Parighasana(Gate Pose)

1. Method of parighasana practice

Parighasana, also known as Gate Pose, is a standing lateral stretch that stretches the side of the body from the hip to the fingertips. Here is the method to practice Parighasana:

1. Start by kneeling on the mat with your knees hip-width apart and your toes pointing behind you. Keep your spine long and your shoulders relaxed.

• Extend your right leg straight out to the right side of your mat. Keep your foot flexed and your toes pointing up.

• Inhale and raise your arms up to shoulder height with your palms facing down.

• Exhale and reach your right arm out to the side, tilting your torso to the right. Keep your left hand resting on your left thigh.

• As you reach further to the right, slide your right hand down your right leg towards your ankle, keeping your left hip pressing down towards the mat.

• Hold the pose for several breaths, lengthening your spine with each inhale and deepening your stretch with each exhale.

• To come out of the pose, inhale and bring your right arm back up to shoulder height, then exhale and release your right leg back to kneeling position.

• Repeat the pose on the other side by extending your left leg out to the left side and reaching your left arm towards your ankle.

• Practice the pose on both sides, holding for several breaths each time.

Tips:

– Keep your hips square and facing forward throughout the pose.

– Press your left hip down towards the mat to deepen the stretch in your right side.

– If you have trouble reaching your ankle, you can rest your hand on your shin or a block instead.

– Keep your gaze forward or up towards your raised hand to maintain balance and stability.

– Avoid collapsing your chest and rounding your back, instead, lengthen your spine and open your chest towards the ceiling.

• How to teach parighasana

        Here is a step-by-step guide on how to teach Parighasana or Gate Pose:

1. Start by bringing your students to a kneeling position on the mat with their knees hip-width apart and their toes pointing behind them. Ask them to take a few deep breaths, relaxing their shoulders and lengthening their spine.

• Instruct them to extend their right leg straight out to the right side of the mat, keeping their foot flexed and toes pointing up.

• As they inhale, ask them to raise their arms up to shoulder height with palms facing down.

• On the exhale, encourage them to reach their right arm out to the side, tilting their torso to the right. Their left hand should be resting on their left thigh.

• Guide them to slide their right hand down their right leg towards their ankle, keeping their left hip pressing down towards the mat.

• Ask them to hold the pose for a few breaths, lengthening their spine with each inhale and deepening their stretch with each exhale.

• Remind them to keep their hips square and facing forward throughout the pose.

• Instruct them to come out of the pose by inhaling and bringing their right arm back up to shoulder height, then exhaling and releasing their right leg back to kneeling position.

• Repeat the pose on the other side by extending their left leg out to the left side and reaching their left arm towards their ankle.

1. Encourage your students to practice the pose on both sides, holding for several breaths each time.

Tips for teaching Parighasana:

– Demonstrate the pose and break down each step to make it easier for your students to follow.

– Emphasize the importance of keeping the hips square and facing forward to prevent injury.

– Encourage your students to listen to their body and avoid overstretching.

– Offer modifications such as using a block for support or keeping the hand on the thigh instead of reaching towards the ankle.

– Cue your students to breathe deeply and stay present in the pose, focusing on their body and breath.

• Benefits of parighasana

        Parighasana, also known as the Gate Pose, provides a range of benefits for the body and mind. Some of the benefits of practicing Parighasana are:

1. Stretches the body: Parighasana is an excellent pose to stretch the entire body, including the hips, thighs, groin, shoulders, and chest.

• Improves posture: Practicing Parighasana regularly can help to improve your posture by strengthening your core muscles, shoulders, and spine.

• Stimulates digestion: This pose also helps to stimulate digestion by compressing the abdominal organs, which helps to improve digestion and alleviate digestive problems.

• Calms the mind: Parighasana is a calming and grounding pose that can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

• Increases lung capacity: This pose helps to expand the chest and lungs, increasing the lung capacity and oxygen intake in the body.

• Develops flexibility: Regular practice of Parighasana can improve flexibility in the hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip flexors.

• Tones abdominal muscles: Parighasana also strengthens and tones the abdominal muscles, helping to create a stronger core.

• Boosts energy: This pose helps to stimulate the body’s energy, promoting a feeling of revitalization and rejuvenation.

Note: It is essential to practice yoga under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher and to listen to your body to avoid any injuries or complications.

• Contraindications of parighasana

       While Parighasana is generally safe for most people, there are a few contraindications and precautions to keep in mind:

1. Knee injury: Avoid practicing Parighasana if you have a knee injury, as this pose places pressure on the knees.

• Hip injury: Those with a hip injury should also avoid this pose, as it can strain the hips.

• Lower back pain: If you have lower back pain, be cautious with Parighasana, as it requires a forward bend and can put pressure on the lower back.

• High or low blood pressure: If you have high or low blood pressure, practice this pose with caution and avoid holding it for an extended period.

• Pregnancy: Pregnant women should avoid practicing Parighasana, as it can put pressure on the abdomen and lower back.

• Neck injury: Be cautious with your neck position in this pose, and avoid turning your head too much if you have a neck injury.

It is always best to practice yoga under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher, who can help you modify the pose as needed or suggest alternative poses if Parighasana is contraindicated for you.

• Counterpose for parighasana

        The counterpose for Parighasana is usually a gentle spinal twist or a seated forward fold. Here are two options:

1. Gentle spinal twist: After releasing from Parighasana, come to a seated position with your legs crossed. Inhale and lengthen your spine, then exhale and twist to the right, bringing your left hand to your right knee and your right hand behind you. Stay here for a few breaths, then inhale to lengthen your spine again and exhale to twist to the left.

• Seated forward fold: After releasing from Parighasana, come to a comfortable seated position. Inhale and lengthen your spine, then exhale and fold forward, reaching for your feet or ankles. Stay here for a few breaths, then inhale and lift your torso back up.

Both of these counterposes will help to release any tension in the spine and hips, and can help to balance out the effects of Parighasana.

• Preparatory practice for parighasana

       Before practicing Parighasana, it can be helpful to do some preparatory poses to warm up the hips and legs. Here are a few options:

1. Sukhasana (Easy Pose): Start in a comfortable seated position with your legs crossed. Sit up tall and take a few deep breaths, focusing on lengthening your spine.

• Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose): From a seated position, bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop out to the sides. You can use your hands to gently press your knees down toward the ground. Stay here for a few breaths, focusing on keeping your spine long.

• Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose): Stand with your feet about 3-4 feet apart and turn your right foot out to the side. Bend your right knee and extend your arms out to the sides, coming into Warrior II. Stay here for a few breaths, then switch sides.

• Trikonasana (Triangle Pose): From Warrior II, straighten your right leg and reach your right arm forward, then hinge at your hip to reach your right hand down to your shin, ankle, or the ground. Reach your left arm up toward the ceiling. Stay here for a few breaths, then switch sides.

These poses can help to warm up your body and prepare you for Parighasana. Remember to listen to your body and move slowly and mindfully.

• Alignment cue for parighasana

        Here are some alignment cues for practicing Parighasana (Gate Pose):

1. Start in a low lunge position with your right foot forward and left foot back. Keep the front knee directly over the ankle and press the back foot down.

• Bring your left hand to your left hip and stretch your right arm up towards the ceiling. Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears.

• Exhale and side bend towards your left, sliding your left hand down your left leg. Keep your right arm straight and actively reaching up towards the ceiling.

• Keep both legs active and engaged. Press the back heel down and reach through the crown of the head.

• Keep your gaze forward or up towards your right hand.

• Stay here for a few breaths, feeling the stretch on the right side of your body.

• To come out, inhale and lift your torso back to center. Exhale and release your arms down.

• Repeat the same on the other side.

Some additional alignment cues that can be helpful include keeping the spine long, engaging the core muscles, and keeping the hips level. It is also important to listen to your body and not push beyond your limits.

• Kinesiology of parighasana

         Parighasana, also known as Gate Pose, involves stretching and lengthening the side body muscles, particularly the intercostal muscles between the ribs, the quadratus lumborum muscle, and the obliques.

During the pose, the front leg works to maintain stability and balance, while the back leg is actively engaged to support the body. The adductors, particularly the inner thigh muscles of the back leg, work to help maintain balance and stability.

The hip joint of the front leg Is flexed, and the hip joint of the back leg is extended. This movement requires activation of the hip flexors of the front leg, particularly the iliopsoas muscle, and the hip extensors of the back leg, including the glutes and hamstrings.

The arm reaching up towards the ceiling engages the muscles of the shoulder girdle, including the trapezius, rhomboids, and serratus anterior. The arm reaching towards the leg engages the muscles of the upper back, including the latissimus dorsi and the erector spinae.

Overall, Parighasana can help to improve balance and stability, increase flexibility and mobility of the side body muscles, and strengthen the legs, hips, and core.

• Biomechanism of parighasana

       Parighasana or Gate Pose is a yoga asana that stretches and strengthens the muscles of the legs, hips, spine, and torso. Here’s a brief on the biomechanism of this pose:

1. Joint movements: The primary joint movements involved in Parighasana are flexion and extension of the hip joint, along with some degree of external rotation of the thigh bone (femur) and lateral flexion of the spine. The arms are also involved in this pose, with the shoulder joint in flexion and the elbow joint in extension.

• Muscle activation: Parighasana targets several major muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, adductors, obliques, and latissimus dorsi. These muscles are engaged to help maintain the posture and create the necessary stretches and resistance for the pose.

• Stretching: The forward stretch in this pose helps to lengthen the muscles of the hamstrings and hip flexors. The side stretch elongates the obliques and the intercostal muscles between the ribs. Additionally, the pose lengthens the spine and helps in improving the posture.

• Strengthening: Parighasana strengthens the quadriceps, glutes, adductors, and latissimus dorsi muscles. Holding the pose also helps to build endurance in these muscles.

• Stability: Parighasana requires stability in the hips and core muscles to maintain the pose. The pose also challenges balance, which helps to improve overall body awareness and coordination.

Overall, Parighasana is a well-rounded pose that helps to improve flexibility, strength, and stability in the body.

1. Anatomy of parighasana

           Parighasana, also known as Gate pose, is a yoga asana that primarily stretches the side body, including the intercostal muscles, and strengthens the legs and core.

Some of the key anatomical structures involved in parighasana are:

1. Intercostal muscles: These are the muscles between the ribs, which help in expanding and contracting the chest during breathing. In parighasana, these muscles are stretched on one side of the body while contracted on the other side.

• Obliques: These are the muscles that run diagonally along the sides of the torso and help in twisting and bending the torso. In parighasana, the obliques on one side of the body are stretched while those on the other side are contracted.

• Hip adductors: These are the muscles on the inner thighs that bring the legs closer together. In parighasana, the hip adductors of the front leg are stretched.

• Quadriceps: These are the muscles on the front of the thigh that help in extending the knee joint. In parighasana, the quadriceps of the front leg are strengthened.

• Hamstrings: These are the muscles on the back of the thigh that help in bending the knee joint and extending the hip joint. In parighasana, the hamstrings of the back leg are stretched.

• Psoas: This is a deep muscle that runs from the lower spine to the thigh bone and helps in flexing the hip joint. In parighasana, the psoas of the back leg is stretched.

• Core muscles: These are the muscles of the abdomen and lower back that help in stabilizing the spine and pelvis. In parighasana, the core muscles are engaged to maintain a stable and upright posture.
• Physiology of parighasana

          Parighasana, also known as Gate Pose, involves stretching and strengthening of several muscle groups in the body, and also stimulates the respiratory and digestive systems. Here are some physiological benefits of practicing Parighasana:

1. Stretches the side body: Parighasana is an excellent side-stretching asana that stretches the intercostal muscles between the ribs, thereby increasing lung capacity and improving breathing.

• Strengthens the legs and core: The pose involves standing on one leg while the other leg is extended sideways, which strengthens the legs and the core muscles.

• Stimulates the abdominal organs: As the body is folded sideways, the abdominal muscles are also stretched, which stimulates the digestive organs and improves digestion.

• Improves balance and concentration: Balancing on one leg in Parighasana helps to improve concentration and balance.

• Increases spinal flexibility: The spinal twist involved in the pose helps to improve spinal flexibility and relieve back pain.

Overall, Parighasana helps to improve overall body strength, flexibility, and balance, while also providing a range of physiological benefits.

1. Functional anatomy of parighasana

         Parighasana, also known as gate pose, is a yoga asana that primarily targets the hip flexors, quadriceps, and lateral torso muscles. Some of the key muscles involved in the pose are:

1. Psoas Major and Minor: These muscles are located in the hip flexor group and are responsible for flexing the hip joint. In Parighasana, these muscles are stretched as the front leg is extended.

• Rectus Femoris: This muscle is one of the four quadriceps muscles and is responsible for knee extension and hip flexion. In Parighasana, it is stretched as the front leg is extended.

• Adductors: The adductors are a group of muscles located in the inner thigh that are responsible for hip adduction. In Parighasana, the adductors of the front leg are stretched.

• Tensor Fasciae Latae: This muscle is located on the lateral side of the hip and is responsible for hip flexion and abduction. In Parighasana, it is stretched as the hip is abducted and the torso is laterally flexed.

• External Obliques: These muscles are located on the lateral sides of the abdomen and are responsible for lateral flexion and rotation of the torso. In Parighasana, the external obliques of the side facing the ceiling are stretched.

The pose also involves stretching the hamstrings and calves of the back leg, as well as strengthening the muscles of the core, including the rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis.

1. Kinematics of parighasana

          Kinematics refers to the study of motion and the forces that cause that motion. In the context of yoga, kinematics refers to the movement of the body during a yoga pose. In Parighasana, the following kinematics are involved:

1. Rotation of the pelvis: In Parighasana, one leg is extended to the side while the other is flexed. This creates a rotation of the pelvis towards the extended leg.

• Flexion and abduction of the hip: The extended leg in Parighasana is abducted (moved away from the midline) and flexed (bent at the hip). This involves movement of the femur bone in the hip joint.

• Lateral flexion of the spine: In Parighasana, the torso is bent laterally towards the extended leg. This involves the movement of the vertebral column.

• Shoulder abduction and external rotation: The arm on the side of the extended leg is raised and externally rotated in Parighasana. This involves the movement of the humerus bone in the shoulder joint.

Overall, Parighasana involves a complex interplay of movements in the lower body, spine, and shoulders, which require coordination and balance to perform the pose correctly.

1. Mechanism of parighasana

           Parighasana, or the Gate Pose, is a yoga posture that involves a lateral stretch of the spine, extension of the side body, and opening of the hips. The primary muscle groups involved in the posture are the hip abductors, hip flexors, side abdominals, and spinal erectors.

The hip abductors, including the gluteus medius and minimus, work to lift the leg and stabilize the pelvis during the posture. The hip flexors, such as the psoas and iliacus, are lengthened as the front leg moves into a lunge position. The side abdominals, including the obliques, contract to support the spine and prevent excessive lateral flexion. Finally, the spinal erectors, such as the erector spinae and multifidus muscles, work to extend and lengthen the spine.

The movement of the limbs and spine during parighasana involves a complex interplay of joints and muscles, including the hip joint, knee joint, ankle joint, and spinal joints. The movement is facilitated by the coordinated action of agonist and antagonist muscle groups, which work together to produce smooth, efficient movement.

Overall, parighasana can be thought of as a movement that involves extension, lateral flexion, and rotation of the spine, as well as hip abduction and flexion. The posture can help to improve flexibility, strength, and mobility in these areas, while also promoting a sense of grounding and stability.

1. Anatomy and physiology of parighasana

         Parighasana or Gate Pose is a standing asana that engages various muscles, including the legs, hips, and shoulders. Here is a breakdown of the anatomy and physiology of Parighasana:

Anatomy:

– Hamstrings: The hamstrings are a group of three muscles that run down the back of the thigh. They help to bend the knee and extend the hip joint.

– Quadriceps: The quadriceps are a group of four muscles that run down the front of the thigh. They work to straighten the knee joint and help to stabilize the hip joint.

– Adductors: The adductors are a group of muscles located on the inside of the thigh. They work to bring the legs toward the midline of the body.

– Gluteus maximus: The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the buttocks. It works to extend the hip joint.

– External obliques: The external obliques are muscles that run diagonally along the sides of the torso. They work to rotate the torso and bend it to the side.

– Latissimus dorsi: The latissimus dorsi is a large muscle that runs from the upper back down to the lower back. It works to extend, adduct, and internally rotate the shoulder joint.

Physiology:

– Stretching: Parighasana stretches the hamstrings, quadriceps, and adductors of the front leg.

– Strengthening: Parighasana strengthens the gluteus maximus and quadriceps of the front leg.

– Twisting: Parighasana provides a gentle twist to the torso, which can help to improve digestion and massage the internal organs.

– Breathing: The deep breathing that is encouraged in Parighasana can help to calm the mind and reduce stress levels.

Overall, Parighasana helps to improve flexibility, strength, and balance in the body. It also helps to improve digestion and reduce stress levels.

1. How to refine parighasana

          To refine parighasana, also known as the Gate pose, you can follow the steps below:

1. Proper Alignment: Start by ensuring that your knees, hips, and shoulders are in one line when you are in the pose. This will help to stabilize your body and prevent any unnecessary strain on your joints.

• Engage Your Core: Drawing your belly button inwards and engaging your core muscles can help to stabilize your spine and pelvis. This will also help to protect your lower back.

• Square Your Hips: While in the pose, make sure that your hips are squared towards the front of the mat. This will ensure that both sides of your body are being evenly stretched.

• Lengthen Your Spine: As you inhale, lengthen your spine and lift your chest towards the ceiling. This will help to create space between your vertebrae and increase the stretch in your torso.

• Use Props: If you find it difficult to reach the ground with your hand in parighasana, you can use a block or a bolster to rest your hand on. This will help to make the pose more accessible and prevent you from straining your muscles.

• Relax Your Shoulders: While in the pose, make sure that your shoulders are relaxed and away from your ears. This will help to release any tension in your neck and shoulders.

• Breathe: Finally, remember to breathe deeply and steadily throughout the pose. This will help to calm your mind and increase your focus.

By following these steps, you can refine your parighasana practice and experience the full benefits of the pose.

1. How to correct and adjust parighasana

           Here are some tips for correcting and adjusting Parighasana (Gate Pose):

1. Encourage the student to lengthen the spine: Gate pose requires a long and straight spine. To encourage your student to lengthen the spine, you can place your hand on their back or shoulders and gently guide them to lift the chest and lengthen the spine.

• Correct the alignment of the legs and feet: Ensure that the knee and toes of the front leg are pointing directly forward. The back foot should be parallel to the back edge of the mat. You can adjust their alignment by gently guiding their foot or leg into the correct position.

• Support the student’s balance: Gate pose can be challenging for some students, especially those who are new to yoga. Offer support by placing your hand on their hip or lower back, to help them find their balance.

• Help with the arm position: The arms in Parighasana can be challenging for some students. Offer guidance by placing your hand on their arm or shoulder and gently guiding them into the correct position.

• Encourage the student to engage their core: Gate pose requires engagement of the core muscles to maintain balance and stability. Encourage your student to engage their core muscles by gently reminding them to draw their navel towards the spine.

Remember to always ask for your student’s permission before adjusting them and to provide clear and concise instructions to help them find the correct alignment.