Bharadvajasana

Bharadvajasana I from the front

Bharadvajasana (Sanskrit: भरद्वाजासन; IAST: Bharadvājāsana) or Bharadvaja's twist is a twisting asana in modern yoga as exercise.

Etymology and origins

The asana is dedicated to the sage Bharadvāja[1] who was one of the Seven Great Sages or Rishi.[2] He was the father of Drona, a master of military arts and the royal guru to Kauravas, Pandavas and the Devastras,[3] the princes who fought the great war of the Mahabharata.

A different asana is illustrated under the name Bharadvajasana in the 19th century Sritattvanidhi; it somewhat resembles Mayurasana with the legs in Padmasana, but as drawn it would be impossible to perform.[4]

The pose currently known by the name Bharadvajasana is a modern one, first seen in the 20th century.[5] It is described in the works of two of Krishnamacharya's pupils, B. K. S. Iyengar's 1966 Light on Yoga[6] and Pattabhi Jois's Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.[5]

Description

Bharadvajasana II

Bharadvājāsana is a seated spinal twist. Bharadvajasana I is the basic form, with the legs as in Virasana (hero pose), one foot on the floor and the other ankle cradled in the arch of the foot below.[7] Baddha Konasana and Marichyasana can be used to prepare for Bharadvajasana.[8] Utthita Trikonasana, extended triangle pose, is a suitable counter pose to Bharadvajasana.[9]

Variations

Bharadvajasana II is an advanced form requiring high hip mobility; one leg is bent as in Padmasana (lotus position), while the other leg is bent as in Virasana.[10]

Bharadvajasana on chair is a variant performed sitting sideways on an armless chair. This does not require hip mobility; the arms grasp the back of the chair to assist with the twist.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Iyengar 1979, p. 251—252.
  2. ^ Inhabitants of the Worlds Mahanirvana Tantra, translated by Arthur Avalon, (Sir John Woodroffe), 1913, Introduction and Preface
  3. ^ Hopkins 1915.
  4. ^ Sjoman 1999, pp. 74 and plate 5 (pose 28).
  5. ^ a b Sjoman 1999, p. 100.
  6. ^ Iyengar 1979, pp. 251–254.
  7. ^ Mehta 1990, p. 72.
  8. ^ Dehnke 2012.
  9. ^ Dehnke, Andrea (28 August 2007). "Bharadvaja's Twist". Yoga Journal. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  10. ^ Mehta 1990, p. 77.
  11. ^ Mehta 1990, p. 71.

Sources

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