Ardha Purvottanasana: Basics, Steps, Benefits & More

Ardha Purvottanasana (Reverse Table Top Pose), a variation of Purvottanasana is a great modification for those who have not yet built the strength to come into Upwards Plank Pose.

Ardha Purvottanasana Basics

Sanskrit Pronunciation	Ardha Purvottanasana (ARE-DAH – PUR-VOH-TUN-AHS-ANNA)
Meaning
Pose Type	Backbends, Chest Openers, Core, Strength
Pose Level	Beginner to Intermediate
Style of yoga	Hatha yoga
Other Names	Reverse Table Top Pose
Stretches	The wrists, arms, shoulders, chest, abdomen, spine,
Strengthening	The core muscles, the muscles surrounding the spine, wrists, arms, buttocks, legs and back.
Duration	30 second to 3 minutes

Meaning

Ardha Purvottanasana or Crab pose, also known as a reverse tabletop, is a mild beginner’s backbend that is practiced primarily to strengthen the arms and improve posture. Pose uses strength to keep its front body lifted toward the sky.

A beginner-friendly yoga pose makes the body supple, can be part of the Heart Opening Sequences, and serves as a preparatory pose for more advanced poses.

It elevates our hearts like the sun and increases the light within. We set our limits and limit ourselves. Ardha Purvottanasana helps to open these boundaries and removes fear and doubt from our minds.

Practice Guide For Reverse Table Top Pose

The guide begins with an introduction to the pose, highlighting its significance in yoga practice and its potential benefits for the body and mind.

Steps To Do Reverse Table Top Pose

1. Start by sitting on the floor in Dandasana where your legs extended out in front of you. The arms are alongside your torso.

2. Bend the knees and place the soles of the feet in front of the hips at a distance (about a foot). Make sure feet ankles, knees, and thighs are hip distance apart.

3. Place the palms flat on the floor behind the hips at shoulder distance. Make sure the Fingertips of both hands should be in the direction of your feet.

4. On an inhale, press into the hands and the feet firmly. raise the hips above the floor and towards the sky as you straighten the arms. Make sure the weight of the body is on both your hands and feet.

5. In this position your shoulders and knees will be in a straight line.

6. Raise your hips as high as possible so that your chest rises up.

7. Keep the knees at a 90-degree angle to the thighs, The feet should be under the knees and hands under the shoulders.

8. Draw the shoulder blades into the back and try to avoid clenching the buttocks.

9. Breathe and hold for 30 seconds.

10 To release – slowly exhale the hips back down to the floor.

Benefits

• In Ardha Purvottanasana, we have to keep the weight of the body on the hands by keeping both the hands and feet on the floor, which puts pressure on the muscles of the hands that help in strengthening the hands.

• The pose expands the lungs completely, and a good amount of oxygen goes into them. This oxygen strengthens our respiratory system. Apart from this, this asana also provides relief for diseases like your asthma.

• This asana gives a good stretch to the front of the ankles, chest, and shoulders and also strengthens your back, legs, biceps, and triceps. It will help keep you open to new possibilities.

• The visceral organs are also stimulated along with the better functioning of the chest (heart) as well as the lower abdomen (abdomen and reproductive organs).

• Tightness around the neck, shoulders, lower back, hips, and muscles due to long hours at the desk can be reduced by this exercise.

• Improves flexibility of wrists, shoulders, neck, lower back, hips, and knees.

• It creates space between our hips and our ribcage and stabilizes the hips and pelvis.

Precautions 

If you have any kind of pain in your wrist or you have carpal tunnel syndrome and shoulder pain, then you should not do this asana.

If you have a neck injury, use a wall or chair for your head.

Conclusion

Ardha Purvottanasana also known as the reverse table top is a beginner-friendly yoga pose with strengthens the arms and improves posture. Its practice can help in achieving a high level of strength and flexibility in the body.