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