Vajrasana is known as thunderbolt posture, since vajra means thunderbolt in Sanskrit. It is also termed as adamantine posture. If you practice Vajrasana, you have a firm, steady pace and you cannot be easily shaken. Vajrasana renders the knees very hard. The spinal cord or Meru Danda becomes strong and firm. This asana nearly resembles the Namaz posture that Muslims adopt when they sit for prayer.
Procedure of Vajrasana
- Come down slowly from a standing position or Tadasana by bending your knees, but keeping your back and neck straight and erect.
- When your thighs touch the forelegs and the forelegs are firmly on the ground, twist your feet so that the soles support the buttocks and the feet extend beyond the buttocks, with the fingers of the feet stretching outward.
- The calves of the legs should touch the thighs and the part of the knee to the toe should touch the floor. The entire weight of the body is borne by the knees and ankles.
- When you are sitting in the proper position comfortably, place your hands on the knees, keeping the knees quite close. The back, neck and the head should be in a straight line.
- Initially, you may feel a little pain in the knee joints and ankle joints, but this will disappear with practice. You can massage the knee joints and ankle joints with your hands until you feel comfortable.
Benefits of Vajrasana
Vajrasana is a very good asana to counter indigestion. If you sit after taking your food in Vajrasana for about 30 minutes, the food will become well digested. Dyspeptics can derive a lot of benefit from this asana. The muscles and the nerves of the legs and thighs get strengthened by Vajrasana. If you are suffering from myalgia in your thighs, legs, knees, and toes, you can eliminate myalgia with Vajrasana. You can also use this asana as a cure for sciatica and flatulence. Vajrasana helps in making the stomach work vigorously. Vajrasana exercises a beneficial, stimulating influence on Kanda. Kanda, a very vital part of our body is located 12 inches above our anus and the 72,000 Nadis in our body spring forth from Kanda. With practice, you can sit in Vajrasana for a long time. Yogis and siddhas use Vajrasana for meditation.
Variation of Vajrasana
You can also keep your heels separate. You can keep the buttocks and the anus between the heels and keep the legs by the sides of the two thighs.
If you keep your hand on your knees, hips, or the sides of your chest and press your buttocks firmly with the soles, with the trunk, neck and head straight and erect, it is known as Kurmasana or tortoise posture.
If you sit in Vajrasana and stretch the hands to the face level with palms facing together, while bending down slowly and lying down on the floor with the support of your hands, it is Ardha Kurmasana.
For performing Utthana Kurmasana, you should sit in the position of Garbhasana with the hands between the thighs and the calves. While you keep the feet on your thighs in Garbhasana, you keep the ankles close and one ankle over the other ankles, while pressing the head down with the hands. These asanas eliminate pain and sprains in the back.
When you take the feet towards the back, allowing the toes to touch each other, with the knees at the sides and the hands on the knee, it is known as Mandukasana or frog posture.
When you raise your knees slowly while sitting in Vajrasana, you will be performing Angushthasana, which is very helpful in maintaining Brahmacharya.
When you sit in Vajrasana and take hold of your heels with your two hands, it is known as Ananda Mandirasana.
Supta Vajrasana
Supta Vajrasana is a major variation of Vajrasana by combing Vajrasana with Savasana or sleeping posture. It is also known as Ardha Savasana. You should perform this asana only after obtaining perfection in Vajrasana, since more force and strain come on your knees in this asana. You should lie down on your back and make a finger-lock. The head should rest on your palms. At the beginning, the entire portion of your back will not be able to touch the floor and the lower portion will remain in a raised position. However, you will get perfection in this asana with practice. This asana provides all the benefits of Vajrasana. Even hunchback can be removed by this asana since the spine bends backward and becomes elastic. When you perfect this asana, performing Chakrasana becomes easier.