Upavishta Konasana
Seated Wide-Angle-Pose– In this asana you sit and spread your legs wide, keeping them straight. Place the palms behind the thighs with fingers touching the floor. If fingers can not reach the floor behind, then keep the wooden blocks behind and place the palms on them.
>Benefits
Many women are apprehensive about delivery, the last stage of pregnancy, as it has a lot of pain involved. During this process you need lot of strength in your muscles to push the baby out and your groin should be prepared and supple enough to undergo the process. You need to gradually train your muscles to take that amount of pain.
This posture Upavishta Konasana and Baddha Konasana are the ideal postures to train your muscles for delivery. During delivery, the lower part of the spine (the sacrum) gets tremendously pressurized. These two postures strengthen these parts, build up tolerance to pain and maintain required suppleness to bear the strain.
>Getting into the posture
– Sit on the floor in dandasana ideally on a folded blanket to raise your buttocks by 2-3 inches.
– Spread your legs apart and extend them sideways. Do it gradually, one leg at a time to avoid cramps. spread the legs as far as possible without straining yourself. In the beginning the back thigh muscles (hamstrings) may pain while spreading your legs, continue the practice, the pain will soon disappear.
– Place your palms behind the buttocks, and press the floor to lift your waist and sides up.
– To come out of the posture, maintain the lift and gently bend your legs and bring them, back to the center without straining the groin.
>How to make it easy
– In case you find it difficult to place your palm behind your buttocks on the floor then place two wooden blocks behind and place your palms on the blocks.
– Sit on a folded blanket and it will help you keep your spine straight and chest lifted up
>Quick Checks
– Palms or fingers firmly on the floor, behind your thighs.
– Chest lifted up. Open your chest by pushing the shoulder blades into the back ribs.
– Knees down and back of the legs completely touching the floor
– Head straight
– Soles of the feet firm and toes lifted up
>Duration
Start in the beginning from 30-60 seconds and gradually increase it to 5 minutes.
1st Trimester – yes
2nd Trimester – yes
3rd Trimester – yes