Finishing Poses

Sarvangasana

Sarvangasana

  • Sarva: All
  • Anga: Limb
  • Asana: Pose

FOCUS ON…

Many people treat Sarvangasana as an easy posture, appropriate for beginners. This is a dangerous attitude. The pose should not be attempted without stable and easy alignment in Supta KonasanaUbhaya Padangusthasana, and Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana.

The shoulders should bear the weight of the body in this posture, not the head or neck.

The cervical spine should retain its gentle curvature, not flatten on the ground. Your teacher or a friend should be able to slide a hand under your neck. The action of this alignment is to drag the back of the head into the ground (towards the body) so that your chin lifts away from your chest.

There should be a space of a hand’s width between the sternum and chin at all times during this pose. 

Vinyasa of the Pose

From vinyasa, jump through and lay down while exhaling.

Shrug your shoulders towards your ears, then bring the feet overhead similar to Halasana. Place the hands on the back, keeping the elbows as close to shoulder width as possible. 

sarvangasana-prep

Lift the feet up until the feet, pelvis, and shoulders are on a vertical line.

sarvangasana

Take 25 measured breaths here.

Enter Halasana with no intervening vinyasa.

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