Many Yoga students have difficulty with getting into and maintaining a comfortable shoulderstand (shavangasana) and plough (halasana).\u00a0 Often there is a feeling of heaviness, the body drops and there is compression\/pain in the neck.<\/p>\n
The major reasons for these inversions challenging Yoga practitioners lies in the upper spine, neck\u00a0and tight shoulders.\u00a0 Most healthy adults can only\u00a0flex their neck to between 70o<\/sup> to 80o<\/sup>,\u00a0this forces the upper back to round even more when in plough or shoulderstand.\u00a0 If we add in\u00a0tight shoulders that reduce the ability of the arms\/hands to lift the spine, we get the classic “droopy” shoulderstand or plough.<\/p>\n So what can\u00a0we do?<\/p>\n First check do you need help.\u00a0 Dog pose is a good “indicator” pose, so ask yourself this question, “when in dog pose is my upper back straight or obviously rounded”.\u00a0 A rounded upper back in dog pose suggests you need help \u2026 so read on …<\/p>\n First we need to prepare<\/strong><\/p>\n Folding two or more blankets\/mats or use 5 blocks creates a\u00a0raised surface for the shoulders to rest on\u00a0– the head should rest off the lift.\u00a0 If the shoulders are very tight a looped belt may help.<\/p>\n Entering the Pose<\/strong><\/p>\n Lie on the lift with your shoulders supported and head off the lift, then bend your knees and set your feet against the floor with the heels close to the sitting bones. Exhale, press your arms against the floor behind you, and push your feet away from the floor, drawing your thighs into the front torso, coming into plough (halasana) or half plough (ardha halasana).\u00a0 Take your hands to your mid or (preferably) upper back and begin to lift the skin towards the kidney area.<\/p>\n Either stay in plough or continue by lifting the legs to vertical for shoulderstand.\u00a0 Keep the elbows shoulder width wide or less.\u00a0 Press the tailbone forward and thighbones backwards.\u00a0 Relax the face and tongue.<\/p>\n Stay in plough or shoulderstand for up to 3 minutes.<\/p>\n Exiting the Posture<\/strong><\/p>\n To come down, exhale, bend your knees into your torso again come into halasana\/half halasana for 30 seconds before rolling down OR just roll your back torso slowly and carefully onto the floor. Rest on the shoulder lift for at least 30 seconds.<\/p>\n Contraindications<\/strong> – high blood pressure, neck injury, glaucoma, menstruration, detached retina.<\/p>\n Cautions<\/strong> \u2013 diarrhoea, headaches, lower back pain, RA, balance disorders, degenerative disc disease and pregnancy.<\/p>\n Benefits<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n YOGA\/PILATES EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n