Urdhvasana – The upwards pose

By Yogatma Srihari

Urdhvasana means ‘position held by the upward parts of my body’. It is the first position in the Prana Vashya Yoga ‘sun salutation’ (or ‘surya namaskar’ in Sanskrit) which is a continuous flow of postures d es ig ne d to warm up all the key muscle groups in the body.

How to perform
? Select a clean place for the posture, preferably facing the morning sun.
? Place both the feet firmly on the ground with a distance of six inches between the feet.
? Stand straight, tighten the calf muscle, knees, thighs and the hips. Inhale and lift your hand up and bend backwards.
? For beginners, bending a little is enough. But later after practice the degree of bending can be increased.
? Your breathing should be normal.
? Initially, perform it for ten seconds and later it can be extended upto two minutes. Gradually increase ten secs every week.
? In case of feelings of giddiness, return to normal standing posture.
? This asana can also be done with the support of a pole, pillar or a window frame.
? After doing urdhvasana assume the thadasana (mountain/tree posture). Slowly bend forward as a counter asana, stay there for ten seconds and then return to normal standing posture.
? The hands can be kept in a namaskar posture or can be interlocked.
? This asana can also be done by sitting. Select a strong and steady chair, sit erect and bend backwards with hands upward.

BENEFITS OF URDHVASANA
? Strengthens shoulders, backbone, lungs, heart and the digestive system
? Strengthens hip bone, joints, knees, thigh and calf muscles
? Improves blood circulation
? Strengthens the nervous system
? Regular practice discourages heart blockages

WHEN TO AVOID
? High BP patients should perform it with care
? People with shoulder pain and upper or lower back pain shall not do this when experiencing pain
? People who have migraine should do it gently for a short duration
? Menstruating women should not perform it

(The author is a yoga guru, entrepreneur and motivational speaker.)