The butterfly pose has many other names such as Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle Pose, Throne Pose, and Bhadrasana, is a gentle yet effective asana that targets the hips, groin, as well as inner thighs.
Named for its butterfly-like leg movement, this pose is also called Cobbler Pose due to its resemblance to an Indian cobbler’s sitting position.
Yoga schools in India often teach this beginner-friendly pose, highlighting its wide range of physical and mental benefits. It’s an excellent addition to the practice of any yoga tradition, including those in 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh.
Practice Tips and Precautions
Perfect for those who sit for long hours or engage in activities that tighten the hips and thighs, the Butterfly Pose enhances flexibility, relieves tension, and promotes relaxation. The people having sciatica pain should not practise this pose or if necessary, sit on a cushion to provide the hips with good support.
Those with lower-back disorders should keep the spine erect to avoid discomfort. This pose is integral to styles like Hatha and Yin yoga for its simplicity and accessibility, making it a valuable practice in both beginner classes and advanced 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh.
Benefits of Butterfly Pose
This yoga pose is a gentle hip opener pose that offers a wide range of physical as well as mental benefits, such as:
Physical Benefits of the Butterfly Pose
1. This yoga asana stretches the inner thighs, groin, and knees of the practitioners.
2. Badha Konasana improves flexibility in the groin and hip region by giving a nice stretching to the muscles in these regions.
3. This asana increases blood circulation in the lower abdomen area as it mainly works in the lower area of the body.
4. This yoga posture also encourages healthy bowel movements and relieves the condition of constipation.
5. It works for removing fatigue that a person develops from long hours of standing, sitting, or walking.
6. It increases external rotation in the hip area by creating space around the pelvis.
7. This pose offers relief from menstrual discomfort as well as menopause symptoms.
8. This yoga pose helps in smooth delivery if it is practiced regularly until late pregnancy.
Mental and Emotional Benefits
1. This yoga asana calms down and relaxes an anxious mind.
2 It also promotes inner awareness as well as mindfulness in the practitioners.
3. This posture reduces stress levels, which helps improve the metabolism.
How to Practice the Butterfly Pose
1. In order to practice this pose, the practitioners should start this pose in a seated position with their spine erect and legs spread straight out.
2. The practitioners should now bend their knees and bring the feet towards their pelvis, as well as the soles of the feet touching each other.
3. Grab the feet tightly with hands (you may place your hands underneath your feet for support).
4. They should now make an effort to bring their heels as close to their groin as possible without straining.
5. Now, take a long and deep breath in as well as without breathing out, fold forward, and at the same time, press the thighs and knees down toward the floor.
6. Make a gentle effort in order to keep pressing the thighs downward.
7. Start now flapping both legs up and down like a butterfly flaps its wings, as well as keeping breathing normally.
8. Start the practice slowly and then make it faster with time and practice.
9. Now stop the flapping and take a long, deep breath, and when you exhale, bend forward while keeping your chin up.
10. Press your elbows now on the thighs or the knees; try to push the knees and thighs as close to the floor as possible. Feel the stretch in the inner thigh area.
11. Now breathe in and take the torso up. As you exhale, release the yoga posture gently, make the legs straight in front of you, and relax.
Tips for Practicing Butterfly Yoga Pose
Use Props: The practitioners who are facing problems in practicing the butterfly pose such as feeling it difficult to sit with a straight spine, use a cushion or folded blanket under your sit bones for proper support.
Warm-Up: When you want to practice Baddha Konasana (butterfly pose), you should make your body warm by doing some warm-up activities such as perform a few gentle stretches to avoid strain.
Avoid Overstretching: In butterfly pose, the practitioners need to touch the ground with their knees. But in the starting, the practitioners feel difficulty in doing that, so if you are facing such issue, do not force your knees to touch the ground rather, gradually work on increasing your flexibility, after that you will be able to touch the ground with your knees..
Consistency: In order to become proficient in performing any yoga pose, the practitioners require practicing that pose regularly.
Same thing works for the practice of the Butterfly Pose also. The practitioners pacticing it consistently, will receive better performance over time. You just need to maintain the consistency in your practice.
Cautions While Practising Butterfly Yoga Position
The practitioners who are suffering from knee injury or any groin-related issue should keep a blanket under the outer thighs as a support. Such practitioners should not practice the butterfly pose without having blanket support.
Apart from that, people suffering from sciatica pain should not perform this pose or still, if they want to practice the pose, they must sit on a cushion in order to raise the hips. Also, while doing this yogasana, keep the spine straight and erect.
Beginners should start the practice of this pose with the heels further from the groin and gradually bring them closer over time, and for more of a stretch, tuck the heels close to the groin and fold forward, keeping the back straight. Pregnant women should practice this pose under the guidance of a qualified yoga instructor.
Conclusion
The Butterfly yoga pose (Baddha Konasana) is a simple yoga pose that does not require very effortful practice however, it is a great yoga pose to include in routine yoga practice. It give the all types of benefits such as physical benefits, mental relaxation as well as overall well-being.
A beginner as well as an experienced practitioner can incorporate this pose easily into his or her yoga routine to reap its numerous benefits. You should perform this pose mindfully and enjoy your journey towards better health.
A practitioner practicing this pose regularly, gets the enhanced flexibility, relieved tension, as well as a deeper connection between his or her mind and body. Rishikesh Ashtanga Yoga in Rishikesh is one of the best registered yoga school that provides all kinds of yoga teacher training such as 200 hour teacher training in Rishikesh, 300 hour Yoga teacher training , advanced 500 hour teacher training etc. including all the yoga poses such as butterfly yoga pose. You need to contact the school directly in order to embrace the Butterfly Pose as a gateway to a more balanced and harmonious life.
FAQs
1. What is the purpose of butterfly pose?
The purpose of Butterfly Pose is to improve the flexibility in the pelvic area as well as reduce the tension. This pose is very helpful for people who feel tightness in the hip area due to long working hours in a sitting position or a highly intense workout. It also promotes calmness.
2. Can men do butterfly pose?
Yes, the butterfly pose is beneficial for men as it stretches the groin region, so it can be especially beneficial for office workers as well as athletes because it relaxes the tightness of hip muscles and improves mobility.
3. Is butterfly pose a hip opener?
Definitely, the butterfly pose is a gentle hip opener exercise that provides relaxation to the hip muscles as well as it is beneficial for everyone.
4. What is the anatomy of butterfly pose?
As per the yoga anatomy, hips, groin, pelvic floor muscles, and the spine, all engaged in butterfly pose. This pose stretches the hips and groin, strengthens the pelvic muscles, as well as creates the right posture of the spine.
5. Does butterfly pose reduce belly fat?
The butterfly pose helps in reducing the belly fat as it gently contracts the abdomen and improves flexibility of inner thighs as well as relieving tension.
6. Is butterfly pose good for SI joint pain?
The SI joints are the sacroiliac joint, commonly known as the SIJ. These joints are located at the connection point between the spine and the pelvis. This condition causes pain and stiffness in the hips or lower back, as well as the pain may go down one or both legs. The butterfly pose is a great help for the SI joint. This pose increases mobility in these areas and relieves pain and discomfort.