Pawanmuktasana Guide
Pawanmuktasana Series 1: Anti-Rheumatic Group
Base Posture: Prarambhik Sthiti (Base Position) - Sitting with legs outstretched, hands behind the back supporting the body.
Benefits: Loosens the joints of the body, removes energy blockages, and is excellent for those with rheumatism, arthritis, high blood pressure, or heart problems.
1. Toe Bending | Padanguli Naman
How to do: Sitting in the base posture, inhale and bend your toes backward towards your shin. Then, exhale and slowly bend your toes forward.
Awareness: Joints of the toes.
Reps: 10 times.
2. Ankle Bending | Gulpha Naman
How to do: Sitting in the base posture, inhale and stretch your feet backward towards your body. Then, exhale and push your feet fully forward.
Awareness: Ankle joints.
Reps: 10 times.
3. Ankle Rotation | Gulpha Chakra
How to do: Rotate your ankles in a large circle, both clockwise and anti-clockwise. Inhale as the feet move upward, and exhale as they move downward.
Awareness: Ankle joints.
Reps: 10 times in each direction.
4. Knee Bending | Janu Naman
How to do: Sitting in the base posture, interlock your hands under your thigh and raise the knee slightly. Inhale and straighten the leg fully forward without touching the floor, then exhale and bend the knee bringing it to your chest.
Awareness: Knee joints and thighs.
Reps: 10 times on each leg.
5. Knee Rotation | Janu Chakra
How to do: With your hands interlocked under your thigh, rotate the lower leg in a large circular motion from the knee. Inhale as the leg moves up, and exhale as it moves down.
Awareness: Knee joints.
Reps: 10 times in each direction.
6. Half Butterfly | Ardha Titali Asana
How to do: Bend one leg and place its foot on the opposite thigh. Inhaling, bring the bent knee gently up towards your chest. Exhaling, gently push the knee down towards the floor.
Awareness: Hip joints.
Reps: 10 times on each leg.
7. Hip Rotation | Shroni Chakra
How to do: Sit with one leg straight. Bend the other leg. Hold the foot with one hand and the knee with the other. Rotate the hip joint in a large circular motion. Inhale as the knee moves up, and exhale as it goes down.
Awareness: Hip joints.
Reps: 10 times in each direction.
8. Full Butterfly | Poorna Titali Asana
How to do: Bring the soles of both feet together and clasp them with your hands. Breathing normally, flap both knees up and down together like the wings of a butterfly.
Awareness: Inner thighs and hip joints.
Reps: 20-30 times.
9. Hand Clenching | Mushtika Bandhana
How to do: Stretch your arms straight out in front of you. Inhale and spread your fingers wide apart. Exhale and close them tightly into a fist with your thumb tucked inside.
Awareness: Finger joints.
Reps: 10 times.
10. Wrist Bending | Manibandha Naman
How to do: With arms stretched forward, inhale and bend your palms upwards as if pressing against a wall. Exhale and slowly bend your palms downwards.
Awareness: Wrist joints.
Reps: 10 times.
11. Wrist Rotation | Manibandha Chakra
How to do: Make a fist with both hands and rotate your wrists in full circles. Inhale as the fists move up, and exhale as they move down.
Awareness: Wrist joints.
Reps: 10 times in each direction.
12. Elbow Bending | Kehuni Naman
How to do: Stretch your arms forward (Variant 1) or out to the sides (Variant 2). Inhale and straighten your arms fully. Exhale, bend your elbows, and touch your shoulders with your fingertips.
Awareness: Elbow joints.
Reps: 10 times.
13. Elbow Crank | Kehuni Chakra
How to do: Extend one arm forward. Support its elbow from underneath with the opposite hand. Rotate the lower part of the arm in a circle from the elbow joint. Repeat with the other arm. Inhale as the hand moves up, exhale as it moves down.
Awareness: Elbow joints.
Reps: 10 times in each direction.
14. Shoulder Rotation | Skandha Chakra
How to do: With fingertips on your shoulders, rotate both elbows together in large circles. Inhale as elbows go up, exhale as they come down. Try to touch your elbows together in front of your chest.
Awareness: Shoulder joints and chest expansion.
Reps: 10 times in each direction.
15. Neck Movements | Greeva Sanchalana
How to do: Slowly bend your neck forward and backward, then turn it side to side, and finally rotate it in gentle circles. Inhale as the head moves back/up, and exhale as it moves forward/down.
Awareness: Neck muscles and joints.
Reps: 5 times each movement.
Pawanmuktasana Eye Exercises
Benefits of Eye Exercises:
During a fast, blood sugar levels dip, which can cause slight blurry vision or mental fatigue. These exercises stimulate the optic nerve, improve blood circulation to the eyes, and help maintain sharp mental clarity and focus without burning any physical calories.
During a fast, blood sugar levels dip, which can cause slight blurry vision or mental fatigue. These exercises stimulate the optic nerve, improve blood circulation to the eyes, and help maintain sharp mental clarity and focus without burning any physical calories.
Base Posture: Any comfortable sitting posture keeping the head and spine straight.
Benefits: Relaxes the eye muscles, improves eyesight, and relieves eye strain from close work or screen time.
1. Palming
How to do: Rub your palms together until warm, then place them gently over your closed eyes. Breathe normally and feel the warmth relaxing your eyes.
Awareness: Warmth and relaxation.
Reps: 3-5 times.
Benefits: Relieves eye strain, relaxes the facial muscles, and stimulates the optic nerve to maintain sharp mental focus.
2. Blinking
How to do: Blink your eyes rapidly 10 times, then close them and relax. Breathe normally.
Awareness: Eye muscles.
Reps: Repeat 5 times.
Benefits: Relieves eye strain, relaxes the facial muscles, and stimulates the optic nerve to maintain sharp mental focus.
3. Sideways Viewing
How to do: Without moving your head, look to the far left and then to the far right. Exhale as you look to the sides, inhale as you look to the center.
Awareness: Eye stretch.
Reps: 10 times.
Benefits: Relieves eye strain, relaxes the facial muscles, and stimulates the optic nerve to maintain sharp mental focus.
4. Front and Sideways Viewing
How to do: Focus on a fingertip held in front of you, then look far to the side. Do not move your head. Exhale looking side, inhale looking center.
Awareness: Eye focus.
Reps: 10 times.
Benefits: Relieves eye strain, relaxes the facial muscles, and stimulates the optic nerve to maintain sharp mental focus.
5. Up and Down Viewing
How to do: Without moving your head, look up as high as possible, then look down as low as possible. Inhale looking up, exhale looking down.
Awareness: Eye movement.
Reps: 10 times.
Benefits: Relieves eye strain, relaxes the facial muscles, and stimulates the optic nerve to maintain sharp mental focus.
6. Rotational Viewing
How to do: Rotate your eyes in large circles, first clockwise, then anti-clockwise. Inhale as eyes go up, exhale as they go down.
Awareness: Eye rotation.
Reps: 5 times each.
Benefits: Relieves eye strain, relaxes the facial muscles, and stimulates the optic nerve to maintain sharp mental focus.
7. Near and Distant Viewing
How to do: Focus both eyes on the tip of your own nose, then shift your focus to a fixed distant object. Alternate between the two. Breathe normally.
Awareness: Changing focal length.
Reps: 10 times.
Benefits: Relieves eye strain, relaxes the facial muscles, and stimulates the optic nerve to maintain sharp mental focus.
Credits / Acknowledgements:
This guide is based on the teachings of the Bihar School of Yoga, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, and the Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (APMB) book.
This guide is based on the teachings of the Bihar School of Yoga, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, and the Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (APMB) book.