SALAMBA SARVANGASANA
It is generally known to yoga practitioners as Shoulderstand. Salamba means “supported”: the arms and hands are used to support the torso. Sarvangasana means literally, “whole body pose,” because it relieves so many common ailments, and restores both physical and mental vitality. In particular, the gentle pressure of the chin lock on the front of the throat increases the circulation of blood to this area and thus stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands located here. The thyroid gland, through the release of hormones, regulates the flow of energy for all our bodily functions. Thus, Salamba Sarvangasana has a calming effect on the mind and releases the healing energies of the body.
The foundation. The height of your support you need for Salamba Sarvangasana depends on your body type, taking into account your degree of flexibility, the shape of your shoulders, and the curve of your neck.
Arranging Your Blankets. For your safety and comfort in practicing Salamba Sarvangasana, use a stack of folded blankets under your shoulders and upper arms to help you lift higher onto your shoulders, create space between the back of your neck and the floor, and reduce any pressure on your head, eyes, or ears.
How many blankets you need for Salamba Sarvangasana depends on the flexibility of your shoulders and the curve of your neck. However, some students may require more because of neck problems or spinal imbalances, while others can practice comfortably with less blankets.
Sloping Shoulders. If you have sloping shoulders, rather than square-set shoulders, you may need to arrange your blankets in a different way. If you have square-set shoulders, the weight of your body rests naturally on your outer shoulders and arms and not on the base of your neck. However, if you have shoulders that slope at a steep angle, your outer shoulders may not be in contact with the blanket, causing all your weight to fall on the trapezius muscles at the base of your neck. In this case, you may feel pressure on your seventh cervical vertebra (C7) or discomfort in your neck, and with prolonged practice the trapezius muscles at the base of your neck may become thick and swollen.
Assessing the curve of your neck. Before placing your shoulders on your blanket, take a few moments to locate your C7 and assess the curve of your neck. Once you have found C7, does it lie flat, does it project slightly, or is it prominent? Does the flesh around C7 feel firm and resilient, or thick and swollen? (If the flesh at the base of your neck feels thick and swollen, your C7 is probably stressed. The alignment of your C7 is crucial because it marks the transition between your cervical spine and your thoracic spine. If your C7 is displaced, your head and neck cannot balance properly on your upper back, and you are more vulnerable to neck injuries.
Natural Curve. If your cervical spine curves gently inward and the crown of your head is parallel with the ceiling, your neck has a gentle, or natural, curve. In this case, place your shoulders so that C7 is perched at the very edge of your blankets. (If your C7 is too far on the blanket, you may feel discomfort at the base of your neck.)
Contracted Curve. If your cervical spine moves deeply inward and your chin tilts up toward the ceiling, the curve of your neck is overarched and contracted. In this case, continue to place your C7 near the edge of your blankets, but use higher blankets under your shoulders to avoid straining the tight muscles and ligaments at the back of your neck. (If, in addition to a contracted curve, your C7 is prominent, and the flesh at the base of your neck feels thick and swollen, check the shape of your shoulders.
Flat or Reversed Curve. If your cervical spine has lost its natural curve and feels flat, or if the curve of your cervical spine has reversed and moves outward rather than inward, placing your C7 at the edge of your blanket would not be helpful. If the curve of your neck is flat or reversed, place more of your neck on your blanket, so that your cervical spine is supported. The edge of your blanket should come halfway up your cervical spine, or even higher, but should not press on the base of your skull.
Coming into Salamba Sarvangasana. Once you have arranged your blankets to suit your particular body type, you are ready to consider how to move into the pose. Many students come into Salamba Sarvangasana by narrowing their shoulders and squeezing their shoulder blades toward the spine. This movement tightens the trapezius muscles, strains the neck, and restricts the lift of the upper back.
As an alternative, widen your shoulders and lift your shoulder blades away from the floor to come higher onto your shoulders. You will learn this basic adjustment much more readily if you begin by using a strap around your arms when practicing this pose.
Using a Strap on Your Arms. Make a loop with your strap that is approximately the width of your shoulders. Hang the loop around one of your elbows and lie down with your shoulders at the edge of your blankets. Lift your pelvis a few inches and hook your other arm into the strap behind your back, so that the strap rests just above your elbows. Then extend your arms along the sides of your body with your palms facing down. With inhalation, broaden your shoulders against the blanket, and lengthen the back of your arms. With exhalation, swing your legs overhead and lower your feet to the floor in Halasana with a Strap. If your hamstrings are tight, rest your feet on a chair, or a wall. In Halasana with a Strap, relax your shoulders and widen your collarbones. Turn your palms toward the floor to avoid hyperextending your elbows. Then press your upper arms out against the strap and lengthen the back of your arms from your shoulders toward your elbows. At the same time, firm the muscles of your back armpits, and lift your shoulder blades away from the floor. Repeat this adjustment until your shoulder blades are lifted to the maximum. When using a strap around your arms, make sure that it is neither too loose nor too tight. If your strap is too loose, it will not give you sufficient support. If your strap is too tight, your neck will feel strained, and your shoulders narrow and constricted.
Hands on Your Back. When you have adjusted your rib cage and shoulder blades in Halasana with a Strap, place your hands flat on your back with your palms broad and your fingers pointing toward your waist. Then raise your legs toward the ceiling to come into Salamba Sarvangasana and let your rib cage rest lightly against your hands. When you place your hands on your back with your fingers pointing toward your waist, you encourage your spine to lift vertically. There is a direct line of energy from your elbows through your forearms, hands, and fingers that continues upward through your spine and legs.
Checking your alignment. Once you are in Salamba Sarvangasana, adjust your alignment to bring lightness and balance to your pose. First, check the balance between your right and left sides; then adjust the balance between your front body and back body and finally, observe how your lower body rests on your upper body.
Right and Left Sides. When you first come into Salamba Sarvangasana, look up at the median line of your body-the line that runs from the tip of your nose through the center of your sternum and navel, and continues through the line of your inner legs. If this line is perpendicular, you are evenly balanced on your right and left shoulders. If the median line veers to one side or the other, your shoulders are imbalanced, and the weight of your body falls more heavily on one side of your neck.
Shoulders Aligned with Your Blanket. If you discover an imbalance between your right and left shoulders check that your shoulders are aligned evenly with the edge of your blanket. First, lower your legs and come into Halasana. Then bring your fingertips to your shoulders and measure the distance between the edge of your blanket and your right and left shoulders. If you have pulled one shoulder farther onto your blanket, adjust your shoulders so that they are equidistant from the edge of the blanket. When you have adjusted your shoulders, place your hands flat on your back, raise your legs, and return to Salamba Sarvangasana. Once again, check the median line of your front body.
Shoulder Imbalances. Stiffness or discomfort on one side of your neck is another indication that the weight of your body is distributed unevenly between your right and left shoulders. If the right side of your neck feels stiff or if your rib cage shifts to the right, your right shoulder blade does not lift away from the floor; as much as your left, and your right elbow probably slides out to the side. To adjust your pose, firm the muscles at the back of your right armpit, press your right elbow down, and lift your right shoulder blade away from the floor. If you are unable to make this adjustment place a folded mat or other support under your right elbow. This support will give you extra leverage as you press your elbow down.
Adjusting Your Kidneys. Place your hands flat on your back with your palms broad and your fingers pointing toward your waist. Let your lower rib cage rest against your hands and feel whether your kidneys are lifting away from or dropping into your palms. Then lift your kidneys away from your palms. If you have a shoulder imbalance, one kidney may be lifting and the other kidney dropping. Lift your kidneys evenly to balance your right and left sides
Lifting Your Legs Evenly. Even if your shoulders are properly balanced, your pelvis and lumbar spine might be rotated. In this case, the median line of your torso will be centered, but the line of your inner legs will tilt to one side or the other: one leg is lifting and the other leg dropping. To lift your legs evenly, create maximum space between your thighbone and your pubic bone on each side.
Front Body and Back Body. Ideally, in Salamba Sarvangasana, the weight of your body should be evenly distributed between your elbows and your shoulders, so that you are balanced between your front body and back body. If your weight falls onto your shoulders and your elbows lift away from your blanket, you are pushing onto the front of your rib cage and may feel pressure on your neck. If your weight falls onto your elbows and your outer shoulders come away from your blanket, you are resting on your upper back, not lifting onto the ridge of your shoulders.
Weight on Shoulders, Not on Elbows. If your weight comes onto your shoulders and your elbows lift away from your blanket, you are either very flexible or using blankets that are too high. In either case, rest your rib cage on your hands and lean back onto your elbows, so that your upper arms bear the weight of the pose, rather than your shoulders and neck.
Do Not Push with Your Hands. If you are very flexible or using high blankets, be careful how you work with your hands to adjust your rib cage. Do not push your lower rib cage forward with your hands. This action forces your legs and pelvis forward so that they are no longer vertically aligned with your shoulders and puts tremendous pressure on your neck.
Weight on Elbows, Not on Shoulders. If your weight falls more heavily on your elbows than on your shoulders, increase the height of your support or put a folded nonskid mat under your elbows to give them an additional lift.
Checking the Median Line of Your Side Rib Cage. Ideally, in Salamba Sarvangasana your upper arms form a right angle with the sides of your rib cage to give maximum support. Your upper arms are then parallel to the floor, and the median line of your side rib cage is perpendicular to the floor.
Balancing Your Upper Body and Lower Body. In balancing your upper body and lower body, first check that your legs and pelvis are vertically aligned and then allow your spine to balance internally.
Legs Vertical. Once you have adjusted your upper body, check the position of your legs and pelvis by glancing upward. If your legs are not balanced directly over your pelvis, are they tilted forward or arching back?
Legs Tilting Forward, Pelvis Dropping Back. If your legs are tilted forward but your pelvis drop back, move your perineum forward from your tailbone, roll your pubic bone toward your legs, and lengthen your front thighs toward your knees. Then firm the core of your buttocks and lengthen your hamstrings toward the back of your knees until your legs are balanced vertically over your pelvis.
Legs Arching Back, Pelvis Pressing Forward. If your legs are arching back but your pelvis is pressing forward, you may be gripping your buttock muscles and pushing your rib cage. In this case, let your rib cage rest back onto your hands, relax your buttocks, and draw your groins back into your body. Then firm your quadriceps and lengthen your hamstrings away from the core of your buttocks. Feel that your legs are supported evenly by your groins and quadriceps at the front of your body, and by your buttocks and hamstrings at the back of your body.
For Aching Backs and Sinking Legs. If you feel discomfort in your lower back or your legs feel heavy and lethargic, tie a strap above your knees to help lift your legs and take weight off your lower back.
Balancing Your Spine. Balancing your upper body and lower body comes ultimately from balancing your spine. Once you have adjusted your legs and pelvis, draw your attention inward to your sacrum and spine. First lift your legs and let them balance on your sacrum. At the same time, adjust your pelvis so that your sacrum balances on your lumbar spine. Then bring your lumbar spine into balance with your thoracic spine. If you overwork your thoracic spine, allow it to relax and balance on your cervical spine. Finally, let your cervical spine lengthen toward the crown of your head to balance your neck and the base of your skull.