Bound Angle Pose, or Baddha Konasana, is one of my absolute favorite yoga poses. A lovely hip opener, and the perfect pose for meditation (or just hanging out around the house), Bound Angle is chock-full of awesome benefits.
If you don't already have this wonderful pose as part of your yoga practice, here's a bit of convincing. Here are some of the best benefits of Bound Angle Pose.
Physical Benefits
First of all, Bound Angle is a hip opener, and who doesn't love a good hip opener? It's perfect to practice after sitting at a desk all day, and you'll feel the yumminess right away. Bound Angle stimulates the internal organs, which improves your digestion (try this pose if things are a bit sluggish), and according to traditional yogic texts, can alleviate fatigue.
Bound Angle Pose can also soothe menstrual cramps, so if your Moon Cycle has you feeling like you can't get out of bed, try Baddha Konasana first before getting up in the morning.
You can take a more Yin version of Baddha Konasana, by bringing the feet away from the hips so your legs make a wide diamond shape. Fold slowly forward over your feet, and stay for 3 to 5 minutes. This will open up all the connective tissues in your knees, hips, and spine, bringing more energy into your day.
What's not to love?
Mental Benefits
In our crazy, stressed-out world, it's good to have a few things that can help you relieve that stress and get back to feeling normal. We all know that yoga is great for that, but there's no need to do a full hour long class. You can get some awesome stress-busting benefits from practicing Baddha Konasana!
Come into the pose, spreading the knees wide, and letting gravity pull them down toward the floor. Close the eyes, and begin to center in. Follow the in and out of the breath for 5 to 10 minutes, then open your eyes, gently come out of the pose, and go on with your day. It's that easy!
Bound Angle Pose is a perfect meditation pose, so why not go for it? By bringing a bit of meditation into your day, you'll find that you're happier, feel more connected, and perhaps most importantly, less stressed-out.
Spiritual Benefits
Do you feel less connected to your partner, and less… shall we say… passionate? That's right, pop on into Bound Angle Pose to get things fired up!
Practicing Bound Angle Pose activates the lower two chakras, Muladhara and Svadisthana, or the Root Chakra and the Sacral Chakra. The Root Chakra connects to our sense of safety and security, as well as to our sexuality. The Sacral Chakra connects to our emotional needs, relationships, and pleasure.
A pose like Baddha Konasana, which activates both of these lower chakras, can put you back in touch with your sexuality and sensuality, leading to better relationships with your partner. To get the full power of these lower two chakras, sit in meditation in Baddha Konasana, and visualize the colors red and orange (red being the color of Muladhara, and orange the color of Svadisthana) spinning in circles.
You can also repeat the Bija Mantra, or seed mantra, for these two chakras, if it helps. The Bija Mantra for Muladhara is LAM (pronounced "lum"), and the Bija for Svadisthana is VAM.
But don't take my word for it, try it out for yourself!
What benefits have you found from practicing Bound Angle Pose? Share with us in the comments below!
