Yoga Pose:
Viparita Dandasana
Important Note
Take special precautions while doing any asana. If you are learning yoga, then take the advice of a knowledgeable person. Do not put any kind of force in the event of pain or unable to do so. Keep in mind that you will be able to succeed only with constant practice.
Brief Introduction Of The Viparita Dandasana
- Viparita Dandasana is one of the commonly practiced yoga across the globe. It is also referred to Inverted Staff Pose.
- This back-bending asana can be performed by raising one leg straight up or lifting both feet away from the ground. The latter is termed as Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasane. It is also called Upward Facing Two-Foot Staff Posture.
- In the Sanskrit language, Dwi Pada stands for both feet, while Viparita means inverted or reverse. Dwi is a symbol, punishment or authority, a rod or staff, including a body as well as its prostration.
- It is a common custom for the Hindu devotee to prostrate before God by lying on the floor. In this posture, your hands should be outstretched while keeping your face downwards. But the Yogi is found to prostrate himself in an elegant inverted arch.
- However, the pose cannot be found in the Hatha yoga texts compiled during the medieval period. B.K.S. Iyengar had described it in his compilation Light on Yoga, while Pattabhi Jois had mentioned it in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
How To Do The Viparita Dandasana?
Steps to perform Eka Viparita Dandasana (One-legged pose)
- To enter this pose, you need to raise one leg.
- Stretch this raised leg straight vertically.
- Once you enter the advanced stage, you can return to Sirsasana leaving this pose. This pose is part of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yogas Advanced A Series.
Steps to perform Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana
- Take a yoga mat or a blanket and lie on your back.
- Bend your knees. Then draw your heels as much as possible closer to your knees.
- Next, lower the right arm and then the left arm to the floor.
- Place your two hands behind your head and interlace all your fingers.
- Be in this position and relax for about a minute. Focus on your breathing.
- Push outer arms inwards. Then press your forearms entire edge downwards.
- Now, straighten your arms. Simultaneously, you need to lift your head, shoulders and hips from the ground, while pressing knees away from the torso.
- Take your shoulder blades and keep them near your tail bone to lighten up the burden that your arms are having. This will help lift your shoulders.
- The following step is quite tricky and requires you to place your head crown on the ground.
- Place them between your feet and hand.
- Open up your chest and lift it to make sure your neck does not get compressed.
- Stretch each leg before your body until they are fully straight.
- Breathe out heavily as it can help straighten your legs completely.
- Be in this particular pose for the long time possible combined with coordinated breathing.
Viparita Dandasana Variations
- You can practice this pose using an open-backed chair. However, make sure to pad its seat properly using a folded blanket. You need to sit through the chairs back with your feet to enter the pose. Then hold onto the chairs back part and lean into a reclining position. The seat should provide your back with adequate support. You can also use folded blankets or bolster to support your head. It also helps relax our body in case, your neck feels compressed.
- Viparita Dandasana II is a much more complex pose that advanced students of yoga can practice. This pose requires you to bring your feet towards your head. This should be done until your hands can grasp your ankles, with your head in the lifted position.
Benefits Of The Viparita Dandasana
There are several benefits to enjoy by practicing this pose.
- Opening up the chest and increased mobility in the spine region: Practicing this pose helps open up your chest. It also offers your shoulder blades and spine increased mobility. This can be achieved without putting strain or stress on your body. The spine region gets well-toned since chest openers help open up your chest ligaments. At the same time, it also reduces chronic pain experienced in the lower back. It stimulates the pineal, pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands.
- Enhanced flexibility: Being a complex yoga exercise, completing this posture properly and fully is sure to offer guaranteed flexibility to your body.
- Reduces abdominal fat: This pose is considered to be an amazing solution to eliminate belly fat naturally. For effective results and quicker abdominal fat reduction, you need to practice this pose regularly.
- Strengthens the shoulder muscles: You should make Viparita Dandasana a part of your daily yoga routine. It will help strengthen the muscles in your chest and shoulder region. You can also feel the positive effects offered by Sirsasana pose.
- Provides relief to menstrual cramps and rectifies displaced bladder: If you suffer from the prolapsed uterus or displaced bladder, then this yoga posture can help cure this problem. It provides relief to menstrual cramps including other related symptoms.
- Treatment for depression: If you suffer from depression, then Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana is to be incorporated into your regular yoga regimen. You are sure to experience positive changes in your health. It also improves your self-confidence, while developing emotional stability.
- It provides relief to pain emerging in the spines coccyx region.
- It also has a soothing effect on the mind. Hence, if you lead an emotionally disturbed life, then you should practice this pose every day.
Precautions To Be Taken While Doing The Viparita Dandasana
- You are not advised to perform this pose if you suffer from high blood pressure or spinal injuries.
- Being a complex yoga exercise, you should not practice it if you suffer from hip, shoulder or back injuries.
- Do not rush with the steps. Rather perform it slowly following each step sincerely and thoroughly.
- Being a beginner, you are advised to perform it under the guidance of a certified yoga expert. This way, you can get the posture right and benefit from it.
Conclusion
- Viparita Dandasana or Inverted Staff pose does offer practitioners numerous health benefits.
- Practicing it regularly can help you to do away with stress, anxiety and derive better balance, body posture and concentration.
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