Benefits of Tiryaka Tadasana and How to Do it By Dr. Himani Bisht  

Introduction:

Modern technology has made our life sedentary. Most of us are glued to laptops, smartphones and other gadgets, which is putting us at risk of developing obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type II diabetes and heart diseases.¹ 

Nowadays, the most common problem faced by men and women of all ages is neck pain and backache because of long hours of incorrect sitting posture, especially in front of the screen. It can further affect the spine’s alignment or stiffness in the surrounding muscles.  

The issues can be resolved by adding a certain amount of physical activity to your lifestyle. The easiest way is to try practising hatha yoga. It includes easy physical postures combined with breathing exercises that improve strength, flexibility, and overall body health.² Hatha yoga has many poses, and one such effective pose is tiryaka tadasana or palm tree yoga. Let us look at how tiryaka tadasana can help us achieve a healthier body! 

What is Tiryaka Tadasana?

The asana tiryaka tadasana is known as the swaying palm tree pose because of its posture. In English, the word ‘tiryaka’ means oblique, ‘tada’ means palm or mountain and ‘asana’ means pose, so it may also be called as an oblique mountain pose or palm tree pose. It is also known as parsva urdhva hastasana or upward salute side bend pose. The palm tree asana is a variant of the tadasana pose in which the body is bent on the sides. It is an excellent stretching pose that adds flexibility in the shoulder, spine and waist region.³ 

From what I have observed so far, Triyaka Tadasana is like a special version of Tadasana that might do something really cool for your waist. It may give it a nice massage, loosens up those muscles, and give them a good workout. Plus, it might help your body balance out the right and left groups of muscles that help you stand up straight. So, it’s like a double charm for your waist and posture!

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

How To Do It?

You can do tiryaka tadasana in the following manner:³ 

• First, you should stand on your feet at a distance of 2 feet. 
• Now, fix the gaze at one point. 
• Bring both hands in front of your body. 
• Interlock fingers of both hands. 
• Now, turn your palms outward. 
• You should raise your arms above the head, inhale and stretch upwards. 
• Now, exhale while bending at the waist to the right side. Hold for a few seconds. 
• Now return to the centre position and inhale again. 
• Now, exhale while bending the waist to the left side. Hold for a few seconds. 
• You can repeat the process and perform it five to ten times on each side. 
• To relax, you should return to the centre position. Exhale and release your hands.  

Based on my experience, I have observed that Triyaka Tadasana might be a superhero pose for your abs. It may help tone and strengthen those rectus muscles, giving you a nice and firm core. But that’s not all. It also might work wonders for your spine by clearing any congestion and restoring its energy.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

Do You Know?

Some of the interesting facts about tiryaka tadasana are:  

• The palm tree yoga pose is a beginner-level asana. 
• It is included in the shankhprakshalana kriya, which is a cleansing technique in hatha yoga practice.³ 
• You can add variation in the pose by try balancing the posture on your toes.³ 
• The pose has a stimulatory effect on the mooladhara (root chakra) and manipura (solar plexus) chakra of the body.³ 

Benefits of Tiryaka Tadasana

Some of the tiryaka tadasana benefits are as follows:  

1. Benefits of tiryaka tadasana for body posture 

Body balance is important to stay stable in an upright position or while doing other movements. A study by Prado et al. in 2014 showed that when men aged 25-55 years, when engaged in 60-minute hatha yoga sessions three times a week for five months, improved their body posture and balance control. The study also showed that it might improve motor coordination and specific movement. Tiryaka tadasana, when performed with other hatha yoga asanas, may benefit the body’s postural balance control and may manage vestibular diseases.² However, more studies are required to check the effect of tiryaka tadasana; therefore, you should consult a doctor if you have postural issues.  

2. Benefits of tiryaka tadasana for muscle flexibility 

Flexibility is the ability of the body to be able to move one or more joints of the body within their optimal range. A study by Grabara et al. in 2015 showed that the practice of hatha yoga for 90 minutes a week for 20 weeks had increased the mobility of spinal joints and flexibility of the hamstring muscles in women 50-79 years of age. Tiryaka tadasana being a part of hatha yoga asana, may improve spine flexibility.⁴ However, more studies are required to check if tiryaka tadasana can alone benefit spinal flexibility. Therefore, you must consult a doctor if you experience reduced spinal flexibility.   

3. Benefits of tiryaka tadasana for back pain 

The most common reason for back pain is muscle tension. A study by Crow et al. in 2015 showed that when you do yoga, your body muscles loosen up, muscle tension and pain reduces. The study shows that hatha yoga may be enough for back pain related to poor posture and stress. It may also improve body awareness, pain acceptance and coping mechanisms.⁵ However, more research is required to understand tiryaka tadasana’s benefits, so you should consult a doctor if you experience back pain because of other medical conditions.  

4. Benefits of tiryaka tadasana for intestine 

Tiryaka tadasana is a part of shankhprakshalana kriya, which the yoga practitioner uses to cleanse the intestine. A study by Mashyal et al. in 2014 showed that the shankhprakshalana kriya involves deep stimulation of basic reflexes that result in the cleaning of the intestine. It is then followed by a deep relaxation that results in better intestinal health and may regulate bowel movements.⁶ However, more research is required to understand the exact benefit of the cleansing kriyas and tiryaka tadasana. So, if you have any intestinal discomfort, you should consult a doctor and seek treatment accordingly.  

Other benefits of tiryaka tadasana:  

• Tiryaka tadasana might help with dizziness and vertigo.² 
• It may help people with a sedentary lifestyle to add a certain amount of physical activity.⁷ 
• Tiryaka tadasana might help in muscle strengthening.²  
• It may help reduce fat around the waist while toning the buttocks and belly muscles. 
• It may reduce blood pressure.⁶ 
• It may regulate the nervous system, relax and calm the mind and body. 

Yoga practice may help develop the mind and body; however, it is still not an alternative to modern medicine. Therefore, you must not rely on yoga alone to treat any condition. Instead, please consult a qualified doctor who can assess your condition and advise accordingly. Moreover, it is necessary to practice and learn yoga under the supervision of a trained yoga teacher to avoid any injuries.  

Risks of Tiryaka Tadasana

 You must avoid this pose if you have the following conditions: 

• Hernia 
• Sciatica 
• Spinal injuries 
• Severe cervical pain 
• Severe headache 
• Slip disc 
• Recent surgery on the neck, back, chest, legs and abdomen 

Pregnant women shall be careful while performing tiryaka tadasana and must practice under the supervision of a qualified yoga expert.  

With the guidance of a qualified and experienced yoga teacher/yoga expert, we can assess and analyse the risk factors and continue to practice tiryaka tadasana with precautions.  

Conclusion

The asana tiryaka tadasana is also known as the swaying palm tree pose. In English, ‘tiryaka’ means oblique, ‘tada’ means palm or mountain and ‘asana’ means posture. The palm tree asana may stimulate the mooladhara (root chakra) and manipura (solar plexus) of the body. Tiryaka tadasana may improve muscle strength, spinal flexibility and postural balance. It may be beneficial for patients who have back pain, intestinal problems, high blood pressure, obesity and postural disorders. People with a hernia, slipped disc, sciatica, spinal injuries and severe cervical and back pain should not do the palm tree pose. Pregnant women must be cautious when doing tiryaka tadasana. It would be best if you did this pose under the guidance of a professional yoga trainer.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References:

1. Kasse C, Prado E, Raso V, Scharlach R. Hatha yoga on body balance. International Journal of Yoga. 2014;7(2):133. Availble from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4097898/ 

2. Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha. Yoga Publications Trust; 1973. Available from: https://ia804508.us.archive.org/31/items/aaa_20210704/aaa.pdf     

3. Grabara M, Szopa J. Effects of hatha yoga exercises on spine flexibility in women over 50 years old. Journal of Physical Therapy Science [Internet]. 2015;27(2):361–5. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4339138/ 

4. Crow E, Jeannot E, Trewhela A. Effectiveness of Iyengar yoga in treating spinal (back and neck) pain: A systematic review. International Journal of Yoga. 2015;8(1):3. Available From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278133/ 

5. Mashyal P, Raghuram N, Bhargav H. Safety and usefulness of Laghu shankha prakshalana in patients with essential hypertension: A self controlled clinical study. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine [Internet]. 2014 [cited 2022 Dec 23]; 5(4):227. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4296435/ 

6. Yang K, James KA. Yoga, as a transitional platform to more active lifestyle: a 6-month pilot study in the USA. Health Promotion International. 2014 Dec 18;31(2):423–9. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/31/2/423/1750098  

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