Parighasana

Stretch your body with Yoga pose- Parighasana

Stretching is considered the prime task and thing in all the exercises and yoga too. It massages your body parts and makes them fluent and well-maintained. Today, let’s give our body a massage with a Yoga pose called ‘Stretch your body with Yoga pose- Parighasana or Gate pose‘. The asana looks quite similar to the exercise but the breathing processes make it a bit different. 

What is Parighasana?

Gate Pose or Parighasana is a side bend that stretches the entire side body and is suitable for students of all levels. The Sanskrit name for this pose, “Parighasana” (pair-eee-GAHS-uh-nuh), comes from the word “parish,” which refers to a bar or beam that is used to lock a gate. In the full version of the pose, your body mimics the look of a locked gate.

Steps for Parighasana:-

Many steps are mandatory to perform if you want an eased exercise for the body.

  1. Come up on your knees with your legs hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
  2. Extend your right leg out to the side and press down through the ball of your right foot and out the toes.
  3. Keep your knee slightly flexed (don’t lock it) and press up and out through your crown.
  4. Breaththe in: raise your arms to the sky, palms facing in, hands shoulder-width apart.
  5. Press up and out through your fingertips.
  6. Breathe out: Press out through your left hip and reach your arms and torso to the right.
  7. As you do so, lower your right arm and bring its hand to your right leg. Do not put weight on this hand.
  8. Breathe deeply from this position. Press out through your fingertips and the crown of your head.
  9. Make sure your hips are aligned.
  10. Press out through your sternum, rotating your chest and upper shoulder back so that you are facing directly forward.
  11. To come out of the pose, breathe in and lift your torso and arms vertical, palms facing each other, hands shoulder-width apart.
  12. Press out through your fingertips as you exhale and lower your arms to their sides, bringing the knees together. Relax.
  13. Repeat on the opposite side.

So, these were the steps for Parighasana’s‘ Gate pose‘. Now let’s talk about the other details like benefits, contradictions, etc.

Benefits of Parighasana:-

  • Gate pose stretches the side of the body from the hips to the fingers,
  • It increases the flexibility of the spine as the stretching process is involved in it.
  • It also builds core strength and stimulates digestion, circulation, and respiration.
  • It Stimulates the abdominal organs and lungs.
  • It opens the shoulders.
  • This very asana is also a good treatment for IBS i.e., Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Contradictions and precautionary measures for Parighasana:-

  • Those with weak knees should place a soft, folded blanket or mat beneath their knee and avoid long holding times.
  • Beginners might not be able to press the foot of the straight leg flat onto the floor. There are two options: either raise the ball of the foot on a sandbag or thickly folded blanket or work against a wall, with the ball of the foot pressed against the wall.
  • With any serious knee injury, kneeling might be difficult or impossible. In this case, perform the pose sitting on a chair.
  • Hip, shoulder injury, or any case of any kind of inflammation; this pose must be strictly avoided.

Practising Gate Pose will bring awareness and flexibility to the often-neglected sides of your body. It can be a building block for deeper side stretches and better breathing habits. Adding Gate Pose to your regular practice will help improve your posture, grace, and range of motion in everyday life. So, always go for Yoga. It never harms your body until you are not following the instructions appropriately. Take care and live well!