What is Sleeping Vishnu Pose (Anantasana) and its Benefits?

Sleeping Vishnu Pose (Anantasana) is one of the best pose to calming the mind. This pose is inspired by the Lord Vishnu, one of the principle deities in Hinduism, who is lying on the cosmic serpent,  Shesha.  This is the reclining pose stimulates the eternal peace and stability. So, we explore about what is the Sleeping Vishnu Pose (Anantasana) combines with the steps and benefits of this pose in this upcoming blog.

What is the Sleeping Vishnu Pose (Anantasana)

Anantasana is sleeping vishnu pose,  vishnu’s  couch pose or side reclining leg lift there are many name of this pose. this asana is performed by lying on the side by one forearm supporting your head, while your other leg and arm  is upright towards the sky and your other forearm holding your big toes.

Anantasana  comes from the sanskrit words, where Ananata means, “infinite or endless serpant “,(sheshnag )with contless heads on which Lord Vishnu relaxing by lying sideways and Asana means, “posture”.

How to Perform Anantasana?

Here is the step by step guidance of Sleeping Vishnu Pose (Anantasana):

1. To start this asana, lie down on the left side of your body with your head resting on your biceps.
2.  Place your head on the left palm, bent arm is sort of making a triangle shape.
3. Keep the whole body stretched in one line as much as possible.
4.  Right hand is resting on the floor in front of your body.
5. By balancing your body upper leg lift as much as possible and gradually stretching your body.
6. Inhale to lift your right leg up, and hold your right big toes with your right arm.
7. Slowly exhale, lift up and extend your arm and leg as well.
8. When you are connecting with your posture , it is easier to achieve  the posture.
9. Now, slowly bend your knees and relax.  Just push yourself away from the ground  and come out of the posture, get up a with a comfortable seated posture.

So that’s all about the Anantasna, make sure that you should do  it with other side also, to stretch both side of your torso and legs.

What is the Benefits of Sleeping Vishnu Pose (Anantasana)?

It is the best pose to perform contains many physical and mental benefits.

Here is some of the key benefits of Sleeping Vishnu Pose (Anantasana):

• Improve Strength and Flexibility: It is that perfect asana that helps to balancing our body and mind. It helps to enhance the flexibility of our body and strengthen  your hamstring, back of your legs and side of your torso.
• Improve Digestion and Metabolism: By doing this asana, it helps to strengthen your spine, tones of your abdominal muscles by this your digestive system improved. Practicing this asana helps to maintain a healthy metabolism.
• Improve Blood Circulation: For  doing Anantasana, it helps to proper blood circulation in our full body. So, it increase blood flow in our internal organs and providing nutrients and oxygen to the muscles, organs and tissues.
• Reduction of Stress and Anxiety:   This asanas helps to release tension, anxiety and stress. Anantasana  encourages deep breathing and relaxation that helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This helps to decrease the stress hormone in our body and gives a sense of calm.
• Helpful in Mind Balancing: It is that perfect asana that helps not only body balancing but also helps for mind balancing. This asana helps to reduce mental anxiety, stress and tension. By doing this posture, practitioner enhance their mind-body connection. The deep stretching and relaxing in this posture promote emotional healing and provide a sense of calmness. It allow to release the tension and find inner peace. So, this asana offer mental benefit and balancing our mind.
• Anantasana for Women Health: For women Anantasana can be valuable yoga pose that provide specific benefit during menstrual and menopause. This yoga pose helps to improve pelvic health and enhance flexibility  of the pelvic region. It helpful in treating disorder related to the urinary bladder, uterus, prostate testes and ovaries. Regular practice of this asana helps to improves hormonal balance and overall well being of women.

What are the Precautions of Anantasana?

Anantasana or Sleeping Vishnu Pose is quite simple to learn and easy to practice this asana. Yet, you have to take precaution while doing this asana  to prevent injury and muscles strain. Here is some safety points to keep in mind while doing this asana:

• If you have a back and shoulder injury, you should wait until you are fully recovered.
• If you have spondylitis, cervical, slip disc or any other such type of condition. You should consult doctor first, before doing this asana.