The Pose of the Rod

                                                                 The Pose of the Rod
This asana awakens the capacities of magnetic healing.


HOW TO PERFORM THIS ASANA:
The starting position: on your knees, without sitting on your heels, relax the muscles of the thighs and buttocks.


Push your pelvis towards the front so that the gravitational center of your body finds its “zero” value when you support your hands on the heels.


If necessary, spread your knees, adding to the distance between them until you feel comfortable. While the flexion of the spine reaches the dorsal area, the weight of the shoulders and of the upper part of the spine accentuates gradually the overall flexion of the spine. Make sure the musculature of the spine is relaxed in this pose.


Breathe normally during all this time. The arms are relaxed, not used as “pillars of support”.


Owing to the relaxation of the musculature of the spine, the weight of the body will ensure the flexion of the spine, and consequently the stretching of the muscles and ligaments of this area.


Maintain this pose as long as you feel comfortable, although in the beginning you will not be able to maintain it for more than several seconds.
Come back of this asana gradually.


Errors you may encounter:
One error that should be avoided is to place the weight of the body on the feet, not on the knees, because the thighs, buttocks, and abdominal muscles contract in this case.


The other (quite frequent) error is to support excessively your weight on the arms.
This asana is not recommended to people suffering of hyperthyroid.



BENEFICIAL EFFECTS:
This asana provides a complex abdominal massage and is ideal in restoring the elasticity to a rigid spine, due to sedentariness.


SPECIAL EFFECTS:
It makes the lumbar area of the spine more elastic.
Has a powerful effect on the pelvic parasimpatic nervous system.
Consequently, constipation and other related problems disappear.
Dandasana, owing to its action of the sciatic nerve, cures sciatica.
Dandasana also acts on the nephritic nerves, and suprarenal, leading to increased diuresis.
This asana is highly stimulant, owing to the increased secretion of adrenaline, and therefore its practice should be performed in the morning.