This is quite an easy pose but needs some practice and patience for perfection. The following steps need to be performed to complete the steps -
Start the pose by sitting firmly on the ground and placing your legs together releasing them straight out in front of you. When you are doing this ensure that your back, shoulders and head is straight.
Now once you have comfortably settled in this position place your palms on your thighs and then breathe in deeply.
As you are exhaling slowly slide your right hand down to the big toe of your right foot and pull the foot towards your face.
Simultaneously allow the left hand to reach the big toe of the left foot and hold it there.
Now inhale deeply and allow the right foot to reach the right ear.
Once you have come in this pose stay in it for some time.
Now exhale and try to get back to your normal position or sitting comfortably.
Now you can repeat the same pose again with the other leg.
For maximum benefits repeat the pose atleast twice for both legs in order to ensure that it works out perfectly well.
As this asana exerts great strain it cannot be maintained for long however one can stay in this pose for about 30 seconds.
The main anatomical focus of this pose includes the groins, thighs, chest, belly, spine, shoulders and neck.
There are several therapeutic applications of this pose and some of them are - it helps in the process of digestion and also clears constipation. It is good for treating indigestion and also helps in healing the pain in the lower areas of the abdomen as well as relieves the pain of the larger intestines. For women it is beneficial because it helps in regularizing the menstrual cycle. This pose helps to increase the capacity of the lungs to retain oxygen and this it greatly helps in enhancing the breathing. This exercise contracts the abdominal muscles which is also very much beneficial that helps in the movement of bowels. Thus it helps to cure diseases related to abdominal disorders as well as helps to strengthen the digestive system.
There are several benefits of this pose. Some of them are as follows -
It helps the make the legs strong and flexible.
It helps to build up the core muscles.
It also helps in the improvement of grace and concentration.
It also helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles and the spine.
It improves posture and removes the pain of back and lumbar region.
It is considered to be beneficial for those who have arthritis and rheumatic condition.
It improves the digestion process, treats indigestion problems and also clears constipation.
Even though this is a very beneficial pose one should be careful of certain contraindications and be cautious about certain things. This pose should not be tried by beginners as it is an intermediate level poses of yoga. If you are a beginner you should not try it at the very outset. This is also not a good and beneficial pose for pregnant women, hence they should avoid it. It is also not a very good pose for people with spinal injuries and back aches and weak joints.
The first beginner's tip for this pose is that you should not try it when you are alone, always do this in the company of some friends. Those who are doing it for the first time, their most common problem is that they face difficulty while lifting the thighs away from the floor. In this case they can give themselves a little upward boost by lying down with the thighs being supported by a rolled up blanket. The asana is of great benefits and helps to free the contract hands and legs as well as increasing the efficiency of the organs and making it stronger.
There are certain variations of this pose and one of them is that you could use your left hand to pull the right leg to the right ear and vice versa. Initially this can be quite complicated and therefore this variation should be only attempted when you have mastered the actual pose. More of all, breathing especially inhaling and exhaling of or oxygen is also of great importance and one has to take care of that while during the variations to master this asana.
This is quite a tough pose and hence requires a bit of practice before trying it out. Some poses that can help you prepare for this pose are - Hero Pose or Virasana, Bridge Pose or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana and Upward Facing Dog Pose or Urdhva Mukha Sarvangasana, Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana), Dancer's Pose (Natrajasana), Bound Angle Pose (Baddhakonasana), Head of the Knee Pose (Janu Sirisana), etc.
One can follow up this pose by doing poses like Reclining Big Toe pose or Supta Padangusthana and Half Lord of Fishes Pose or Ardha Matsyendrasana.