Makarasana is a particularly effective relaxation pose, partly because diaphragmatic breathing facilitates relaxation, and partly because the release of tension is directed into the lower back and mid-torso where the diaphragm attaches. These tension-prone areas are affected by bad breathing habits, bad posture, and weak or tight muscles all up and down the spine and in the pelvis. And because the breath mirrors the state of mind, tension in the diaphragm may reflect distorted and dysfunctional states of tension that linger in the musculature long after the original stimulus is gone.