Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)
After being sick and mostly home for what seemed like weeks, I emerged from the house into a world of spring! Talk about a renewal of my cells and the world around me. The snow is mostly gone and i’m pretty sure my parka is going away this weekend. One of my most favourite things in the world is my boys and I wearing our warm wool sweaters, comfy pants, and rain boots while breathing in the cool moist air and exploring the muddy and wet world outside.
Butterfly is the pose of spring this year. Did you know butterflies have taste receptors on their feet and their wings are made of tiny scales?
Benefits
The benefits of butterfly pose are fantastic, especially opening those hips after a long winter! This pose also helps to stimulate the abdominal organs, reproductive organs, bladder and kidneys, as well as open the heart and stimulates circulation. This pose is known to help with depression and anxiety and also stretches the inner thighs, groin, and knees. These are all things that aid in our health as we transition from winter to the warmer seasons.
Do it!
Butterfly is simple to do, even babies and toddlers love it. Sit in a comfortable seat and bring the soles of your feet to touch in front of you. Position your heels in a comfortable spot, maybe closer to your seat or farther away, you decide! Grow your spine nice and tall, if you feel your pelvis rocking back, sit up on a blanket or cushion. To fly your butterfly, bounce your knees up and down, these are your colourful wings flapping!
Have Fun!
Where will your butterfly fly - are you a Monarch flying south? If your butterfly gets tired, it can go to sleep by bringing your nose down close to your toes. Your butterfly may also stretch out to create bigger wings - just grab your big toes and stretch out your legs long while balancing on your seat! Falling over is part of the fun, how far back can you lean before you fall? Partner butterfly is a blast too, just sit back to back with a friend or family member and float your wings. What colour is your butterfly? Fly with your sensitive antennas, just place your fists on either side of your head - pointer fingers out long! Or maybe you’re a swarm of butterflies with your friends and family!
Do you have another creative expression of butterfly pose?? We’d love to hear it!
Here's to wet umbrellas, cleaning up, and taking a deep breath when the mud abounds,
Happy Spring!
Megan