How To Do Pawanmuktasana-Steps, Benefits And Precautions

Meaning of gas release pose

The gas release pose is also known as Pawanmuktasana.
Pawanmuktasana is a Sanskrit word.
PUH-vuhn-mukt-AAHS-uh-nuh
Pawan means ‘wind’, mukta means ‘release’ and asana means ‘yoga pose’
Pawanmuktasana means ‘wind releasing pose’

What is a Pawanmuktasana-gas releasing pose?

The gas releasing pose is one of the important supine yoga poses.
It is called Pawanmuktasana because of its entrapped gas releasing tendency from the stomach and intestine.
It works well upon the stomach, intestine, and abdominal organs and plays an important role to release the entrapped gases from the body.
The pose is helpful in the prevention and management of diabetes, burning off belly fat, lung & heart-related disorders, etc.

How To Do Pawanmuktasana-Steps, Benefits And Precautions — Pawanmuktasana

Gas releasing pose introduction

The author has experience of decades in yoga training and therapy. Thousands of yoga students and practitioners have benefited from our yoga training classes. From my experience, you will get here to know what is gas releasing pose; how to do it; what are its benefits and precautions. The easily explained steps, benefits, precautions, images, and simple & easy to understand videos of gas releasing poses will help you to realize the yoga pose technically right thereby extracting maximum benefits of it.

How to do gas release pose step by step

Pawanmuktasana is a simple and easy yoga pose. Its simpler step-by-step technique has been mentioned below.

Lie flat on your back.
Inhale and raise your legs to 90 degrees.
Fold your legs at the knees and bring them towards your nose by pressing your chest.
Clasp your knees by interlocking your fingers and put pressure on your abdomen and chest.
Exhale, raise your head; try to touch your forehead with your knees.
Maintain the pose with slow inhaling-exhaling.
Bring your head down slowly followed by your legs.
This is the one round.
Do 2 to 3 rounds at your convenience.

Breathing Awareness and Duration

To harness the maximum benefits of Pawanmuktasana, the knowledge of breathing awareness and mechanism has greater importance. One should try to feel the body movement along with synchronization of breath by closing eyes. Inhale, while raising your legs. Exhale, while bending your legs and bring it towards your chest and forehead. Slow and deep inhaling-exhaling should be maintained while holding the pose. Initially, one has to maintain it for 30 seconds. However, the duration may be increased as per one’s flexibility, stamina, and comfort.

Muscular movement

The yoga pose facilitates excellent massaging and stretching to the abdominal region and the organs. During the practice of gas releasing pose, various muscles experience stretching and compressing viz. abdomen, back, neck and arms. The abdominal muscles and nerves are more involved in the movement.

Gas releasing pose in different schools of yoga

Pawanmuktasana has some variations in steps and technique while performing by renowned yoga experts and teachers. These different techniques by different schools of yoga while practicing Pawanmuktasana are given below.

Iyengar yoga: In the Iyengar school of yoga, the technique is followed as mentioned above.
Vinyasa yoga: Head is not raised and more pressure is put by the knees upon the chest and abdomen.
Ashtanga yoga: It is similar to the technique mentioned above.
Baba Ramdev yoga: It is similar to the technique mentioned above.
Art of living: It is similar to Ashtanga yoga.
Power yoga: Main focus is given on stretching and rigor ness of the posture.
Hot yoga: It is similar to power yoga but more strenuous in nature.
Satyananda yoga: It is similar to ashtanga yoga.
Bikram yoga: It is similar to the technique mentioned above in the article.

Top 10 health benefits of gas releasing pose

Some of the important benefits of Pawanmuktasana are given below

Abdominal organs: The practicing of the yoga pose gives excellent massage to the abdominal organs thereby increases blood circulation to the various organelles thus enhances their efficiency.
Entrapped gas removal: The stretching, compressing, and tensing of abdominal muscles ensure to flush out the trapped gases, harmful substances, and toxins from the body. Accordingly improves the function of the various systems of the body.
Flat stomach: The pose is effective to burn extra fats in the abdomen. For this, adequate pressure should be exerted on the abdomen through the bent legs and maintain the pose as long as one can. It also helps to reduce fats from various parts of the body.
Impotence: It puts adequate pressure on the reproductive organs thus beneficial in case of sterility and impotence.
Strengthens back muscles: The practice of the yoga pose is good to strengthen the back muscles and spinal nerves.
Constipation: It makes digestion smooth and good to overcome constipation.
Healthy heart: It is also good for the prevention and management of cardiac problems and lungs.
Sexual disorders: The pose gives adequate massage to the hips and the region around the reproductive organs thus good to ease the issues during the menstrual cycle.
Better blood circulation: It ensures better blood circulation to the entire body because of its stretching and compressing nature.
Gastric juices: Since the pose plays an important role in massaging the abdominal organs thus ensures proper secretion of gastric juices.

Gas releasing pose contraindications

Some of the few precautions/limitations of Pawanmuktasana are:

Pregnancy
Peptic ulcer
Fracture ribs
Abdominal surgery
Headache and migraine
Sever back pain
Shoulder and elbow injury
Neck strain
Piles
Hyperacidity
High blood pressure

Beginner’s tip

Practicing Pawanmuktasana properly is not so simple task. In the beginning stage; do the pose only with one leg, which is called Sputa Pawanmuktasana. After having mastery over it, try with both legs. One can also perform the pose without raising the head.

Gas release pose sequence

Preparatory pose

Tadasana
Stickasana
Supta pawanmuktasana
Boat pose
Ardha Halasana

Follow-up / counterpose

Setu Bandhasana
Bhujangasana
Shlabhasana
Chakrasana

Top 6 facts of gas releasing pose

Here, we will mention the point to be remembered, tips, and mistakes to be avoided during practicing the yoga pose.

To harness maximum benefits, try to touch the knees with your forehead.
First performed through the right leg followed by the left one.
Initially, it should perform for 20-30 seconds. Gradually, increases the duration as per one’s flexibility and capacity.
It gives adequate stretch to the abdomen, lower back, neck, arms, thighs, and buttocks.
It strengthens the back, digestive system, and reproductive organs.
The mouth should be closed.

The science behind gas releasing pose

There is a systematic procedure in performing the gas releasing pose. In fact, there is a science behind it. After this, the waste matter proceeds to the large intestine (colon). The large intestine is about five feet in length and rises upwards on the right side of the body (ascending colon), crosses horizontally in the region of the navel (transverse colon), and then goes downwards on the left side of the body (descending colon). It terminates in the anus. For this reason, it is important that Pawanmuktasana is first performed with the right leg bent so that waste matter is encouraged to pass in the proper direction and more easily to the anus for expulsion, from the ascending colon to the descending colon.

Video of gas releasing pose

The video of Pawanmuktasana has been made in a very simple and easy way to help to understand the practitioners.
It has been developed after the discussion with many yoga experts and teachers.
Extensive research has also been carried out while making the video

Modification and variations