ShoulderstandSave PDF
Sarvangasana
sar-VAHN-GAH-sah-nah
Stretches neck and shoulders
Stimulates thyroid and boosts immunity
Relieves stress
How to perform Shoulderstand
- Lie on your back with your arms alongside your body, palms down. Lift your legs and hips with an inhale, then support your low back with your hands.
- Walk your hands down your back and bring your elbows close together. Reach your feet toward the sky. Relax your toes.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths into your belly.
- Lower your feet behind your head, place your palms flat on the floor, tuck your chin into your chest and with an exhale slowly roll down one vertebra at a time.
- Always follow shoulderstand with its counterposes, Plow and Fish.
Alignment cues
- Push ribs in and up
- Soften tongue and throat
- Press upper arms and shoulders into floor
- Keep legs together
- Do not turn head
Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure, headache, neck injury, or a heart condition.
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Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the inversions category. This asana targets abs, neck & upper traps and shoulders, and also involves chest, spine and upper back & lower traps muscles. Shoulderstand stimulates thyroid and boosts immunity; stretches neck and shoulders and also relieves stress. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
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Discover our best-selling Yoga Cards – professional study, class sequencing and practice guide for beginners and beyond.
Studying to be a yoga teacher? Learn the essential yoga poses the easy way with Yoga Stacks app!
New to yoga? Our Yoga for Beginners pack covers everything you need to know to get started with your practice.
Personal trainer? Try Train - our beautifully simple training platform you and your clients will love.
