Friday 23 September 2011

Ushtrasana - The Camel Pose

"Ushtra" refers to 'camel' in Sanskrit. In this yoga pose the practitioner's body resembles a camel, hence the name.

Sequence:

  1. Stand straight with your legs shoulder-width apart.
  2. Kneel down on the floor maintaining the gap between the knees.
  3. Only your knees and toes should be touching the floor.
  4. Rest your buttocks on the heels and sit at ease.
  5. Hold the heels of corresponding legs with your hands.
  6. Press the heels down with the palms.
  7. Inhale and exhale a few times in quick succession.
  8. As you inhale slowly raise your posterior from the heels and come up on your knees and toes.
  9. Pull the shoulders in and simultaneously push your hips outwards.
  10. Place your palms on the buttocks with fingers pointing down.
  11. Exhale slowly and raise your chest upwards.
  12. Bending your trunk at the waist, bring your head and neck backwards, arching the spine as much as possible.
  13. Keep your face pointing upward.
  14. Look up.
  15. Complete exhalation.
  16. Breathe deeply 4-5 times.
  17. Change the position of your feet. The upper part of the feet should now be resting on the floor.
  18. Drop your hands straight down to catch the ankles.
  19. Continue to bend backwards and increase the arch without straining your neck.
  20. Stay in this pose for about a minute, breathing deeply and in rhythm.
  21. To exit, bring your hands back to the waist and then bring the upper part of your body up, with inhalation.
  22. Kneel straight up.
  23. Assume the sitting posture

Caution:

  • People with neck or lower back injury should not perform this pose.
  • High and low blood pressure patients should avoid this pose.
  • If you suffer from migraine, do not practice Ushtrasana.
 

Benefits:

  • This pose helps expand the chest and thus increases lung capacity.
  • The abdominal organs are stimulated.
  • The entire chest, abdomen and neck get a good stretching making them flexible.
  • Slouching can be rectified with regular practice of Ushtrasana.
  • The lumbar vertebrae are massaged and they attain flexibility.


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