Makarasan (Crocodile Pose)

Procedure 

• Lie flat on your stomach, legs together and palms touching the sides of your thighs with your chin on the floor, i.e. Simple Prone Posture.
• Gradually, raise your head and shoulders,  fold your arms and place your elbows in front of the chest; keep them together; rest the chin on the palms.
• Keep your elbows close to each other and in line with the neck to form an arch-like shape with the spine.
• Now, separate your feet as far as possible, with the toes pointing sideward, and the inner part of the legs touching the floor.
• In the final posture, feel a relaxing effect on the back.
• Stay in this position, with deep breathing, for up to five minutes.
• Finally, return to the central position by lowering your upper body and bringing your arms by the sides of your thighs.

Variation - 1

•  Follow steps i to iii, as mentioned in the main procedure, progressively.
• Now, join your legs, keeping them straight.
• Then inhale (Radhey); bend the left leg and try to touch the left buttock with the left heel.
• While exhaling (Krishna), straighten the left leg and simultaneously bend the right leg at the knee.
• Try to touch the right buttock with your right heel in this state.
• Maintain a perfect rhythm while raising and/or lowering the legs; to the degree one leg is raised, the other will be lowerd.
• Practice this asan for about five minutes in the same way.
• Finally, return to the central position by lowering your upper body and bringing your arms by the sides of your thighs.

Variation - 2 

• Follow steps i to iii, as mentioned in the main procedure, progressively.
• Now, join the legs together, keeping them locked at the knees.
• While inhaling (Radhey), bend both the legs simultaneously and try to touch your buttocks with the heels.
• While exhaling (Krishna), lower your legs to the floor.
• Continue this asan for about five minutes.
• Finally, return to the central position by lowering your upper body and bringing your arms by the sides of your thighs.

 Note: Noramally, the elbows is palced below the neck.  Moving the elbows forward increases pressure on the upper back along with the neck and the shoulders; and bringing them back to the chest gives more pressure to the lower back.
   When the elbows are joined, further pressure develops on the respective parts.  It is necessary to understand that the pressure heals that particular part.
Awareness

• On the relaxation of the backbone
• On the movement of your legs in the variations and the breaths synchronized with them
• On always mentally remembering “Radhey Krishna” flowing with your breaths

Benefits

• Makarasan is a great medicine for those who are suffering from slipped-disc, sciatica, lower back pain, and other spinal defects. 
• A long stay in this asan even helps the vertebral column to regain its normal shape and release compression of the spinal nerves. 
• Additionally, it is quite helpful in curing asthma if performed regularly for 15 minutes before sleeping.