Shoulder Pressing Pose (Sanskrit: Bhujapīḍāsana / भुजपीड़ासन)
Bhujapidasana (Bhujapīḍāsana) is an arm balancing pose, where the entire weight of the body is borne by our two palms. In Sanskrit, ‘Bhuja’ means an arm or a shoulder and ‘Pida’ translates to pressure or pain. In this asana, the legs are placed on the shoulders before lifting the body off the ground. Thus, this pose has been named shoulder pressing pose.
Instructions for Doing the Shoulder Pressing Pose
- Start by standing in Tadasana (Tāḍāsana) or the Mountain Pose, which is the basic standing pose of yoga. Keep the feet joined with heels and big toes lightly touching each other. Stand tall with your chest forward and look straight at the eye level.
- Spread your legs apart, with a two-feet distance between your feet.
- Now, scooch forward and bend your knees, placing the palms on the floor between the legs, approx one and a half feet apart.
- One by one, place your thighs on the backside of your upper arms in a way that the thighs rest on the middle of the shoulders and elbows. In order to do that, raise your heels off the floor and bend your arms a little at the elbows.
- With an exhalation, start raising the toes off the floor while balancing the weight of the body on your hands. Once both your feet are in the air, interlock them at the ankles.
- If your legs are slipping down, try to place the thighs as high up as possible.
- Raise your head up and hold the asana for about 30 to 120 seconds, breathing normally, without any jerks.
- Now, bring your feet back to the floor one by one and lift the hands off the floor to stand up in Tadasana (step 1) again.
- Repeat all the steps now but change the position of the interlocked ankles this time. Initially, if you had placed your right ankle on top of the left, do the opposite this time and hold for a similar duration of time.
Benefits of Doing Bhujapidasana
- This asana strengthens the arms, shoulders, biceps, triceps, wrists, spine, glutes, thighs, hamstrings, and the abdominal area.
- It instills in the system, a strong sense of balance, coordination, and willpower.
- Since your abdominal area is activated, your digestion improves.
- It also regulates the metabolic rate and calms down the nervous system, enhancing your concentration levels.
- Bhujapidasana relieves stress and can help with back and thyroid gland related issues.
Precautions
- If you have a shoulder, wrist, neck, elbow, spinal, hamstring, or knee injury, do not practice this asana.
- It is also a hip-opening asana, so if you have tight hips, do not attempt this one.
- Avoid this asana if you have high BP or spondylitis.