Hatha Yoga

PEACOCK – MAYURASANA – All levels –

This pose resembles a peacock with feathers spread behind when the pose is practiced in its final position with extended legs. Described first is the beginner stage to get started with developing the necessary balance and strength in the wrists, arms, legs and body. Once this stage has been practised enough to proceed further, then continue to intermediate and final pose.

Begin by kneeling on the mat with knees wide apart. Sit between heels. Hold your arms in front with bent elbows, keeping elbows and hands together. Breathe deeply and rhythmically. Lean forward and lift your hips, placing palms on the mat close to your knees. The fingers are pointing backward just between knees. Keep your elbows together and place upper abdomen against the elbows. If this is difficult, place elbows farther apart. Keep the head lifted.

Slowly lean forward and lower the forehead to the mat. Keep the abdomen pressed tightly against the elbows which are still together. Continue with rhythmical breathing. Keep feet together with toes pointing back. Now test your weight on your wrists and hands by stretching out one leg, then the other. Tuck the toes under. Your abdomen must resist the elbow pressure. Keep the arms strong, keep the knees straight and the forehead on the mat. Once you succeed in reaching this position, then come down by exhaling and lowering knees to the floor. Sit and shake out the wrists and relax in child’s pose.

Once you are ready to proceed with this pose further to an intermediate stage, then instead of lowering knees to the mat, keep legs straight and on inhalation raise your head and chest. Take a deep breath and contract the muscles of the legs, back, abdomen and neck. Keep feet down. Look forwards. Either come down on knees with exhalation as before, or come into the final pose. To come into final pose, keep looking forward, take a deeper inhalation and then hold breath, stiffen the body, tiptoe forward until legs come off the floor. Instead of lifting the legs to lift the body into the pose it is the forward walking movement that enables the torso to come up and forward. Keep the legs straight and on the same level as the head. Then lower the knees on an exhalation as before and come out of the pose.

BENEFITS:

• Develops balance and patience.
• Strengthen muscles of arms and shoulders, legs, back, abdomen and neck.
• Tones abdominal organs and lungs.
• A tonic for the whole body and mind.
• Helps mental and physical sluggishness as well as hyperactivity with the concentrated and strong muscle effort and deep breathing.

Look within. Do not join with the senses any longer. Learn to discriminate. Become wise. – Sri Swami Sivananda

This yoga asana is an edited contribution for the Sivananda Gurugram sourced from the Sivananda Publication – “Yoga: Your Home Practice Companion” – Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre – 2010