Ekapada Pranamasana

Ekapada  Pranamasana

Eka pada pranamasana is a simple intermediate balancing pose. The name comes from the Sanskrit, eka, meaning “one”; pada, meaning “foot”; pranama, meaning “prayer”; and asana, which translates as “pose” or “posture.”

The posture is a combination of pranamasana (prayer pose) and vrksasana (tree pose). The leg position mirrors vrksasana with the yogi standing on one leg and bending the other leg so the sole of the foot rests on the inner thigh of its opposite. The hands are placed in prayer position at the heart center.

Eka pada pranamasana is known as one-legged prayer pose or one-legged salutation pose in English.

1. Stand straight on the ground with keeping your hands on the sides.
2. Presently look forward and continue breathing regularly.
3. Presently raise your hands to your chest and keep the two palms together in Prayer posture or Namaskar posture.
4. From that point onward, lift up your correct leg and keep the bottom of your correct foot on the internal territory of your left thigh.
5. Endeavor to change the adjust or keep up the adjust and hold the position for as much as you can. Presently this is the last posture and continues breathing typically amid this.
6. Look forward on specific protest for fixation. Endeavor to keep up care nearby the breathing strategy.
7. Put down your raised leg on the floor, rest for some time and rehash same process with your left leg too.



In addition to improving balance, posture and leg strength, eka pada pranamasana improves focus and awareness, without which the wandering mind results in a loss of balance. This asana also promotes self-confidence and willpower, calms the mind, and develops mental and spiritual balance.
Eka pada pranamasana is often practiced as a resting pose and at the end of an asana series in preparation for pranayama and meditation. Traditionally, it is believed to open the anahata (heart) chakra, which is associated with love, forgiveness, compassion, openness and empathy.
Physiological basis of benefits

The major musculo-skeletal effects of this asana are on the bones and the postural muscles of the legs and spinal column. Maintaining balance is a process of fine-tuning a group of muscles and their antagonists.

In this asana, all the muscles supporting the spine from the head to the tailbone, and the muscles supporting the leg from the hip to the smallest toe joint, are activated. They act and counteract each other until a perfect harmony of all muscles is established. This muscular harmony creates the balance and is an example of perfect teamwork. The muscles are actively contracting without moving any joint, which means they do not change their length while contracting. The isometric contraction strengthens the muscle more efficiently and also strengthens the bone it is attached to.

This asana reinforces all the postural muscles and bones of the legs. It is therefore useful for people of all age groups, including sports people, and for those suffering from osteoporosis. When the hands are raised above the head in the final position, the muscles supporting the shoulder joint are also activated.

The act of balancing involves sensory input from the eyes, skin and labyrinth, the special sense organ for balance situated in the middle ear. Balancing involves a lot of information circuits, using many areas in the brain. However, the main governing centre in the nervous system is the cerebellum. Eka pada pranamasana stimulates many areas of the nervous system, making it particularly useful for growing children.

There are no specific effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine or reproductive systems. It may not be safe during the later months of pregnancy as balancing may become difficult due to the large weight in the abdominal area. It may not be safe for the aged as the nervous reflexes are not quick enough to maintain balance without external help and as the bones may be brittle injury should not be risked.

Psychological effect

Eka pada pranamasana sharpens awareness and concentration. It keeps the mind in the present moment, because without focused awareness, balance is immediately lost. It also calms and introverts the mind and is therefore useful for students and others keen to improve mental performance. It is generally practiced at the end of a series of asanas because it prepares the mind for pranayama and pratyahara practices.
In ancient times many rishis performed penance standing in this asana. Children and adolescents enjoy this asana. Hyperactive children who have a very short attention span particularly benefit from this asana. Sustaining eka pada pranamasana helps develop willpower and is therefore useful for people with addiction problems or low self-esteem.