Connect to your heart with this yoga pose

We already know yoga is good for the body and mind and you can read about yoga's benefits in my other blog here. There is a yoga pose I literally hold close to my heart though as it helps me re-centre. So today I am writing about Supta Baddha Konasana, also known as reclining butterfly pose, reclined goddess pose or reclined bound angle pose.

Supta Baddha Konasana (from Sanskrit supta=reclining, baddha=bound, kona=angle, asana=pose) is a pose that invites deep rest. It relaxes the lower back and the hips, it renews energy and calms the nervous system. Most relaxing poses in yoga look easy but it does take great effort to bring the mind to focus on the body when the latter is relaxed.

The supine position allows the back to rest and the hips to splay open to the sides. If you have any knee injuries, like me, or tight hips, place a blanket, a bolster or a brick under your thighs to support them. You can also move your feet farther away from the groin so that you don't feel any strain. This way, you can enjoy the pose in a beautiful relaxing way.

For me, the most important thing about this pose is that it allows me to connect to my heart. By placing one hand on the lower belly and one hand on the heart, I can feel my breath but also my heart beating. I close my eyes and relax my face so that I can fully focus on the heartbeat.

It is at that moment that I transcend from a yoga pose to a self realisation. I allow myself to enter the moment when I fully connect to my heartbeat which is the source of my life. I get flooded by a feeling of calm as I remind myself that I am alive and present. By opening the front of my body, I open my heart to new possibilities.

This subtle but powerful yoga pose has the following benefits:

♥increases mobility in the hips

♥stimulates abdominal organs such as bladder and kidneys

♥improves blood circulation

♥reduces stress and calms the mind

P.S. Free yoga class continues on Saturday and you can contact me here if you want to join the fun. You can also make a donation here if you want to support me.