Yoga Journal USA - July-August 2017

59

august 2017

yogajournal.com

Eka Pada Viparita

Dandasana prep,

pages 56–57

Eka Pada Viparita

Dandasana

Stay safe

Viparita Dandasana (with one or both feet down) demands open shoulders and upper-back

muscles. You must be able to keep both forearms rooted with your elbows shoulder-distance

apart, and your shoulders lifted away from the floor, or you risk not only compressing your low

back but your neck as well (read: not worth it!). Move slowly as you place one forearm down

and then the other; your shoulders will quickly tell you if this pose is appropriate.

4 Keeping the two sides of your pelvis level, strongly root down through
your inner left heel as you press your right heel and ball of the foot
straight up toward the ceiling, curling deeper in your upper back and pro-
pelling your chest gently forward. Take a few rounds of breath, and then
lower your lifted foot to the earth, and switch to the other side. To re-
lease, make sure both feet are back on the floor, and then unlace your
fingers and place your palms flat in preparation for Urdhva Dhanurasana
(Wheel Pose). Press all the way back up into full Wheel Pose for a breath
before tucking your chin and lowering back down to the floor for a rest.

eka = one · pada = foot · viparita = inverted

danda = staff · asana = pose

One-Legged Inverted Staff Pose

Eka Pada

Viparita Dandasana }

LEARN MORE!

For more step-by-step

pose instruction, visit

yogajournal.com/

yogapedia.