The Mind and body Power Generator: Is the Mandukasana.

Mandukasana, I consider a very holy asana personally.

Not very difficult.

But has a very far reaching impact.

I will share some of its benefits…

According to the Hatha yogic scriptures the human body has 72,000 nadis, for thriving good health and spiritual development one needs free flow of prana inside these nadis. 

All nadis originate from one of two centres, the Kandasthana – a little below the navel and the heart. The pelvic area—kandasthana-, according to some yogis is a breeding ground for many ailments.

Mandukasana heals and provides circulation of blood and prana to this area which has an impact on a myriad of nerve endings throughout the body…

The vagus nerve is the super highway nerve that connects the stomach, small intestine, liver, kidneys, lung, heart and other vital organs directly to the brain. Your body is an intricate network of nerves, which connect various organs  to each other and to the brain. The Vagus nerve is the 10th out of 12 cranial nerves. Imagine its path as it branches out slivers of signal pathways to various areas in our body. Hence triggering the vagus nerve in one area will send signals to other organs — especially the brain.

The belly button is the most effective place to cause a rippling effect on the vagus nerve as it has a very thin barrier. In other words, the belly button is the most accessible place to communicate directly with the brain and the whole body.

Stimulating the vagus nerve under the belly button activates the parasympathetic “rest-and-digest” nervous system. This calms the body, relaxes muscles, and hyperactivity is slowed down in the emotional portions of the brain.

Scientists are finding increasing evidence that the microbes that live in the gut determine our mental well-being and mood by directly stimulating the vagus nerve. A huge amount of chemicals are secreted by microbes in the stomach but they are not pertaining to digestion alone.

It might come as a surprise to most that a staggering 95% of the body’s serotonin (the body’s happiness hormone) is produced by the gut while a mere 5% is produced by the central nervous system. Additionally, 50% of the body’s dopamine (the body’s pleasure and reward hormone) is produced by the gut as well. These hormones in the gut are used by the network of nerves to regulate mood. So the more the healthy microbes, the more it  helps lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress.

Holding in this asana has innumerable healing and toning effects on the body and mind.

This is only the tip…. of what the benefits of holding in Mandukasana are.