Frog

Benefits:

• Deep groin opener (especially the adductors)
• Provides a slight back bend, which compresses the lower back
• Aids digestion and relieves cramps (both menstrual cramps and those from eating.)

Contra-indications:

• If you have a bad back
• Knees can be uncomfortable, so use padding under the knees
• If the neck is stiff, rest the forehead, not the chin, on the floor or on a bolster
• If prone to tingling in the hands when you extend the arms overhead, you may need to move the hands wider apart or closer together. If that doesn’t help, do one arm at a time.

Getting Into the Pose:

• Start in Child’s Pose and slide both hands forward, separate the knees, but remain sitting on the heels. This is also known as the Tadpole.

Alternatives & Options:

1. Half Frog: Lift the hips higher, until hips are in line with knees, keeping feet together.
2. Full Frog: separate feet as wide as the knees.

• Extend one arm at a time, which is safer than extending both arms forward. The other arm can be bent with the head resting on the forearm.
• Allow the hips to come further forward if the pressure in groin or hips is too severe.
• Alternately, keep toes together and allow hips to go backwards.
• May rest the chest on bolster, to relax upper body.
• If the shoulders are uncomfortable, spread the hands wider apart.

Coming Out of the Pose:

• Either sit back into Child’s Pose or slide forward onto your belly, bringing your legs together.

Counter poses:

• Child’s Pose;
• Lying on theback, hug knees to chest, and rock side to side, or move knees in circles.

Meridians & Organs Affected:

• Inner leg pressure works the Spleen, Liver and Kidney meridians
• When the arms are stretched forward, the upper body meridians are massaged, affecting the lines of Heart, Lungs, and Small and Large Intestines

Joints Affected:

• Hips, lower back and shoulders.

Recommended Hold Times:

• Three to five minutes

Similar Yang Asanas:

• Mandukasana or Bhekasana.

Other Notes:

• When the hips are in line with knees, gravity has maximum effect. Often students will move hips forward to avoid painful compression in the hips – that is okay.
• If doing this right after eating, rest on the elbows and don’t let the stomach rest on the floor. Allow it to hang, which is nice for digestion.
• A nice pose to do to begin a class, or if short of time.
• To advance in this posture, don’t go deeper, just stay longer!
• You could do the first half of the pose in Tadpole and then move to Full Frog for the second half.

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