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This is the final position.
Hold for as long as is comfortable. Breathing: Breathe normally throughout the practice. Awareness: Physical - on maintaining balance or on the feet
and knees.
Spiritual - on mooladhara chakra. Benefits: This asana reverses the flow of apana, directing it
upward to the higher centres for use in meditative states.
It makes the legs and feet extremely supple. Practice note: To perform this asana, the muscles of the legs
and feet need to be slowly stretched over a period of time. Note: People who can comfortably remain in the final position may
utilise it for meditation. This was the preferred meditation asana of the great yogi, Gorakhnath.
ASTAVAKRASANA
Astavakrasana (eight-twists pose)
Stand with the feet about half a metre apart. Bend the knees. Place the right palm on the floor between the feet and the left palm a little in front of the left foot. Place the right leg above the right arm, resting the thigh on the back of the upper right arm, just above the elbow. Bring the left foot forward between the arms so that it lies close to the right foot.
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