathing normally, start flapping both the legs up and down like the wings of a butterfly. Keep breathing normally throughout the process.
8. Start slow and gradually increase speed. Fly higher and higher, as fast as you comfortably can.
9. Gradually, slow down and then stop. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, bend forward, keeping the chin up and spine erect.
10. Press your elbows on the thighs or on the knees, pushing the knees and thighs closer to the floor.
11. Feel the stretch in the inner thighs and take long, deep breaths, be aware and relax the muscles more and more.
12. Take a deep breath in and bring the torso up.
13. As you exhale, gently release the posture. Then, slowly straighten the legs out in front of you and relax.

Benefits

1. Healthy Groins: The butterfly pose places good stress on the connective tissues of the groin, which makes for healthier ligaments, fascia, and tendons. Sink deeper with each exhalation and relax. Connective tissues of groins thrive on steady holds. For extra care, sit on a pillow and ease out any tightness in the groins.

2. Goodbye Headaches: Give a release to the base of the skull. The tension in the neck is the mother of headaches. Modify the baddha konasana by resting the head on the ground, breathing deeply, and releasing the tensions. It creates space in the spine and provides relief from tension and headaches.

3. Soften the Shoulders: Shoulders are the storage units of tension, stress, and emotional baggage. If you really want to get rid of the unwanted stress, then look no further than Baddha Konasana. This seated posture leaves the individual feeling nice in the upper body. Play with the arm placement in this pose and explore different ways of releasing and softening the shoulders.

4. Open the Sacral Chakra: Harness the power of sacral chakra through the practice of Baddha Konasana. The energy center of creativity, sensuality, and pleasure, this chakra makes the practitioners experience life through sensations and feelings. Unleash this chakra and savor the transformation occurring within the body to the fullest, for good reasons.

5. Beneficial For Moms-to-be: An excellent prenatal yoga pose, Butterfly Yoga Asana greatly benefits the expectant mother and the unborn baby. It improves blood circulation, strengthens the pelvic floor muscles, enhances the release of happy hormones, and helps in smooth, safe, and healthy delivery.

6. Robust Reproductive organs: Live the much-cherished dream of becoming a mother with Butterfly yoga pose. One of the amazing benefits of baddha konasana is its ability to stretch the groin and hip area. It is also physically and emotionally healing helping you discharge any toxins that might be persistent in the area.

7. Improve Menstrual Cycle: If you come across any discomfort or irregularity with the menstruation, it is time to take back on the health. Practice baddha konasana that detoxifies the body, increases circulation and restores the ovaries to their optimal health.

8. Stimulate the Prostate Gland: The Butterfly pose activates the kidneys, prostate glands, and abdominal organs. A healthy functioning of the internal organs is crucial for the well-being of the whole body.

Tips

• If you are new to butterfly pose start with your feet further away from your body to reduce tension in the hip, knee and ankle joints. As your flexibility improves, you can move your feet closer.
• If your knees are way above your hips, try elevating your seat with a block or blanket to allow the hips to gently open and the pelvis to remain neutral.
• Relax shoulders down to relieve tension along the neck, shoulders and upper back.
• When you are ready to fold forward, bend from your hips rather than your waist to lengthen the spine and protect the low back
• Relax your jaw, face, and neck and keep head in line with the spine. It’s tempting to let the head drop as we fold forward. Make sure you keep the gaze slightly forward to lengthen the neck.
• Pro Tip – Practice this asana before meditation. As a result, you will stay comfortable longer in the crossed-legged position without being disturbed by your tired legs. Also, stretching the hips and inner thighs in Badhakonasana can begin to counteract the effects of spending too much time sitting at a desk or in a car.

Contraindications

• If you are suffering from groin or knee injury, make sure you keep a blanket under the outer thighs for support. Do not perform this pose without blanket support.
• Also, sciatica patients should either completely avoid the pose or sit on a cushion to raise the hips.
• If you have any lower-back disorders, do the posture only while keeping the spine erect. Avoid rounding up the spine by bending forward.

You may not be able to control the whole world, but you may learn to control your inner world through yoga.”