Ear Pressing Pose Helps Hearing Deficiencies & Ringing in the Ear
As the name indicates, the Karnapidasana, or the Ear Pressing pose, focuses on relieving the ailments related to the ear. The reverse backward bend and the muffling of the ears with your knees can result in gradual alleviation of ailments like pain in ear, tinnitus, ringing in the ear, transient deafness and so on. It also helps in curbing obesity and helps in increasing height if you do this exercise during your adolescent years. But beyond adolescence, it cannot have any effect on your height.
How to Do the Ear Pressing Pose – Karnapidasana
Start by lying face up on a carpet and breathe normally. After your body gets attuned to the changed posture, be ready for the next move. Keep your legs together with your big toes touching each other. Your arms are by your side and your palms flat on the floor.
Inhale deeply and then exhale vigorously. Brace yourself by stiffening the muscles of your arms and legs. Apply downward pressure with your palms on the mat. Begin lifting your legs but keep them together. Your legs should not rise separately one at a time. If this happens you could lose your balance. To help in balancing, place your palms across your back and support it when it also start rising along with your legs. Asking a partner to support your legs when you do this step is a good idea. This will help in easing and shortening your learning of this exercise.
As your legs become vertical, pause for some time. Breathe easy. Now continue to move your legs further down behind you until your toes touch the mat. This step is difficult and will require days of practice and support for you to gain confidence and maintain your balance while doing it. Ask your partner to support your legs as this would facilitate and reduce your learning process.
As your toes touch the floor behind you, bend your legs so that your knees also touch the floor. While doing this, your soles will be facing upwards while the top portion of your feet will touch the mat. Now pull your feet towards your head until your knees are level your ears on the mat.
Press your knees against your ears and breathe easy. With every breath, you may experience a tingling sensation inside your head and also a wheezing sound inside your ears with every exhalation. Pause for some time as dictated by your comfort level and then exit this posture.
How to Exit the Ear Pressing Pose – Karnapidasana
Stiffen your thighs, exhale and start moving your knees away from your head. Also start gradually lifting your legs. As you rise, your soles will gradually return to a vertical position until only your toes touch the floor. Use your palms to support your back when you lift your feet. Keep lifting your feet until your legs are vertical, and pause. Breathe normally and then bring your legs down to the mat until your heels touch the mat. Your feet are now again in their original position when you lay on the mat. Repeat all the steps in this posture as long as you feel comfortable.
Benefits of the Ear Pressing Pose – Karnapidasana
The Ear Pressing pose has many benefits. The main benefit pertains to your ears. With the muffling of your ears, and the increased blood supply to your brain due to the top down posture, many ear related ailments can be gradually cured. But this exercise is not a sure-shot cure for ear related ailments caused by infections and injuries. These would require the necessary medication.
Aliments like pain in ear, tinnitus, ringing in the ear and transient deafness can all be naturally alleviated by doing this posture. Hearing deficiencies too that are caused by noise pollution and advancing age can be gradually alleviated though this exercise.
This pose can also lead to the gradual slimming of the abdomen due to the complete bend of the abdomen. But for this you need to regularly do this posture and hold it for increasing durations.
To derive comprehensive benefits from the different yoga exercises, do this exercise along with other yoga exercises like the Ardha Chandrasana to resist ailments like osteoporosis and slipped disc, the Mandukasana to resist diabetes, and the Halasana to exercise your entire body with a single posture.
Who Should Not Do the Karnapidasana
Patients suffering from neck, back or hip ailments like a slipped disc, sciatica, spondylitis or from postural vertigo and sharp variations in blood pressure should avoid doing this exercise. Do consult your doctor and yoga therapist before you start doing this exercise.
Eat Food with High Nutrient Value
Insist on food with high nutrient value. Eat non-greasy, high fiber and low calorie food. This can supplement your yoga exercises and help you to get the best out of them.
