Up for a challenge? Try One-Legged Inverted Staff Pose! Here’s how to do it…
When you’re ready to move on to more advanced yoga poses, a whole world of exciting new possibilities awaits! One example is One-Legged Inverted Staff pose, or Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana (yikes – it even sounds hard!).
While not for the beginner yogi – or the faint of heart – this pose provides a number of benefits for those who are ready to tackle it, including strengthening your entire body from head to toe, stretching your thighs, hamstrings, and torso, and boosting your energy.
Here is a step-by-step description of how to enter the pose, but for complete instructions, safety tips, and a photo demonstration please visit YogaJournal.com:
From Urdhva Dhanurasana, slowly re-bend your elbows, keeping them directly over your wrists, and place the crown of your head on the floor without bearing too much weight on your head. Pause and draw your shoulder blades back, then lower your forearms to the floor one at a time with your fingers pointed toward your heels and your elbows shoulder-distance apart. Interlace your fingers behind your head, tucking your outer pinkie finger in.
Firm your outer arms in and lift your shoulder heads away from the floor. Press down through your inner elbows, forearms, and outer wrists, and firm your shoulder blades into your back ribs as you raise your head off the floor. Then lift your heels, keeping your shins parallel, and release your inner thighs down toward the floor before lengthening your tailbone and lowering your heels back down. Extend out through your spine and press your sternum forward. Take a few rounds of breath.
When you’re ready, strongly press the four corners of your left foot down into the mat, shifting your weight to your left leg, and bring your right knee up and in toward your chest. Keep your chest lifted as you spread your right toes, and slowly start to straighten your right leg toward the ceiling.
Step 4
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See the full article here…
