Bharadvajasana

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Bharadvajasana I from the front Bharadvajasana1 (cropped).JPG
Bharadvajasana I from the front

Bharadvajasana (Sanskrit : भरद्वाजासन; IAST: Bharadvājāsana) or Bharadvaja's twist is a twisting asana in modern yoga as exercise.

Contents

Etymology and origins

The asana is dedicated to the sage Bharadvāja [1] who was one of the Seven Great Sages or Rishi. [2] He was the father of Drona, a master of military arts and the royal guru to Kauravas, Pandavas and the Devastras, [3] the princes who fought the great war of the Mahabharata.

A different asana is illustrated under the name Bharadvajasana in the 19th century Sritattvanidhi ; it somewhat resembles Mayurasana with the legs in Padmasana, but as drawn it would be impossible to perform. [4]

The pose currently known by the name Bharadvajasana is a modern one, first seen in the 20th century. [5] It is described in the works of two of Krishnamacharya's pupils, B. K. S. Iyengar's 1966 Light on Yoga [6] and Pattabhi Jois's Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. [5]

Description

Bharadvajasana II Bharadvajasana position.jpg
Bharadvajasana II

Bharadvājāsana is a seated spinal twist. Bharadvajasana I is the basic form, with the legs as in Virasana (hero pose), one foot on the floor and the other ankle cradled in the arch of the foot below. [7] Baddha Konasana and Marichyasana can be used to prepare for Bharadvajasana. [8] Utthita Trikonasana, extended triangle pose, is a suitable counter pose to Bharadvajasana. [9]

Variations

Bharadvajasana II is an advanced form requiring high hip mobility; one leg is bent as in Padmasana (lotus position), while the other leg is bent as in Virasana. [10]

Bharadvajasana on chair is a variant performed sitting sideways on an armless chair. This does not require hip mobility; the arms grasp the back of the chair to assist with the twist. [11]

See also

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References

  1. Iyengar 1979, p. 251—252.
  2. Inhabitants of the Worlds Mahanirvana Tantra, translated by Arthur Avalon, (Sir John Woodroffe), 1913, Introduction and Preface
  3. Hopkins 1915.
  4. Sjoman 1999, pp. 74 and plate 5 (pose 28).
  5. 1 2 Sjoman 1999, p. 100.
  6. Iyengar 1979, pp. 251–254.
  7. Mehta 1990, p. 72.
  8. Dehnke 2012.
  9. Dehnke, Andrea (28 August 2007). "Bharadvaja's Twist". Yoga Journal . Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  10. Mehta 1990, p. 77.
  11. Mehta 1990, p. 71.

Sources