What is Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana) and its Benefits?

We will serves a guide for the beginners or practitioners and offering the detailed explanation of Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana). This is the excellent yoga poses for standing strengthening asana. We will come to know about the What is Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana) in this blog. This is the intermediate level Yoga exercise to practice. This pose improves strength, balance and flexibility.

What is the Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana)

Side Angle Pose is also known as the parsvakonasana. It is the standing strengthening asana. It also in between the beginner and intermediate level pose. This asana will effect the ankles, hips, groins, spine, abdomen and the chest. This will strength the core muscles and improves the flexibility or mobility of the muscles.

Parsvakonasana come from the sanskrit phrase where, Parsva means, “side or plank”, Kona means, “angle” and Asana means, “posture”. Side Angle Pose, is a yoga pose with a side stretch with one of the arms and the other arm, hence a side angle pose. This pose helps to strengthen and balancing the body. It helps to relieve the mental and emotional stress.

How to Perform Parsvakonasana?

It is the standing balancing and strengthening asana.

Here is the step by step guidance of Side Angle Pose:

  1. To start this pose, standing on the floor with distance between your feet.
  2. You can increase the distinction of the feet whenever you feel comfortable. So, you can feel stretch in your legs.
  3. Hold nicely with outer edge is active. Quads are engaged, knee cap engaged and the pelvic is neutral.
  4. Standing with long and tall chest and head and neck is also straight.
  5. Gently turn the left foot little inside and turn the right foot out.
  6. Breath and lean into the right hip joint and bend your right knee with your right heel slightly inward.
  7. Keep your thigh parallel to the floor.
  8. Keep your right knee in line with your ankle.
  9. Stretch the left leg behind. There should not be any strain on your right bent knee.
  10. Lift your right arm outside your right foot with your palm facing the floor and your foot turned at a right angle, or keep your right arm on your right thigh. Roll your shoulder blades away from your ears.
  11. Keep your right foot firm on your yoga mat. Feel the stretch on your right thigh.
  12. Keep the alignment of the right thigh in one plane with your body.
  13. Extend your left arm next to the left ear, lengthening the entire left side of the body, thus maintaining the side bend.
  14. Gaze straight ahead at your left fingertips, underneath the left armpit. Shift slightly your upper torso on the upper side to open the chest.
  15. Hold the pose for a few breaths. Engage your inner thighs. Keep the bent knee thigh involved.
  16. Release the pose slowly by pressing your back heel into the floor and repeat the same steps with your left foot forward.

What is the Benefits of Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana)?

There are huge benefits of Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana). Some of them are explained below:

  • Opens the Hips and Chest: While performing this pose, it will deeply stretch the sides of the body. It will helps open up the hips and the chest. This will improve the flexibility and mobility to the hips and inner chest. It enhances the respiration function.
  • Strengthens the Legs: As you bend into the front leg, you build strength in the thighs and calves. It will give you a sense of grounded power.
  • Improves Balance and Coordination: By reaching one arm down to the floor and the other toward the sky, this requires body to maintain the balance. This encourages greater coordination between the upper and lower body and bring awareness to the body.
  • Improve Digestion: It is the effective pose to controlling constipation and improving digestion.
  • Increases Flexibility: The deep stretch in the legs, hips, and sides of the body helps improve flexibility. It also enhances the flexibility in the groins, hamstrings, and ribs.
  • Boost The Energy Level: The Side Angle Pose helps open the flow of prana or energy through the body. The long lines of the body encourage energy to circulate freely and boosting the energy level more in the body.
  • Calms the Mind: Holding this posture with focused attention is helping to calm the nervous system and create mental clarity. It encourages you to stay present in the moment.