308 Light on Yoga392 393- After holding this posture, place the palms on the floor by the side of
the hips, exhale, straighten the arms and pull the body up by taking the
weight on the hands. Do not release the ankle lock. (Plate 394.) Hold
the pose from 10 to 20 seconds to your capacity.
7· Release the foot lock at the ankles, stretch the legs up vertically and
balance on the hands. This is called:
- Tittibhiisana Twenty-two* (Plate 395)
Tittibha is an insect like a firefly.
After staying in this position for a few seconds, bend the legs at the
knees, lower the body to the floor, release the legs from the arms, stretch
them straight in front and rest for a few seconds.
- Repeat the movements for the same length of time, this time first
placing the left leg on the back of the neck and then the right leg on the
top of the left one. Finally relax on the floor.
Effects
In this asana the lungs and abdominal muscles are most tightly con
tracted. The spine is given a full forward stretch and the abdominal
organs benefit quickly from the exercise. The effect is the same as that
of Yoganidrasana (Plate 391 ), but in this pose the thighs are stretched