Hatha Yoga

SARVANGASANA – SHOULDERSTAND – All Levels

For All Levels:

The starting position is on the back with legs together and arms next to body, palms down.
Tip: Keep the chin down. Shoulders are kept down, away from the neck.
Inhaling, raise the legs together and lift to a 90 degree angle.
Tip:  Keep legs straight.  Relax shoulders, Keep head Centred.
On next inhalation raise legs and hips and place hands flat against lower back. Tip: Keep weight on elbows, hardly any weight on shoulders or neck. Keep legs together and relax them but keep knees straight. Hold up to 1 min.

Intermediate Level:

Come into final pose with body and legs now in straight line. Hold close as possible to shoulder blades.  Chin is tucked down into chest, forming a chin lock- Jalandhara Bandha. Tip: Keep arms as parallel to each other as possible.  Keep the pressure of arms and hands against upper back.  Keep back straight and legs together. Relax the feet. Aim to align legs, hips and back. Keep head straight and Centred.  Breathe slowly and rhythmically, using deeper abdominal breathing. Hold position up to 3 minutes.

An Advanced variation:

Remaining in full pose as in previous intermediate level, place both arms flat on floor, pushing them into the mat, palms face down. Hold pose up to 1 min keeping body straight and legs up.

BENEFITS:

• Restores energy and balance
• Improves metabolism.
• Tones thyroid and parathyroid glands.
• Relieves stress in shoulder and neck area, stretching shoulder muscles and neck ligaments.
• Prana is concentrated in neck and upper spine.
• Improves blood supply to roots of spinal nerves- keeps the spine elastic.
• Helps varicose veins.
• Improves mood and brings mental clarity.

Practice Sarvangasana with caution, or not at all, in cases of existing painful neck condition – practice the beginner or gentle level only. Hold for less time, if high blood pressure – up to 15 seconds only.
Sarvangasana awakens Kundalini and augments the Jatharagni (digestive fire), It removes dyspepsia, constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders of a chronic nature. It energizes, invigorates and vivifies. Sarvangasana keeps a healthy thyroid. Healthy thyroid means healthy functioning of all the organs of the body.  – Swami Sivananda
Sarvanga means “all parts”, which suggests this pose is concerned with all parts of the body. –  Swami Vishnudevananda

This yoga asana is an edited contribution for the Sivananda Gurugram partly sourced and edited from the Sivananda Publication : “Yoga: Your Home Practice Companion” – Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre – 2010.

Wisdom of the true Self is the ripe fruit of the beautiful flower of Virtue. – Sri Swami Sivananda