Sacrum Movement in Prasarita Padottanasana

This movement from the coccyx to cervical is the key discussion in this article.

Sharing an experience with mam (Nina Sagar ~ ASMYI) while practicing Prasarita.

It’s not about how well your asana is looking or how easily you are going into the pose, it’s about what you are getting out of the asana while being in it for a longer time.

Prasarita Paduttan
It was after the class when maam was practicing Prasarita with a trestler, she felt something and we saw a smile on her face. We knew she experienced something which was different and deep. Seeing our curiosity she explained what her experience was.

The Organs
After being in Prasarit for sometime, the spine is aligned and all the vertebrae are well placed, the blood circulation is at its best. When the coccyx, sacral and lumbar are well aligned there is a good blood supply to the genitals, kidney,rectum, large intestine. Hence, when the organs are connected with the natural alignment, they are well nourished. And the respective organs function improves to an optimum level.

The feeling of Alignment with Movement
Here, maam explains how the perineum/coccyx moved upwards in the Prasarita asana when she performed using the trestle bar. The alignment of the spine was felt (cervical-dorsal-lumbar-sacrum-coccyx). So to say Prasarita Padottanasana brings about this alignment with movement of the coccyx towards the cervical region. This movement from the coccyx to cervical is the key discussion in this article.

Adding Breath to the Action
Apart from looking at this asana physically, one important point that ma’am discussed while explaining her experience after being in this asana is the breath. How inhalation and exhalation helped the movement of the sacrum upwards and after some time she worked on retention of the breath which helped in settling the spine in one line. Towards the end of the inhalation she held the breath at the sacrum, and started exhaling intermittently step by step moving upwards towards the cervical spine. She experiences the sacrum also moved upwards along with the breath. In other words, the breath carried the movement of those muscles. How the breath is much more powerful than the physical body.

Long Term practice
People with reproductive organ disease, kidney function issues, abdominal issues will benefit from Prasarita asana. Prasarita will help in muscular body as well particularly in the pelvic area.

During Prasarita the pelvic bone opens and various ligaments of the pelvis, binding the sacrum to the ilium, opens up. This will also help piriformis muscle strengthen and people having sciatica pain will benefit out of this asana.

Listing benefits in more detail below how alignment and good blood supply can help improve different body parts/area:

L1- colon, helps constipation,hernias,colitis
L2- appendix, abdomen,upper legs, acidosis,varicose veins
L3- sex organs, uterus, bladder,menstrual trouble,bed wetting
L4- prostate, muscle of lower back, sciatica, too frequent urination,
L5- poor circulation in legs, swollen ankles, weak ankles and arches, cold feet,leg cramps
S1-5- hip bones, buttocks,spinal curvatures
Coccyx- rectum, hemorrhoids, pruritus,pain in sitting.

It was a great learning experience with Nina maam and how detailed she explained the various benefits of this asana with correct alignment and breath.