poses: Beginner
Camel
(Ustrasana)
Benefits:
Physical: Opens chest and spine, chest and hip flexors
Emotional: Counteracts depression, energizes
Rx For: No motivation
1. Kneeling, with your body erect, check your alignment, making sure your knees are directly beneath your hips and curling your toes under (deviate from photo to begin). Stack your hips on top of your knees, your shoulders atop your hips, and your ears atop your shoulders.
2. Then place the palms of your hands on the small of your back, fingertips facing up. If that is uncomfortable, the fingertips can face the floor.
3. As you inhale, inflate the chest and feel your breastbone ride, floating the ribcage up and off the waist.
4. Then continue to lift the upper back up and over an imaginary ball behind you until you begin to reach one hand and then the other toward the heels. You should arrive in your deepest arch only in the upper back when both hands rest comfortably on your heels or props.
5. Take five full, complete breaths, letting the head drop back; if that strains the neck, tuck the chin and relax the face muscles. Keep the pelvis and thighs moving forward so the legs are lengthening.
6. To come up, bring both hands to the low back and on one inhale lift the body until it is erect using your core. Move into Child’s pose for five breaths to counteract this backbend.
Hint: If you cannot reach to your heels, put tall blocks or firm pillows next to your ankles, or curl the toes under in order to keep the weight forward so that the backbend stays in the upper chest.
Comments
10 Mar 2008, 13:48
21 Mar 2008, 09:43
21 Mar 2008, 09:45
Don't worry about reaching down to your toes- leaving your hands at the small of your back (fingertips facing up), will allow you to do the pose fully while protecting your back.
Good luck!
13 Aug 2008, 14:42