Yoga A New Life Style: Purnapavanmuktasana/Pavanmuktasana (Complete Residual Air Posture)

Method

Purnapavanmuktasana (A)

Lie down on your back on mat and stretch out both legs. Relax each and every organ and muscle of body. Inhaling deeply and slowly raise both legs together approximately 3 inches off floor.

1. Inhale and lift legs up straight and tilt them to right side without bending knees.
2. Exhale and relax.
3. Inhale, bend both knees, and bring them up to touch chest.
4. Breathing normally, touch heels to buttock and stretch feet and toes outwards.
5. Exhale, encircle legs with arms just below knees, raise your head and position nose between knees.
6. Inhale and raise your head.
7. Slowly bring head back to mat.
8. Exhale, release the grip around knees, straighten legs and keep both legs raised approximately 3 inches off the floor. Hold breath as long as you comfortably can. To make it easier start counting. Exhaling slowly bring legs back onto floor.
   
   

Purnapavanmuktasana (B)

This is special practice of Pavanmuktasana. Apart from the above, there is another simple method which can be performed as follows:

Pavanmuktasana (Simple style)

1. Lie down on your back on mat. Stretch out both legs in front.
2. Inhale, bend both knees and bring them up to touch chest. Touch heels to buttock and stretch toes outwards.
3. Exhale, encircle legs with arms, lift neck and bring nose between centre of knees. Touch heels to buttocks. Breathe normally while holding the position.
4. Inhale, release grip of arms and straighten legs.

This is the simple Pavanmuktasana.

Duration

One repetition to be practiced in one minute. Practice 3 to 5 repetitions everyday. Slowly increase number of repetitions. While holding position, nose can be held between knees for as long as 3 seconds. Straighten legs, keep them approximately 3 inches above floor and count till 100.

Precautions

In case of a physical problem like an ache in neck region or spine or any other related difficulty in that area, Pavanmuktasana should not be performed without guidance of Yoga trainer. While practicing Pavanmuktasana make sure to spread a thick carpet or a blanket on floor or else there can be a chance of the vertebrae being damaged due to the friction caused during asana.

Effect on Health

Purnapavanmuktasana is a complete asana. This influences various organs of body. Many ailments related to abdomen are cured. Abdominal organs become active with practice of this asana. This asana is very effective for ailments related to flatulence and acidity. It relaxes shoulders. Chest and lungs gets strengthened as it activates muscles of entire back and chest region. It relieves the practitioner from the complaint of constipation and strengthens liver.

Pavanmuktasana is superbly effective in relieving body of all the three doshas. When Vata, Pitta and Kaph-the three doshas-are elevated, a number of diseases surface automatically in the body. It also helps to cure the problem of burping, repeated pain in abdomen, hiccups, joint pains and heaviness in abdomen.

Purnapavanmuktasana influences pancreas, gonads, adrenal gland, thymus and thyroid gland. The pancreas is specially influenced with practice of this asana.