398 Light on Yoga
difficult pose. The chest is pushed forward like that of a strutting pigeon,
hence this name.Technique
I. Lie full length on the floor on the stomach, bend the elbows and
place the palms on the floor on either side of the waist.
- Exhale, lift the head and trunk up and back by stretching the arms
fully, without moving the pubic region and the legs. Remain in this
position for a few seconds, breathing normally.
3· Exhale, bend the knees and lift the feet up. The body weight will be
felt by the pelvic region and the thighs. Take a few breaths.4· Taking pressure on the right hand, lift the left hand and with a fast
and deep exhalation swing the left arm back from the shoulder and catch
hold of the left knee-cap. (Plate 548.) Take a few breaths. Again with
a fast and deep exhalation, swing the right arm back from the shoulder
and grip the right knee-cap with the right hand. (Plate 549)(^5) · Raise the chest and using the hold on the knees as a lever stretch the
spine and neck still further back until the head rests on the soles and
heels. Keep the feet together and the knees as close to each other as
possible. (Plate 55 r)
551
- Maintain the pose as long as you can for about I 5 seconds. As the
spine and chest are fully extended while the abdomen is pressed against
the ground, breathing will be very fast and difficult and a stay of about
I 5 seconds will seem like an age. The pose closely resembles Laghu
Vajrasana (Plate 5!3), the difference being that the body now rests on