Half Butterfly Pose Yoga (Ardha Titali Asana)

Half Butterfly Pose Yoga is one of the most dynamic poses in yoga.

It strengthens the muscles of your abdominal and pelvic regions, helps enhance stability, and improves breathing. It also provides an excellent stretch for your hamstrings and back muscles.

The half butterfly is also called Ardha Titali Asana in Sanskrit. It is also commonly known as the Half Butterfly pose or Half Butterfly stretch.

Origin:

The half butterfly is named after its shape. It resembles a butterfly’s wing, called the “half-open” or “half-closed” form of a butterfly.

The name is also based on the half-open pose of a nautilus shell (called Ardha in Sanskrit). Initially used in gymnastics and weight lifting, it has since become famous as a yoga pose. 

Level of Difficulty – Beginner

How to do it:

• Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. 
• Bending the right knee as far as possible, place the right leg on the left thigh.
• Allow the right heel to come into contact with the waist.
• Place your right palm on your thigh.
• With the left hand, firmly grasp the right toe.
• Maintain a straight neck and spinal cord.
• Maintain a straight left leg with the heel on the floor.
• Deeply inhale and gently press the knee to the floor.
• Raise the knee to the breast while exhaling deeply and slowly. But you should avoid forward bending.
• Rep with alternate legs for a total of 20 reps.

You also need to do this exercise with rhythmic breathing.

Benefits:

• Stretches your hamstrings and back muscles.
• Strengthens abdominal and pelvic muscles.
• Improves breathing capacity.
• Stretches your hamstrings and back muscles, which helps achieve better posture and alignment of the body during physical activity or exercise.
• It effectively relieves lower back pain as it increases the flexibility of your lower spine vertebrae by stretching them out, thereby alleviating pressure from the spine on your lower back nerves.
• Increases blood flow to your eyes, which may help with common vision problems and eye fatigue.
• Provides stability to your body, especially the lower back, hips, and legs.
• Enhances mobility of your hip joints which may help alleviate hip pain or discomfort.
• Helps increase your flexibility in the back and even along the body as a whole. It also boosts muscle strength in these areas and your upper arms and chest.

Tips

• Do not bend the knee too much, only enough to touch your thigh.
• The toes need to be held with the palm of your hands and not with your fingers. If the toes are too hard to hold, you should use a strap around them as a support to help keep you in balance. 
• You can put a block under the heel of your foot, raising off of the floor. But note that this may make holding the leg off the floor complex.
• Sit straight and avoid any leaning while holding your knee.
• Do not hold your breath while doing this exercise. If you need to keep your breath, do it very briefly. 
• It is recommended to take a break every 15 reps so that you can fully regain balance and focus on completing the exercise.

Risks and precautions

• Do not move the back leg too much while trying to stretch your hamstrings. Instead, move it slowly and with control until you find it comfortable.
• Do not lean forward while the waist is on your other leg’s knee if you are experiencing pain in your back or lower back.
• Avoid sitting cross-legged on the floor or a yoga mat as such surfaces can restrict blood flow and increase pressure in your legs resulting in possible discomfort when you try Half Butterfly Pose Yoga for the first time.

Who should avoid this pose?

If you experience lower back or pelvic pain or any injuries in your legs and lower back area, please do not do this pose.

The risks of doing this pose are the same as most yoga poses. There is a possibility that you may injure yourself while performing Half Butterfly Pose Yoga. 

However, it is usually sufficient to avoid this pose if you have any lower back or pelvic pain or neck problems like a sore neck or stiffness of the neck muscles.

Conclusion:

Half Butterfly Asana is a beautiful exercise for your body and mind. It has numerous benefits and can help improve the flexibility of your body.

So, if you want to become healthier, stronger and healthier, then Half Butterfly Pose Yoga is the yoga pose for you.