In Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog), raising the palm support helps to move the body weight to the legs and stay longer in the position.
Even novices may learn to move the legs, lengthen the trunk, expand the chest, and so on by practicing this vital asana in this manner.
1st variation:
Raise your palms
The sequence below shows three steps of getting into the position while utilizing the chair to lift the hands and generate resistance.
Stage 1:
- Place your palms on your seat.
- Place the seat of the chair against the wall.
- Step back into the posture with your palms on the seat.
- For persons who are stiff or have weak arms, the elevated hand support is quite beneficial.
- It facilitates the transfer of bodily weight from the arms to the legs.
Stage 2:
- Place your palms on the rung.
- Turn the chair around so that the front of it is towards the wall.
- Place the palms of each hand upon the chair's rung.
- Spread the fingers apart and open the palms. It's worth noting that the force you apply to the chair in stage 2 may cause it to fold.
- Place the chair with the seat toward the wall to avoid this.
- As a result, the chair will slip and fold somewhat until it comes to a halt against the wall. Then it will no longer fold and you will be able to lean on it safely.
Stage 3:
- Palms on the Floor Lower your hands as far as possible and lay your palms on the floor.
- Between the index and thumb of the matching hand, place the chair's legs.
- While pushing against the chair legs, spread the fingers widely.
Variation 2:
Inverted chair When turned upside down, the chair may be used to support the palms or feet.
i. Palms provide support
- Place the backrest of the chair against the wall and turn it upside down. Place your palms on the seat's bottom side (or hold the legs of the chair).
- Return to the original position. Lifting the forearms and tightening the elbows may be accomplished by pressing the palms on a slanted surface.
- The forearms and elbows are also supported by the chair's legs.
- This is quite calming for the arms, and it is especially beneficial for persons who tend to overextend their elbows.
- People with a large shoulder girdle should grasp the chair's legs instead of pressing their palms against the seat.
- This aids in the rolling of the arms from the inside out (move the triceps muscles closer to the center line and the biceps muscles away from the center line of the body).
In Adho Mukha Virasana, the chair can be placed in the same way as seen here:
ii. Support for the feet
- The feet can alternatively be positioned on the sloped seat.
- Elevating the feet raises the buttock bones and heightens pelvic girdle awareness.
- To attain the complete stretch of the legs, press the heels down.
- Later on, we'll go through how to use the inverted chair.
- Leaning on the chair is the third variation.
- The front part of the body rests against the chair in this form. The heels are elevated and leaned against the wall for support.
- In order to lessen the contact points, blankets should be placed on top of the backrest and seat.
- This variant is extremely beneficial for relaxing and expanding the back after doing backbends. It allows the entire body to relax and stretch.
- The abdomen expands and shrinks toward the lower back. Blocks can be used to support the palms and/or feet if necessary.
You may also want to read more about Chair Yoga here.
You may also want to read more about Yoga here.
You may also want to read more about Yoga Asanas and Exercises here.
