The Sarvāṅgāsana Cycle – Hints and Tips

Inversions are an important part of yoga. In Iyengar Yoga they are practiced daily (unless otherwise prescribed. In a previous post, I wrote about the benefits of these asanas. I also discussed the alignment of Sirsasana. My book, Props for Yoga, Vol III – Inverted Asana discusses these poses and the many uses of props that can aid in their practice.

In this post I’ll share some tips about the practice of Sarvāṅgāsana; some of them are refined points that I found through my daily practice of this cycle. The cycle I present here is composed of the following asanas:

Salamba Sarvangasana I – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana – Halasana – Parsva Halasana – Salamba Sarvangasana II – Karna Pidasana – Niralmba Sarvangasana I – Niralmba Sarvangasana II

This present post is intended for readers  who are familiar with the basics of Iyengar Yoga (and have read Light on Yoga!)

Cautions

Avoid practicing inversions if you suffer from:

• High blood pressure
• Eye or ear problems
• Heart disease
• Dizziness or nausea
• Women should avoid inversions during menstruation days

If you have a neck problem, you can still practice Sarvangasana using a chair (see Props for Yoga, Vol III – Inverted Asana)

Why do we Use a Platform?

In Iyengar Yoga, we use a platform for this pose. The platform protects the neck from over-stretching and over-loading. We can’t bend our neck to form 90⁰ between our thoracic and cervical spine.

Here is how much I can bend my head.

Now imagine that I were to do Sarvāṅgāsana on a flat surface. The back of my neck and head would have to be on the floor, and inevitably, I’d have to round my upper back and collapse my chest. This isn’t very nice, since breathing is constricted. It will look very much like this:

In addition, the pressure on the neck may, in the long run, injure the cervical spine.

So, to protect the neck, we must let the head rest lower than the shoulders.  This we achieve by resting the shoulders and the upper arms, which form the base of the pose, on a raised platform (the other option is to dig a small hole for the head, which is indeed what I do when practicing on the beach, but isn’t very practical at the studio…).

How to make a platform?

The platform size should be about 50 cm x 50 cm (20’’ x 20’’). If your upper arms are short, you may be able to manage with a slightly smaller platform, but make sure that it’s large enough to support your shoulders and elbows. A larger platform guarantees you won’t find one elbow floating outside of the platform.
The height of the platform should be about 5 cm (2’’).
The best material to use is blankets. In the photos, I use a platform made of 6 stacked blankets, and I also use an additional one underneath, to pad the back of the head, and to allow it to slide away from the platform, so the neck can be extended.

Arrange the blankets one on top of the other such that their round sides are aligned and, together, they create a smooth and even support for the shoulders and the neck.

You can use other materials for a platform, but make sure it isn’t too hard or too soft.

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Preparations for Doing the Cycle

Determining the position of the platform

In the sequence I present here, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is practiced by arching from Sarvangasana to place the feet against the wall. Hence, we need to place the platform at an appropriate distance from the wall. Determine this distance by sitting on the platform in Dandasana with your feet against the wall.

Using a Block for Halasana

I usually use a block to support my feet in Halasana. There are two reasons for that:

• Resting the toes on the floor when the shoulders are raised on the platform may prove to be too strenuous for most people, resulting in a rounded back and a collapsed chest. Resting the toes on a block, which is about the height of the platform, enables doing the pose with more ease.
• Since we don’t see much of our body in Halasana it is hard to sense if the legs are centered. A block placed in the center of the mat at the right distance will give feedback on the position of the feet thus enabling us to center the legs accordingly.

Determine the block’s position in the same way you have determined the position of the platform.

The block should be on the sticky mat, otherwise, it may slide and no longer give you correct feedback on the position of your feet. Therefore, people with long legs need to place the sticky mat slightly away from the wall, otherwise, the block will not be on the mat.

Finally, adjust the belt to your shoulder width.

Doing the Cycle

Going to Salamba Sarvangasana

• Lie with your back centered on the platform such that your two shoulders are equidistant from its sides and set about 2-3 cm (1”) inside the front edge. Measure that inset by placing 3 fingers between the shoulders and the platform’s edge.
• Hold the edges of the mat and center yourself on it. Then roll over to Halasana.

• Check that your toes are on the center of the block. Then catch the belt at the back, with your palms facing up and your hands close to each other.

• Adjust yourself on the tops of your shoulders by pulling them back and rolling the outer shoulders down (toward the floor) and in (toward each other). Don’t go up to Sarvangasana before positioning yourself well on the tops of your shoulders.
• Then place the belt on your elbows. Tip:  First place the belt on your forearms and then bend your elbows, so that the belt slides down to its position on the elbows. Press your arms against the belt and do not allow it to slide further to your upper arms.
• Bend your elbows to 90⁰, palms facing the back, and press your upper arms down, to lift your upper back. The load of the body should be on your shoulders and upper arms, not on your neck.

• Then support your back with your hands (it’s recommended to remove the shirt from the back so as to lift also the skin. First support your back with your index fingers and thumbs and move the back ribs inward.

• Then as you lift the skin of your back, slide your palms up, to support the back with your entire palms. This is Salamba Sarvangasana I.

• Be sure to place your hands symmetrically on your back. When joining the tips of the small fingers, they should meet at the spine

• Lift your body vertically up from your shoulder girdle. Move the thighs slightly back, to shift weight to the center of your upper arms. Avoid pushing your sternum forcefully to the chin, as this creates tension.
• Stay in the pose for 3 to 5 minutes (or more…).

• To go to Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, turn your hands, such that the bases of your palms are closer to your spine, and your fingers are pointing up.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

• Then arch back to the wall, first to Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana.

• From there move the second leg down and press both feet against the wall. You may repeat this arching a few times, changing the order of the legs. Each time try to intensify the arching by moving your hands down, toward the upper back.
• Pushing the feet against the wall, open the chest and breathe deeply. Stay for 3 minutes.

• Then come up back to Salamba Sarvangasana I and continue to Halasana. Stay in Halasana for 5 minutes, observing the following points:

1. Be on the very tips of your toes.
2. Roll your buttocks toward your heels and move your thigh bones to the pelvis (to keep the heads of the femur bones moving inside the sockets).
3. Lift your thighs and open the backs of your knees.

• Remove the belt and hold it behind, with your palms facing up. From there lift to Salamba Sarvangasana II. Stay there for a minute or two.

The Halasana Cycle

• Then go to Karna Pidasana. Because your shoulders are on the platform, your knees won’t reach the floor. If you prepare in advance blocks close to your head, you will be able to rest your knees on the blocks.
• Keep holding the belt to stabilize your shoulders and walk to Parsva Halasana.

• Observe that:

1. Your shoulders don’t move (when walking the legs to the right, keep the left shoulder back).
2. Your heels are aligned.
3. Your head stays at the center and doesn’t tilt.
4. Your feet are vertical to the floor and you lift the two sides of your trunk evenly.
5. Your hips remain above your shoulders and your buttocks are moving toward your heels.
6. Press your arms and shoulders down and lift your thighs.

• Pull your shoulders still back, bend your knees to Karna Pidasana, and rest them on the blocks.
• Without moving your shoulders forward, move your arms forward to hug the back of your knees. Insert your hands in between your knees, extend the skin of the occiput away from the back of the neck, and block your ears with your hands (Karna Pid means ‘ear pressure’).

• Stay for 1-2 minutes, and then straighten your legs and arms.

Niralamba Sarvangasana

• From there lift your body to Niralamba Sarvangasana I.

• Then lift your arms by the sides of your thighs to Niralamba Sarvangasana II.

• Stay there for a minute or two and then come down.
• Once down, slide off the platform to your head-side, until your arms and shoulders resting on the floor. Keep your chest on the platform. Rest for 2 minutes in this ‘mini’ Setu Bandha Sarvangasana.

• When you are ready take two blocks, one against your feet and the other to support your head, and do a very gentle and relaxing Paschimottanasana.

• After 3-5 minutes, lie down to Shavasana.

Enjoy this deep, profound practice!

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