Shoulders-up (Sarvangasana)
"A healthy thyroid means that all the other organs in the body work well."
The Shoulderstand is called the "Queen of all Asanas" because it is good for the whole body. It is a forward bend that uses all of the body's muscles and stretches the shoulders, neck, and upper back. In the Shoulderstand, the hands, arms, and shoulders hold up the whole body. As the body is turned upside down, gravity pulls the blood to the heart without any strain.
Shoulderstand is good for the thyroid gland, which controls the body's metabolism, heart rate, growth, and keeps the digestive and nervous systems in balance. This asana strengthens the legs and belly, which improves blood flow to those areas. It massages the organs in the stomach and makes you feel less stressed. Because it brings more blood to the brain, it also eases emotional and mental stress, headaches, and makes you feel very calm.
Shoulderstand is not a good idea for three important reasons:
- Please don't do the Shoulderstand if you have Glaucoma or Detached Retina because it could make your condition worse.
- People with high blood pressure should avoid this pose.
- People with Cervical Spondylitis shouldn't try to do this pose because the weight of the body is put on the neck when you hold it.
Because the neck is bent so far back in the Shoulderstand, it will feel like there is extra pressure and tension in the neck. Your eyes, ears, and face may also feel like they have more pressure on them.
During the Shoulderstand the expansion of the chest is restricted leading to breathe at the rates of not less than eight breaths per minutes, and in many cases up to twenty breaths per minute.
During this position, the average blood pressure in the brain will be 110 mmHg.
Issued by Subodh Gupta, a London-based yoga expert, to help people who do Hatha yoga.
