Yoga posture - Yoganidrasana
Translation: Yogic Sleep Pose
Lying on the back in a supine position bring the knees to the chest. Open
them and cross the feet over one and other. Hold the feet in the middle or
beside the toes so that you can get a little more leverage. Roll back a little
and draw the feet towards the top of the head. Try to bring them over the top of
the head so that the hook behind the head.
Try to take the shoulders through the legs also if this posture can be done with
ease.
Breathing is hard due to the decreased volume in the lungs and restricted
diaphragm movement. When the posture is held without force breathing becomes
easier.
Tips
Once sufficient flexibility in the legs and hips has been gained try
bringing the shoulders through the opened legs as well.
Benefits
This is one of the few stretches that really stretches the deep muscles in the
spine. These muscles run along the vertebrae. (The bones in the spine) Some of
these are the multifidus which extend and laterally bend the trunk and
neck and rotate it. The erector spinae muscles that run the length of the vertebral
column. Little muscles and ligaments in the neck below the skull are stretched.
Some of these are the rotatores cervicis which are little muscles that attach
each bone in the neck and are involved with neck rotation and spinalis capitis
and semispinalis capitis and the rectus capitis major and minor. Hip flexors are
also stretched.
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