By Atul Vyas
Ustrasana is a powerful back bend. Back bending poses are excellent for relieving tensions and blocked energy. Backbends expand the thoracic spine, chest, shoulders and neck. It frees up energy in the sympathetic nervous system and increases respiration.
On a psycho-physical level, bending literally gets us moving by releasing tensions and increasing dynamic energy. This pose is named ustrasana or the camel pose as it resembles the way a camel bends its knees to rest or rise from a seated position.
Our present day lifestyles place us in forward bending positions when typing, texting, driving, cooking and doing other menial daily chores. Over time, such positions lead to muscle weakness and tightness. The camel pose directly counteracts these patterns through controlled extension of our spine, shoulders and hips. This pose is an energizer and mood booster to combat fatigue.
A proper warming up is essential before trying this pose. The spinal extensors, abdominals, pectoral muscles – which broaden the chest, trapezius, cervical extensors and flexors, hip extensors, quadriceps, hamstring, shoulder joints and muscles with knee joints must be activated through different warm up exercises before attempting Camel pose.
Technique
- Kneel down, keeping the knees a bit apart in such a manner that the thighs and torso are perpendicular to legs
- Keep feet on fingers or in upright position, and not flat on ankles
- Put hands on your hips and softly push them forward, while bending from your thoracic spine backwards also dropping your head back
- Stretch arms backwards and down so that right hand holds right heel with thumb inside and left hand holds left heel with thumb inside
- Breath normally
- In case you can not touch heels with hands, put them on your hips while bending back
- Stay in pose for 10 seconds and come back to normal
- Repeat three times
Benefits
- Useful for those suffering from spondylosis, pigeon chest and stiff neck
- Cures sinus problems, tonsillitis, pharyngitis and asthmatic bronchitis
- Very useful in epigastric distresses
- Keeps adenoids, lumbago and tension in check and control and at times reduce it
Note of Caution
Those suffering from high blood pressure, heart problems or blockages, vertigo, cerebrovascular diseases and hernia should avoid it.
Atul Vyas likes to be called a “Yoga Scientist”. He is a celebrity yoga trainer and has trained several top Hollywood and Bollywood stars. He has trained for years under many eminent yoga gurus including his illustrious mother Daya Vyas, the first lady yoga guru of India.
