SHOULDERSTAND POSE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and your legs extended.
2. Lift your legs, buttocks and back all at once, come up high on your shoulders, and support your back with your hands.
3. As you move your hands along your back and toward the shoulder blades, keep straightening your spine and legs.
4. Stay in shoulderstand pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
MINDFULNESS PRACTICE
Breathe deeply, support your weight on your shoulders and upper arms, and not on your neck and head. Point the toes up, straighten the legs, move your elbows closer together and don’t press the neck into the floor. To come out of the posture, lower the knees toward your forehead, bring your hands to the floor, with the palms facing down, and lower your spine one vertebra at a time.
SARVANGASANA BENEFITS
The shoulderstand pose reduces stress and anxiety, improves the mood and helps calm the mind. This pose invigorates the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems, and strengthens the upper body.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
High blood pressure, glaucoma, neck injury or pregnancy.
PREPARATORY, COMPLEMENTARY AND FOLLOW-UP POSES
Start with legs up the wall, or bridge pose and then progress to shoulderstand pose. Follow-up with savasana.
RELATED YOGA POSES
Try these other yoga poses to relax and relieve stress and tension:
Tree pose
Warrior III pose
Boat pose
Chair pose
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