Health benefits of Vajrasana -"The Wealth Of Health"

Yoga is one of, and for good reason, the cornerstones of health and wellness. Simple postures or asanas can help with not only weight loss but a range of other internal benefits as well. One is the vajrasana, also known as the pose of thunderbolts. This is one of the easiest asanas to practice; even beginners can do the vajrasana in their home comfort and receive the rewards of good health. Let's take a look at everything you need to know about Vajrasana benefits.

• 1. The meaning and origins of Vajrasana
• 2. How to get into and out of Vajrasana
• 3. Vajrasana can aid stomach disorders
• 4. Vajrasana keeps the mind calm and meditative
• 5. Regular practice of Vajrasana strengthens the lower back
• 6. Vajrasana increases blood circulation
• 7. Lose fat in your belly area with regular practice of Vajrasana
• The meaning and origins of Vajrasana

Two Sanskrit words-vajra and asana-derive the term vajrasana. Vajra translates literally into a thunderbolt, referring to the mythical weapon used by Indra, the Lord of the Heavens, in Hindu mythology. This symbolizes strength and indestructibility too. The second word asana means posture and is a common suffix when referring to yogic postures in most yogic terms.

Pro tip: Vajrasana is a derivative of the vajra (thunderbolt) and asana (posture), which highlights strength.

How to get into and out of Vajrasana

Just as with every other asana, getting in and out of vajrasana is important, and it is also important to maintain the posture properly while you're in it. If you're not comfortable doing it on the floor, use a yoga mat or any regular mat will also do. Kneel down, and then make sure your knees and ankles are both together. Your feet should also be touching one another, with both the big toes together. Then gently, sit down on your legs, with your glutes resting on your heels. If you're not comfortable, adjust yourself a little, without losing the essence of the position. Keep your hands on your thighs - palms downwards - and take a few deep breaths, inhaling deeply for four counts, and exhaling slowly to eight. Your head stays straight, and you're gazing at a point at eye level.

If you're a beginner, stay in vajrasana for not more than 2-3 minutes, and work your way towards longer time slabs with every progressive session. To come out of vajrasana, slowly raise your glutes and thighs of your lower legs, until you're back into a kneeling position.

Pro tip: It is important to methodically get into and out of vajrasana, while improving the posture properly.

Vajrasana can aid stomach disorders

It is usually recommended to practice yoga first thing in the morning, or at least four hours after your last meal. This is for avoiding bloating and tummy aches as yogic asanas operate on the internal organs of the body. There is also an exception for vajrasana, which is the only asana that can be done after a meal. Vajrasana has excellent benefits for digestion and keeps the stomach health in check. When you sit in vajrasana, it is the optimal position for blood circulation to flow to the digestive organs, and this gets them functioning effectively. It also lends itself to better food absorption and nutrient absorption, so you're getting the best of whatever you eat. Prevents It The Formation Of Gas And Acidity, indigestion, and cures constipation.

Pro tip: Practice vajrasana every day, to ensure a wealth of digestive benefits.

Vajrasana keeps the mind calm and meditative

In 2011, the International Journal of Biological & Medical Research published an article, where the benefits of vajrasana were listed out, and these included the prevention and treatment of psychological disorders, stress and hypertension. Sitting in vajrasana for extended periods of time can have emotional and spiritual benefits as well, and can help keep the mind stable. It helps the body and the mind get into a meditative state, and if accompanied with the right kind of deep, conscious yogic breathing, can keep anxiety, depression and other emotional issues at bay.

Pro tip: Practicing vajrasana on a regular basis has both mental and emotional benefits.

Regular practice of Vajrasana strengthens the lower back

Sitting in vajrasana correctly helps the lower back to be straight, which means that you use your own body and its needs to strengthen the back muscles. Over time, you make sure, while sitting in vajrasana, that you use the back muscles the way they are supposed to be used, without exerting undue pressure on them with any other vigorous exercises.

Pro tip: Your back muscles are sure to benefit from practicing vajrasana.

Vajrasana increases blood circulation

Through the day, as we move around or sit on chairs in a sedentary manner, there is a tendency for blood circulation to not reach the digestive organs as much as it should. Sitting in vajrasana allows for that. Your intestines, liver, kidneys, pancreas and the stomach region all benefit extensively from this asana, with red blood cells reaching these areas to provide much-needed nutrition.

Pro tip: Sit in vajrasana to get your blood circulation going.

Lose fat in your belly area with regular practice of Vajrasana

One of the major issues you may face as you grow older or stay sedentary in your lifestyle is slowing down the metabolic rate of the body. This influences weight loss, and also the way food is absorbed by the body. Not only does vajrasana increase the metabolism of the body, but it also helps to lose weight in the belly area, since the posture requires a strong core to stay upright, and this, in turn, helps to stay firm up the muscles in that region.

Pro tip: For a trimmer stomach, try sitting in vajrasana every day.