Parighasana (Gate Pose)

<h2> Parighasana. Gate Pose, the Pose of the Bolt</h2>

The word "parigha" means the beam or bar used to lock a gate. In this pose the body resembles the bolt with which a gate is locked, hence the name.

Parighasana in brief

1. Kneel down with the ankles together.
2. Extend the right leg out to the right and keep it in line with the torso and the left knee. Turn the right foot to the right, keeping the leg firm and the knee straight.
3. On an inhalation, spread the arms out to the sides. Take two breaths in and out.
4. Exhale and move the torso and the right arm down towards the extended right leg. Rest the right forearm on the right shin and the right hand on the ankle, palm facing up. The right ear will then rest on the upper arm. Take the left arm over the head and reach the left palm towards the right one. The left ear will then touch the upper left arm.
5. Stay in this position for 30-60 seconds, breathing normally.
6. Inhale and bring the torso and arms back to position 3. Bend the right leg and come up onto both knees, bringing the ankles together again.
7. Repeat the pose to the other side, replacing the word "right" with "left" and vice versa. The pose is held for the same length of time on both sides.
Contraindications: inguinal hernia and intercostal neuralgia.

A detailed description of Parighasana

In our asana practice we give most of our attention to the front and the back of the body, often ignoring the sides of the torso. We actively open the ribcage in backbends and standing poses, and we lengthen the back of the body in forward bends. The side muscles of the torso, meanwhile, are often engaged during a class only in passing. This unintentional selectiveness is understandable: we see the front of the body regularly in the mirror, while the back reminds us of itself often enough with pain in the lower back. Regular practice of Parighasana (Gate Pose) helps to restore the balance. In it the intercostal muscles gain elasticity, the ribs become more mobile as a result, and so extra space is created for the lungs and the breath becomes fuller and deeper.
Moreover, unlike other standing poses - and Parighasana belongs precisely to that class of asanas - the base of support here is larger. In this position it is considerably easier to keep your balance and to concentrate fully on opening the pelvis. That is why Gate Pose is considered excellent preparation for Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose) and Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). Another merit of Parighasana is that an intense lengthening of the spine is combined here with a gentle twist, which begins in the region of the abdomen and is distributed evenly along the whole spine. It is important to learn to make this subtle movement correctly, since it is present in all twists and determines how effective they are.
Gate Pose is worth including in your daily sequence if the muscles of the back are not yet elastic enough. The asana helps to stabilise the lower back and so prevents pain in the lumbar region. Parighasana gives a good stretch to the oblique abdominal muscles, making the waist slimmer. The pose also increases the mobility of the hip joints, lengthens the muscles at the back of the thigh, stimulates the abdominal organs and makes the spine supple.

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incorrect 
Do not let the hip move out to the side.
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incorrect 
Do not let the ribcage collapse.
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correct 
Extend the arm exactly over the ear.
</td>
</tr>

</table>

Before you start learning Parighasana, do a simple exercise. Lie on your back, bend your knees and place the feet on the floor. Rest your palms on the lower ribs. Close your eyes and observe the flow of the breath. Feel how on the inhalation the ribs lift and spread out to the sides, and on the exhalation - settle gently down. Stay like this for several breath cycles. Then, helping yourself with your hands, come out of the pose.

Learning Parighasana

As a warm-up, do the Cat - Cow sequence. Come onto all fours, round the back on an exhalation and arch it on an inhalation. Then move several times from Balasana (Child's Pose) into Downward Facing Dog. This will help you warm up and lengthen the muscles of the arms and legs. Afterwards rest in Child's Pose for several breath cycles.
To begin working on Parighasana, place a folded blanket on the mat and kneel down, setting the knees hip-width apart. Make sure the hip joints are directly over the knees and the thigh bones are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the floor. Press the instep and the shins into the floor. Extend the toes. Gently draw the lower abdomen up and in towards the spine, and the tailbone down. On the exhalation press the shins into the floor, and on the inhalation extend upwards, lengthening the spine.
Extend the right leg out to the right. Place the foot on the floor in line with the knee of the left leg. The right knee and the front of the thigh are turned towards the ceiling. Try to press the sole of the right foot into the floor as fully as you can. Pressing down through the right foot, draw the muscles of the right leg up towards the pelvis and draw the head of the thigh bone into the hip joint. Keep the left thigh perpendicular to the floor and press the knee, the shin and the toes of the left leg into the floor.
On an inhalation, extend the arms out to the sides with the palms facing down. Broaden the ribcage as much as you can, but see that the lower ribs do not push forward. Keeping the spine long, bend the torso to the right, bending from the hip joint. Deepen the crease of the front groin, helping yourself with the palm of the right hand. Look softly ahead. Draw the shoulders away from the head. Bring the area of the navel towards the spine and at the same time lengthen the lower back, directing the tailbone towards the floor.
Lower the right palm onto the thigh, the shin, the ankle or a block. Choose the position in which you are comfortable. While doing so, see that the right side of the body does not compress. Now extend the left arm up and take it over the head, palm facing down. Breathe deeply and calmly, observing how the ribcage expands. Gradually bend further, bringing the torso closer to the right knee. With every inhalation lengthen the spine and observe how the bend deepens under the pull of gravity.
Now that you have reached your fullest extension, begin to twist gently from the base of the spine, helping yourself with the right hand. Do not let the pelvis drop forward or tip back. Turn the torso beginning from the abdomen, then turn the ribcage towards the ceiling, and only at the very end turn the head and look at the left biceps. Stay in this position, directing your exhalations into the area of the lower left ribs.
Now come out of the pose on an exhalation. Relax completely in Child's Pose. Then get up, compare the sensations in the right and left sides of the body and prepare to do Parighasana to the other side. (Yoga Journal)

Variations of Parighasana

1st Variation

To increase the stretch of the muscles at the back of the thigh and of the groins, do this variation of Parighasana. Once in the pose, set the foot of the extended leg on its heel. If your body is supple, take hold of the toes. Draw them towards you, deepening the bend. To make it easier to keep the torso in one plane, try doing the pose facing a wall.
It may be that doing the asana to the right is easier and more pleasant than to the left, or the other way round. The reason may lie in the condition of the internal organs: extending to the right stimulates the liver, and to the left - the spleen. The difference in sensation is especially marked in cases of scoliosis. The pose will help to correct the curvature if you listen attentively to your body and avoid straining. (Yoga Journal)

2nd Variation

Starting position: one leg is bent at the knee and rests on the floor with it. The torso and the supporting thigh are vertical. The other leg is taken out to the side in the plane of the torso, staying straight at the knee, with its foot placed at an angle on the floor. Then lower the arm on the same side onto the leg that is straight at the knee, and raise the other arm up. Keeping the torso in the plane of the legs with as little skew as possible, descend towards the straight leg. The arm on the same side slides down the leg towards its foot. The other arm comes down from its raised position onto the same leg, the one straight at the knee, and onto the arm sliding along it. (V. Boyko, YIK)

3rd Variation - Ashtanga Yoga

This variation is very similar to Parivritta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose). The main difference is that in this variation of Parighasana the shin of the bent leg is behind the body, whereas in Parivritta Janu Sirsasana that same leg is in front.

4th Variation - Viparita Virabhadrasana (Reverse Warrior Pose)

The effects of practising Parighasana

In Parighasana the body takes on a strange shape which nevertheless works the muscles and ligaments of the lower back and the pelvic joints as they are never worked anywhere else. The pelvic region is stretched. One side of the abdominal region is stretched while the other is compressed from the side. This supports the proper functioning of the abdominal muscles and organs and keeps the skin of the abdomen from sagging. Sideways bends of the spine help people with a stiff back.