May Pose of the Month - Dandasana

Dandasana - Staff Pose

Sitting on the floor is something not done that often anymore. The invention of chairs has created a loss of flexibility in knees, ankles, hips and the spine.

Staff pose is a great fundamental pose to improve posture and rest the legs.  Like Tadasana (mountain pose) for standing postures, Dandasana is the pose to come back to between other seated postures to realign the body, breath and mind.

Sit on mat and extend legs out in front of you.  Sit evenly on the buttock bones, keeping the thighs and feet together with toes pointing up to ceiling.  Lengthen through the back of the legs and press out through the heels.  Roll the outer thighs inward and engage the thigh muscles by pulling the kneecaps up.  Then descend the thigh muscles towards the floor.  Use the fingertips to lift the spine, abdomen and truck up and then press the hands to floor, releasing the shoulders down the back. Keep the chest lifted up and the collarbones broadening to the outer tips of the shoulders.  Keep the crown of the head parallel to the ceiling, face, eyes and throat soft.

If lower back rounding and shoulders slumping add height under the hips as in pictures below.  Also place height under the hips if you cannot keep the torso perpendicular to the floor.

With folded blanket..

Or bolster.  If you need quite a bit of height, place a folded or rolled blanket under the backs of the knees so no strain is felt there.

The back can also be placed at the wall in any variation to help support the spine.

Then, inhale and extend the arms overhead by the ears.  Keep the spine lifting up and the sacrum and dorsal moving into the body.  Draw the shoulders away from the ears and down the back.  Legs are firm and the diaphragm is free of tension. 

Stay for a few breaths and then release arms with the exhalation.

Another variation of this pose - great to do if legs or spine is tired is to lie on back with buttock bones at the wall and legs extending up the wall.  Same key points as in the seated version.  Here the abdomen and diaphragm can release even more.

As in the seated version, draw the arms up by the ears on the inhalation and release on the exhalation.

Turn the pose 180 degrees and practice the same pose, now with the torso parallel to the floor.  Press the hands firmly into the wall and keep hands level with the shoulders.  Don't let the head hang, but keep the back of the head in line with the spine.  Keep the tailbone in line with the heels, tighten the quadriceps and press the thighbones back.  Shoulder blades still move down the back.

After a few breaths, look up with the inhalation and step towards the wall.

The strength, balance and equanimity found in the breath in this posture will come into play in many other postures.

Benefits: Strengthens spine and chest muscles, rests legs, tones kidneys and abdominal organs, lengthens ligaments of the legs, reduces heartburn and flatulence and relieves breathlessness.

Cautions:Use back at wall and sit on height if spine sags

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com