The Sanskrit word “Mayur” means ‘peacock’. During this asana the body takes on the shape of a peacock. So this asana is called Mayurasana.

Technique :

Sit in Vajrasana on a blanket or carpet. Raise your thighs and buttocks, bend forward. Keep your knees atleast one foot apart. Wrists and palms should be towards the knees. Now bend the arms at the elbows, place elbows on both sides of the navel region. Exhale and hold your breath. Raise both your legs gradually from the ground and stretch straight backwards. Keep your entire weight on the palms, hands and elbows and maintain the balance. This is the final stage of this asana. In the beginning, doing it for 2 or 4 seconds is enough. Return to the former position after inhaling. You can repeat it 2 or 3 times. When Mayurasana is done with Padmasana it is called Mayuri asana. The tail of the Mayuri (Pea-hen) is small.

Note:

Mayurasana is a difficult asana. Therefore it should be practised slowly and with patience. At the outset it is easier to hold your breath after inhaling. After enough practice one can breathe normally. One must be careful in maintaining the balance of the whole body parallel to the ground. Without getting tired or applying force one should do it upto one minute comfortably.

Benefits :

Mayurasana favourably influences the digestive system. It cleans the bowels, increases the gastric juices and whets the appetite. It helps cure diseases of the intestines and stomach. It works wonders in cases of diabetes. It strengthens the wrist, arms, lungs, ribs and heart.