Today for many people, yoga is not just a hobby or one-time activities, but a whole way of life. Spiritual practice includes meditation, breathing exercises and performing various poses (asanas) of varying complexity. Each of them acts on certain energy centers of a person and helps to strengthen physical health and spirit.
The most complex and powerful in its effect is the scorpion pose. How to do it right and how to prepare to get the most positive effect?
Asana Options
The scorpion (or vrishchikasana) pose refers to the so-called inverted asanas. It is performed in three versions: on the chest, on the forearms and on the hands. The first is called urdhvaikapada vrishchikasana. This asana is a kind of miniature scorpion pose, its preparatory stage. The technique for performing all the options is similar. The difference is only in the level of load. In yoga, the scorpion pose in any form requires a certain physical preparation: flexibility, stretching, strength in the hands and a sense of balance.
Technique 1: on the chest
Starting position - lying on your stomach. The legs are straight, the arms are parallel to each other and lie at the level of the shoulder joints. Thumbs directed forward. The elbows should be raised up and pressed firmly against the body.
Then you need to raise the pelvis above the floor, bending the knees and moving them forward. But attention! If your knees move too close forward, you can create a compression situation on the cervical spine. And this can have negative consequences. The position is considered correct if it is comfortable to turn your head to the side. Body weight should be transferred to the chest, while the hands are free and participate only in maintaining balance.
The next step is raising the legs. First you need to straighten and raise your right leg as high as possible. In this position, several respiratory cycles should be done.
Then it is necessary to straighten the supporting left leg. Raise the casing above the floor. The elbow joints should form an angle of 90 degrees. Stability in this position is provided by hands tightly pressed to the body. It is on them that the main body weight is transferred. In this case, the body should be as elongated and strained as a string. The crown of the head reaches forward.
The last stage is the most difficult. On it, the supporting left leg rises up. The emphasis is on the hands and chin. Attention! The chin is the third point of balance, the main body weight should be transferred to the hands. This will prevent overloading the cervical spine.
Now you should bend more in the lower back and chest. Feet feet to the head, slightly bending the knees. A light version of this asana is the transfer of body weight to the chest, with the arms extended backwards, palms up.
Urdhvaikapada vrishchikasana helps strengthen the muscles of the back, arms and chest. In the future, this will be a useful and high-quality training for handstand. No matter how difficult and wisely the scorpion's pose was described, the photos will always help to gradually monitor its implementation.
Technique 2: on the forearms
Starting position - kneeling. Bend your arms at your elbows and lay on the floor. For greater stability, the elbows are apart.
The third fulcrum is the head. Both legs are lifted up with a press. Thus, a headstand is obtained . Body weight is evenly distributed over three fulcrum. In this position, you need to linger in order to perform several respiratory cycles.
Then smoothly transfer the weight to the elbows, bend the lower back, bend the knees slightly. The head is now raised, the gaze is directed forward or up. The toes of the feet are tight. The main body weight is transferred to the forearm. Fingers are involved in maintaining balance.
Technique 3: on hand
Scorpion pose in full version is performed standing on hand. This is the highest level of difficulty.
The starting position and the technique of breathing and lifting legs, as in urdhvaikapada vrishchikasana. After both legs were up, the bend of the scorpion is accepted, it remains on the exhale with the help of a powerful bench press to straighten your arms, lifting the body above the floor.
Exit from the asana also has options:
- You can also smoothly drop to the floor, bending your elbows. First lower the left foot to the toe, then the right. Straighten your knees and take your starting position (lying on your stomach).
- Another option involves alternating the legs forward, behind the head (if flexibility allows). Thus, the body takes the position of the bridge. The body weight passes to the legs and, thanks to the muscles of the back, there is a rise.
Whichever option the yogi chooses, he should be as smooth as possible and accompanied by control over his breathing.
Benefit
Scorpion pose has a very unusual and powerful effect on the human body.
- When performing this asana, almost all muscle groups work. This is the holistic strengthening of the body. Blood circulation improves.
- The brain is also saturated with blood and oxygen, which contributes to its greater activity.
- Scorpion pose requires the participation of the whole organism. Together with breathing exercises, it removes energy blocks, disperses blood congestion in organs that are located below the heart. This quality is especially useful for people suffering from intestinal diseases, varicose veins.
- Deep breaths and exhalations with such complexity of the asanas are simply impossible. Therefore, the scorpion pose in yoga is designed to train shallow breathing. And this is a great training for capillaries.
- In addition, the scorpion pose strengthens the arms, shoulder joints, develops flexibility of the spine and a sense of balance, normalizes the functioning of the reproductive system.
Contraindications
It must be remembered that this asana is traumatic. Attention, responsibility and considerable physical effort - this is what a scorpion pose will require from a performer. Photos with a detailed image of each stage will help to better prepare and realize their capabilities. For safety reasons, it is recommended to carry out an asana with an instructor or against a wall. Despite such a strong positive effect, this asana has a number of contraindications.
- It is forbidden to perform for people with high blood pressure and heart disease.
- Contraindications are cerebral thrombosis and dizziness.
- Women during the menstrual cycle should also not perform the scorpion pose, like all other inverted asanas.