Enter
- Start in Supported Shoulderstand, with your legs vertical.
- Lift your torso and keep your shoulders grounded.
- Release your hands and extend your arms behind your head.
- Rest your arms on the floor without holding your back.
Steps
Support
Shoulders and cervicothoracic region; back of head and arms resting.
Hold
- Keep your legs together and aligned over your shoulders.
- Lift your upper back and abdomen.
- Keep your elbows straight and your arms resting.
- Keep your head centered and still.
Exit
- Support your back again and ground your elbows.
- Exhale; bend your knees and slowly lower your back.
- Lower your legs and rest supine, keeping your head down.
- Breathing
- Breathe through your nose without breath retention.
- Duration
- 1 minute.
Adapt
Adaptations
- Firm blanketsElevate your shoulders; keep your head on the floor.
- Supported ShoulderstandKeep your hands on your back and your elbows grounded.
- Wall preparationPush your feet against the wall to enter.
Variations
- Nirālamba II: hands beside your knees without supporting them.
- Sālamba II: arms opposite the head; fingers interlaced.
Signals of effort
- Inversion, loading the shoulders and cervicothoracic region.
- Sustained neck flexion.
- Back unsupported by your hands.
- Vertical legs without support beneath the feet.