9 Wonder Health Benefits Of Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose)

What is the meaning of Thunderbolt Pose?

Vajrasana is one of the vital sitting yoga poses and meditative yoga asanas. Vajrasana means diamond-shaped or thunderbolt. It is pronounced as ‘vahj-RAH-sah-na’. The sitting meditative yoga pose has spiritual relevance among Muslims as it is one of the steps while offering the Namaz prayer. It is also a critical yoga pose for Japanese Buddhists for meditative significance. Vajrasana is known for many health benefits, including digestion, spinal health, meditation, etc.

What are the health benefits of Diamond Pose?

1. One should practice Vajrasana just after meals as it ensures better blood circulation in the digestion area and stimulates the enzymes and juices secretion thereby helpful in digestion. It also gives relief from the heaviness of the stomach.
2. Practicing the pose regularly and holding the same for a certain period of time helps reduce acidity, constipation, and gas. Also read: How to reduce acidity naturally
3. This is the best yoga pose for someone experiencing sciatic and spinal problems.
4. It is a good yoga pose to strengthen the ankles and knees. Though beginners may experience pain in the knee and ankle regions with practice, it helps strengthen the ankles and knees.
5. Research conducted in 2010 wherein it has been shown that the practice of Vajrasana under a controlled environment helps to ease lower back pain.
6. This is an excellent yoga pose for Dhyana or meditation, thus effective in combating stress and depression. Being a meditation, yoga is also helpful for enhancing concentration and memory.
7. A large number of people are having weak thighs and calf muscles. Practising the pose with appropriate technique leads to adequate thigh and calf stretching, thus toning these muscles.
8. The diamond pose facilitates suitable stretching in the pelvic region, strengthening this area’s muscles and bones. The practice of it is also good to overcome hernia.
9. If you want to raise your kundalini shakti, it is one of the best yoga poses to practice. Practising the thunderbolt pose sensitises all seven chakras and helps the practitioners grow the kundalini energy in the upward direction of the body.

How to do Diamond Pose step by step

• Sit on the yoga mat with your knees slightly apart.
• Adjust your feet so the big toes touch each other, and keep your hands on the knees.
• Bring the buttocks downwards upon the heels.
• Head, neck, and back should be in a straight line.
• Relax the whole body and inhale and exhale slowly.
• Maintain the position initially for 20-30 seconds and gradually increase the duration.

Thunderbolt Pose contraindications

• It shouldn’t be done in case of knees and ankles problems:
• Calf injury
• Arthritis
• Pregnant women should slightly keep their knees apart to skip pressure on the abdomen.
• It should also be avoided if somebody has a spinal injury or an intestinal one.
• The sitting technique of the pose is a little bit uncomfortable experience.
• The beginners showing ankles and knees ache initially.

6 Top Facts about Diamond Pose

1. As the practice of Vajrayana improves, the practitioners enjoy sitting in the pose.
2. This is the only yoga pose recommended after food (breakfast/lunch/dinner).
3. Sitting in the Vajrayana reduces blood flow in the lower region, thereby increasing blood circulation in the digestive and upper parts of the body.
4. It is the starting pose for many other asanas.
5. The psychic vajra nadi, which is greatly affected by this pose, is a vital energy pathway that carries nervous impulses of the genito-urinary system from the brain.
6. It is said that the pose enables the practitioner to gain control over the sexual functions and direct the energy towards expanding consciousness.

Different names of Vajrasana

• Diamond pose
• Thunderbolt yoga
• Adamantine pose

Vajrasana Vs Sukhasana

Vajrasana has one notable advantage over sukhasana: one tends to hold the spine straight while doing vajrasana automatically. Whereas in sukhasana, there is more of a tendency to slump forwards. For this reason, vajrasana is far superior to sukhasana once it is mastered.

Vajrasana textual references

The diamond pose has been narrated in many yoga textbooks. In Hatha Yoga Pradipika, it is the synonym of Siddhasana. Gheranda Samhita describes it as Vajrasana. It is also mentioned in Yoga and Kriya by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar.