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Tittibhasana (Sanskrit: टिट्टिभासन ''Ṭiṭṭibhāsana'') or Firefly pose is an arm-balancing asana with the legs stretched out forwards in hatha yoga and modern
Bhujapidasana, Shoulder Pressing Pose, is similar, with the thighs resting on the upper arms, but the legs are crossed at the ankle in front of the body.
Eka Hasta Bhujasana, Elephant's Trunk Pose or One Leg Over Arm Balance, has one leg stretched out straight forwards between the supporting arms.
Tittibhasana (Sanskrit: टिट्टिभासन ''Ṭiṭṭibhāsana'') or Firefly pose is an arm-balancing asana with the legs stretched out forwards in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise
Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of postures, often connected by flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by breathing exercises, and frequently ending with relaxation lying down or meditation. Yoga in this form has ...
. Variants include Bhujapidasana, with the legs crossed at the ankle, and Eka Hasta Bhujasana, with one leg stretched out forwards.
Etymology and origins
The name Tittibhasana comes from Sanskrit: ''Ṭiṭṭibha'', "small insect, firefly", and ''āsana'', "posture" or "seat". Indian folklore tells the story of a pair of Tittibha birds that nested by the sea; the ocean swept away their eggs, and the birds complained toVishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
, asking for the eggs to be returned. The god gave the order, and the sea gave the eggs back. The effectiveness of the small weak birds is said to be used as a symbol of yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
, able to overcome the power of illusion in the world.
The name Bhujapidasana ( sa, भुजपीडासन; IAST: ''Bhujapīḍāsana'') comes from ''Bhuja'' ( sa, भुज) meaning "arm" or "shoulder", and ''Pīḍa'' ( sa, पीडा) meaning "pressure". The pose is described and illustrated in the 19th century ''Sritattvanidhi
The ''Sritattvanidhi'' (, "The Illustrious Treasure of Realities") is a treatise written in the 19th century in Karnataka on the iconography and iconometry of divine figures in South India. One of its sections includes instructions for, and ill ...
'' as Mālāsana, garland pose; that name is given to a different asana in '' Light on Yoga''. The pose is described in the 20th century in Krishnamacharya's 1935 ''Yoga Makaranda'', and it was taken up by his pupils Pattabhi Jois in his Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and B. K. S. Iyengar in his '' Light on Yoga''.
Description
Tittibhasana is described in ''Light on Yoga'' as being entered fromDvi Pada Sirsasana
Yoganidrasana, ( sa, योगनिद्रासन) or Yogic Sleep Pose is a reclining forward-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. It is sometimes called Supta Garbhasana (Reclining Embryo Pose). The name Dvi Pada Sirsasana is given to t ...
, a difficult sitting pose with the legs crossed behind the head, that in Iyengar's words "requires practice", by uncrossing the ankles, stretching the legs straight up, and pushing down on the hands to balance. It is an intermediate level asana in Ashtanga vinyasa yoga.
Variations
Bhujapidasana, Shoulder Pressing Pose, is similar, with the thighs resting on the upper arms, but the legs are crossed at the ankle in front of the body.
Eka Hasta Bhujasana, Elephant's Trunk Pose or One Leg Over Arm Balance, has one leg stretched out straight forwards between the supporting arms.
See also
* Bakasana – a hand balancing pose, with the shins resting on the upper armsReferences
Sources
* * {{Hatha yoga Balancing asanas