Mahavira's Scripture Of Health: [10.12] Yogic Postures And Health - Even The Child In The Womb Does Asana

It has been said in the Agamas that the child practises the asanas not only after being born, but even in the womb. A large number of asanas done by the child in the womb have been mentioned in detail in the Thanam Sutra. The child sometimes does parshva-shayana, sometimes uttana-shayana and sometimes avashayana. Even among these, the child does the uttana-shayana more often. He sleeps straight. Most people are not able to sleep straight. In kayotsarga, the person is first asked to lie flat and stretch hard three times and then relax. Another way of stretching is lying on the floor with the face down. This posture is very helpful for the stomach. Another way of lying down is parshvashayana. Most people know that they should stretch on the left side after taking a meal. That is the time when the right side active which considerably helps in the digesting process. When we sleep on the right side, there is breathing on the left side, which enhances the pleasant state of the mind. For the people who are suffering from high blood pressure, the practice of the left side breathing is very important. If they sleep on the right side their blood pressure would be at the correct level. If the persons suffering from low blood pressure sleep on the left side with their right side breathing, the parasympathetic nervous system would become more active and their blood pressure would come to the proper level.

Spirituality and health are related to every asana. There is an asana called the laganda-shayana which is practised in two ways:

1. 1. Keeping the head and the feet on the ground and raising the whole body upward. Only one heel and the head touch the ground and the rest of the body is raised.
   2. Only the back touches the ground and the head and the legs are raised. This is called naukasana or shalabhasana. This asana is very important to cure the diseases of the stomach and the back.