HEALTH UPDATE ON THE STEP AND BENEFITS OF GATE POSE
Now. let’s see how you can perform this pose
Step 1: Kneel down on your yoga mat, facing the long side of the mat. Bring your knees and ankles together, with the tops of your feet against the mat behind you.
Step 2: Stretch out the right leg to the right side keeping it straight. Firmly place the right foot on the floor and keep the right leg tightened at the knee.
Step 3: Bend to the right over the plane of the right leg, and lay your right hand down on the shin, ankle or the floor outside the right leg. Contract the right side of the torso and stretch the left.
Step 4: Inhale and reach your left arm up next to your left ear. And remember to let your right arm come down and rest on your right leg. The side bend tends to drop the torso towards the floor. Without pushing the left hip back, turn the upper torso away from the floor.
Step 5: Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to a minute, extending your spine on your inhales and deepening the side stretch on your exhales.
Step 6: Bring your torso upright and return your right knee next to the left one. Repeat the stretch on your other side now.
Benefits of doing the gate pose:
1. Gate pose helps to stretch the pelvic region of the body. A pelvic stretch can improve bladder and bowel control.
2. This pose stretches the sides of the torso and spine. The side torso stretch strengthens the intercostal muscles. These are the muscles between the ribs, which help support them.
3. Because the gate pose stretches hamstrings, this can be good for your back as well.
4. Gate pose stretches the side of the body from the hips to the fingers, thus increasing the flexibility of the spine, building site strength, stimulating digestion, circulation, and respiration.
