Also called as Sarvangasana or Salamba Sarvangasana, the Shoulder Stand yoga pose revitalizes your entire body and adds a distinct charm to your persona. If done in an approved manner, it strengthens your backbone and relieves your lower back and neck of various types of stresses. Further, it allows your chest, shoulders to move more freely, and ensures that your back gets much straighter than it was before. Also labeled as Candle Pose, Supported-All-Limbs-Pose or Queen Pose, the Shoulder Stand further combines four sub-poses, namely relaxation pose (savasana), inversion pose, gentle stretching pose and revitalizing pose.
Steps Involved
1. While you lie down on a Yoga Mat in Savasana or Relaxation Pose, make sure your back, shoulders and head touch the ground.
2. As in Inversion Pose, allow your legs to draw in and stretch your arms backward.
3. Bring your legs up while lifting your hips off the floor. Stretch your legs further so that they could go up and over your head. Next, apply more pressure on your back so that your legs could go beyond your head.
4. Move your hands toward your back and straighten your spine. Now bring your hands closer to your shoulder blades while placing your elbows at shoulder-width or wider.
5. As you further push your back upward while doing the revitalizing pose, you’ll feel increased pressure on your shoulders. Next, lay your entire weight on the backside of the shoulders.
6. Now lift up your legs, one after another. Make sure that your hands and shoulders carry equal weight. Straighten your legs further so that your shoulders take the entire weight of your body.
7. Balancing your body weight is so very important while doing Sarvangasana. You may place your arms lower in the direction of the shoulder or toward your hips just to get the right equilibrium.
8. Finally, bring your right leg back to the mat, and then bring the other one; thus, go back to Savasana.
Precautions
1. Those suffering with thyroid disorders, high blood pressure, brain diseases or chronic nasal catarrh should avoid doing this exercise. Patients with enlarged thyroid, enlarged spleen, cervical spondylitis and slipped disc should also avoid doing it.
2. Women shouldn’t do this exercise during menstruation or pregnancy.
Benefits
1. Shoulder Stand yoga pose ensures that your thyroid gland regains normalcy, in case it wasn’t working at peak efficiency. Thus, if you do it in an approved manner, you will have correct weight and a cheerful appearance.
2. Your sex glands will start functioning properly.
3. Salamba Sarvangasana is a boon for women, who’ve just gone through labor pain, have painful menstruation or other female disorders.
4. Those suffering from constipation, improper blood circulation, asthma and indigestion can benefit from this exercise.
5. Shoulder Stand helps you strengthen your neck muscles.
