Handstand Pose (Sanskrit: Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana / अधो मुख व्रक्सासन)
Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana) or the Handstand is an intense arm-balancing pose in which you carry the entire weight of your body on your two hands. It requires a considerable amount of physical as well as mental strength to master this pose properly. Since your body resembles an uprooted tree, it’s called Adho Mukha Vrksasana. ‘Adho Mukha’ means downward facing and ‘Vrksasana’ means the ‘Tree Pose’. The steps we’ve given below instruct you on how to do this asana against a wall. Once you are comfortable doing that, try the pose without the support of the wall.
Instructions for Doing the Handstand
- Start by standing in Tadasana (Tāḍāsana) or the Mountain Pose, which is the basic standing pose of yoga. Keep your feet joined with heels and big toes lightly touching each other. Stand tall with your chest forward and look straight at your eye level.
- Bend forward to place your palms on the ground about one foot away from the wall. Maintain shoulder level distance between your palms and keep your arms straight.
- With an exhalation, swing your legs upwards while taking the support of the wall. Find your balance in this position. Keep your knees straight and point your toes towards the ceiling. Lift your head upwards.
- It’s important to keep your palms neither too wide nor too narrow. Also, if your palms are placed too far away from the wall, your spine will have to bear a lot more pressure. Plus, it would be difficult to balance.
- Hold this position for about 60 seconds, breathing normally, without any jerks.
- Once you learn how to balance on your palms with the support of the wall, start taking your feet away. And then slowly practice the asana in the middle of a room.
Benefits of Doing the Handstand
- Handstand strengthens your wrists, shoulders, arms, and chest. It works on your core muscles and increases spinal flexibility.
- This inversion allows the blood circulation to flow towards your brain, increasing your heart rate which helps regulate the cardiovascular activity.
- This pose greatly enhances your sense of balance and coordination. Also, your ability to concentrate increases.
- Practicing this asana also enhances your lung capacity and awareness of the breath.
- Adho Mukha Vrksasana helps you relax as it calms down your nervous system. Regularly practicing this asana reduces anxiety and depression.
Precautions
- Do not practice this pose if you have high or low blood pressure or any other heart-related ailments.
- If you have extreme anxiety issues or fear of heights, practice this pose with a lot of caution. Being upside down like this can cause dizziness or a panic attack.
- If you have undergone a wrist, shoulder, elbow, neck, or spinal surgery, then also, avoid this pose.
- Pregnant or menstruating women should also refrain from attempting this asana.