Hamsasana is an excellent yoga pose which effectively look likes a swan when performed properly. The major benefits of this yoga pose range from enhanced digestion to the strengthening of your abdominal muscles and arms.

Description:

• The hamsasana pose should be done on the empty stomach.
• Sit in Vajrasana (fold your knees, and put your feet under the buttocks, joining the big toes, and sit on the feet)
• Keep your hands between your knees on ground. Your hand fingers should be pointing towards your legs.
• You can rest the abdomen on the elbows, and put your head down on the floor. After that, you can permit the abdominal muscles support the full weight of your upper body.
• Keep your elbows together.
• Now stretch one leg straight out to the back, and then the other leg
• Lift your head up, making the body as a straight plank
• Use your toes in order to balance the full weight of the legs. Keep your legs together.
• In the last position, the overall weight of your body is supported by your palms and toes on the ground.
• Neck and head should be maintained straight to be effective in line with your body
• In the beginning, you can try this pose for 10 to 30 seconds. If you are comfortable, you can increase the time as per your individual capacity.
• You can maintain your awareness on the breathe normally

Breathing activities:

Breath-out as you bend your head, breath-in as you stretch and lift your body. Keep normal breath in the final state.

Duration:

You can try to maintain this pose for 1 minute. You can take your own time in order to become a master in this yoga pose. Regular practice helps you to easily increase the time that you can spend in this pose. It not only brings you some benefits, but also allows you to try some follow-up poses without facing more difficulties.

Benefits:

• It strengthens your abdominal muscles as well as helps you to reduce your big belly.
• This yoga pose brings more strength to your arms
• The great pressure on your belly properly massages each and every organ in your abdomen
• Moreover, this yoga pose clears constipation and improves digestion
• The most effective posture strengthens and flexes your arms, chest, pelvic area, throat, wrists, shoulders, spine and more
• This pose affects your abdominal portion, raising its energy and blood flow
• You can start with few seconds and slowly increase the time to 1 minute or more, based on your individual ability and comfort.

Precautions:

• This yoga pose is not for individuals who have hypertension and hernia
• Hamsasana is not recommended for females who want to become pregnant
• Individuals suffering from hip, low back, ankle pain, pelvic, knee pain should start with some modifications
• People with recent health issues such as ligament tears and sprain in legs or arms should not do this asana
• People who are overweight or obese can be extra careful because the overall weight of your body will rest on your arms, toes and belly

Complementing asana

Hamsasana pose can be considered as the preparatory pose for learning Mayurasana. You can try to become a master in Hamsasana first. If you gain the ability to maintain this excellent pose for one minute, you can try Mayurasana.