Supta konasana benefits help reduce the symptoms of stress, tension, and depression. Supta konasana stimulates the abdominal and reproductive organs, promotes digestion and improves blood circulation (1). Supta Baddhakonasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) is one of the few yoga poses that are suitable to perform after eating.
Supta konasana is mild enough to ease into your workout after a long day but intense enough to start to bring awareness to your body and your breath. Supta Baddha Konasana is a therapeutic pose that relaxes the mind, body, and spirit. It has all the benefits of other restorative poses.
Supta konasana benefits create a stretch for the inner thighs and open the hips, enhancing circulation to the vital organs of elimination and reproduction in the lower belly (2). It also opens the chest, broadening through the collarbones and the front of the shoulders when the upper back is supported.
The purpose of yoga is to build strength, awareness, and harmony in both the mind and body. There are certain poses that can improve certain health issues. We have specific poses for back pain, heat flashes, clear skin, and more. The relaxation in supta konasana can lessen chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches can lower blood pressure and reduce insomnia.
Supta Konasana Benefits
1. Stimulates Organs
Supta konasana stimulates abdominal organs like the ovaries and prostate gland, bladder, and kidneys. This enhances circulation to the vital organs of elimination and reproduction in the lower belly (3). Improving the self-regulation of hormonal imbalances in the body, and increases the stimulation and circulation of blood to both the female and male reproductive organs.
2. Improves Circulation
Supta konasana stimulates the heart and improves general circulation. Any increase in the circulation of blood flow around the body improves oxygen levels in the blood and increases the blood flow to vital organs. Supta konasana delivers oxygenated blood to our major organs including the heart, lungs, and brain, keeping them stimulated, nourished and in good working order (4).
This can help with respiratory problems like shortened breath, coughing, and breathing.
3. Stretches Lower Body
Supta konasana stretches the inner thighs, groins, and knees. The opening of the thighs with the pushing of the knees towards the floor stretches the inner thighs and expands the adductor muscles.
If you are someone with 9 hours sitting job then this pose should be definitely on your ‘to-do’ list. Supta konasana helps in stretching the groin area and relieving the tension from stiff thigh and knees.
If practiced for longer duration and with perfect alignment, Supta Baddha Konasana improves the flexibility around the knees, inner thighs and the ankles.
4. Improves Mood
Supta konasana benefits relieve the symptoms of stress, mild depression, menstruation and menopause. A consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters) and cortisol (5).
5. Improves Focus
An important component of supta konasana is focusing on the present. This can improve coordination, reaction time, memory, and even IQ scores (6). Because you’re less distracted by your thoughts, which can play over and over like an endless tape loop.
6. Relieves Fatigue and Insomnia
As lonely as late-night mind racing can feel, nearly a quarter of working Americans suffer from insomnia and daytime fatigue as a consequence. Supta konasana can soothe your nervous system and quiet your mind, priming your body to sink into a long, restful sleep (7).
- Stretching the muscles helps relax them, and working them releases tension and stress hormones.
- Breathing adds oxygen to the brain and bloodstream, giving the body more fuel.
- Concentration also builds up concentration outside of supta konasana, making it easier to think clearly and handle crises.
All of these supta konasana benefits can work together to give you a good night’s rest.
7. Relieves Headaches
Supta konasana helps to release tension and stress in the body, and the majority of headaches are usually tension-related. Supta konasana is designed to gently stretch and open the areas in your body while circulating blood to your head to relieve pain (8).
8. Improves Back Pain
While there can be a ton of causes of lower back pain, a weak core and poor posture from sitting all day are two really common contributing factors to lower backaches and discomfort.
Supta konasana is great for working on flexibility and core stability, correcting posture, and breathing—all of which are necessary for a healthy back. Supta konasana stretches out the backs of the legs and lengthens the spine, both of which relieve the lower back (9).
9. Improves PMS Symptoms
When you’re on your period, supta konasana can relieve symptoms of bloat, heavy bleeding, and PMS. The breathing and relaxation pose, in addition to a focus on your posture, is beneficial for period pain and mood symptoms.
It boosts circulation, which can relieve fluid buildup that causes bloating, and deep breathing increases oxygen flow to tissues, decreasing discomfort induced by cramps (10).
10. Relieves Indigestion and Flatulence
Bupta konasana is beneficial in various conditions like chronic constipation, stomach disorders, and digestive problems. It enables flexibility of lower limbs and strengthens digestive organs and the digestive tract. It is great for relieving constipation and indigestion.
11. Improves Sex Life
Supta konasana relieves stress from your groin area and will help in providing better blood flow towards reproductive organs (11). This pose has shown positive effects on male and female reproductive system functioning. Supta konasana increases body awareness, which helps reduce anxiety and increase blood flow to the genital area.
12. Increased Flexibility
Supta konasana allows your body to move through a range of motion, and though it may be sometimes uncomfortable to remain in this pose, stretching the muscles and joints allows you to move deeper into the pose. Test the limits of your body and increase your flexibility with regular practice.
13. Improves Your Nervous System
Supta konasana benefits the central nervous system, strengthens immunity and gives you a sense of focus. This helps reduce inflammation, which is linked to improved function of the central nervous and immune systems.
Supta Konasana Steps
Want to learn how to perform supta konasana steps? Check out the supta konasana pose video tutorials below:
Modifications:
If you feel any strain in the inner thighs and groins, support each of your thighs on a block or folded blanket slightly above the maximum stretch of the groins.
- You may use blankets under the neck and shoulders
- Place blocks under the toes if your feet don’t reach the floor
Another way to deal with strain in the inner thighs and groins is to raise the feet slightly off the floor. Use a block padded with a sticky mat and lay the outside edges of your feet parallel to the long axis of the block’s top face.
Letting go of tension in one area of the body can sometimes indirectly send tension elsewhere. As you remain in this pose, remember to keep the jaw relaxed, the breath steady, and the heart and mind open.
Supta konasana can be practiced without props, or with minimal support from blocks or the wall. But when practiced with a full array of blankets, bolsters, and other props, it is the queen of all restorative yoga poses.
You can receive supta konasana benefits any time, not just when you are experiencing abdominal discomfort. It’s restorative for your body and mind no matter what your circumstances. Try practicing it every day for a week or a month. This subtle but powerful pose can help you decompress from daily stress.