66 YOGAJOURNAL.COM YOGA TODAY
MODEL: AURORA; STYLIST: KAREN ZAMBONIN; MAKEUP: NICOLE PETERS/KOKO REPRESENTSperspective. Emotionally, they guide the
energy of the pelvis (seat of creation and
personal power) toward the heart cen-
ter, enabling self-exploration and inner
growth. Physically, they stimulate the
immune and endocrine systems, thereby
invigorating and nourishing the brain
and the organs. Done correctly, they also
release tension in the neck and the spine.
I practice both poses every day and rec-
ommend that most of my students do the
same. However, I do suggest that women
forgo inversions during their menstrual
period; reversing blood flow goes against
the body’s natural urge to release stale
blood and the endometrial lining, and it
may lead to a backflow of menstrual fluid.
Other contraindications include neck
in jur ies, high blood pressure, heart con-
ditions, epilepsy, and eye problems.
To receive the palpable benefits of
these poses—and to prevent injury, espe-
cially to the neck—it’s essential to learn
the correct setup and alignment for
each pose. Be mindful about your body
as you approach these inversions, but do
give them a try. Take the time to master
them, and you will reap their benefits for
the rest of your life.
SHOULDERSTAND BASICS
A healthy Sarvangasana requires a strong
opening of the armpits and a roll ing of
the shoulders back and toward each other
to allow the neck to release properly. A
good way to prepare for this is to stand
with your back near a table, interlock your
fingers, place your hands on the table, and
bend your knees while lifting your chest
(figure 1, right). This replicates the move-
ment necessary in the full pose but places
no weight on the head or neck, allowing
you to cultivate flexibility without risk.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge
Pose; figure 2, right) is another good prep-
a ration, because it distributes weight
between the feet and upper body while
protecting the neck. In this pose, you
can check to see if you’ve developed the
necessary flexibility in your shoulders for
Sarvanga sana. Lift your pelvis, leave your
shoulders on the floor, and notice your
seventh cervical vertebra (C7), that big
bump at the bottom of your neck. If it’s
pressing in to the floor, you will need to
use a stack of firm blankets or foam pads
to support your body. If you use blankets
or pads, they should support your body
from your elbows to your shoulders and
upper trapezius muscles, which cover the
upper-back part of the neck and shoul-
ders. If you have stiff trapezius muscles,
C7 will also rest on the pads. Eventually,
your chest will touch your chin, indicating
that your neck is mobile enough for you to
practice Sarvangasana.
If you feel you are ready to move on,
try practicing Ar dha Sarvangasana (Half
Shoulderstand; figure 3, right). This is done
with the pelvis lifted off the floor, the feet
on the wall, and the shoulders rolled under
with two or three carefully folded blankets
or firm pads un der them to ensure that the
neck is pain free. The pads should be in
the same position as described above for
Setu Ban dha Sarvangasana. In time, youwill feel ready to do full Sarvangasana
(figure 4, right) by lifting one leg at a time
from Ar dha Sarvangasana.
While pads are unnecessary for limber
bodies, for the rest of us they are neces-
sary. Ultimately, the shoulders themselves
become the pads, and no part of the spine
touches the floor. In the meantime, the
stiffer the shoulders, the higher the pads
need to be. Though many instructors
teach this pose without pads, I value my
students’ necks and consider pads to be an
indispensable part of the posture.
After you come out of Sarvangasana,
sit up and notice its effects. Your eyelids
should feel heavy and your facial muscles
soft and weighted, as if your jawbone is
going to drop off. If you feel agitated,
angry, or tense, you may have stayed in
the pose too long or may need to work
with a teacher to refine your alignment.LEARNING HEADSTAND
The gifts of Sirsasana are so great that
even if you are not ready to do the actual
pose, you can benefit by preparing for it.
The preparations help you strengthen
the latissimus dorsi muscles—the large
muscles that attach the upper arms to the
back—as well as help create the awareness
required to spread, lift, and strengthen
the muscles around the shoulder blades
so that the neck is protected.
To start, you take Adho Mukha Sva-
nasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose;
figure 1, page 69) and focus on engaging
the muscles that spread the shoulder
blades away from each oth er, away from
the floor, and toward the rib cage. This
action builds the upper-body strength
you will need, and when you re-create
this in Sirsasana, both your head and
neck will be protected. In Adho Mukha
Svanasana, make sure that your shoulder
blades are wide and your neck is long.Shoulderstand tips
THE LIFT of the spine is paramount; if
the spine drops sharply or presses into
the floor, it puts excessive pressure on
the vertebrae, causing various problems
in the cervical and thoracic vertebrae.
RELAX the throat and neck.
USE YOUR HANDS to lift your back
toward the ceiling; try walking them
down toward your armpits.
KEEP YOUR upper arms parallel, with
your elbows about shoulder-width apart.
YOUR SACRUM should feel as if it is
moving upward.
NEVER TURN YOUR HEAD while
in this pose, and don’t lift your chin or
pull it in; these actions put tremendous
strain on the neck. If you need to adjust
your head or neck, come out of the pose,
make the adjustment, and then go back
into the pose.