Asana – March 2017

asaNa Magazine | March 2017 15

Challenges faced during
the practice

Chances of Injury

Contraindications

Best Time to Practice

Major Muscled
Involved

Hamstrings tightness

Without proper warm-up of the hamstrings, having the legs straight and bearing all of

the body    weight  will    be  difficult.  

Hip Limitation

Any tightness in the hip area might cause an imbalance to the body during the pose and

cause   difficulty  in  keeping the body    weight  centered.   

Pulled hamstrings

Joint strains – shoulder, hip and knees

Existing shoulder, hip, hamstrings or knee injury

History of slipped disc

Pregnancy

Afternoon,  when    energy  is  still   high    and the body’s  natural flexibility is  present.

Rotator Cuff Muscles

A group of four muscles that moves and stabilizes the shoulder. These muscles work

mainly to abduct and rotate the arm.

Oblique Muscles

Composed of the external and internal oblique muscles, these work together to pull

the  lower  wall     of  the     chest  cavity  down,   increasing  the  volume of   the     lungs  which   fills   

with     air.    It  is  also    responsible    for  the     flexion    and  rotation   of   the     vertebral  column, as   in 

forward & backward bending, lateral and twisting movements.

Erector Spinae

A muscle group found in the back, which extends the vertebral column in forward and

backward bending. This muscle is responsible for returning the vertebral column to the

erect position after motion.

Gluteus

Being one of the strongest muscles of the body, the Gluteus assists in extending the hip

and the trunk.

Iliopsoas

The combination of the iliac and psoas major muscles that make an important part of

the  hip     flexors.   Also     known  as   the     dorsal or   inner  thigh   hip  muscles,   the  iliopsoas  work    

for the flexion of  the hip.

Hamstrings

A group of muscles located at the back of the thighs which act upon the hip and the knee

joints. This     group  of   muscles    is   responsible    for  the     flexion    of   the     knee   and  extension  of  

the hip.

Quadriceps

A large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh,

which act as extensors of the knee joint.