Sarvangasana
Encyclopedia
Sarvangasana ' onMouseout='HidePop("30101")' href="/topics/IAST">IAST
: sarvāṅgāsana) or Shoulderstand is an āsana
.
Many variations of the Shoulderstand exist, the likely most common to be taught is Supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangāsana).
Sarvangāsana is nicknamed "queen" or "mother" of all the yoga poses.
Advanced practitioners hold this pose for as much as three hours.
, whiplash
, menstruation
, thyroid
disorders, angina
, and spinal weakness caused by conditions such as arthritis
or osteoporosis
.
The weight placed on the cervical spine
may mean a risk of neck injury, particularly if the pose is not done properly.
. Viparita Karani
- the "legs up the wall" pose - is a common modification. Matsyasana
("Fish Pose") is a counter pose. Halasana
("Plow Pose") is often taken as a transitional pose to enter and exit Sarvangāsana.
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Indic scripts as employed by the Sanskrit language.-Popularity:...
: sarvāṅgāsana) or Shoulderstand is an āsana
Asana
Asana is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union...
.
Many variations of the Shoulderstand exist, the likely most common to be taught is Supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangāsana).
Sarvangāsana is nicknamed "queen" or "mother" of all the yoga poses.
Etymology
The name in the case of Salamba Sarvāngāsana (Supported Shoulderstand) comes from the Sanskrit words Salamba (सालम्ब, Sālamba) meaning "supported", Sarva (सर्व, Sarva) meaning "all" or "every", Anga (अङ्ग, Aṅga) meaning "limb(s)" or "bodypart(s)", and Āsana (आसन, Āsana) meaning "posture"," position", or "seat", thus Salamba Sarvāngasana (सालम्ब सर्वाङ्गासन, Sālamba Sarvāṅgāsana) literally translats to "supported-all-limbs-pose".Description
Lying on the back with the hands under the mid-back, the legs and lower body are lifted so that the weight of the body is supported on the head, neck, shoulders and upper arms. The gaze is towards the toes and the head is aligned with the mid-line of the body.Advanced practitioners hold this pose for as much as three hours.
Contraindications and cautions
The pose is contraindicated for high blood pressureBlood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...
, whiplash
Whiplash (medicine)
Whiplash is a non-medical term describing a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck associated with extension. The term "whiplash" is a colloquialism...
, menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
, thyroid
Thyroid
The thyroid gland or simply, the thyroid , in vertebrate anatomy, is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, below the thyroid cartilage...
disorders, angina
Angina
Angina pectoris, commonly known as angina, is chest pain due to ischemia of the heart muscle, generally due to obstruction or spasm of the coronary arteries . Coronary artery disease, the main cause of angina, is due to atherosclerosis of the cardiac arteries...
, and spinal weakness caused by conditions such as arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
or osteoporosis
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is deteriorating, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered...
.
The weight placed on the cervical spine
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
may mean a risk of neck injury, particularly if the pose is not done properly.
Beginner's tip
Instructors recommend inexperienced practitioners and pregnant women consult a qualified yoga instructor or physician before attempting this pose.Sequentially related poses
Sarvangasana is a counter pose for backbends such as ChakrasanaChakrasana
Chakrasana or Wheel Pose is a yoga asana. It is part of the finishing sequence of the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga and is a backwards somersault into Chaturanga Dandasana-Etymology:...
. Viparita Karani
Viparita Karani
-Etymology:The name comes from the Sanskrit words viparita meaning "inverted" or "reversed", and karani meaning "doing" or "making" and asana meaning "posture" or "seat"....
- the "legs up the wall" pose - is a common modification. Matsyasana
Matsyasana
Matsyasana or Fish Pose is an asana.It is commonly considered a counter-pose to Sarvangasana, or shoulder stand, specifically within the context of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Primary Series.-Etymology:...
("Fish Pose") is a counter pose. Halasana
Halasana
-Etymology:The name comes from the Sanskrit words hala meaning "plow" and asana meaning "posture" or "seat".-Description:The practitioner lies on the floor, lifts the legs, and then places them behind the head.-Cautions:...
("Plow Pose") is often taken as a transitional pose to enter and exit Sarvangāsana.