The Frog Position: Discover the fantastic benefits of this simple yoga exercise

The frog position, which in Sanskrit is known as Mandukasana, is a simple yoga rest exercise, which involves the so-called body core, or the two groups of muscles that respectively make up the stabilizers and the movement system of the central part of the body. In other words, these are the muscles that generate and transfer force from the trunk of the body to the limbs and vice versa.

Maintaining this position is often combined with a simple breathing and meditation practice (clearing the mind), but even by itself, it is able to promote relaxation of the body because it helps to get rid of physical and mental tension. Read on to find out more, and maybe you could incorporate doing the frog into your daily routine.

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How to do the frog:

• Get on all fours on the mat, so that your hands rest on the ground at your shoulder level, and your knees are at your pelvis.
• Shift your weight forward onto your hands.
• Spread your knees, so that they stay in the same line as your hips, but are spread apart as much as possible. The legs remain bent so that the feet are in line with the knees and not tucked in towards the center.
• The toes shoudl be pointed outward.
• Place your elbows on the ground with your forearms forward, and rest your weight on your elbows, which should remain under your shoulders. The palms of the hands should rest on the ground.
• If you want, you can rest your head with your chin or forehead on the ground.
• Breathe deeply and shift your weight to your hips to intensify the position.
• Take deep breaths, and think about letting go of all the tension in your body.
• Initially, try to hold this position for a minute, and only over time, go up to 3 or 5 minutes.
• To recover back out of this position, bring your hands under your shoulders and pull yourself up by pushing up on your torso, then bring your knees back towards the center. Don't get up right away, but relax in the foetal position or just stay on all fours, face down, for a while.

This is a great exercise to try both in the morning and at the end of the work day to relax before starting daily activities or to get rid of stress before going to bed. Have you ever practiced this yoga exercise?