Benefits/Effects of the Asana

The difficulty and concentration required for this asana can both maximize our reverence and minimize our violence. Physically, this posture allows us to work on opening up our hips and stretching our hamstrings. The physical effort requires both a deep concentration for the binding portion of this posture-which is when one needs to reach across their back with their right hand in order to grab their right foot-as well as the bending forward portion of this posture. One cannot be too greedy by trying to achieve too much in this posture, more than one can handle. An example of this greediness would be the over-rounding of the back which can cause injury to one's spine, and certainly does not maximize reverence or minimize violence. We can minimize our violence when engaging our quadriceps in this posture, drawing the energy in and using the physical effort to imagine our violence retreating inward as well. We can also maximize our reverence by relaxing our hamstrings; the physical effort required for this action can relate to when we need to create space for energy to circulate within our lives. When done correctly, this posture can be a very rewarding experience by expanding our awareness on both the physical and mental efforts that are required daily.