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

Introduction:

Yoga is not only about physical health, but it also focuses on spiritual health. It says that our body has seven main chakras. They are spinning wheels of energy running along the spine. These chakras are connected to the person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.¹ Each chakra correlates with different physical abilities, expressions, types of health, and psychological states of the mind. Therefore, balancing these chakras is important. It can be achieved through yoga postures as they can positively influence our body, mind, and emotions.¹ Certain powerful yoga poses can stimulate these chakras, and one such pose is dwikonasana or dual angle pose. Let us look at the steps to do dwikonasana and its incredible health benefits. 

What is Dwikonasana?

In English, ‘DWI’ means dual, ‘Kona’ means angle, and ‘asana’ means pose, so dwikonasana is a dual-angle or two-angle pose. It is also known as the two-triangle pose. Dwikonasana is a standing pose that opens the chest by loosening the chest muscles and nerves. It also stretches the muscles of the shoulders, back, hips, and arms. It improves the flexibility of the shoulder joints and back muscles.² Dwikonasana awakes Anahata (heart) chakra, the spiritual point for love, compassion, and understanding.² 

How to Do It?

You can do dwikonasana yoga in the following way:² 

• First, you should stand straight with feet foot distance apart. Your hand should rest on the outer thighs. 
• Now, extend your arms behind the back and interlock your fingers. 
• Inhale and twist your arms with your finger interlocked so that your palms face upwards. 
• Now exhale and bend forward from the waist while simultaneously bringing arms as high as possible behind the back. 
• Now, accentuate the stretch given to the chest and shoulder. 
• Look forwards so that your face stays parallel to the floor. 
• Hold the position for a few seconds. 
• Now, exhale slowly, release the pose, and return to the relaxed position, 
• You should try to practice the pose at least 3 to 5 times.  

Do You Know?

Some of the interesting facts about the dwikonasana are:  

• The dual-angle pose is an intermediate-level asana.  
• The pose can be performed by people of all age groups but is excellent for young and growing people. ² 
• The following poses may be performed before the dual angle pose to achieve better balance:  
• Gomukhasana 
• Supta Vajrasana 
• Yoga Mudrasana 
• Forward bending poses should be followed by back bending poses. Here are the few back bending poses that you can perform after the dual angle pose:  
• Chakrasana 
• Ustrasana 
• Here is the dwikonasana modification which you can perform once you achieve body balance in the pose: 
• You can turn the palm away from the body in front of you. 
• You can bend further and place your head in between the knees. 

Among the many benefits, practising dwikonasana might have potential benefits in improving posture and lung capacity. This is because it involves the strengthening of upper back muscles along with the shoulder and chest muscles.

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

Benefits of Dwikonasana:

Some of the dwikonasana benefits are as follows:  

1. Benefits of Dwikonasana for Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition affecting body joints, causing pain, swelling, and bone erosion. A study by Badsha et al. in 2009 in a pilot study of 8 weeks found that incorporating raj yoga asanas such as dwikonasana and others can significantly reduce disease symptoms and improve treatment outcomes.³ However, more studies are required to understand the full extent of dwikonasana benefits. Therefore, yoga should not be used as a substitute for ongoing medications. It is best to consult with a doctor if you have rheumatoid arthritis.   

2. Benefits of Dwikonasana for Frozen Shoulder:

Frozen shoulders are a medical condition with painful and stiff shoulder joints making arm movement difficult. A study by Jain et al. in 2019 found that a set of standing yoga asanas, including dwikonasana, performed by people with frozen joints, can improve muscle flexibility and tone. Further, this may reduce pain and improves the range of movement.⁴ However, more studies are required to check if dwikonasana can alone benefit frozen joints or not. Further, you must consult your doctor if you have a rigid joint.   

3. Benefits of Dwikonasana for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS):

 Polycystic ovarian syndrome is women’s most common hormonal disorder, causing excess weight gain, facial hair, irregular menstrual cycle, and stress. A study by Ratnakumari et al. in 2018 found that yoga postures like dwikonasana, when combined with naturopathy, can significantly improve reproductive functions and balance hormone levels. It may provide holistic care to PCOS patients. ⁵ However, more research is required to understand dwikonasana benefits, so you should consult a doctor if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome.  

4. Benefits of Dwikonasana for Balance in the Elderly:

Older people are more prone to fall-related injuries. A study by Keay et al. in 2018 on 50 participants involved in a 3-month yoga program. In this standing pose, such as dwikonasana, breathing exercises, and meditation showed that yoga could prevent fall injuries by improving balance and mobility.⁶ However, more research is required to understand the dwikonasana benefits. So, you should consult a doctor for body imbalance in older people and seek treatment accordingly.  

5. Benefits of Dwikonasana for Bronchitis:

A study by Dhotre et al. in 2019 showed that yoga practices, including breathing exercises, mudras, and yoga postures such as dwikonasana, provide effective relief in bronchitis symptoms.⁷ However, more research is required to understand the dwikonasana pose yoga benefits, so you must consult a doctor if you have bronchitis.  

Other Benefits of Dwikonasana:

• Dwikonasana may strengthen the upper arm. 
• It might help with back pain and sciatica.  
• It might aid in weight management by reducing belly fat.  
• Dwikonasana may strengthen lower back muscles. 
• It may release anxiety.  
• It might improve digestion.  
• It may remove stiffness in the neck and back.  

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

I have observed that, during pregnancy, women often feel increased tension between shoulder plates and neck muscles. I would highly recommend practising dwikonasana in such cases. Dwikonasana might help you with reducing tension and stiffness between the shoulder plates and the neck muscles.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

Risks of Dwikonasana

The risks associated with the dwikonasana yoga pose are as follows:  

• The pose should be done empty stomach. 
• Do not over-stretch and over-bend.  
• If you feel discomfort while performing the asana, immediately release the pose. 
• You must avoid this pose if you have the following conditions:  
• Shoulder injury or pain² 
• Severe back pain 
• Spinal injury  
• Recent surgeries of the abdomen or shoulder 
• Pregnant women should be cautious and must practice after consulting the doctor under expert supervision. 
• People with medical conditions associated with heart, back, cervical, or spondylitis must consult the doctor and have proper dwikonasana training under the expert.  

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

Conclusion

In English, ‘DWI’ means dual, ‘Kona’ means angle, and ‘asana’ means pose, so dwikonasana is a dual-angle or two-angle pose. The major benefits of this asana are that it may relieve bronchitis, manage weight, reduce polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), improve body balance, aid in the treatment of frozen shoulders, release anxiety, and strengthen muscles of shoulders, chest, and back, and upper arms. Dwikonasana also stimulates the heart or Anahata chakra, the spiritual point for love, compassion, and understanding. People with shoulder injury or pain, severe back pain, spinal injury, and recent surgeries of the abdomen or shoulder should not perform the dwikonasana. People with heart conditions, spondylitis, and pregnant women must be cautious and consult a doctor when doing dwikonasana. You must do this pose under the guidance of a professional yoga trainer.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References:

1. Cooper NJ. A brief history of the chakras in the human body – research gate [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2022Dec29]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342562977_A_Brief_History_of_the_Chakras_in_Human_Body 
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. Badsha H, Chhabra V, Leibman C, Mofti A, Kong KO. The benefits of yoga for rheumatoid arthritis: results of a preliminary, structured 8-week program. Rheumatology International. 2009 Jan 31;29(12):1417–21. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23965788_The_benefits_of_yoga_for_rheumatoid_arthritis_Results_of_a_preliminary_structured_8-week_program 
4. Jain M, Tripathy PR, Manik R, Tripathy S, Behera B, Barman A. Short-term effect of yoga asana – An adjunct therapy to conventional treatment in frozen shoulder. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 2020 Apr;11(2):101–5. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7329720/ 
5. Ratnakumari Me, Manavalan N, Sathyanath D, Ayda Yr, Reka K. Study to evaluate the changes in polycystic ovarian morphology after naturopathic and yogic interventions. International Journal of Yoga. 2018;11(2):139. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5934949/ 
6. Keay L, Praveen D, Salam A, Rajasekhar KV, Tiedemann A, Thomas V, et al. A mixed methods evaluation of yoga as a fall prevention strategy for older people in India. Pilot and Feasibility Studies [Internet]. 2018 May 1;4. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5928579/ 
7. Ananddhotre G. YOGIC VIEW ON BRONCHITIS AND EOSINOPHILIA. International Journal of Advanced Research. 2019 Sep 30;7(9):484–6. Available from:http://www.journalijar.com/uploads/304_IJAR-28791.pdf 

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