Supta means a state of lying or sleeping, Pavana – air (here it refers to gastroentric gases), Mukta – free or release, and Asana – posture; respectively. Supta-Pavanamuktasana enables the practitioner to release gastric gases easily, hence the name Supta-Pavanamuktasana.
1. Lay down on your Back.
2. Join heels and big toe. Fold left leg and bring knee over chest.
3. With the help of fingers’ interlock placed below knees, give pressure to knees towards chest accompanied with complete exhalation.
4. Increase pressure on stomach with pressing thigh on it, lift and touch forehead or nose or chin to knee and retain the posture and air out for some time.
5. Release pressure, unfold leg and open finger lock and bring down head on floor with inhalation.
6. Unfold the leg to normal lying position and hands near thighs.
7. Pause & relax. (During final stage of posture, don’t allow raising right knee from floor; however any person who has any problem of hernia will be an exception).
8. Repeat the posture with right leg also in the same manner.
9. Repeat with both the legs joined together in the same way.
10. In the final posture roll down and up 4-5 times with curved back, also tilt to left and then to right.
11. Release pressure, unfold legs and open finger lock with inhalation.
12. Straighten the legs full length to normal lying position and relax.
Benefits of Supta-Pavanamuktasana - Very useful practice for problems related to stomach like, constipation, gas and acidity etc, increases flexibility of spinal column. It is most likely that residual gastric gases accumulated in colon tract and rectum may get released during practice of Supta-Pavanamuktasana, thereby instantaneously relieving the stomach.
