Kandharasana (Shoulder Pose)
Every day, your heart beats about 100,000 times, sending 2,000 gallons of blood surging through your body. Although it’s no bigger than your fist, your heart has the mighty job of keeping blood flowing through the 60,000 miles of blood vessels that feed your organs and tissues. Any damage to the heart or its valves can reduce that pumping power, forcing the heart to work harder just to keep up with the body’s demand for blood.
Yoga has certain postures that can help you maintain a healthy heart and help in improving its capacity to function better. Kandharasana or shoulder pose is one such posture. Though the following postures are simple to practice and can be easily done at home, we suggest you seek medical advice before starting them.
Procedure
1. Lie flat on your back.
2. Fold the legs and place the feet near your hips.
3. Position your feet and knees in such a way so that they are shoulder width apart.
4. Hold the ankles with the hands.
5. Whilst inhaling, raise the buttocks and arch the back upward. Try to push your chest and navel as high as you can without moving the feet or shoulders.
6. In the final position, the weight of your body should rest on the head, shoulders, neck, arms and feet.
7. Stay for as long as possible and slowly come back to ground with exhalation.
8. Practice this for 2 to 3 times.
Benefits:
• The lifting of the shoulder helps the rib cage open and provides more space for the heart.
• It also improves the blood circulation.
• Helpful in management of prolapse, respiratory disorders, hypo-thyroid.
Caution:
People suffering from acute neck ache and hernia should avoid this posture.
