Salamba Sarvangasana - Shoulderstand

CALMING INVERSION
Salamba Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand is very calming to the nervous system and increases circulation to the thyroid and endocrine glands. It is an inversion that can be held for longer periods of time than some of the other more challenging inversions like Adho Mukha Vrksasana/Handstand or Salamba Sirsasana/Headstand. Which means you can linger a little longer to get all the benefits from inversions. Some yogis even use Salamba Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand as their meditation pose! Whether you intend to go down this route or not this is a pose that should be approached with care for the neck in particular. In Salamba Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand the full body weight sits mainly on the shoulder girdles. If you don’t have sufficient strength in your shoulder girdle the weight will collapse into the back of the neck which, with repeated practice, could cause strain to the back of the neck. A good judge on whether you are ready to try Salamba Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand is if you are comfortable in Setu Bandha Sarvangasana/Bridge and feel that you are able to press into the shoulder girdle rather than the back of the neck.

THE BENEFITS OF SALAMBA SARVANGASANA/SHOULDERSTAND
Salamba Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand strengthens the shoulders, arms, spine, and core. It also stretches the back of the neck and stretches the back of the shoulders. Inversions are fantastic poses to practise to strengthen your immune system – they boost circulation and flush out toxins from all the systems of the body and allow it to work more efficiently. This gives your immune system the resources to do its important job of protecting us from harmful microorganisms. Inversions are also very beneficial for good digestion; increasing metabolism; regulating hormones; stimulates abdominal organs; reduces fatigue; nourishing the cells of the brain; balancing hormones; building focus and concentration; eases stress, tension and anxiety; suppprts fertility; alleviates insomnia; and helps relive symptoms of menopause and sinusitus.

EXPLORING SALAMBA SARVANGASANA/SHOULDERSTAND IN YOUR PRACTICE
For most students it feels safer to give the neck a bit more space by lifting the upper arms and shoulders up a little higher than the head. To do this place one or two folded blankets at the top of your mat with enough room for your head to drop behind it onto your mat. The blankets should be folded big enough for your upper arms and shoulders to fit along the length of it. When positioning yourself make sure there is about 2 inches between the top of your shoulder and the edge of the blanket so that when you roll into position your shoulders don't fall off the edge of the blanket. Remember this is a shoulderstand not a neck stand!

If Salamba Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand is not for you there is plenty in this sequence to do all but the peak pose. Instead of Salamba Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand you can linger a little longer in Setu Bandha Sarvangasana/Bridge, take either of the supported Half Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand – either support the hips with a brick or place the hands, fingers facing up, just at the top of your hips and let your legs just drape over your head rather than reaching them straight up.

Before you come into the pose be sure to tuck your elbows into your body and your shoulder blades together to ensure that when you roll up you are pressing the weight of the body into the shoulder girdle. When you have raised your hips up over your chest, check your elbows haven’t splayed out and adjust them back in line with the shoulders if they have. It is much easier to adjust them now than in the full pose. When you are in Salamba Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand it is very important to not turn your head. Believe me when I say, this can cause a very uncomfortable nerve pinch in the neck.

ALIGNMENT CUES
For this sequence remember to hug the outer hips to the midline in Salamba Sarvangasana/Shoulderstand and squeeze to the midline.

Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• Lie on your back, inhale, arms press into the ground beside you. Exhale, bend your knees, lift your hips up and roll your legs towards your head.

• Place your hands on your lower back, fingers facing up, elbows shoulder width apart. Straighten your legs up high, lengthen up through your inner thighs, press through the balls of your feet. Walk your hands down your back towards your shoulders.

• Hug your outer hips to the midline, lift your front body up, lengthen your spine. Lift sternum up and towards your chin, lightly press into the back of your head, gaze to your feet. To come down, use your arms to support your lower back and slowly roll back down.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Everyday mobility

MOBILITY V’S FLEXIBILITY
Before we explore ‘everyday mobility’, let's have a look at what mobility is; the difference between mobility v’s flexibility; and where stability fits into the equation. Mobility is our ability to move a body part or joint with control, without force (also called active range of movement – AROM). Whereas flexibility is our ability to move a body part or joint to its full range of movement without control, with the aid of force or gravity (passive range of movement – PROM). Lastly, stability is our ability to resist against forces and keep the body part or joint stable in static poses or transitions. Mobility increases tissue health, while excessive flexibility causes connective tissue deterioration. Flexibility does have its place, if there are areas of tightness it will help to recapture good mobility by gently working into flexibility first. Often what we are striving for is a small difference between the extent of your passive movement (flexibility) and your active movement (mobility). If the gap is too wide it means that you have good flexibility but not enough muscle control to protect the joints and muscles in their extended position.

EVERYDAY MOBILITY
Adding another layer to that equation, what is ‘everyday’ mobility? Everyday mobility is our ability to move a body part or joint within the range of movement that you, as an individual, require in your everyday life – ranging from easily getting up from a seated position to enjoying your sporting endeavours. To move fluidly in your everyday life your mobility is not dependent on being able to wrap your leg around your head or hold a handstand for 10 minutes. When you are striving for a ‘big pose’ in your practice, ask yourself if this pose serves me in my everyday life, what will I benefit from achieving this shape? Instead, concentrate on building a variety of movements into your practice as your goal, and actively mobilising all your body parts or joints with stability and control.

EXPLORING EVERYDAY MOBILITY IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence starts with a warm up that will move your spine, hips and shoulders. Take your time and focus on these three areas as you flow. The two standing flows start with some core work and bring you through a series of mini flows that all start from my current favourite pose, Viparita Virabhadrasana/Reverse Warrior. Remember that in Viparita Virabhadrasana/Reverse Warrior the hips stay level and the spine facilitates the side bend, whereas in Trikonasana/Triangle the pelvis tilt over the front leg with minimum side bending in the spine. Pay particular attention to your transitions in this sequence. Move slowly and focus on stability and control in your main joints – your knees, hips, spine and shoulders.

ALIGNMENT CUES
There is no specific peak pose in this everyday mobility sequence. Use the cues below to help you flow through the sequence with ease and fluidity.

Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• Use the breath guide in the sequence to help you link breath with movement in the flow. Inhale is indicated with a ‘+’, exhale is a ‘-”.

• If there are specific poses that you would like to stay longer in, give yourself three deep breaths in those poses and pick up the next pose with the allocated inhale or exhale as indicated by the sequence.

• For a longer practice repeat the warm up flow on the first line at the start of each of the three standing flows or repeat each of the standing mini flows three times.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Garudasana - Eagle

LONGEVITY OF STANDING STABILITY
Garudasana/Eagle is a standing balancing pose which builds focus and concentration and gives a lovely stretch across the back of the shoulders. Single legged standing poses are important poses to continue to add into your practice to build ‘balance’ stamina. Fall risk and feeling a little less sturdy on our feet is part of the ageing process. This pose, and similar poses like Vrksasana/Tree and Viradhadrasana III/Warrior III, train the brain to work out the changing centre of gravity and enlist the deep stabilising muscles of the hips, core and spine to maintain standing position. Because of the angle of the hip socket, the position of the legs of adduction, and internal rotation in Garudasana/Eagle is not an easy shape for most people to take. It can expose tightness in the outer glutes, and the muscles that attach to the IT band. This makes it difficult to cross the legs sufficiently to get the wrap of the lower leg, which can put pressure on the knee joint.

THE BENEFITS OF GARUDASANA/EAGLE
Garudasana/Eagle stretches the shoulder, calves, the outer hips, the piriformis and the tensor fasciae latae. While at the same time these outer hip muscles, and the deep stabilising muscles of the hip, are contracting to help maintain balance. As with all the standing balancing poses there are more muscles strengthening than stretching – the inner groins, core; and the glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings and ankles of the standing leg. It is also a great pose to help you strengthen the spine by keeping yourself upright as you bend forward to facilitate the leg wrap.

EXPLORING GARUDASANA/EAGLE IN YOUR PRACTICE
Garudasana/Eagle is quite a human knot! There are lots of versions of the pose if either your hips or shoulders are not happy to tie themselves up into this particular pretzel shape. If the full leg wrap does not suit your hips, place a block on the outside of your standing leg and place your wrapping leg foot on the block instead of around the calf of the standing leg. If your shoulders restrict you from placing the palms of the hands together, place the back of the hands together or take it back another step and hug your arms around your shoulders which will give you the same opening to the back of the shoulders.

Strengthening the inner groins in adduction is not as prevalent an action in yoga poses. In this sequence you can find the strength of the inner groin by squeezing a brick between the thighs in the warm up half sun salutation on the first row which you will repeat at the start of each standing mini flow. In the second row place a brick on the inside of the front leg and press your thigh against your arm to find this same inner groin activation. In the third row continue to tap into this strength by hugging to the midline and using this action to stabilise the hips in some of these more challenging poses. Utkata Konasna/Goddess is the perfect counter pose for Garudasana/Eagle. It brings the hips into external rotation and abduction, which is the opposite to how they sit in Garudasana/Eagle, and is a more natural and secure position for the femur bone to sit in the hip socket. When you add cactus arms to Utkata Konasna/Goddess it gives the perfect unravelling counter pose for Garudasana/Eagle.

ALIGNMENT CUES
For this sequence remember to hug the outer hips to the midline in Garudasana/Eagle and squeeze to the midline.

Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• From Tadasana, bend your left knee, cross your right leg over your left thigh, place your right toes beside your left foot, or hook your right toes around your left calf.

• Bend your elbows, cross your left elbow over your right elbow.

• Press the back of the hands together, or wrap your left hand around your right hand and press your palms together.

• Lift your upper arms up, elbows lengthen forward, fingers reaching up, shoulder blades spread.

• Keep your left knee bent, lengthen the spine, broaden through the collarbones, squeeze your upper thighs together, gaze either side of your hands.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru