Gate Pose | Parighasana Steps | Benefits

Gate Pose is widely recognized as Parighasana in the Sanskrit language and is also known as Beam Pose. This kneeling side bending pose offers a chance to breathe get into your side body; along with stretching the muscles of the armpits, shoulders, thighs, and both sides of the back. Gate Pose is also a great way to make the spine flexible.

In the final position of the Gate pose, it seems like an iron beam that is used to lock the iron gate. That’s why the pose is called the Beam pose. The benefits of the Gate pose are several including a healthier spinal position, boost energy and fighting fatigue, improved posture, stretching the adductor muscle, hamstrings, and calf muscles, etc. It also strengthens the front of your hips and thigh and your side body.

Parighasana Meaning

Parighasana derives its name from the Sanskrit word “Parigha”, which in Hindi means door and ‘asana’ means ‘pose’. In Parighasana, the body posture becomes like the lateral bars of a gate, and hence it is transliterated as known as Gate Pose.

Parighasana was not known before the 20th century; Since, as yoga scholar Mark Singleton writes, it is very similar to the posture used in modern gymnastics, such as in Niels Buch’s 1924 Elementary Gymnastics, it is likely that Krishnamacharya, the father of modern yoga, did the same for his time. The posture was derived from the general gymnastics culture. However, it is not clear.

Gate Pose Quick Facts

Sanskrit Name: Parighasana
Pronounced as: (par-ee-GOSS-anna)
English Name: Gate Pose, Beam Pose
Meaning: ‘Parigha’ means ‘the bar used to close the gate’ and ‘asana’ means ‘pose’.
Pose Level: Beginner
Pose Position: Sitting
Targets: Lower body
Pose Type: Stretch, Side-Bend, Balance
Stretches: abductors, back muscles, hamstrings
Strengthens: hip flexors, quadriceps, and side body
Stimulates chakra:   Ajna chakra and Root Chakra (Muladhara Chakra).

How To Do Gate Pose (Parighasana)

• First, stand your body by kneeling on the floor.
• Now, spread your right leg out to your right side and press your foot flat on the floor. so that right knee towards the sky/ceiling. (Make sure your right leg should be parallel to your kneeling knee)
• With inhalation being to extend your left arm up and close to your left ear. (keep the palm facing either up or down) the shoulder blade should be firmly pressed against the back.
• Exhale and turn to the right side, the chest should be perpendicular to the floor. placing the right palm down on the right leg.
• Look at the sky by keeping the back of your neck long.
• Breathe and hold for 5-8 breaths.
• As long as you are able to keep your body in this position, let it remain like this for a long time and then come back to normal.
• To perform this mudra it is necessary to maintain a balanced body which is not possible at first. If you practice Muarasan regularly, you will definitely be able to do it easily.
• Initially, do this easy once, slowly practice it regularly according to the capacity.
• To come out, inhale extending out through the top arm and come back to the center.
• Repeat the stretch on your other side.

Preparatory Pose

• Bound Angle pose (Baddha Konasana)
• Virasana (Hero Pose)
• Downward-facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Follow Up Pose

• Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
• Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

Benefits of Gate Pose (Parighasana)

1. Parighasana opens the side body, lower ribs, arms, and shoulder.
2. It helps in delivering oxygen to the parts that usually don’t receive a high amount of it.
3. It also provides nourishment to the abdominal organs.
4. The science behind Parighasana is not only curing colds, flu, asthma, and allergies but also improves digestion.
5. Its calms for cleaning the circulatory system.
6. Parighasana stimulates the lungs and stretches muscles in the torso too.
7. It also helps to build confidence.
8. The side body bend also increases the flexibility of the spine.
9. By regularizing this asana, the waist does not bow in old age and maintains physical vigor.
10. It helps stretches the calves, spine, and hamstrings.
11. If your work is about to sit then the gate pose is a boon for you. By practicing this, you can avoid all the problems related to the waist.

Tips

• If you feel any pressure on the knees, you can eighter use a folded towel or blanket under the kneeling knee.
• Beginners can use, it to perform this pose eighter against a wall or raise the ball of the foot.
• Adho Mukha Savasana and Vajrasana can be practiced prior to this for better results.

Precautions

• Avoid this asana if you have any serious knee injury, kneeling may be impossible. to perform this asana you could sit on a chair. instead of kneeling down
• If you are suffering from back, neck pain, and chronic knee injury or inflammation should avoid practicing Parighasana.
• Do not do this asana even if you have stomach ulcer problems or any kind of operation.

Conclusion

Parighasana is a kneeling side bending beginner level pose of Hatha Yoga pose. It focuses on a ‘lateral stretch to the sides of the body and upper body; along with stretch to legs, hips, and core muscles. It helps in keeping the spine strong, stretching and contracting the deeper muscles as well as releasing the stiffness in the lower back.