Markatasan
(Monkey pose)
Markatasan is a combination of two Sanskrit words. Where Markat means monkey, Asana means pose.
Hence, market asana is called a monkey pose. This pose is also known as a spinal twist pose. This pose comes from twisting the spinal muscles to the sideways and holding on to this asana. In the 17^th century, Hatha ratnavali describe makarasan as a hatha yoga practice.
It improves the flexibility of an individual. Monkey pose is well known for strengthening the spine. The primary motive of practicing markatasan is to enhance the health of your spine. This is a great asana to improve the health of your digestive system. Markatasan is best for strong hips openings along with back bending actions. This pose is beneficial in the treatment of sciatica. Markatasan is beneficial in the treatment of liver, spleen, kidney ailments.
An individual can practice markatasan in the morning or evening with an empty stomach. Yoga keeps the solution for most physical problems and mental disorders. This pose enhances your metabolism and stretches your body. The stretches hence help in weight loss. This pose can be practiced in treating your mild back or shoulder pain. Markatasan is an easy reclining twist that emphasizes relaxation and intentional respiration. There are three different ways to practice makarasan.  
Benefits:

• Improves spinal flexibility: Practicing markatasan enhances spinal flexibility. It stretches and elongates the back muscles. The stretch hence improves the spinal flexibility.
• Abdomen toned: This pose might tone your abdomen. it is a great pose to stretch your abdomen, back, spine, hips, and legs. This helps in the abdominal toning of your body. It stretches and squeezes your abdomen thus resulting in toning up.
• Stimulate respiratory organs: This pose will focus on stimulating your internal organs. Hence, results in stimulating respiratory organs. Twisting and stretching work the lungs and ribs, increasing breathing capacity.
• Calms down your mind: Markatasan is a calming pose that helps to calm the nervous system. It revitalizes both the body and the mind. It helps in improving memory retention.
• Improve blood circulation: This pose enhances blood circulation in your body and increases awareness.  
• Beneficial in stomach ache: Monkey pose will massage your abdomen. It releases the gases and soothes stomach aches. This pose is also beneficial in curing bloating.
• This pose improves the blood circulation in our lower abdomen. it will then help in reducing menstrual cramps and treat the balance of the irregular cycle.
• Prevent constipation and indigestion: Markatasan is a great pose to practice to cure constipation and indigestion. Practicing markatasan will help you to improve your digestive system. It squeezes your abdomen and then releases it that leading to the strengthening of your digestion.
• Improve memory and calm your mind: This pose improves blood circulation. The oxygen-carrying blood flows throughout your body and detoxifies it. The detoxification of the body hence refreshes your mood and makes you feel lighter. It will then improve the memory.
• Beneficial in diabetes: practicing markatasan is very beneficial for diabetic patients. It stimulates the pancreas that results in the production of insulin and hence cures diabetes.
• Relieve back pain: This pose is very beneficial in relieving back pain. It strengthens your spine and reduces the tension or spasm in the spine, shoulder, and back. This pose will also lengthen the spinal cord and reduce the pain.
• Reduce fat: This pose gives a good stretch to your legs and thighs. It then helps you to get rid of excess fat from your body.
• Balance blood pressure:  This pose will help you in balancing high blood pressure. It will regulate the flow of blood in your body and hence result in improving blood pressure.
• Beneficial in slipped disc: Practicing monkey pose is very beneficial in slipped disc problems. It has proven benefits in a slipped disc. It is suggested to perform this practice after proper consultation to avoid any consequences.
• If you are troubled by loose motion, back pain, or constipation you can practice this pose.
• Beneficial in sciatica: sciatica is a lower back pain that started from the lower back and then goes all the way down to the hips and legs. This pose will help you to improve the pain of your lower back.
• Tones the legs: markatasan involves our abdomen, thighs, and legs. When we are performing this pose our thighs and abdomen is being toned up. Hence, this pose is beneficial for toning your legs.     
• Ease strains: This pose could be beneficial to ease strains that were caused by running or walking for too long.

Technique:
Step 1: Lay on the floor on your back. Keep your legs, hands, and body straight.
Step 2: Fold both the legs towards you and spread your hands horizontally straight. Your hands should be straight.
Step 3: Turn your folded legs to the right and try to touch the floor with your knees. Do not move your upper body. Keep your back straight and touched to the floor.
Step 4: Turn your face to the left and the position of your hands should be horizontally straight.
Step 5: Stay in the position for as long as you can. Do not force yourself.
Step 6: Relax and get back to the initial position.
Precautions:

• Do not practice this pose if you have just recovered from an injury.
• Don’t practice this pose in case of an abdomen injury. This might cause serious consequences.
• Avoid practicing the pose if you have heart transplant surgery.
• This pose shouldn’t be practiced by pregnant women. This poses squeezes your abdomen and then releases. The squeezing and releasing of the abdomen might lead to an abortion or other consequences.
• Avoid practicing the pose if you have pain in your feet, hips, waist, or shoulder.
• Do not practice the pose if you have just recovered from surgery.
• This pose must be avoided by an individual facing the problem of vertigo. Vertigo is the spinning experience when everything is perfectly still.
• You must avoid the pose in case of varicose veins problem. This may worsen your condition. If you want to practice the pose then you must consult a doctor first.

Props and modification:

• You can use your left hand to give your legs a little stretch. You can hold your knees with your left hand and force them to touch the floor.
• To modify this pose you can keep one leg straight and just fold the other leg. The straight leg must touch the floor. Follow the rest steps same as above.
• To enhance the challenge, you can keep the left leg straight and try to the toe and your palm without moving much of your torso.