Australian_Yoga_Journal_-_September_2015_

79

august/september 2015

yogajournal.com.au

adho = downward · mukha = face · vrksa = tree · asana = pose

Handstand

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

4 Once you have found balance, draw your legs together. Push down

into the hands and actively reach up through the feet and legs. As you

hug your legs into the midline, move the tailbone and the tops of the

buttocks toward your heels. This will introduce length to the lumbar

spine. Draw your lower ribs toward the frontal hipbones to prevent any

backbending. Make your body feel like an inverted Urdhva Hastasana.

Grow even taller by reaching your legs strongly up and away from your

rooted and stable palms. Hold for 5 to 8 breaths. To release, step your

right foot down, then your left, and take Pada Hastasana (Foot-to-Hand

Pose) to stretch the wrists.

Stay safe

In Handstand, distribute the weight evenly from your

outer palm to your inner palm by pressing equally into

the mounds at the base of each finger. Avoid cupping

the hands, so that there is no unnecessary compression

in your outer wrists. Keep your upper arms firm and

your elbows straight to prevent buckling and instability.

Reach up strongly through the feet, legs, and tailbone

while engaging the core so that you do not dump into

your lower back, creating “banana back” and

compression in the lower spine. Practice at a wall until

you are comfortable being upside down. When

practicing without a wall, start by bringing the second

leg no higher than parallel to the floor—it will act as an

anchor and prevent you from falling over into a

backbend.

Adho Mukha
Vrksasana prep,
pages 77

Adho Mukha

Vrksasana