Today’s Poses – Supported Shoulder Stand and Upward Abdominal Lock Pose
Supported Shoulder Stand and Upward Abdominal Lock Pose
Supported Shoulder Stand
Although there are other ways to enter Shoulderstand, coming from Plow Pose (Halasana) offers the best way for beginners to get their shoulders and back into alignment. Therefore, if you can’t do Plow, do not attempt a shoulder stand. The positioning of the blankets is important. They should be lined up with the end of your mat.
When you come into the pose, your shoulders and upper back should be on the blanket, but your head and neck should be off it. The head is on the bare floor so that it can slide if necessary, and the blankets give your neck the lift it needs to maintain its natural curve instead of being flattened to the floor.
Steps
- Start with a stack of two folded blankets. Come into Plow Pose with your back and shoulders on the blankets and your head on the floor.
- From Plow Pose, bend your elbows and bring your hands onto your back with your fingertips facing upward. The hands should come about mid-back.
- Keep your elbows shoulder-width apart. Do not allow them to splay out to either side.
- Lift your feet up off the floor toward the ceiling, either one at a time or together, if the abdominals are strong enough.
- Once you raise the legs, don’t turn your head to the side to look around the room, since you can injure your neck. Keep your gaze upward and your neck straight.
- Lift up through the balls of your feet.
- Move your hips toward the front of the room and your feet toward the back of the room to straighten the body. The correct alignment is with the hips over the shoulders and feet over the hips. Ask your teacher or a friend to help you determine if your legs are perpendicular to the floor.
- Stay in the pose for up to 10 breaths.
- To come out, bring your feet back over your head to come through Plow Pose
- Roll out from Plow slowly.
Benefits
- Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
- Stimulates the thyroid and prostate glands and abdominal organs
- Stretches the shoulders and neck
- Tones the legs and buttocks
- Improves digestion
- Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
- Reduces fatigue and alleviates insomnia
- Therapeutic for asthma, infertility, and sinusitis
Upward Abdominal Lock
Uddiyana Bandha is derived from the combination of the Sanskrit words Uddiyana(upward) and bandha (binding or lock or attachment to this world). It is called Upward Abdominal Lock in English.
Preparatory Poses for Uddiyana Bandha are Supta Virasana, Dandasana, Viparita Karani, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Sarvangasana, Virasana, Sirsasana, Paschimottanasana, and Baddha Konasana; follow-up Poses are all yoga poses. Uddiyana Bandha can be performed at the beginning of the yoga practice to stimulate energy.
Steps
- We can practice Uddiyana Bandha in either way by standing position or sitting position.
- Let’s see by sitting position.
- Start with sitting in Padmasana (Lotus Pose).
- Your spine should be straight.
- Now place your palms on the knees.
- Breathing should be normal.
- Relax the whole body.
- Now Inhale deeply and then exhale fully.
- Hold the breath outside.
- Now bend the shoulders slightly and lean forward.
- Perform Jalandhara Bandha(chin lock).
- With the help of palms, press down the knees.
- Pull the abdominal muscles inside and upwards.
- Note: Imagine like there is suction just behind your sternum.
- Hold in this position as long as you are comfortable.
- Note: breath outside
- Exit by release the abdominal muscles and come back to normal position.
- Wait till the breathing come back to normal.
- Then repeat all the above steps thrice.
Benefits
- It helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles.
- It helps to stimulate the energy of your Apana Vayu(lower belly), to unite it with the energies localized in the Samana Vayu(navel) and the Prana Vayu(heart).
- Improves the body immune system.
- Increases the overall blood circulation in the abdomen and the entire body.
- It helps to activate the solar plexus and Manipura Chakra.
- Increases the digestive fire.
- It is helpful for diabetes.
- Strengthens the diaphragm.
- Tones the adrenal glands and improves its function.
- Stimulates the liver and pancreas.
- Great pose for Indigestion and Constipation problems.
- Changes the depressive mood.
- Reduces tension and stress.
- It reverses the flow of Apana.
- Gives the gentle massage to the solar plexus, abdominal viscera, lungs, and the heart.
- Increases gastric fire;
- Improves the digestion system.
- Helps to improve the elimination and assimilation.
- Detoxify the body by purifying the digestive tract of toxins.
Supported Shoulder Stand and Upward Abdominal Lock Pose calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression.
