PAVANA MUKTASANA SERIES

Pavana means air, mukta means liberation and asana means posture. This is a series of postures that involves gentle movement of different joints, that aids in joint loosening, relaxing muscles, circulation, massaging internal organs and spine and gives stretching, covering almost all joints. It is not a mere exercise instead a practice of mindfulness and meditation as well. Pavanamuktasana series involves rhythmically moving joints in relation to your breath creating a beautiful relaxing experience both at physical and mental levels that can be practiced by almost anyone irrespective of their age or physical condition.

How to do Pavanamuktasana series

Sit comfortably on a mat or on bed with legs stretched and arms on side. Place your palms behind your buttocks, fingers pointing backwards. Be at ease shifting some of your body weight on your arms as well. Alternatively, you can sit on a chair with your legs resting on a leg rest.

Take deep breath in and curl your toes backwards. Exhale and curl toes inwards, practice for few times (3-10 times)

Take deep breath in and move your feet towards the body. Breath out and move your feet away from your body. Practice for few times until you feel that your ankles are released.

Then rotate both feet in one direction. Make sure the entire feet including toes are stretched. Breath in when feet is stretched outwards and breath out when they are moving inwards. Repeat for few times.
Then repeat the rotation of feet on opposite direction for another few times.

Now breath in and cross your right leg above left knee. Hold right shin with right hand and slide the fingers of left hand between right toes. Gently rotate the feet at ankle by holding at the toes. Breath in and move away from the body and breath in and move towards the body to complete the rotation. Practice for few times and then rotate the feet on opposite side.

Now gently lift the left knee and slide right fingers between left toes and rotate while supporting left shin with left hand. Breath in and move away from the body; and breath out and move towards the body. Practice for few times and then repeat anti clockwise.

Now come back to the original posture, breath out and bring right heel close to right buttocks. Hold above right knee with both arms and bring your leg closer to your tummy. Breath in and stretch your leg above floor by holding at thigh. Repeat for few times.

Now breath out, bend both knees and bring close to the body. Breath out and stretch both of the legs by holding below knee. Slightly tilt the body backwards so that the body is balanced. Breath in and bring the knees close to the body and breath out and stretch the legs keeping them above ground maintaining the balance. Repeat for few times.

Bring back your legs on the floor stretch like beginning. Now breath out and bend your right knee to right side. Hold the ankle with left hand on left thigh. Now gently move your knee close to your abdomen as much as possible. Breath out and move right knee away from body to right side as much as possible. Repeat for few times.

Repeat on left side for few times.

Now take deep breath in and bring your feet together bending the knee so that the feet meet in centre. Breath out and hold them together with palm for some time. Once the feet and legs are stable, you can gently press your knees to the ground with the help of palm so that you can give a good stretch to thigh. If you are struggling to maintain this pose, you can sit on a yoga brick or a towel roll.

Now bend your legs and keep them crossed on mat so that you make an easy pose.

Now stretch your arms out and straight. Take deep breath in and bend your palms down at wrist. Breath out and flex up the hands so that fingers point upwards.

Then hold your breath and gently rotate your fist in one direction. Take deep breath, and roate in opposite direction.

Then open your fist, inhale and stretch your fingers and exhale make a fist. Repeat for few times.

Then breath out and touch your shoulders and breath in and stretch your arms. Repeat for few times.

Then keeping your touch on shoulder gently rotate your shoulder. Inhale while lifting your arm and exhale while you bring your arm down to make the rotation.

Now keep your legs folded one in front of the other so that you make an easy ankle to knee pose. Now gently and slowly rotate your neck on one direction, repeat for few times and rotate on opposite direction. When rotating try to stretch your as much as possible.

Then maintain easy pose by elongating your spine and rest in that pose for some time keeping you centred.