Mukha: Face
Vrksasana: Tree
Asana: Pose
Adho Mukha Vrksasana at a Glance
Adho Mukha Vrksasana also known as the Handstand pose (handstand means facing in a downward direction.), is a part of the arm balance sequences, which needs coordination of the physical and mental body. This pose requires a lot of strength in the arms and shoulders, core muscle strength, and breath awareness. Adho Mukha Vrksasana is the most challenging balancing yoga pose and the name of the pose also means ‘the inversion of the tree poses.
Benefits:
- It strengthens the arms, wrists, and shoulders and helps open your chest.
- It helps to improve your blood flow to your head region.
- It helps to improve your emotional balance and stability and supports mental strength.
- It helps to stimulate your abdominal muscles and helps to boost digestion.
- It helps to reduce stress and anxiety and helps calm your mind.
Who can do it?
Adho Mukha Vrksasana or handstand is an advanced and challenging pose and requires good strength, balance, and understanding of the body alignment. Advanced yoga practitioners can do this pose. Individuals such as athletes, gymnasts, or any sportsman having good arm, shoulder, and core strength and body balance can do this pose. Even classical dancers can do this pose.
Who should not do it?
Beginners should not attempt this pose. People with any injury to their arms, legs, ankles, wrists hips, or any injury in the body should avoid this pose. Individuals with any surgery should also avoid this pose. Pregnant women should avoid this pose. Women during their menstrual cycle should avoid doing this pose.
How to Do Adho Mukha Vrksasana?
Follow the Step-by-Step Procedure
Do the Preparatory poses and the warm-up for this pose, to avoid injury and to boost your muscle energy.
- You can start with the Tadasana or the Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog) pose.
- Here we will start with the Adho Mukha Svanasana, come to the downward-facing dog pose, near the wall if you are a beginner.
- Keep your hands (placed on the ground) about 10 cm away from the wall, for support if needed.
- Being in the Adho Mukha Svanasana pose, take some deep breaths and keep your palms shoulder-width apart, with the index fingers parallel and pointing straight ahead.
- Next, see that your shoulder is in line with the wrists your palms placed firm, and your fingers spread wide.
- Now slowly walk your legs towards your hand, inhale, and bend the knee of the left leg.
- Now Exhale and lift the right leg (one leg) off the ground and straighten it slowly and once you get control, slowly try to lift your left leg.
- Extend your tailbone and your upper body upwards, as you lift your body from the ground.
- Make yourself comfortable, engage your core muscles, and keep your legs active.
- If you have the fear of falling, continue taking the wall support, unless you are comfortable. Once you gain confidence you get your legs off the wall bring in in the air and balance on your arms.
- Here your head is in between your arms, and your arms are straight.
- Your body is in one line from your leg (upward) to the head and arms on the ground.
- This position is the Adho Mukha Vrksasana hold this pose as per your physical limit and don’t force yourself to hold for a longer time if your body doesn’t allow you to.
- Breathe gently and gaze at a steady and your comfort level in the downward-facing tree pose.
- When you are ready to exit, bring your legs (one foot at a time) one by one come down to the downward-facing dog position, and rest yourself in the Balasana pose or the savasana pose.
What are the Benefits of Adho Mukha Vrksasana?
- Adho Mukha Vrksasana’ s benefits are many, some are listed below.
- Adho Mukha Vrksasana strengthens your arms, wrists, shoulders, and back.
- This helps to give a stretch to your belly.
- This pose improves blood circulation to the body parts and improves the energy flow to your head.
- The Adho Mukha Vrksasana improves the sense of balance and calms the brain to help relieve stress and mild depression.
- It helps to calm your mind and helps to keep depression away.
- This pose helps to improve your sense of balance enhances your stability and stamina and helps build confidence.
- It helps to support your mental strength and keeps your fear away.
- It helps to improve cardiovascular endurance and stimulate the baroreceptors in the carotid arteries.
- It helps more flexibility to the shoulders and improves the motion.
- It opens up the chest, which increases your breathing capacity.
- Adho Mukha Vrksasana also activates Sahasrara (crown chakra).
Health Conditions that Might Benefit from Adho Mukha Vrksasana
- This pose engages your core muscles and your lower back, which helps to strengthen it with regular practice.
- Regular practice of this pose can help strengthen your shoulders and your wrists, which could be beneficial at an older age and improve your posture too.
- This pose helps to master your balance and stability and increases self-awareness and stability.
- This could help to improve your focus and build your confidence and willpower which is important for a healthy life.
- This inverted position provides an influx of blood and oxygen to the brain, which in turn sends signals to the body and the parasympathetic nervous system activates, and this helps in the reduction of the stress hormone – cortisol
- It helps to improve cardiovascular endurance and stimulate the baroreceptors in the carotid arteries.
Safety and Precautions
- People with shoulder injuries, neck, back, or leg injuries should avoid it.
- People with high blood pressure should avoid it.
- one must warm up and do specific yoga poses as part of the inversion.
- Any headache or any health concern within your head should not be practicing handstands.
- Be slow and develop strength and balance before getting into the pose.
- People with low blood pressure too must take it easy and practice the same under the guidance of a yoga teacher, as the sudden blood rush to the head may cause dizziness.
Common Mistake
- Not placing your arms (palms) properly.
- Not engaging your shoulders properly.
- Not engaging your core muscles properly.
- Keeping your legs falling apart and not keeping them straight.
- Keeping your body stressed.
- Keep your elbows straight.
Tips for Adho Mukha Vrksasana
- Pre-strengthen your core muscles by doing the plank pose, boat pose, wheel pose, and other core-strengthening poses.
- When in Adho Mukha Savasana (downward dog). Hands shoulder distance apart and fingers spread wide so you can get a good grip on the mat to improve balance.
- you can do Bakasana (Crane Pose) – to gain strength in the upper body.
- Warm up every joint to avoid any sprain or injury.
- Initially can practice near the wall for support.
- Alignment principles are very important.
- Avoid doing it immediately after meals, do it on an empty stomach.
- Gaze between your arms at a steady point.
- Use props to support under the guidance of your yoga teachers.
- Consistency is the key and progress gradually.
Physical Alignment Principles for Adho Mukha Vrksasana
- Palms pressed firmly on the ground and fingers spread wide.
- Rotate your forearms internally.
- Rotate your upper arms outward.
- Open your chest and armpit.
- Firm your shoulder blades against your back and widen your shoulders
- Shoulders above your wrists.
- Gaze between the hands.
- Toes to fingertip in one line.
- Scapulae elevated.
- Keep your glutes and pelvis firm.
- Press firmly through the heel to keep this leg active.
- The navel tucked to the spine and core engaged.
- Your legs are firm and engaged, and your knees caps lifted.
- Toes pointed and hug your inner thighs to the midline.
- Keep your shoulder blades lifted as you come out of the pose.
Adho Mukha Vrksasana and Breath
In the handstand pose breath is very important, which helps in balance and stability. Breathe deeply before you start the pose, inhale at the start of the pose, and exhale while you leave your legs by engaging your core. Keep your breath continuous once you are in the final version of the pose and keep your breath gentle and calm. While you exit, exhale and bring your legs to the ground slowly, being aware of the movement of the body. Keep your breath steady and avoid holding your breath.
Adho Mukha Vrksasana and Variations
- Handstand with support of the wall.
- Half handstand at the wall.
- Bunny hops pose handstand
- Handstand with a bent knee.
- Split Handstand.
The Bottom Line
Adho Mukha Vrksasana pose strengthens and stretches your entire body. This is a challenging and advanced pose, where you need to develop your core and arm strength balance, and stability. During your initial stages do it under the guidance of the yoga teacher, with the alignment procedure. Progress slowly and be consistent. For any health concerns consult your doctor. This asana has many physical and mental benefits. Listen to your body and act accordingly. Keep your breath coordinated while doing this pose, this will ensure, balance and stability. Adho Mukha Vrksasana improves your self-awareness helps boost your confidence level and helps relieve fear, anxiety, and stress.
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