7 Benefits of Shoulderstand
In the book, “Light on Yoga,” B.K.S Iyengar describes Sarvangasana as the mother of all asanas. So why does Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand) get this distinguished acclaim? What is so special about it?
Before we get into the benefits of the pose, let us first take a look at what Sarvangasana actually means. In Sanskrit, Sarva means “all” or “entire” and Anga means “organ” or “body part.” Translated, it means “full body pose” because of its benefits for the whole body.
Benefits of Shoulderstand
In Iyengar’s own words, “The importance of Sarvangasana cannot be over-emphasised. It is one of the greatest boons conferred on humanity by our ancient sages. Sarvangasana is the Mother of asanas. As a mother strives for harmony and happiness in the home, this asana strives for harmony and happiness in the human system. it is a panacea for most common ailments.”
Indeed, since Sarvangasana involves inverting the entire body, it helps relieve a lot of problems we suffer from. Some of its benefits include:
1. Improved Digestion. The change in gravity helps the bowels move freely which aids digestion significantly.
2. Less Strain on the Heart. Since you are lying in an inverted position, the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood to various parts of the body.
3. Stronger Immune System. The lymphatic system is responsible for immune system response among other functions. The lymph is similar to blood in that it depends on gravity for movement. So, by staying inverted, the lymphatic system gets stimulated and boosts your immune system response.
4. Relieves Common Cold. Since you create a firm chinlock when practicing Sarvangasana and the head stays firm in this inverted position, the blood supply to the head gets regulated and this helps relieve nasal congestions and headaches.
5. Increased Self-Confidence. Although I can’t say my self-confidence has gone up just from practicing Sarvangasana alone, practicing it every day is supposed to help you feel alive and confident.
6. Benefits your Nervous System. In Iyengar’s own words, “Due to the soothing effect of the pose on the nerves, those suffering from irritation, shortness of temper, nervous breakdown and insomnia are relieved.”
7. Strengthens your Upper Body. In addition to all the internal benefits for the body from practicing Sarvangasana, the physical benefits includes strengthening of the neck, upper back and shoulders.
The list of benefits go on and on.
Without question, Sarvangasana is indeed the mother of all asanas. Practicing it every day feels just great for the body and mind. You can learn how to do it here.
Cautions and Considerations
Some considerations to keep in mind as you do this asana:
It is not recommended for women to do this asana during menstruation. It is also not recommended for people with high blood pressure. Also, if you have neck pain, it is best to consult a doctor or do this pose with the help of an experienced teacher.
Keeping 3-5 folded blankets under the shoulder helps keep your neck/shoulder safe. Done correctly, you should not feel any pressure in the head, ears, eyes or throat.
For best results, stay in the pose for at least three minutes (build up to this) and go up until 15 minutes.You can try the many Sarvangasana variations after you can stay in Sarvangasana for at least 5-10 minutes.
About the Author
5 Detox Yoga Poses
It’s the perfect time to become your healthiest and whole self. You cannot extend to others what you, yourself do not contain. Become your happiest, healthiest, self this year and extend that health and joy to those around you. Don’t only focus on detoxing your physical body, but detox your relationships as well. As we cleanse our physical bodies, it is just as important to surround ourselves with healthy people.
What about your mental clarity? Your spiritual being? Are all these areas cleansed? What steps do you need to take to detox your entire life? Below are five detox yoga poses that can help you detoxify your physical body. We will focus on revolved and inverted yoga asanas as each of these asana families will detoxify your entire system. We will explore three revolved postures and two inversions.
Twists and Revolved Poses
A twist will not only leave you feeling energized and focused but will also give you mental clarity, relieve stress and deep tension and will detoxify your entire system by primarily massaging your internal organs. I like to tell students to think of a dirty washrag being wrung out; This is what we are doing to our systems as we practice revolved postures.
These can be incorporated into almost every yoga posture, whether we’re seated, standing, balancing, prone or in a supine (on your back) position. Revolved postures can be challenging. You will need patience in your journey with twists, as they can be challenging and uncomfortable in the beginning. The more you practice these demanding poses, the better you will become, so embrace where you are and enjoy the journey.
Yoga twists increase the flexibility of your entire abdominal wall including obliques and most back muscles. Inactivity can reduce the range of movement available to all your joints. Twists can assist in mobilizing the joints of your spine by rotating each vertebra gently. Any revolved pose will squeeze the internal organs and encourage the flow of oxygenated blood while eliminating toxins and metabolic waste products. The liver, kidneys, stomach, pancreas, and spleen all benefit from the twisting poses of yoga. Twisting poses can also help reduce abdominal bloating and digestive discomfort.
Revolved Triangle Pose or Parivrtta Trikonasana
Benefits:
- Strengthens and stretches the legs( especially the thighs), knees, ankles and arches
- Stretches and opens the chest, lungs, shoulders, groins and spine
- Increases lung capacity
- Stimulates abdominal organs aiding in digestion and circulation
- Improves alignment of the spine; improving posture and increasing flexibility and mobility of the spine
- Improves balance
- Can be therapeutic for backache, arthritis, infertility, constipation, asthma and sciatica
- Increases stamina and energizes
- Improves concentration, focus, will power and mental clarity
- Relieves, stress, anxiety and depression
Cautions:
If you have a major spinal injury you should avoid this posture. Use caution if you have a headache, high or low blood pressure, an ankle or knee injury, insomnia, or a shoulder injury. If you have a neck injury, keep your gaze either facing forward or towards the ground.
Revolved Chair or Parivrtta Utkatasana
Benefits:
- Rejuvenates the blood system throughout the entire body
- Stimulates and massages the abdominal organs (including ovaries, prostate gland, bladder and kidneys). This improves and relieves digestion issues and tones the abdominal wall
- Strengthens the obliques and transverse abdominal, as well as opens the arm pits and strengthens inner and outer intercostal muscles
- Strengthens and stretches the back muscles, aligns and awakens the spine and improves posture
- Stretches and strengthens the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, hips, shoulders, chest, feet, ankles, knees and spine; relieves tension in the back, neck and shoulders
- Increases flexibility, lubricates ankle and knee joints and awakens the legs
- Stimulates the heart, improves circulation, respiratory and lymphatic systems
- Therapeutic for mild sciatica, backache, arthritis, osteoporosis, flatulence, menopause, menstrual discomfort and can improve infertility issues
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Stimulates and energizes the nervous system
- Improves concentration, stamina, mental focus and relieves mild depression
- Relieves mental and physical lethargy and exhaustion
- Calming, centering and balancing; it brings a state of tranquility as well as can be invigorating
Cautions:
Use caution if you have high or low blood pressure; a headache or migraine; low back or shoulder injury; insomnia; a hip, knee or ankle injury, severe asthma, sciatica, degenerated or herniated disk(s); or are pregnant
Half Twist Pose or Ardha Matsyendrasana
Benefits:
- Stimulates and massages the abdominal organs (ovaries, prostate gland, bladder and kidneys), improving and relieving digestion issues, as well as toning the abdominal wall
- Strengthens the obliques and transverse abdominal
- Strengthens inner and outer thighs
- Strengthens and stretches the back muscles, aligns and awakens the spine, improves posture
- Stretches the hips, shoulders, chest and spine, relieving tension in the back, neck and shoulders
- Increases flexibility and lubricates ankle and knee joints, awakening the legs
- Stimulates heart and improves circulation
- Therapeutic for mild sciatica, backache, arthritis, osteoporosis, flatulence, menopause, menstrual discomfort and can improve infertility issues
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Stimulates and energizes the nervous system
- Improves concentration, mental focus and relieves mild depression
- Relieves mental and physical lethargy and exhaustion
- Calming, centering and balancing. Brings a state of tranquility and can be invigorating
Cautions:
Use caution if you have a low back or shoulder injury; hip, knee or ankle injury; severe sciatica, degenerated or herniated disk; a headache or migraine; or are pregnant.
Inverted Yoga Postures
Inversions are postures that typically have the heart and often the feet, higher than the head. Most inversions stimulate your pituitary gland, promoting a positive state of well-being and rejuvenation. Inversions also benefit the cardiovascular, lymphatic, endocrine and nervous systems while stimulating the lymphatic system which strengthens the immune system and also improves digestion.
Cardiovascular benefits of inversion postures provide more efficient circulation caused by a fresh delivery of blood to the heart. Being inverted also increases blood flow to your head, relieving the heart of some of its duties and can lower blood pressure and heart rate. Your endocrine system is responsible for hormone delivery. Inversions, especially shoulder stands, are recommended for perimenopausal and menopausal women due to the belief that the postures will stimulate the thyroid and parathyroid glands, regulating your metabolism. The benefits to the nervous system during inverted postures include the stimulation of cerebrospinal fluid or CSF, which is the fluid of the central nervous system that flows from the brain to the spinal cord.
Plow Pose or Halasana
Benefits:
- Stimulates abdominal organs, ovaries, prostate gland, bladder and kidneys. This improves and relieves digestion issue and tones the abdominal wall
- Stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands which increases metabolism and stimulates the nervous, digestion and respiratory systems
- Strengthens and stretches the back muscles, aligning spine and improving posture
- Opens the shoulders and chest and relieves tension in the back, neck and shoulders
- Awakens the legs
- Stimulates the heart and improves circulation
- Therapeutic for headaches, migraines, backache, menopause discomfort, infertility, insomnia and sinusitis
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Improves concentration, mental focus and relieves mild depression
- Relieves mental and physical lethargy and exhaustion
- Calming and centering, it brings a state of tranquility and over all well-being
- Invigorating and rejuvenating
Cautions:
If you have asthma or high/low blood pressure, practice with feet on raised props. Use caution if you have severe sciatica or a herniated disk; if you have a back, neck or shoulder injury, if you’re menstruating, if you have glaucoma.
If you’re pregnant but experienced in this posture, you may continue to practice until the third trimester. If you’re inexperienced with plow after becoming pregnant, you should avoid this posture
Tripod Headstand Pose or Salamba Sirsasana
Benefits:
- Stimulates abdominal organs, ovaries, prostate gland, bladder and kidneys. This improves and relieves digestive issues and tones the abdominal wall
- Strengthens the entire musculoskeletal system
- Stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands which increases metabolism and stimulates the nervous, digestion and respiratory systems
- Strengthens and stretches the back muscles by aligning the spine and improving posture
- Opens the shoulders and chest and relieves tension in the back, neck and shoulders
- Awakens, stretches and strengthens the entire body and spine
- Stimulates heart and improves circulation
- Therapeutic for headaches, migraines, backache, menopause, menstrual discomfort, infertility, insomnia and sinusitis
- Reduces varicose veins
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Improves balance and concentration, mental focus and relieves mild depression
- Relieves mental and physical lethargy and exhaustion
- Calming and centering, it brings a state of tranquility and overall well-being
- Invigorating and rejuvenating
Cautions:
Use caution if you have high or low blood pressure; a headache or migraine; a back, neck or shoulder injury, severe sciatica or a herniated disk; and if you’re menstruating; pregnant; have diarrhea; have glaucoma.
