Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand): Basics, Steps, Benefits & More

Sarvangasana or Shoulder Stand is a powerful inverted posture in which the entire body is balanced on the shoulders, the body weight rests on the upper outer edges of your shoulders, and the rest of the body rises straight up in a line.

Sarvangasana  Basics

Sanskrit Pronunciation	Sarvangasana (sar-van-GAHS-anna)
Meaning	Sarva, meaning all, anga, meaning limb, asana, meaning “pose” or “posture.”
Pose Type	Supine, Inversion, Stretch, Strength, Balance
Pose Level	Beginning poses
Style of yoga	Hatha Yoga
Other Names	Salamba Sarvangasana, Sarvangasana, Kandrasana, Shoulder stand pose
Stretches	Heart Muscles
Strengthening	Shoulders, Neck, Back, Spines
Duration	30 second to 3 minutes

Meaning

Sarvangasana Meaning

Sarvangasana means “all limbs pose,” and “An inversion.” It is commonly referred to as Shoulder stand. As the name suggests, this posture is helpful in exercising parts of our entire body. This asana keeps a person mentally and physically healthy, and is also referred to as the ‘Queen of asanas’.

Sarvangasana is commonly called as Salamba Sarvangasana.

• Salamba (Sa – with + alamba – Support) means “with support”
• Sarvangasana (Sarva – all + anga – limb + asana – pose) means the “pose comprises all body limbs”.

Although each yoga asana has its own benefits, the benefits of practicing inversions are wide-ranging. Sarvangasana is a yoga pose that benefits all parts of your body i.e. promotes good blood circulation, reduces anxiety, insomnia and irritability, calms the nerves, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, helps in digestive disorders. Aids, and also improves immune function. And even this asana is beneficial for everyone from children to adults, especially it is more beneficial for women.

Practice Guide For Sarvangasana

The Practice Guide to Perform Sarvangasana serves as a valuable resource for yoga enthusiasts seeking to advance their practice, offering a structured and detailed approach to mastering this asana.

Preparatory Poses

• Halasana
• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
• Virasana

Step-by-step Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand Pose)

Preparation:

• Begin by lying on your back (supine position) on your yoga mat with your arms alongside your body, palms facing down.
• Relax your entire body and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.

Lift the Legs:

• On an inhalation, engage your abdominal muscles and gently lift your legs off the floor, keeping them straight.
• Support your lower back with your hands by placing them under your hips or lower back, palms facing down.
• Continue to lift your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor, forming a 90-degree angle with your torso.
• Keep your neck and head in a neutral position, looking straight up towards the ceiling.

Raise the Hips:

• Once your legs are lifted, use your abdominal strength to lift your hips off the floor, bringing your torso into a diagonal line with your legs.
• Press your elbows and forearms firmly into the mat to support your weight and stabilize the pose.
• Ensure that your weight is evenly distributed across your shoulders, upper back, and elbows, avoiding putting too much pressure on your neck.

Adjust the Position:

• If needed, you can walk your hands further down your back towards your shoulder blades to deepen the stretch and provide additional support.
• Keep your chin slightly tucked towards your chest to lengthen the back of your neck and avoid compressing the cervical spine.

Hold the Pose:

• Once you have found a comfortable and stable position, hold Sarvangasana for 30 seconds to several minutes, depending on your level of experience and comfort.
• Focus on maintaining steady, smooth breaths throughout the pose, allowing the breath to guide you deeper into the pose.

Release the Pose:

• To release Sarvangasana, gently lower your hips and legs back down to the floor with control.
• Relax your entire body and take a few moments to rest in Savasana (Corpse Pose) to allow your spine to return to its natural alignment and to integrate the benefits of the pose.

Sarvangasana Benefits

Sarvangasana is a powerful pose, therefore its benefits are amazing:

• The practice of Salamba Sarvangasana is considered very beneficial for strengthening the shoulders. With regular practice of this yoga asana, your shoulders become shapely and strong. Salamba Sarvangasana is also very beneficial for those who have sloping shoulders.

• Thyroid problem is completely cured by continuous practice of Sarvangasana. By practicing this, there is pressure on the thyroid gland and the thyroid gland becomes active, due to which the gland starts functioning properly. Apart from this, it also helps in curing other throat related diseases.

• Practicing this asana in the morning cures all types of dementia.

• By doing this asana, all types of digestive problems go away. Along with this, this asana is also beneficial in providing relief from constipation. It is also beneficial in removing the problem of piles.

• By practicing it the mind becomes sharp, memory increases and the problem of stress goes away.

• Regular practice of Sarvangasana brings a glow to your face as blood circulation increases in the face.

• The spinal cord becomes healthy and flexible and the waist muscles develop and become disease free.

• It reduces the blood pressure in the blood vessels of the legs, thus this asana can prove to be a boon for those who are suffering from varicose veins.

• The practice of Salamba Sarvangasana is also very useful to strengthen the neck. Its practice is beneficial in many serious neck related problems like spondylitis or stiff neck.

• The practice of Salamba Sarvangasana is very useful to increase the flexibility and strength of the spine. With its regular practice, problems related to the spine go away quickly. Apart from this, its regular practice helps in increasing the working capacity of the nervous system.

• Relieves problems related to the menstruation of women such as irregular menstruation, and abdominal pain during this period.

Precautions

Doing yoga is beneficial when we do them in the right way and in the right state. A little mistake can be very harmful to our bodies. Let us know the precautions –

• During this period, women should avoid performing Sarvangasana.
• Pregnant women should also stay away from this asana.
• You should not practice this asana if you have pain in your back or your blood pressure.
• Do not do this asana if you have asthma or any respiratory disease.
• If you are feeling difficulty doing this asana, then you can use a pillow below the waist.

Conclusion

Sarvangasana is often considered the “Queen” or “Mother” of all yoga poses due to its numerous benefits for the body, including improving circulation, stimulating the thyroid gland, and calming the nervous system. It’s essential to practice this pose mindfully and with awareness to reap its full rewards while minimizing the risk of injury.