Shoulder Stand

Why so many blankets for Shoulder Stand? 

Why so many blankets for Shoulder Stand? 

My student teachers often ask why Shoulder Stand isn’t taught more frequently.  The answer is probably because it requires a lot of time and effort to do it correctly.  Salamba Sarvangasana is a challenging pose to teach to safely.  The teacher needs to understand the proper body mechanics and range of motion of the neck and then needs to teach the proper folding and use of blankets and belts to do the pose.  There is also a level of studentship, called adikara in Sanskrit, where the student has to take responsibility for following directions and using the props.  Some students don't want to take the time to get all of the props and use them correctly; they just want to do the pose.

However, the normal range of motion for the neck is only 45 degrees.  If you were to do Shoulder Stand without blankets, it would require the neck to bend 90 degrees, double what it can normally do.  This would put a lot of strain on the last cervical vertebrae and the first thoracic to get those extra degrees of flexion.  This is not good for the discs in the  neck.  We use blankets in Shoulder Stand to make up the difference for the degree of available neck flexion and trying to get the body to be vertical in an upside-down version of Tadasana.  That way the neck is supported in its normal range of motion.

 

Here is a picture of me standing in an upright version of Shoulder Stand.  As you can see, my neck is bent to its maximum range of motion and it is nowhere near 90 degrees to my torso.  Notice my hands are on my back with my elbows as high as my shoulders.

"Upside Down" Shoulder Stand

"Upside Down" Shoulder Stand

If you turned me upside down, as I would be in regular Shoulder Stand, you would have to make up the difference between the tops of my arms and the back of my head.  This is where the blankets come in.  They raise the floor under my arms so that my neck is not over-flexed.

The black line represents the floor. The two arrows represent the difference in height between the floor and my upper arms. The discrepancy between the height of the elbow and the shoulder gets equaled out under the weight of the body.

The black line represents the floor. The two arrows represent the difference in height between the floor and my upper arms. The discrepancy between the height of the elbow and the shoulder gets equaled out under the weight of the body.

The blankets have to be folded precisely so that the height of the blanket is consistent from my shoulders to the tips of my elbows.  This gives me a firm platform to balance on.  The other thing is that my upper arms need to be on the sticky mat with no fabric between my skin and the mat.  Fabric tends to be slippery and the skin slides on it.  This would cause the elbows to wing out and then the pose would collapse onto your upper back.  Also, if you raise the arms up with the blankets, you need to raise the floor so that the buttocks are at least the same height as the blankets.  That makes it easier to go up and come down.

Blanket set up for Shoulder Stand

Blanket set up for Shoulder Stand

Here is what Shoulder Stand would look like if you did not use blankets.  Since you cannot safely bend your neck 90 degrees, your torso would be angled backwards and your legs would be counter balanced forward. This causes your posture to be "piked".

Notice the tension in my neck to get my torso to bend 90 degrees without blankets.

Notice the tension in my neck to get my torso to bend 90 degrees without blankets.

Now, if your shoulders are tight, you also need a belt.  How can you tell if your shoulders are tight?  Stand in front of a mirror and place your hands on your back as if you were in Shoulder Stand.  There are two things to look for:

First, if you place your hands on your back as if you were doing shoulder Stand, can you draw your elbows towards each other in adduction behind your back to make your elbows invisible to yourself looking in the mirror?  If not, you definitely need to belt your elbows in Shoulder Stand to keep them from winging out and to keep your pose from collapsing onto your neck and upper back.

Elbows winging out. This is why you need a belt!

Elbows winging out. This is why you need a belt!

Elbows hugging in. Even though I can get my elbows to hug in, I still use a belt. My body weight makes it harder to keep my elbows hugging in and over time, as I get fatigued holding the pose, my elbows will start to slide apart. A belt helps preven…

Elbows hugging in. Even though I can get my elbows to hug in, I still use a belt. My body weight makes it harder to keep my elbows hugging in and over time, as I get fatigued holding the pose, my elbows will start to slide apart. A belt helps prevent that.

Second, if you look at yourself from the side, with your elbows squeezing in toward the midline, can you get your elbows as high as your shoulders without rounding your shoulders forward or bending forward; stay in Tadasna.  If you cannot, your shoulders are tight in extension.  See the picture titled "Upside Down" Shoulder Stand above.

There are 2 ways to go up into Shoulder Stand and put a belt on your arms:  One is to go over into Plough and put a belt on your biceps at your elbow creases and the other is to go up the wall and lift your hips as if to do Bridge and then put the belt on your arms.  Once the belt is on your arms, then you lift yourself all the way up into Sarvangasana.  When you come down, just reverse the action.  Take the belt off at the same point you put it on.  Please don’t come down and lay on your arms with your elbows belted.

Getting ready to go up into Shoulder Stand. Notice my head is on the lower blanket. My neck can "feel" the edge of the two stacked blankets and my shoulders are on the sticky mat, which is about 3 or so inches back from the edge. This is so that whe…

Getting ready to go up into Shoulder Stand. Notice my head is on the lower blanket. My neck can "feel" the edge of the two stacked blankets and my shoulders are on the sticky mat, which is about 3 or so inches back from the edge. This is so that when I roll up into Shoulder Stand, my shoulders do not roll off of the blanket stack compressing my neck. I have the belt looped (and measured to my shoulder width) over one arm. This way I can find it and put it on the other arm once I am in Plow.

Going into Plow and putting a belt on both arms. Notice that my hips are directly over my shoulders and my back is as straight as it would be in Tadasana.

Going into Plow and putting a belt on both arms. Notice that my hips are directly over my shoulders and my back is as straight as it would be in Tadasana.


Shoulder Stand, full Pose. Notice how vertical my body is. The blankets under my shoulders help me to achieve that. Also, notice how wide the blankets are. Everything from my shoulders to my elbow must be supported at the same height. My neck and he…

Shoulder Stand, full Pose. Notice how vertical my body is. The blankets under my shoulders help me to achieve that. Also, notice how wide the blankets are. Everything from my shoulders to my elbow must be supported at the same height. My neck and head should be on blanket so they can slide and adjust. My elbows should be on mat so that they cannot slide apart. Plus the belt helps me with that, too.


Lastly, when you come down, please do not let your head whiplash forward.  Use your abdominals to control the descent of your hips and keep the back of your head down on the floor.  Make sure you have something under your hips so that they don't drop below the level of the blankets.  That is what causes your head to pop up off the floor.

When you come down, come through Plow and take your belt off.  Then unroll and stay there for a few minutes.  I like to slide back so that my head, shoulders and arms are on the level of the floor and my lower back and hips are on the blanket/mat stack.  You can bring your feet together into Cobbler's Pose.  (I'll update this post with a picture of that, soon!) Stay here for at least 5 minutes, or finish in Savasana if you choose.

Questions?  If any of this is not clear, feel free to leave a comment below.  Also, if I need any other pictures to demonstrate any of these principles better, please let me know.

The Queen of Asanas

Sarvangasana or Shoulder Stand

Shoulder Stand is a posture that is not often taught in yoga classes. To do it properly and safely requires the use of props for most people. The way that I prop for Shoulder Stand follows a traditional Iyengar set-up; 2 to 3 blankets, a belt, a block and a mat for each person. A lot of studios simply do not have enough props. But, in addition, students have to be taught how to use the props and how to set them up precisely for maximum benefit. Unfortunately, I have been in many yoga studios where it is clear that students as well as teachers do not know how to properly fold a blanket or even buckle a belt. Also, many yogis often see props as a sign of inadequacy and their use as beneath them. I see props as an enhancement to my yoga practice, an assist when needed and as tools to teach the body optimum alignment.

Unfortunately, Shoulder Stand has a reputation for being a dangerous pose for people’s necks. If you ask someone to stand up straight and bend their head forward, you will see that no one’s neck can bend at 90 degrees. The normal range of neck flexion is 60 degrees. In order to do Shoulder Stand safely, the shoulders and upper arms must be lifted off of the floor sufficiently to allow the neck to bend at its’ comfortable limit. Doing Shoulder Stand without props can put undue force on someone’s cervical vertebrae and this could be injurious to the neck.

Often students ask why they should practice Shoulder Stand. It seems that they are asking why they should bother with all of the props. Shoulder Stand is considered the Queen of asanas and it has many benefits. It is an introspective posture, all you can see is yourself (you are not meant to turn your head); it is also cooling, nurturing and feminine in nature. If you read in Light on Yoga, Mr. Iyengar lists many benefits for Sarvangasana. He says:

“Sarvangasana is the mother of asanas. As a mother strives for harmony and happiness in the home, so this asana strives for the harmony and happiness of the human system. It is a panacea for most common ailments. There are several endocrine organs or ductless glands in the human system which bathe in blood, absorb the nutrients from the blood and secrete hormones for the proper functioning of a balanced and well developed body and brain. If the glands fail to function properly, the hormones are not produced as they should be and the body starts to deteriorate. Amazingly enough many of the asanas have a direct effect on the glands and help them to function properly. Sarvangasana does this for the thyroid and parathyroid glands which are situated in the neck region, since due to the firm chin lock their blood supply is increased. Further, since the body is inverted, the venous blood flows to the heart without any strain by force of gravity. Healthy blood is allowed to circulate around the neck and chest. As a result, persons suffering from breathlessness, palpitation, asthma, bronchitis and throat ailments get relief. As the head remains firm in this inverted position, and the supply of blood to it is regulated by the firm chin lock the nerves are soothed and headaches, even chronic ones, disappear. Continued practice of this asana eradicates common colds and other nasal disturbances. Due to the soothing effect of the pose on the nerves, those suffering from hypertension, irritation, shortness of temper, nervous breakdown and insomnia are relieved. The change in bodily gravity also effects the abdominal organs so that the bowels move freely and constipation vanishes. As a result the system is freed from toxins and one feels full of energy. The asana is recommended for urinary disorders and uterine displacement, menstrual trouble, hemorrhoids and hernia. It also helps relieve epilepsy, low vitality and anemia. It is no over statement to say that if one practices Sarvangasana they will feel new vigour and strength and will be happy and confident. New life will flow into the body, the mind will be at peace and the practitioner will feel the joy of life. After a long illness, the practice of this asana regularly, twice a day, brings back lost vitality.”

We will work on Shoulder Stand this month and then next month we will work on Head Stand.  Since these two poses are meant to be practiced together, as counter poses to each other, we will continue to include Shoulder Stand in our practice.  According to the Iyengar tradition, you can practice Shoulder Stand by itself, but if you practice Head Stand, you should finish your practice with Shoulder Stand.