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Benefits:
- One of the deepest releases of the whole spine;
- Compresses the internal organs, giving them a great massage
Contra-indications:
- This pose puts a lot of pressure on the neck; be cautious! Avoid if you have any neck problems;
- Because this is an inverted posture, this is not recommended for anyone with high blood pressure,
upper body infection, vertigo, glaucoma, or suffering from a cold, or for women during their moon cycle;
- Do not do this posture if you have recently eaten or are pregnant.
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Alternatives & Options:
- There are many intermediate stages to this pose. For beginners, or those not wishing to invert, replace
this pose with a seated, straight leg, forward fold (such as the Caterpillar);
- There are three stages to the posture:
1) Support the back with the palms;
2) More challenging (but not shown) is to place palms under the feet,
lowering feet to the floor, or
rest the feet on a bolster;
3) Most challenging is to have the knees bent toward the floor (deepest rounding for the spine);
- Very challenging option: with the knees bent toward the floor, twist until both knees are on
one side of the head - remember to do both sides;
- If legs are straight and the feet are touching the floor, the hands can come to the floor behind the back. Hands can be apart
(easier) or together (if there are no shoulder problems), but be careful here; bringing the hands
together could aggravate rotator cuff problems.
Meridians & Organs Affected:
- All internal organs are massaged and compressed. Each breath adds to the massage;
- Urinary Bladder lines are deeply stretched.
Joints Affected :
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Hold for how long?
Counter poses?
- After coming out lie down for a few breaths;
- Windshield Wipers, then a gentle back bend, such as lying on the stomach, or a
mild spinal lift, coming up halfway only;
- A gentle fish, to release the neck (if the neck feels weak or tweaked, do an upward facing Cat);
- Child's Pose.
Similar to?
- Halasana (Plough) or Karnapidasana (Resting Pose or Ear Pressure Pose).
Other Notes:
- Because this is a deep forward bend, prepare the neck first by doing gentle forward neck bends;
- A nice alternative is Happy Baby;
- Unlike in the yang postures, we allow the spine to fully round. Do not try to keep
the spine straight and the hips high;
- When coming out, you may hold hips with hands and roll out;
- You may let the chin stay on the chest, and let the head lift up as you roll out, and then
support your head with the hands, and slowly lower the head down to the floor.
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