Yoga exercise Name:
Hindi: Dand Asana (dand + asan)
English: Hindu Pushups
Introduction of Dand Asan or Indian / Hindu Push ups: Often this pose is confused with Upavistha Sthiti (Dandasana staff pose i.e sitting poses) Danda asana is one of simplest yoga exercises (this is not a yoga pose) in traditional yoga art. Dand asan is a power yoga pose similar to push ups or Chaturgana Dandasana (Four Limbed Staff Pose), so if you can do pushups easily than you can easily practice Dand asan. This can be done by anyone who do not have injury or problem in back bone, shoulder or wrist.
Dand asana is also known as “Dand Lagan” in the street language of India. Dand asana is one of the important exercise done by wrestlers in wrestling ground as a warm up exercise. Dandas are meant to build overall body strength. This is a kind of posture in which practitioners use to be in a push up position raises his waist to form a triangle between the body and the floor and repeat the same.
How to do Dand Asan or Hindu pushup step – by- step?
Step 1) Lay on the floor in the prone position.
Step 2) Keep your palm slightly open at the sides of your shoulder, keep your elbows close to your body.
Step 3) Breath and slowly lift up your waist, chest and your knees, and form a Triangle between body and floor. The entire weight of the body will be on your palms and toes equally, Heel can be raised a bit to form the pose and stay there for 1 second.
Step 4) Now exhales your breath and slowly bring your waist to floor and raise your head and chest backwards don’t touch your knees or any part of body to the floor.
Step 5) Come back in triangle position and form the triangle between floor and your body.
Repeat the steps 5-10 times depending on your strength.
Benefits of Hindu Push Ups:
Dandasana is a basic and simple practice which helps to warm up the body and this practice helps to strengthen the arms, shoulders and legs and back:
Below are some benefits of Hindu Pushups or dandasana
- Strengthens palm, toes, forearms, thighs, shoulder muscles and hip flexors
- Stretches the chest and shoulders
- Improve Blood Circulation.
- Improve the power of breathing and throat
Cautions while performing Hindu pushups or Dand Asan.
1) Make sure the floor is not slippery while performing the Hindu Pushup
2) Make sure you are empty stomach.
3) Make sure the you are not suffering from back, wrist or limb injury or muscle cramp.
4) Make sure the practitioner is not suffering from heart or high blood pressure related problems.
5) If you are a beginner yoga practitioner it is recommend that you should do this yoga under observation of a well trained Yoga teacher.
Types of Dandas
There are 12 types of Dandas and 8 types of Baithaks these all are meant for strengthening the body and done at time of warm up.
1) Sadharan Danda – Hindu Pushups
2) Ram Murti Danda –
3) Vaksh Vikas Danda
4) Hanuman Danda
5) Vrischika danda
5) Vrischika danda – 2
7) Parshva Danda
8) Chakra Danda
9) Patal Danda
10) Sher Danda
11) Sarp Danda
12) Mishr Danda