Backbends are exhilarating. They stimulate the nervous system, and may promote freer respiration. They’re the right antidote to a sedentary life. Camel Pose (Ustrasana) is one in every of yoga’s more difficult backbends.

The Camel Pose (Ustrasana) we all know at the moment—as within the above picture—will not be the identical because it was in its early incarnation. Whereas Camel Pose has been talked about in yogic texts since as early because the 1700s, it extra intently resembled Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) than the Ustrasana we all know at the moment. The standard pose appeared very like Dhanurasana, however as an alternative of lifting the thighs off the bottom, the thighs stayed grounded, the ankles crossed.

The primary description of Camel Pose in its present kind was by Sita Devi, creator of Simple Yoga Postures for Girls, in 1934. Nonetheless, the standard model continued to proliferate in some circles till the Sixties, when the kneeling model grew to become ubiquitous.

One factor most of us can agree on is that Ustrasana in its present kind will be intense. That’s why it’s essential to organize the physique earlier than making an attempt to observe it.

Why Follow Camel Pose?

Like all backbends, Ustrasana relieves a number of the issues that come up from an excessive amount of sitting. Once we sit habitually for lengthy durations, our glutes lose power as our hip flexors shorten. Bending ahead over a desk or system could cause our shoulders to stoop over time, giving option to ahead head posture.

Working towards Camel Pose may help reverse all these points. Listed here are a number of the advantages:

• Stretches all the entrance of the physique, the ankles, thighs and groins, stomach, chest and throat
• Lengthens the deep hip flexors (psoas)
• Strengthens again muscle groups
• Improves posture
• Stimulates the organs of the stomach

Ustrasana Cautions

As with all yoga asanas, Camel Pose will not be for everybody. Listed here are some contraindications for practising the pose:

• Neck or low again damage
• Excessive or low blood strain
• Insomnia
• Migraine
• Second and third trimesters of being pregnant

How one can Put together for Camel Pose

As I discussed above, preparation is essential. Right here’s how I counsel making ready for Camel Pose:

• Start with a number of relaxed Solar Salutations (Surya Namaskara) to heat up the physique on the whole.
• Mobilize the thoracic backbone. The thoracic backbone (the phase of the backbone that’s hooked up to the rib cage) will not be able to backbending. However you may create extra mobility in that space by twisting and facet bending. Attempt Talasana (Palm Tree Pose) for facet bending. Any twist you select will be useful. Attempt including some twists to your Solar Salutations. Revolved Lunge Pose (Parvrtta Anjaneyasana) can match properly into your Solar Salutations.
• Stretch the quadriceps and hip flexors. You are able to do this by practising Lunge Poses (Anjaneyasana), or Half Hero’s Pose (Ardha Virasana).
• Stretch the shoulders and chest. Supported Fish Pose (Salamba Matsyasana) is a good way to ease your chest open to organize for the pose.
• Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) is similar form as Camel Pose, however with a unique orientation to gravity, so it may be a useful prep pose as effectively.

How one can Follow Ustrasana

1. Collect your props: a Yoga Mat, two Yoga Blocks and a folded Yoga Blanket. The blocks and blanket are optionally available, nevertheless it’s good to have them helpful simply in case.
2. If you understand that your knees are delicate to strain, place your folded blanket in your Yoga Mat. In any other case, you may skip utilizing the blanket.
3. Come to a kneeling place in your mat or blanket with the tops of your toes on the ground. Place a Yoga Block, at its highest peak, on the skin of every foot. Be sure the blocks are in your mat, and never in your blanket when you’re utilizing one.
4. Place your fingers in your pelvic rim and press downward. Think about your tailbone extending down towards the ground. On the identical time, carry your chest, lengthening your again.
5. For some individuals, together with myself, permitting the pinnacle to utterly launch again, as within the above picture, could cause dizziness or nausea. Be at liberty to maintain the pinnacle extra impartial, lengthening each the back and front of your neck. It’s also possible to transfer your chin towards your chest.
6. With out leaning your pelvis again—hold your pelvis over your knees—bend your lumbar backbone again and attain on your blocks. Proceed lifting your chest.
7. Press into your blocks to carry the chest much more. If this feels fairly straightforward, you may decrease your blocks to their center peak. If this feels straightforward, you may attain on your heels.
8. Take 5 to eight deep breaths. Then launch the pose and sit in your heels or on one in every of your blocks, protecting the backbone upright.
9. It may be useful to repeat the pose one or two instances extra. Backbends typically turn out to be extra easeful with repetition.

Winding Down

You might really feel tempted to go proper right into a ahead bend after practising Camel Pose. However it may be kinder to your again to ease into ahead bending. Earlier than ahead bending, observe a twist, resembling Revolved Stomach Pose (Jathara Parivrttanasana). Then observe a number of seated ahead bends to elongate out your again physique and loosen up your nervous system.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third e book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Purple Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards.