Noose for Sciatica, Back & Shoulder Tension

This position, suitable for intermediate and advanced students, is described in the Full Pose section below. First we'll look at a simpler version of this twist, using the wall as a prop.

(posh-AHS-anna)

pasa = a snare, trap, noose, tie, bond, cord, fetter
Step by Step

Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) next to a wall with your feet hip-width and parallel to each other. Ideally, you will stand forearm distance from the wall. So, as you stand in Tadasana with the wall on your right side, turn to the right and press your right palm into the wall-from wrist to elbow, your forearm should be parallel to the ground. Adjust your distance to the wall accordingly and turn your torso back to center.

Bend your knees into a full squat, with your buttocks sitting on your heels. If you're not able to get the heels fully on the floor, squat with the heels raised on a thickly folded blanket or sandbag.

Swing your knees slightly to the left. As you exhale, turn your torso to the right and press both hands into the wall. As your left hand presses into the wall, the elbow should press against the outside of your right knee. Support the pose by using your right hand for leverage-the right hand will be high and the left hand will be low. For the full pose, it's necessary to close any space between the left side of the torso and the tops of the thighs. So work the back of the left arm down the leg, moving the back of the left shoulder toward the outside of the right knee.

Press the knee and arm (or shoulder) firmly against each other. Use this pressure to lengthen the left side of your torso out of the inner groins, sliding it along the tops of the thighs. There's a tendency in these deep twists to harden the belly, so try to keep your belly soft.

Keep the right hand on the wall or bring the palms together with the elbows angled sharply away from each other. Use the pressure of the palms to increase the twist.

Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to a minute. Release the twist with an exhalation, then repeat for the same length of time to the left.


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Anatomical Focus
Arches
Thighs
Knees
Ankles
Abdomen
Hips
Chest
Shoulders
Spine
Intestines
Kidneys
Liver
Bladder
Uterus
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Therapeutic Applications
Asthma
Mild back, shoulder, and neck tension
Indigestion
Flatulence
Menstrual discomfort
Sciatica
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Benefits
Stretches and strengthens the ankles
Stretches the thighs, groins, and spine
Opens the chest and shoulders
Stimulates the abdominal organs
Improves digestion and elimination
Improves posture
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Contraindications and Cautions
Avoid deep squats with any knee injury
Lower-back injury
Herniated disk
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Variations
For the full pose, perform steps 1 through 3 as described above. Then snug the knee into the armpit, bend the elbow, and swing the forearm around the front of the shins. Position the hand just to the outside of the same-side shin. Then exhale and sweep the other arm behind the back. Grasp the top hand (or wrist) with the bottom hand.

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Modifications and Props
Beginning students often aren't able to easily squat for Pasasana. It's possible though to learn the rudiments of this pose while sitting on a chair. Sit near the front edge of the seat. Press the left hand to the outside of the right knee and twist to the right. You can push the right hand against the chair back to help lift the spine and improve the twist. After a few breaths, if this position is relatively comfortable, lean slightly forward and press the left forearm to the knee. Again wait for a few breaths and, if possible, lay the left side of the torso down near the top thighs and press the left elbow to the knee. Press the palms firmly and evenly against each other. Hold for a few breaths, untwist the torso and lift up with an inhalation. Repeat to the left for the same length of time.

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Partnering
A partner can help you deepen the twist. Squat near a wall, so that you are twisting away from the wall. In this example you will be twisting to the right and the wall will be to your left side. Have your partner sit on the floor on your right side. Perform steps 1 and 2 as described above. Have your partner put his soles on your outer thigh to brace you, then take hold of your left wrist. He should gently pull on your wrist and arm, helping you to move the back of the left shoulder closer to the right knee.


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Deepen The Pose
To increase the twist, use the bottom arm (the one wrapped around the legs) to pull down on the top arm.

Upward facing Dog For Sciatica, Strengthens Spine, Arms & Wrists

Upward Facing Dog. Let's understand in detail the pose that we always practise in class. Click here Yoga Journal - Yoga Basics Column - Open Your Heart


Stabilize your lower back in Up Dog to create an even arc along your whole spine.
By Natasha Rizopoulos

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog) is an invigorating backbend that opens the chest and shoulders and strengthens the arms and legs. Linking breath to movement is important when you're practicing Up Dog, because the breath animates and illuminates the pose and opens the heart.

Typically, you enter Up Dog on an inhalation. Take a deep inhalation now and notice how it feels: Your heart lifts, your collarbones spread, your pectoral muscles broaden and expand—movements you'll want to accentuate in Up Dog—and you feel energized. Of course, re-creating those same expansions in the pose is challenging. Students sometimes find Up Dog uncomfortable, especially in the lower back and wrists. Before trying the pose, get clear on the basic setup and then work on easing tightness in your shoulders and thoracic spine (upper and middle back). The following variations will help you find the essential actions and alignment of the pose so you can enjoy it to its fullest.

Pull

If you feel achy in the lower back during Up Dog, it probably means that your upper back is stiff and your lower back is overcompensating by bending too much. With backbends the aim is to have all areas of the spine participate, not just the parts that are easy to move. If either your lower back or your neck extends too much, your backbend will not be even. If you continue these imbalances over time, you'll put undue stress on the bendier parts. To remedy this, you'll need to learn to open the thoracic vertebrae. To access your thoracic spine while limiting the movement in your neck and lower back, practice a modified Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Begin lying on your belly with your forehead on the floor and your feet hip-width apart and parallel, toes extended straight back from your heels. Place your hands on the floor next to your lower ribs, with your elbows stacked over your wrists and the creases of your wrists parallel to the front of your mat. Draw your elbows back and in toward the midline of your body so that your shoulders lift away from the floor and your pectoral muscles spread. Firmly press all 10 toes into the floor, especially your pinkie toes, so that your quadriceps engage and your kneecaps pull up. Active legs are crucial to a happy Up Dog. When the legs are lazy, you tend to sit in your lower back rather than lengthen out of it, so really practice pressing down with the tops of your feet and lifting your thighs. Rotate the inner thighs to the ceiling (this broadens your lower back) and release the flesh of your buttocks toward the floor. Doing this decreases the arch in your lower back and creates more length. Both elements—active legs and the downward release of the buttocks—are critical to creating a backbend in which your lower back is spacious and protected.

Now extend your sternum (breastbone) forward and up. Make this happen by pulling your hands back (still squeezing your elbows in), as if you were on a scooter or skateboard trying to drag your body forward. Your hands won't actually move back on the mat, but this pulling action will help you find the correct alignment. The heads of your shoulders will draw back and away from the floor, the trapezius (the thick muscles at the base of your neck) will release away from your ears, and the shoulder blades will press forward and into your chest, helping to open your upper back. Continue to direct your tailbone down, and see that your chin is level to the floor so that you don't overbend in your neck. Hold for 8 to 10 breaths and then release your forehead back to the floor.

Pull and Push
Return to your belly with your hands beside your lower ribs. Press down with all 10 fingers and all 10 toes. If your pinkie toes come off the floor, your inner thighs drop, which creates compression across the lower back. Avoid this by giving extra weight to the pinkie toes.

On an inhalation, pull your chest forward and up as you simultaneously push off your hands and feet to lift your body away from the floor. Stack your shoulders over your wrists and lift your sternum and thighs to the ceiling as you release your tailbone toward your heels. Make sure your toes extend straight back and that your feet are planted rather than being dragged along when you pull your chest forward. You want to anchor the pose so that you can explore your upper back.

Use your inhalation to make the pose blossom, take the heads of your shoulders back, and spread your collarbones and pectorals. Imagine your shoulder blades are a pair of friendly hands pressing into your chest and opening your heart, and then carefully raise your gaze so that the curve in your neck is a continuation of the curve in your upper back. Balancing the bend in your Up Dog will protect your spine.


Reminders

Lengthen back of neck
Pull chest between arms
Keep arms perpendicular to the floor
Straighten elbows
Lift thighs, especially inner thighs
Press down evenly through hands and knuckles
Stack the shoulders directly over the wrists
Don't sit in the lower back.



Step by Step

Lie prone on the floor. Stretch your legs back, with the tops of your feet on the floor. Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your waist so that your forearms are relatively perpendicular to the floor.

Inhale and press your inner hands firmly into the floor and slightly back, as if you were trying to push yourself forward along the floor. Then straighten your arms and simultaneously lift your torso up and your legs a few inches off the floor on an inhalation. Keep the thighs firm and slightly turned inward, the arms firm and turned out so the elbow creases face forward.

Press the tailbone toward the pubis and lift the pubis toward the navel. Narrow the hip points. Firm but don't harden the buttocks.

Firm the shoulder blades against the back and puff the side ribs forward. Lift through the top of the sternum but avoid pushing the front ribs forward, which only hardens the lower back. Look straight ahead or tip the head back slightly, but take care not to compress the back of the neck and harden the throat.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is one of the positions in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. You can also practice this pose individually, holding it anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily. Release back to the floor or lift into Adho Mukha Svanasana with an exhalation.



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Anatomical Focus
Wrists
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Therapeutic Applications
Sciatica
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Benefits
Improves posture
Strengthens the spine, arms, wrists
Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen
Firms the buttocks
Stimulates abdominal organs
Helps relieve mild depression, fatigue, and sciatica
Therapeutic for asthma
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Contraindications and Cautions
Back injury
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Headache
Pregnancy
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Beginner's Tip
There's a tendency in this pose to "hang" on the shoulders, which lifts them up toward the ears and "turtles" the neck. Actively draw the shoulders away from the ears by lengthening down along the back armpits, pulling the shoulder blades toward the tailbone, and puffing the side ribs forward. If you need help learning this, lift each hand on a block.

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Modifications and Props
Often it's difficult to keep the legs strongly suspended above the floor. Before you move into the pose, position a thick blanket roll below your top thighs. When you are in the pose, lightly rest your thighs on this roll as you press the tailbone closer to the roll.

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Partnering
A partner can help you learn about the lift of the chest in this pose. Come into position with a strap looped around your back torso (across the shoulder blades) and under the armpits. Have your partner sit in front of you, a foot or so away, and grip and pull the ends of the strap, while at the same time pressing his/her feet lightly against the fronts of your shoulders. Release the heads of the upper arm bones away from this pressure as you dig the shoulder blades into the back, away from the strap.


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Deepen The Pose
To increase the strength and lightness of this pose, push from the backs of your knees along the calves and out through the heels. The tops of your feet will press more firmly against the floor; as they do, lift the top sternum up and forward.

Warrior 1 or Virabhadrasana 1 for Sciatica,Strengthens Shoulders, Arms & Thighs

re three variation of Warrior, of which this is customarily numbered 1). It may seem strange to name a yoga pose after a warrior; after all, aren’t yogis known for they’re non-violent ways? But remember that one of the most revered of all the yoga texts, the Bhagavad-Gita, is the dialog between two famous and feared warriors, Krishna and Arjuna, set on a battlefield between two great armies spoiling for a fight. What’s really being commemorated in this pose’s name, and held up as an ideal for all practitioners, is the “spiritual warrior,” who bravely does battle with the universal enemy, self-ignorance (avidya), the ultimate source of all our suffering.

Step by Step

Stand in Tadasana . With an exhale, step or lightly jump your feet 31/2 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms perpendicular to the floor (and parallel to each other), and reach actively through the little-finger sides of the hands toward the ceiling. Firm your scapulas against your back and draw them down toward the coccyx.

Turn your left foot in 45 to 60 degrees to the right and your right foot out 90 degrees to the right. Align the right heel with the left heel. Exhale and rotate your torso to the right, squaring the front of your pelvis as much as possible with the front edge of your mat. As the left hip point turns forward, press the head of the left femur back to ground the heel. Lengthen your coccyx toward the floor, and arch your upper torso back slightly.

With your left heel firmly anchored to the floor, exhale and bend your right knee over the right ankle so the shin is perpendicular to the floor. More flexible students should align their right thigh parallel to the floor.

Reach strongly through your arms, lifting the ribcage away from the pelvis. As you ground down through the back foot, feel a lift that runs up the back leg, across the belly and chest, and up into the arms. If possible, bring the palms together. Spread the palms against each other and reach a little higher through the pinky-sides of the hands. Keep your head in a neutral position, gazing forward, or tilt it back and look up at your thumbs.

Stay for 30 seconds to a minute. To come up, inhale, press the back heel firmly into the floor and reach up through the arms, straightening the right knee. Turn the feet forward and release the arms with an exhalation, or keep them extended upward for more challenge. Take a few breaths, then turn the feet to the left and repeat for the same length. When you're finished return to Tadasana.
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Anatomical Focus
Ankles
Calves
Thighs
Groins
Abdomen
Chest
Lungs
Shoulders
Neck
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Therapeutic Applications
Sciatica
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Benefits
Stretches the chest and lungs, shoulders and neck, belly, groins (psoas)
Strengthens the shoulders and arms, and the muscles of the back
Strengthens and stretches the thighs, calves, and ankles
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Contraindications and Cautions
High blood pressure
Heart problems
Students with shoulder problems should keep their raised arms parallel (or slightly wider than parallel) to each other.
Students with neck problems should keep their head in a neutral position and not look up at the hands.
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Beginner's Tip
When the front knee bends into the pose, beginners have a tendency to tip the pelvis forward, which duck-tails the coccyx and compresses the lower back. As you perform step 2 in the main description above, be sure to lift the pubis toward the navel and lengthen the tail toward the floor. Then as you bend the knee, continue to lift and descend these two bones, keeping the top rim of the pelvis relatively parallel to the floor.

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Variations
This pose can be performed with the arms in various positions. For example, go through steps 1 to 3 as described above, except with your hands resting on your hips. Then, once the forward knee is bent, swing your arms around behind your torso and clasp your hands. Stretch your hands away from the back torso and lift your chest. It's acceptable to squeeze your scapulas together at first, but be sure, once the chest is lifted, to push them away from the spine. To leave the pose, reach back with your hands and, with an inhalation, "pull" yourself up, straightening the front knee.

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Modifications and Props
Beginners find it very difficult to keep the back heel grounded and the lower back lengthened in this pose. As a short-term solution, raise the back heel on a sand bag or other height.

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Partnering
Here's a partnering exercise for this pose, but you need two partners (of approximately the same height) and a thick pole (like a broomstick). As you perform the pose, have your partners stand, facing you, to either side of your torso. It's helpful if you and your partners are similar in height. They should hold the ends of the pole and hold it above your head. Grasp the pole with your raised hands, then you and your partners push the pole up until your arms are fully extended. Imagine then, as all three of you push, that your torso and legs are "hanging" from the pole.

Tree Pose For Sciatica, Improves Balance & Srengthens Legs

(vrik-SHAHS-anna)
vrksa = tree

Step by Step

Stand in Tadasana. Shift your weight slightly onto the left foot, keeping the inner foot firm to the floor, and bend your right knee. Reach down with your right hand and clasp your right ankle.

Draw your right foot up and place the sole against the inner left thigh; if possible, press the right heel into the inner left groin, toes pointing toward the floor. The center of your pelvis should be directly over the left foot.

Rest your hands on the top rim of your pelvis. Make sure the pelvis is in a neutral position, with the top rim parallel to the floor.

Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor. Firmly press the right foot sole against the inner thigh and resist with the outer left leg. Press your hands together in Anjali Mudra. Gaze softly at a fixed point in front of you on the floor about 4 or 5 feet away.

Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Step back to Tadasana with an exhalation and repeat for the same length of time with the legs reversed.


Anatomical Focus
Thighs
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Therapeutic Applications
Sciatica
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Benefits
Strengthens thighs, calves, ankles, and spine
Stretches the groins and inner thighs, chest and shoulders
Improves sense of balance
Relieves sciatica and reduces flat feet
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Contraindications and Cautions
Headache
Insomnia
Low blood pressure
High blood pressure: Don't raise arms overhead
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Beginner's Tip
If your raised foot tends to slide down the inner standing thigh, put a folded sticky mat between the raised-foot sole and the standing inner thigh.

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Variations
Stretch your arms straight up toward the ceiling, parallel to each other, palms facing, or touch the palms together forming an inverted V with the arms.

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Modifications and Props
You can stand with your back braced against a wall if you feel unsteady in this pose.

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Partnering
If you are practicing Virasana with arms raised overhead, a partner can help you lift and lengthen your arms. First raise your arms perpendicular to the floor. Have your partner stand behind you and press inward against your outer upper arms, then lift your outer arms toward the ceiling. At the same time, draw your inner arms downward, from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders.


Deepen The Pose
As with Tadasana , you can challenge your balance by practicing this pose with your eyes closed. Learn to balance without any reference to the outer environment.

Revolved Triangle Pose For Sciatica, Digestive Problems & Lower Back Ache

(par-ee-vrit-tah trik-cone-AHS-anna)
parivrtta = to turn around, revolve
trikona = three angle or triangle
Step by Step

Stand in Tadasana. With an exhalation, step or lightly jump your feet 3½ to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach them actively out to the sides, shoulder blades wide, palms down. Turn your left foot in 45 to 60 degrees to the right and your right foot out to the right 90 degrees. Align the right heel with the left heel. Firm your thighs and turn your right thigh outward, so that the center of the right kneecap is in line with the center of the right ankle.

With an exhalation, turn your torso to the right, and square your hip points as much as possible with the front edge of your sticky mat. As you bring the left hip around to the right, resist the head of the left thigh bone back and firmly ground the left heel.

With another exhalation, turn your torso further to the right and lean forward over the front leg. Reach your left hand down, either to the floor (inside or outside the foot) or, if the floor is too far away, onto a block positioned against your inner right foot. Allow the left hip to drop slightly toward the floor. You may feel the right hip slip out to the side and lift up toward the shoulder, and the torso hunch over the front leg. To counteract this, press the outer right thigh actively to the left and release the right hip away from the right shoulder. Use your right hand, if necessary, to create these two movements, hooking the thumb into the right hip crease.

Beginning students should keep their head in a neutral position, looking straight forward, or turn it to look at the floor. More experienced students can turn the head and gaze up at the top thumb. From the center of the back, between the shoulder blades, press the arms away from the torso. Bring most of your weight to bear on the back heel and the front hand.

Stay in this pose anywhere from 30 seconds to one minute. Exhale, release the twist, and bring your torso back to upright with an inhalation. Repeat for the same length of time with the legs reversed, twisting to the left.




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Anatomical Focus
Ankles
Legs
Hips
Groins
Lower back
Abdomen
Shoulders
Spine
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Therapeutic Applications
Constipation
Digestive problems
Asthma
Lower backache
Sciatica
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Benefits
Strengthens and stretches the legs
Stretches the hips and spine
Opens the chest to improve breathing
Relieves mild back pain
Stimulates the abdominal organs
Improves sense of balance
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Contraindications and Cautions
Back or spine injury. Perform this pose only with the supervision of an experienced teacher or avoid it altogether. Also avoid this pose if you have:

Low blood pressure
Migraine
Diarrhea
Headache
Insomnia
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Beginner's Tip
This pose is slightly easier with a narrower stance. Beginners should also, as suggested in the main description, bring their hand to the inner foot, whether on the floor or on a support like a block or folding chair.

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Variations
Parivrtta Trikonasana leads into a very interesting variation, not usually described in popular instruction manuals, called Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half Moon Pose). Perform the pose (twisting to the right). Then exhale, bend the right knee and reach the left hand forward on the floor (or onto a block) about 12 to 18 inches beyond the right foot (with the hand positioned on the big toe side of the foot). Inhale and straighten the right knee, lifting the left foot off the floor and bringing the leg parallel to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute, return the left foot to the floor with an exhalation, and leave the twist as described in step 5 above. Repeat on the other side.

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Modifications and Props
One of the most common problems in this pose is the inability to keep the back heel grounded, which makes the pose very unstable. There are various ways to deal with the back heel. First, of course, you can just accept the situation and work diligently to press through the heel (and open the back-leg groin) even though it's off the floor. Second, you can perform the pose with your back heel wedged against a wall, which gives you something to push into. Or finally, you can raise the back heel on a lift and, over time, work to gradually lower the lift until the heel stays on the floor.

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Partnering
A partner can help you stabilize and align this position and get a better feel for the twist. Perform steps 1 and 2 in the main description above. Have your partner stand behind you and wrap a strap across your front hip crease. Then continue with the rest of the pose. As you move into the twist, the partner will pull firmly on the ends of the strap, dragging the front groin deeper into the pelvis and the outer front hip away from the shoulder. Also, he can pull in on the strap to help you keep the front hip tucked in and, with one of his feet, press against and ground your back heel.


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Follow-Up Poses
Parivrtta Trikonasana is usually sequenced just after (as a counterpose to) Trikonasana. You can also use this pose as a standing preparation for seated forward bends like Janu Sirsasana and seated twists like Ardha Matsyendrasana and Marichyasana III.

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Deepen The Pose
When you bring the bottom hand to the outside of the forward leg, press the forearm firmly against the outer shin. This pressure of arm-against-leg will help your torso rotate more deeply into the pose.

Revolved Side Angle Pose for Sciatica & Constipation

Since most students can’t easily keep their back heel down in this pose, a modified version will be described here with the back heel raised off the floor. See Deepen the Pose below for a brief description of the full pose.

(par-ee-vrt-tah parsh-vah-cone-AHS-anna) parivrtta = to turn around, revolve
parsva = side, flank
kona = angle
Step by Step

Stand in Tadasana. With an exhalation, step or lightly jump your feet 3½ to 4 feet apart. Rest your hands on your hips. Turn your right foot out to the right 90 degrees and turn your left foot in slightly to the right. Align the right heel with the left heel. Firm your thighs and turn your right thigh outward, so that the center of the kneecap is in line with the center of the right ankle.

Exhale and turn your torso to the right until you’re facing directly out over the right leg; as you do this, lift your left heel off the floor and spin on the ball of the foot until the inner left foot is parallel to the inner right foot. Then exhale again and bend your right knee. If possible, bring the right thigh parallel to the floor. Keep your left leg active by pressing the thigh up toward the ceiling and extending strongly through the left heel. At the same time, resist the lift of the left thigh by pressing the tailbone toward the pubis.

With another exhale turn further to the right and lean the torso down, placing the left hand on the floor inside the right foot. Dig your right thumb into the right hip crease and push the thighbone down toward the floor. Firm the shoulder blades into the back ribs and lean the torso back slightly, away from the inner thigh. Stay in this position for a few breaths.

If this position seems challenging enough, stay for the recommended time. If you want to go further, bend your left elbow and bring it to the outside of the right knee. Resist the knee and elbow against each other. If possible, straighten your left elbow and reach the hand toward the floor (if you can’t reach the floor, support your hand on a block). You can keep your right hand on your hip, or stretch it over the back of the right ear with the palm facing down. Then turn your head to look at the right arm. As in all twists lengthen and soften the belly, extend the spine with each inhalation, and increase the twist as you exhale.

Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Inhale to come up, exhale to release the twist. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time to the left. Then return to Tadasana.




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Anatomical Focus
Legs
Ankles
Groins
Chest
Lungs
Shoulders
Spine
Abdomen
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Therapeutic Applications
Constipation
Infertility
Low backache
Osteoporosis
Sciatica
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Benefits
Strengthens and stretches the legs, knees, and ankles
Stretches the groins, spine, chest and lungs, and shoulders
Stimulates abdominal organs
Increases stamina
Improves digestion and aids elimination
Improves balance
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Contraindications and Cautions
Headache
High or low blood pressure
Insomnia
If you have any neck problems, don’t turn your head to look at the top arm; instead look straight ahead with the sides of the neck lengthened evenly, or look down at the floor.

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Beginner's Tip
Beginners often have difficulty maintaining their balance in this pose, especially with the back heel lifted off the floor. To improve your balance, support your heel, either by standing it on a sandbag or thick book, or by bracing it against a wall.

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Variations
You can perform this pose with your hands in a modified Anjali Mudra (Salutation Seal). Perform steps 1 through 4 in the main description above. Press the bent elbow against the outside of the bent knee, but don’t straighten the arm. Then bend the top elbow and press your palms together. You probably won’t be able to touch your thumbs to your sternum, as you do in traditional Anjali Mudra. Open your elbows wide, stretching your bottom elbow toward the floor, the top elbow toward the ceiling. Use the pressure of the elbow against the knee and the palms against each other like a crank to increase the twist in the upper back.

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Modifications and Props
Here’s an exercise that will help you deepen the twist in this pose by modifying it in an unusual way. Perform steps 1 through 3 in the main description above, with a block underneath the bottom hand. Shift onto the outside edge (little-toe side) of the back foot, and walk the block away from the inner foot about 12 to 18 inches. Lean the torso back away from the inner bent leg, as if doing a backbend, and on an exhalation, twist the front of the torso to face up at the ceiling. You can press the free palm against the sacrum, or stretch the arm over the back of the top ear.

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Partnering
A partner can help you deepen the twist in this pose. Perform the pose with the outside of your back leg and hip braced against a wall (for the purposes of this description we’ll say you’re twisting to the right with your left leg and hip on the wall). Have your partner sit on the floor outside your right thigh and hip, facing you. She should press one foot against your outer thigh, just above the knee, and the other foot against your right hip (now the pelvis is squeezed between your partner’s foot and the wall). Reach your left arm out toward your partner. She should grasp the forearm and gently tug the arm toward her as she pushes her feet on the thigh and hip. Have her pull according to your capacity.


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Deepen The Pose
Advanced students will want to keep the back heel as much as possible on the floor. Be sure to rotate the back foot in more than you do for most other standing poses, about 45 to 60 degrees. Take a little support under the back heel if needed at first.

Dandasana for Upper Back , Posture & Sciatica

Step by Step

Sit on the floor with your legs together and extended in front of your torso. If your torso is leaning back, it may be because tight hamstrings are dragging the sitting bones toward the knees and the back of the pelvis toward the floor. It may be helpful to sit on a blanket or a bolster to lift the pelvis.

A simple way to check alignment is to sit with your back against a wall. The sacrum and the shoulder blades should touch the wall, but not lower back or the back of the head. Put a small rolled-up towel between the wall and the lower back.

Sit towards the front of the sitting bones, and adjust the pubis and tail bone equidistant from the floor. Without hardening the belly, firm the thighs, press them down against the floor (or your support), rotate them slightly toward each other, and draw the inner groins toward the sacrum. Flex your ankles, pressing out through your heels.

To lengthen your front torso perpendicular to the floor, think of energy streaming upward from the pubis to the sternum, then down the back from the shoulders to the tail bone. Then imagine the tail lengthening into the floor.

Imagine your spine as the "staff" at the vertical core of your torso, rooted firmly in the Earth, the support and pivot of all you do. Hold the pose for one minute or longer.



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Anatomical Focus
Upper back
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Therapeutic Applications
Sciatica
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Benefits
Strengthens the back muscles
Stretches the shoulders and chest
Improves posture
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Contraindications and Cautions
Any wrist or lower back injury
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Beginner's Tip
Lay one to three 10-pound sandbags across the tops of your thighs at the hip crease to help ground your thighs.