Intermidate

Seated Asanas

Koormasana

Tortoise Pose

(kur-ma-sun)

Meaning: koorma = tortoise

Table of content

Muscle and Joints:

Hamstring Openers

Spinal Movements:

Flexion (Forward Bends)

Preparation

Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose) - spine straight and upright, hands at your sides, extend legs forward, feet together. Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Getting into position

Spread your legs as far as comfortable. Move your buttocks slightly back and slightly bend your torso forward, lengthening your spine from the tailbone. Sit for a few moments to allow your legs and hips to adjust. Place hands in front of you on the floor, shoulder-distance apart. Exhale. Inhaling, and keeping your spine straight, lean forward slightly and walk your hands forward one at a time. Straighten and relax your legs for a few more seconds. Inhale. Exhaling, try to walk hands farther until your chest and chin (or forehead) are close to the floor. Flatten the spine. Exhale. Inhaling, bring your legs in a little, knees close to shoulders; bend your knees a little (creating space for your arms). Slide your arms under your knees, palms facing down, and press your chest into the floor, straightening your arms. Inhaling, lower knees back down, straightening your legs. Hold for a few moments to allow the body to adjust. Inhale. Exhaling, push farther down. Hold with normal breathing for around 30 seconds.

Coming out of position

Slightly relax the body and bend your legs; bring your arms out from under your knees. Carefully walk your hands one at a time to lift your torso back up, and come back into starting position. Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Tips

Distribute tension among the legs, spine, and shoulders as equally to avoid overstraining/excess pain in a specific area.
Try to have inner thighs on upper arms, touching the sides of your torso.
If you feel excess pain under your knees, try to press your chest farther down, and point your toes.
Keep the knees facing up, do not turn the legs inward.
Keep the chest open to lengthen the spine and lower the torso down.
Try to keep the spine and legs straight (with the back of the legs in contact with the floor) throughout the practice.
As you prepare, do not bend knees or hunch while bending forward.
Allow time for legs to adjust at each step of the practice.
Always go into and out of position with the support of your hands, always bending under control.

Awareness Spiritual:

Spiritual Growth & Self Realization

Precautions

Avoid

If you have chronic/serious back pain or sciatic nerve problems.

Be careful

If you have neck, arm, shoulder, hip, or knee issues.

Benefits

General

Opens shoulders and chest.
stretches spine, back, front of hips, and legs.
Increases blood flow to torso, head, and brain.
Helps with digestion, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation & flatulence.

Therapeutic

Helps to relieve the symptoms of asthma.

Variations

Ardha Chandrasana
Ardha Chandrasana
Parivritta Parsvakonasana
Parivritta Parsvakonasana
Padma Sarvangasana
Padma Sarvangasana