Bharadvajasana

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Bharadvajasana I from the front

Bharadvajasana (Sanskrit: भरद्वाजासन; IAST: Bharadvājāsana) or Bharadvaja's twist is a twisting asana in modern yoga as exercise.[1]

Etymology and origins[]

The asana is dedicated to the sage Bharadvāja[2] who was one of the Seven Great Sages or Rishi.[3] He was the father of Drona, a master of military arts and the royal guru to Kauravas, Pandavas and the Devastras,[4] 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.[5]

The pose currently known by the name Bharadvajasana is a modern one, first seen in the 20th century.[6] It is described in the works of two of Krishnamacharya's pupils, B. K. S. Iyengar's 1966 Light on Yoga[7] and Pattabhi Jois's Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.[6]

Description[]

Bharadvajasana II

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.[8]

Variations[]

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.[9]

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.[10]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ YJ Editors 2012.
  2. ^ Iyengar 1979, p. 251—252.
  3. ^ Inhabitants of the Worlds Mahanirvana Tantra, translated by Arthur Avalon, (Sir John Woodroffe), 1913, Introduction and Preface
  4. ^ Hopkins 1915.
  5. ^ Sjoman 1999, pp. 74 and plate 5 (pose 28).
  6. ^ a b Sjoman 1999, p. 100.
  7. ^ Iyengar 1979, pp. 251–254.
  8. ^ Mehta 1990, p. 72.
  9. ^ Mehta 1990, p. 77.
  10. ^ Mehta 1990, p. 71.

Sources[]

  • YJ Editors (2012). "Bharadvaja's Twist". Yoga Journal. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  • Hopkins, Edward Washburn (1915). Epic Mythology. Noble Offset Printers. ISBN 978-0819602282.
  • Iyengar, B. K. S. (1979). Light on Yoga. Schocken. ISBN 978-0-8052-1031-6.
  • Mehta, Silva; Mehta, Mira; Mehta, Shyam (1990). Yoga: The Iyengar Way. Dorling Kindersley.
  • Sjoman, Norman E. (1999). The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 978-81-7017-389-2.
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