Yoga pose of the weekend – Camel Pose

This is a great way to destress at the weekend. It opens up the chest and gets the energy flowing. So why not give it a try this weekend?

(oosh-TRAHS-anna)

ustra = camel

Step by Step

1. Kneel on the floor with your knees hip width and thighs perpendicular to
the floor. Rotate your thighs inward slightly, narrow your hip points,
and firm but don’t harden your buttocks. Imagine that you’re drawing
your sitting bones up, into your torso. Keep your outer hips as soft as
possible. Press your shins and the tops of your feet firmly into floor.

2. Rest your hands on the back of your pelvis, bases of the palms on the
tops of the buttocks, fingers pointing down. Use your hands to spread
the back pelvis and lengthen it down through your tail bone. Then
lightly firm the tail forward, toward the pubis. Make sure though that
your front groins don’t “puff” forward. To prevent this, press your
front thighs back, countering the forward action of your tail. Inhale
and lift your heart by pressing the shoulder blades against your back
ribs.

3. Now lean back against the firmness of the tail bone and shoulder blades.
For the time being keep your head up, chin near the sternum, and your
hands on the pelvis. Beginners probably won’t be able to drop straight
back into this pose, touching the hands to the feet simultaneously while
keeping the thighs perpendicular to the floor. If you need to, tilt the
thighs back a little from the perpendicular and minimally twist to one
side to get one hand on the same-side foot. Then press your thighs back
to perpendicular, turn your torso back to neutral, and touch the second
hand to its foot. If you’re not able to touch your feet without
compressing your lower back, turn your toes under and elevate your
heels.

4. See that your lower front ribs aren’t protruding sharply toward the
ceiling, which hardens the belly and compresses the lower back. Release
the front ribs and lift the front of the pelvis up, toward the ribs.
Then lift the lower back ribs away from the pelvis to keep the lower
spine as long as possible. Press your palms firmly against your soles
(or heels), with the bases of the palms on the heels and the fingers
pointing toward the toes. Turn your arms outwardly so the elbow creases
face forward, without squeezing the shoulder blades together. You can
keep your neck in a relatively neutral position, neither flexed nor
extended, or drop your head back. But be careful not to strain your neck
and harden your throat.

5. Stay in this pose anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. To exit, bring
your hands onto the front of your pelvis, at the hip points. Inhale and
lift the head and torso up by pushing the hip points down, toward the
floor. If your head is back, lead with your heart to come up, not by
jutting the chin toward the ceiling and leading with your brain. Rest in
Child’s Pose for a few breaths.