Makarasana (Crocodile Pose) – How to do and its Benefits

Yoga has been talked about for years and years now, starting from our ancestors to the world before them. Yoga began mainly by the ritualistic religion following saints, and by far has surpassed every restriction to achieve a fame that no other workout routine has ever been glorified with. The recent wave of fitness concerns has usurped the world, and now the ideologies that remain limit themselves to just being physically fit.

However, yoga can avail us with something more than just physical fitness. With yoga, one can now achieve mental relief from depression and calmness. This is one of the main reason why yoga is so much more preferred than workout routines. This article is about the benefits and steps of one such yoga called the Makarasana.

Makarasana (crocodile pose):

Through controlled breathing and slow hand gestures and movements, yoga relies on specific unattainable postures and poses that include slight stretches and twists and it’s only through this entire procedure, that yoga fulfills its terms. However, Makarasana is not considered as one of the toughest postures.

In fact, this is one of the most readily available poses and is also widely known as the crocodile pose. Makarasana is derived from the final form of the posture that imitates a lazy crocodile. Now there are two versions of this yoga, the beginners, and the professional one. Get a yoga mat ready and let’s start off with the exercise.

Tips for Beginners- Makarasana (crocodile pose):

Makarasana (Crocodile Pose) is a quite challenging pose, especially for the beginners. It can take some time for the hips, lower back, and hamstrings to open up enough to allow the full range of motion required in these asanas. The critical thing to note while doing these asanas is to develop a particular level of patience since any aggression shown during the practice of these exercises will only backfire resulting in injuries.

See More: Maha Mudra Benefits

How To Do It?

• Lie down on your mat, with your face first as you touch your forehead to the ground. The spine must be stretched making sure the lower limbs are straightened and outstretched.
• Now, make sure your toes are touching the ground with your ankles facing towards the ceiling. At this point, both your arms should be on each side and palm up, resting beside you.
• A deep exhalation follows this pose and as you do so, lift your head up from your shoulders and focus on the arms that go way back now. Try to imitate a boat as you slowly lift your legs, thereby, allowing your head to tilt back a little bit.
• Hold on to the breath for a few seconds before letting it go and maintaining your original stance.

The Benefits of Crocodile Yoga Pose:

The Maha Mudra yoga pose benefits are innumerable as it provides flexibility to the body and relaxes the mind. The next pose of the Makarasana relies mainly on the body’s calmness where after a long day of hard work and toil, you might want to opt for this exercise to cool yourself down. While you lie down and stretch your legs straight, that satisfying tinge of pain caused by the muscle stiffness gets released. The deep breathing is believed to relieve your body of the toxins, which is why you start feeling better after doing this.

See More: Four Limbed Staff Pose

The former posture elaborated above focuses on body stiffness and once again creating or imitating the boat formation, you are releasing the tight knots and tension points of your body. This is why the muscles at the beginning might cause a little pain which would later subside to body flexibility.
It is an excellent way to keep the lower back muscles steady and robust as you lift them up creating a slight dent and thereby a tension force in the small of your back.

Precautionary Measures and Contraindications:

There are specific preventive measures to be followed by people before practicing this yoga pose. One of the main things to look out for is to make sure that your body is comfortable while practicing the asana. If you have a severe back injury, it is best to avoid Makarasana. For those with neck injuries, avoid any pressure or support for the neck and let it stand neutral. Otherwise, place a folded blanket around the neck as support during the asana. The significant contraindications include Pregnant women and those people with Asthma and Diarrhea are advised to restrain from practicing these yoga postures, unless under the strict supervision of experts. People with knee injuries and fractured bones are also not recommended to practice these postures.

See More: How To Do Cat Pose

Makarsana (Crocodile Pose),like many forward bends, is considered as a restorative pose because of its gentle calming effect. It is also said to revitalize the body, relieving stress and anxiety. Rigidity in your body is a common problem that we all face now and then. We pull a tendon here and a nerve there every time if we are not careful and attentive while practicing these postures. This exercise will help you to take care of the body stiffness and rigidity by stretching the muscles and bringing flexibility in them. This yoga has also been related to the heart where cardiac problems can be kept at bay by performing this posture daily. However, when you bend down this time, make sure to hold your breath for a while until your heart starts beating fast. The abdomen also houses the ovaries, and therefore this yoga also has a hand to play in fixing menstrual irregularities and problems. This is useful mainly for the women who continuously suffer a lot with these problems. Yoga forever is known to sanitize your mind along with your body and this is just another of the many benefits this yoga can provide you with.

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