Sarvangasana, or Shoulderstand, is an inversion supported through the shoulders and upper arms. It requires careful preparation, a stable base and controlled entry and exit.
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Preparation
- Practise supported Bridge Pose.
- Use folded blankets beneath the shoulders.
- Warm the shoulders with gentle arm movement.
- Keep a wall nearby when learning the leg position.
Steps
- Lie with the shoulders on folded blankets and the head on the mat.
- Bend the knees and place the feet near the pelvis.
- Lift the pelvis and bring the hands to the back.
- Raise one leg and then the other while keeping the elbows steady.
- Lengthen upward through the legs without turning the head.
- Maintain ordinary breathing.
- Lower slowly through a supported plough variation or bent knees.
Modifications
- Keep the legs angled rather than vertical.
- Practise with the feet supported on a wall.
- Use supported Bridge Pose instead.
- Increase the blanket height when the shoulders need more space.
Common mistakes
- Turning the head while inverted.
- Placing body weight directly on the neck.
- Allowing the elbows to spread widely.
- Entering with momentum.
Practice limits
Leave the pose when the neck, shoulders, wrists or breathing feel strained or unstable. Sarvangasana should be learned with direct supervision from a qualified yoga teacher.
before doing sarvangasan u have to go for halasan posture then with help of hand raise buttock n do sarvangasan. while returning from sarvagasan u must take 1 minute rest in shavasan.after it is best to do reverse asana ie paschimottasan.
@ P s Kamath, sir you are absolutely right. When you perform Sarvangasana, halasana is automatically take place. Before getting Final posture, you have to perform Halasana for few seconds after that go for Sarvangasana final pose.
We need to go Halasana thru Sarvanga asana,