Shoulderstand, also known as Candle, is often called the 'Queen of asanas'. Together with the Headstand this is one of the most important Hatha Yoga poses ...Shoulderstand–SarvangasanaYouarehere:HomeShoulderstand–Sarvangasana0Shoulderstand,alsoknownasCandle,isoftencalledthe‘Queenofasanas’.TogetherwiththeHeadstandthisisoneofthemostimportantHathaYogaposesbecauseofthenumerousbenefitsoftheseposesonboththebodyandthemind.TheSanskritname“Sarvangasana”,literallymeans“alllimbspose”becausetheCandle,whichmainlyhasapositiveeffectonthethyroidgland,improvesthemetabolismandthereforetheproperfunctioningoftheentirebody.BasicinstructionsLiedownontheback,withyourfeettogetherandarmsnexttoyourbody.Keepingyourheadandneckonthefloor,breatheinasyouliftbothlegsto90degrees.Asyouliftyourhipsuptowardtheceiling,placeyourhandsontoyourhipsandwalkyourhandsuptowardyourshoulderblades.Liftyourhipsupashighasyoucan,bringingyourchesttowardyourchin.Keepyourbacksupportedwithyourhandsandmakesurethatyourfeetendupstraightaboveyourhead.Breatheslowlyinthispositionandfocusonthethroatregion.ComingoutoftheposeSlowlydropyourfeettowardsyourheadandplaceyourhandsonthefloor,keepyourheadonthefloorandslowlyroleoutofthepose.BenefitsofShoulderstandRegularpracticeinasteady,comfortablemannerwithinabalancedyogaasanaprogramstimulatestheThroatChakraandthereforestimulatesyourthyroidandparathyroidglands,improvingtheiroverallfunctioningandthereforebalancingthemetabolism,digestion,andinsulinproduction;slowsdownyourheartrateandlowersbloodpressure,givingyourheartarestandreducingstrainonyourheart;activatesyourparasympatheticnervoussystem,ensuringtheproperfunctionofallinternalprocessessuchasdigestionandeliminationaswellashormonalbalance;improvesvenousreturnofbloodfromyourlegsandthereforeishighlybeneficialforvaricoseveinsandhemorrhoids;encouragesdeepabdominalbreathing(becausetheuseofthetopportionofthelungsislimited),thereforeincreasingtheeffectivenessofeachbreath;improvesdigestionandcuresconstipationasitreleasesgravitationalcompressiono

Help your students find correct alignment and feel comfortable with this teacher's guide to Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana).HomeTEACHYOGAAnatomyYogaTeachers:GetThatDirtoffYourShoulderstand5YogaandMeditationTeachersYouNeedtoKnowAboutMay28,20196SecretsofSuccessfulYogaTeachersJune11,20190YogaTeachers:GetThatDirtoffYourShoulderstandPublishedbyJulieBernieratJune4,2019CategoriesAnatomyPlanning&SequencingTeachingTipsTagsinversionssarvangasanashoulderstandteachingcuesyogaanatomyyogaposesItmaybeabeginner’syogapose,but Shoulderstand(SalambaSarvangasana) isstillachallenge.There’ssomethingaboutinvertingthebodythat’sinherentlyconfusinganddisorientingforbrandnewstudents.Helpthemfindcorrectalignmentandfeelcomfortablewiththisteacher’sguidetoShoulderstand.1.THEDEMOStartoutbygivingyourclassademo.RisingintoShoulderstandcanbealittleconfusingfornewbies;they’reoftennotsurehowtosupporttheirbackorwheretheirlegsshouldgo.Asalways,ademoprovidesvisualclarification.Duringyourdemonstration,pointoutthatoneshouldneverturntheirheadinShoulderstand—nomatterhowtemptingitistotakealookaroundtheroom.Thisisasensitivepositionfortheneck,andturningtheheadcanleadtoinjury.2.SETTINGUPHaveyourstudenttuckintheirT-shirtandthenliedownontheirback.Tellthemtoresttheirarmsalongsidethebodywithpalmsfacingdowntosetupfortheposture.3.LIFTOFFInstructthestudenttoinhaleastheylifttheirlegsandusemomentumtolifttheirhipsfromthefloor.Thentellthemtosupportthespinebyplacingtheirhandsonthebackofthetorsowithfingerspointingup.Atthispoint,manystudentsalreadyfeeluncomfortablebecauseofimproperalignment.Tellthemtowalktheirhandsdowntheirback,towardtheirshoulderblades,andbringtheirelbowstogether.It’sOKiftheirlegsaren’tata90-degreeanglefromthefloor,buttheyshouldatleastunderstandwheretheposeisgoing.4.ADJUSTINGALIGNMENTHere’swhereyoumayneedtogiveahands-onadjustment.Ifyourstudent’selbowsaresplayedouttothesidesandtheirspineissinkingtowardthefloor,askiftheywouldlikehelpgettingintothepose.Thenstandnearthebackoftheirlegs.Straddletheirelbowswithy

And even though many teachers would argue that shoulderstand is a riskier pose than inversions like handstand, forearmstand, and even headstand, for a lot of ...Yoga|Practice2AlternativestoShoulderstandNishitaMorris5min.Asakid,IlovedtohangoutintheshapethatIknowtodayasshoulderstand.Ienjoyedjustlyingonmyback,kickingmylegsup,andgrabbingmylowbackwithmyhandssoIcouldenjoythehoveringsensationofmyfeetandlegsaboveme.ItfeltlikeIwasfloatinginouterspace!Today,assomeonewhoteachesyoga,Irarelyteachsalambasarvangasana(shoulderstand)unlessIhaveaclassfullofseasonedpractitioners.That’sbecauseit’sanadvancedpose(it’scalledthequeenofposesforareason)thatrequiresproperproppingforoptimalalignmentandinjuryprevention.Andevenforadvancedyogapractitioners,it’sstill notaposethateveryonefeelscomfortablewith.EventhoughIonlyteachshoulderstandtoexperiencedyogis,IoftenseestudentsIknowtobenewtoasanadoshoulderstandontheirown—andtheygetintotheposesimilarlytohowIdidasachild:literallybylyingontheirbacks,kickingtheirlegsupward,andpressingsomeareaofthelowbackwiththeirpalmsforthatextralift.Yikes!Thishaphazardwayofthrowingthebodyintoshoulderstandoftenleadstounsafealignment,musclestrainifyouhaven’twarmedup,andpossiblyanattention-grabbingtoppletothefloor.Mostimportantly,repeatedlycomingintoshoulderstandwithoutcarefulattentiontoalignment(andsometimesevenwithcarefulattentiontoalignment)canseriouslyinjurethecervicalspine.Still,it'sunderstandablethatevenbrandnewyogastudentswouldwanttotryshoulderstand.Goingupsidedowncanbealotoffun(that'swhysomanyofusnaturallyfoundourwayintothisposeaskids,right?).Andeventhoughmanyteacherswouldarguethatshoulderstandisariskierposethaninversionslikehandstand,forearmstand,andevenheadstand,foralotofpeople,itfeelsmoreaccessible.Whileanewstudent(orforthatmatter,evenanexperiencedstudent)maynotbeabletostandonherheadorsupporthimselfupsidedowninanarmbalance,gettingupsidedownbyrollingbackintoashoulderstandoftenlooksandfeelsmoredoable.Sowhataresomesaferoptionsthatteacherscanofferandstudentscanprac

#mindbodygreenCloseAdNavigationMainNavigationShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyLoginProfileSavedArticlesOrders&TrackingClassesContactSupportLogOutYourcartisempty.Ouronlineclassesandtrainingprogramsallowyoutolearnfromexpertsfromanywhereintheworld.ExploreClassesmbgSupplements+0VIEWCARTmbgClasses0VIEWCARTSubcategoryNavigationmindfulnesshealthfoodmovementbeautyhomesocialgoodparentingmoreastrologyplanetrelationshipslifestyleRoutinesShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyContributingwriterByAmandaTarlton,RYT-200ContributingwriterAmandaTarlton,RYT-200,isacontributingwriterformindbodygreen.SheearnedaB.S.inBusinessManagementfromWakeForestUniversityandherRYT-200certificationfromYogaAlliance.ShehaspreviouslywrittenforUSAToday,Self,ScaryMommy,TasteofHome,Reader'sDigest,FoxNews,andGirls'LifeMagazine.ShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyImagebyiStockShoulderStand:6BenefitsOfThisYogaInversion+HowToDoItSafelyOureditorshaveindependentlychosentheproductslistedonthispage.Ifyoupurchasesomethingmentionedinthisarticle,wemayearnasmallcommission.LastupdatedonMarch25,2020Sha

Sarvangasana prep? This Shoulderstand sequence will prepare your chest and shoulders and help you find a more comfortable, soothing ...EssentialSequence:ThePerfectShoulderstandPrepWHYTHISSARVANGASANA(SHOULDERSTAND)SEQUENCEWORKSI’mgoingtostartthisarticlewiththesamecaveatthatIincludedinmyHeadstandsequence:ThispracticeisnotdesignedtoteachyouShoulderstand.Rather,it’sdesignedtobreakdowntheelementsthatcomprisegood,skillfulsequencingforShoulderstand(Sarvangasana). It’sonlyintendedforstudentsandteacherswhoarealreadyproficientinthisposture.Ifyou’renotregularlypracticingShoulderstand,pleaselearntheposeinthepresenceofaqualifiedinstructor.Shoulderstand(alsoknownasSarvangasana) isasimpleposture,exceptforoneglaringcomponent—theshoulders.It’sfittingthattheshouldersaretheexceptionalaspectoftheposturethatbearsits’name.Whentheshouldersdon’tcomplywiththeposture,theycreatemisalignmentsthatcanwreakhavocontheneckandmaketheentireposturefeeloutofwhack.Fortunately,agoodsequenceforShoulderstandcanhelpprepareyourbodywhereyouneeditmost:thefrontofyourshoulders,chest,hipflexors,andquads.YourshouldersneedtoextendandadductinordertogetintotheoptimalpositionforShoulderstand.Tovisualizethis:Imagineswingingyourupperarmsbackbehindyou,bendingyourelbows,andhuggingyourelbowstowardeachother.Otherwise,yourelbowswillsplayawayfromeachother,you’lllosestabilitythatyourshouldersprovide,andyou’lloverloadyourneck.Thecombinationofextendingandadductingyourshouldersactionsisnoteasy,whichiswhythesequencebelowfocusessoheavilyonanterior(front)shoulderandchestopening.Admittedly,theflexibilityofyourhipflexorsandquadsisnotasimportantastheflexibilityofyourshoulders.But,excessivetensioninthesemusclegroupscannegativelyimpactyouroverallposture,especiallywhenyou’reupside-down.Let’sbreakitdownalittlefurther:POSES1-3ThissequencestartsoffwithArdhaSuptaVirasana,DownDog,andLowLungewithfingersclaspedbehindtheback.TheseposturesintroducethreeessentialcomponentsofShoulderstand.Youopenthefrontofyourshouldersandchestinthelowlunge,youopeny

PlayClassesProgramsPlaylistsPauseArticlesResourcesConnectTeachersWorkshopsAcademyFreeclassesFREEProfilePreferencesYourclassesYourPlaylistsYourProgramsFAQAccountSettingsSignoutProfilePreferencesYourClassesYourPlaylistsYourProgramsFAQAccountSettingsSignoutInstallappAppStoreGoogleShoulderstandEkhartYogaShareto...Shoulderstand-SalambaSarvangasanaStepbystepLieonyourbackwithyourupperbackonasturdyfoldedblanket.Yourheadisrestingonthemat,sotheblanketendsinthehollowofyourneck.Legsareeitheroutstretchedorkneesbent.Armsarenexttoyourbodywiththepalmsdown.Pushyourlowerbackintothefloorasyouexhaleandonaninhaleliftyourlegsup,whileyoupressyourarmsandpalmsintothefloor. Sweepyourlegsoveryourhead,andusethatmomentumtocurlthehipsupandoffthefloor.Rollonyourback,bringingtheweighttowardsyourupperbackandshoulders.Bendyourelbowsandplaceyourpalmsonyourbackforsupport.Stretchyourlegsuptowardstheceiling.Drawyourelbowsintowardseachother,andwalkyourhandsupyourback,towardstheupperbacktohelpliftyourspineoffthefloor.Openyourchestanddrawyourshoulderbladesin.Slightlydrawyourthighstowardseachotherandkeepmostofweightinyourupperbackandarms.Relaxyourfaceandthroat,gazeatyourchestandguideyourbreathetowardsyourbelly.Youcanstartbystayinginthisposefor30secondsandbuildupthetimefromthereifyouwish.Tocomeout,loweryourlegstowardsthefloortoabouta45-degreeangle.Thenrollyourspineslowlyandcarefullybacktothefloor(withkneesbentifyouprefer),eventuallyplacingyourfeetonthefloor.Beginners’tipsWhenyouarepractisingShoulderstanddon’tbeafraidofusinglotsofpropstoraiseyourshouldersandupperback.ThemostimportantthinginShoulderstandistotakecareofyourneck.Youcanbringyourlegstoa45degreeangle insteadofpointingthemupwardstotheceiling.Beawareofthepositionofyourelbows–rollyourupperarmsoutwardstopreventyourelbowsfromsplayingouttothesides.Keepyourcoreengagedtohelpliftyourhipandallowyourhandstowalkfurtherupyourbackforsupport.Tryitinclass1:29:44Doless,softenmore–afreedompracticeFrancescaGiustiRelaxingAnxietyStressreliefEnergizingMorningYogaVinyasaF

(sah-LOM-bahsar-van-GAHS-anna)salamba=withsupport(sa=withalamba=support)sarva=allanga=limb.TherearevariationsofShoulderstandthatare“unsupported”=niralamba,pronouncednear-ah-LOM-bah)SupportedShoulderstand:Step-by-StepInstructionsStep1Foldtwoormorefirmblanketsintorectanglesmeasuringabout1footby2feet,andstackthemoneontopoftheother.Youcanplaceastickymatovertheblanketstohelptheupperarmsstayinplacewhileinthepose.Thenlieontheblanketswithyourshoulderssupported(andparalleltooneofthelongeredges)andyourheadonthefloor.Layyourarmsontheflooralongsideyourtorso,thenbendyourkneesandsetyourfeetagainstthefloorwiththeheelsclosetothesittingbones.Exhale,pressyourarmsagainstthefloor,andpushyourfeetawayfromthefloor,drawingyourthighsintothefronttorso.Seealso SupportedShoulderstandforBeginnersStep2Continuetoliftbycurlingthepelvisandthenthebacktorsoawayfromthefloor,sothatyourkneescometowardyourface.Stretchyourarmsoutparalleltotheedgeoftheblanketandturnthemoutwardsothefingerspressagainstthefloor(andthethumbspointbehindyou).Bendyourelbowsanddrawthemtowardeachother.Laythebacksofyourupperarmsontheblanketandspreadyourpalmsagainstthebackofyourtorso.Raiseyourpelvisovertheshoulders,sothatthetorsoisrelativelyperpendiculartothefloor.Walkyourhandsupyourback(towardthefloor)withoutlettingtheelbowsslidetoomuchwiderthanshoulderwidth.Seealso HowtoUseaShoulderstandtoIncreaseFocusStep3Inhaleandliftyourbentkneestowardtheceiling,bringingyourthighsinlinewithyourtorsoandhangingtheheelsdownbyyourbuttocks.Pressyourtailbonetowardyourpubisandturntheupperthighsinwardslightly.Finallyinhaleandstraightentheknees,pressingtheheelsuptowardtheceiling.Whenthebacksofthelegsarefullylengthened,liftthroughtheballsofthebigtoessotheinnerlegsareslightlylongerthantheouter.Seealso MoreInversionPosesStep4Softenthethroatandtongue.Firmtheshoulderbladesagainsttheback,andmovethesternumtowardthechin.Yourforeheadshouldberelativelyparalleltothefloor,yourchinperpendicular.Pressthebacksofyourupperarmsandthetopsofyourshouldersactivelyintotheblank

Shoulderstand stretches the shoulders and neck. As an inversion, it sends more blood to your brain. This can help reduce fatigue and may be calming.