Sarva = Whole
Anga = Parts
Asana = Pose
Sarvangasana is the posture in which the whole body is balanced on the shoulders. It is a part of Padma Sadhana Yoga that focuses on strengthening the arms, legs, and core while improving thyroid and general mental health. You may learn to perfect this asana along with several others with Rishikul’s 300-hour teacher training program offered by expert yogis with excellent teaching experience in yoga.
Let’s learn how to perfect the shoulder stand pose and then move on to the benefits it unfolds. So, the shoulder stand pose is performed in two steps
- Ardha Sarvangasana
- Sarvangasana
Table of Contents
Ardha Sarvangasana Steps
This is a preparatory pose for Sarvangasana. It stimulates the clogged muscles and warms them up for the impending strain of the shoulder stand pose. Here’s how to do the Ardha Sarvangasana:
Lie flat on the floor with your arms beside you and relax your mind and body.
Draw your legs close to your hips while you exhale
Raise your torso gently while pushing your hands against the floor.
Remember to keep your head on the floor.
Balance your body on your palms, elbows, neck, and head.
Hold this pose for as many seconds as you can but definitely not longer than 120 seconds (or two minutes).
Inhale as your go back to the supine position.
Sarvangasana Steps
The shoulder stand pose involves the neck and head coming under severe strain because the whole body is balanced on them. It is important that you relax your body and mind before attempting to lift your legs up for this pose. Here is the step-by-step guide to perfect the shoulder stand pose:
Lie on your back on flat ground with your arms beside your hips.
Raise your legs together (knees straight) by supporting your waist with your palms and exhale.
Place your whole body weight on the back of your head, neck, and shoulders.
Hold this posture and breath normally for as long as you can but not more than 2 minutes.
To release the pose, slowly lower your knees while inhaling.
Rest your hands beside your hips and relax for a few seconds before attempting it again.
Precautions
As we mentioned before, this yoga asana is a straining posture that may harm you if not done properly. What do we mean by properly? Read the following pointers to find out:
Since the shoulder stand yoga pose requires strong neck and shoulder muscles, make sure that you don’t experience any jerk or strain.
The same reason stands for the limited time frame of doing this yoga asana. Do not exceed the time limit of 2 minutes while holding the pose.
Each of these poses must be repeated only for 20 seconds to 5 minutes in the beginning.
Do not attempt this yoga asana after gymnastics. Gymnastics itself causes a rush of blood flow into your brain and Sarvangasana would only aggravate that.
The Bottom Line: Sarvangasana Benefits A Human’s Overall Health
Yes, from promoting weight loss to solving ovarian issues for women, the shoulder stand pose has a plethora of benefits but can it be performed by just about anyone?
The answer is no. People with the following health conditions must NOT try to do this yoga asana:
- Retinal detachment
- Glaucoma
- High myopia
- Respiratory disorders
- Pregnancy
- Heart ailments
- Hypertension