Garbhasana

Garbhasana is an advanced level complex pose resembles a fetus in a mother’s womb. It is one of the seated balancing postures that is combination of Lotus Pose (Padmasana) and Blossoming Lotus Pose (Vikasita Kamalasana).

In this pose you have to balance your body weight on your sit bones The pose is identical to Uttana Kurmasana, (tortoise pose) that involves stretching and forward bending, opens the hips and focuses and stabilizes the mind.

Garbhasana Basics

Sanskrit PronunciationGarbhasana
(gar-BHAH-sah-nah)
Meaning“Garbha” = fetus or embry
Asana = pose or posture
Pose TypeSeated balancing postures
Pose LevelAdvanced
Style of yogaAshtanga yoga primary series
Other NamesEmbryo pose, garbha pindasana, lower Pose, Uttana Kurmasana and fetus pose
StretchesMuscles of the spine, torso, hips, and thighs
Strengthening The core
Duration30 second to 3 minutes

Meaning

Garbhasana is a Sanskrit word in which ‘Garbha’ means fetus and asana means yoga posture. When you do this asana, the shape of your body looks like a fetus and it resembles the shape of the human fetus present in the mother’s womb. Therefore this asana was named Garbhasana. The child in the mother’s womb is free from all worries and his mind is calm. While in this position, the person recalls those memories and calms our nerves.

Garbhasana prepares the fetus with the correct position at birth. Along with, makes the knees, hips, and ankles flexible and improves balance.

Practice Guide For Garbhasana (Fetus Pose)

Garbhasana involves a sequence of movements that challenge the practitioner’s balance, flexibility, and focus. To facilitate a step-by-step approach, the pose is divided into key components, allowing practitioners to grasp each element before attempting the full pose. These components typically include the initial posture, transitional phases, and the final position.

Preparatory Pose

Stepsto Do Garbhasana

  • First, sit in Padmasana. Look straight and cross the legs with keeping your spine erect.
  • Move arms between the thighs and calves of each leg so that the elbows can turn.
  • Now, Bend your elbows around the calf muscles and grab the ears
  • Raise your legs near the shoulder along with hands.
  • Put the weight of the whole body on the buttocks and breath out.
  • Relax, stay in this situation as long as possible.
  • After that do the next step, by your right hand hold your left ear and with your left hand hold your right ear.
  • This is the final position, stay in this situation as long as possible.
  • To come out of this position,  lower the legs and take out the hands.
  • In this position, breathing out while holding the ears with your hands.
  • Breathe normally in the last position.
  • Place your both hands in Gyan mudra and come back to Padmasana.

Follow-up poses

Garbhasana Benefits

  • Garbha Pindasana, can contribute to overall fitness and well-being, including muscle toning and potentially weight loss when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
  • It stimulates the gastric gland to function properly while massaging the stomach and thus is helpful in digestion of food.
  • While holding the asana involves the spine, abdomen, and lower back. It exerts pressure on these muscles and increases their elasticity and endurance.
  • Garbhasana builds strength in the arms, shoulders, and upper back, helping to improve posture and stability.
  • It is one of the effective asanas for enlarging the hips. Apart from this, this asana also helps in spreading your thighs through regular practice.
  • This asana is helpful in lightening the body and increasing blood circulation or in calming the agitated, angry and dissatisfied mind.

Precautions

There will be difficulties while doing this asana in the beginning but with practice this asana can be done easily. If you are not able to do this asana then do not force it. Practice this asana on an empty stomach or after three to four hours of meals. Pregnant women should not practice this asana. It can be practiced again after 40 days after delivery. Also, those who have waist and back pain problems should not do this asana.

  • Pregnant women should avoid doing this asana.
  • If you have back pain then do not practice this asana.
  • Those who have knee pain should also not do this asana.
  • Garbhasana can be done correctly only after continuous practice.

Conclusion

Garbhasana is a moderately difficult yoga asana that involves stretching and forward bending and helps extent of flexibility and completely stretches the body. You should include this pose in your daily routine to give a good stretch to your leg muscles.

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Disclaimer

The content is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional