Shoulder Stand or Sarvangasana

Sarvangasana is considered to be the 'Queen of yoga asanas', due to its varied benefits to the system.



It helps the body, soul and the mind and is a combination of all the body postures. It is effective for individuals suffering from thyroid complications. Each and every muscle involved in this asana benefits the adjacent organ. The effectiveness of the shoulder stand is obvious on the face, as it rejuvenates the body.



Complete relief to the nervous system is yet another benefit of the shoulder stand.

One can practice this yoga pose by lying flat on your back with the palms on the sides. Lift your legs, while exhaling and reach them behind your head. Hold and breathe for a few seconds.



Exhale and straighten your legs to 90 degree, perpendicular to the floor. Lift your buttocks and hold your back with the palms. Support the body, by placing your elbows on the floor. They should be in alignment with the shoulders and the body should be in a straight line. Hold for a while and release slowly and reach the floor. Rest and repeat the same.

Sarvangasana is also referred to as candle stand, as the body is straight and intact like a candle. It also provides relief from certain conditions, such as asthma, shortness of breath and heavy breathing. Junk foods and other fast foods result in digestive problems. Better digestion improves the overall health of the individual. Improvement in diet and shoulder stand relieves anaemia and related conditions. Shoulder stand is better done in the early hours of the morning, as it relieves fatigue associated with little or excess sleep. Relief from seminal weakness and improvement in virility are the other benefits. Standing on the shoulders provides good sleep, when practiced in the evening. It helps to treat back related problems and back ache.

Relief from sore throats, head ache and congestion of the nose are also seen. It also invigorates the venous, digestive and nervous systems. The body is more strong and healthy due to the improvement in circulation and thereby circulation. Stretching helps the muscles of the neck. It also helps women to relieve pain during menstrual cycle. Shoulder stand also proves beneficial for women, after giving birth to a child.

The other benefits of sarvangasana or the shoulder stand are:

• regulation of the sex glands and the pituitary glands
• stimulation of the nerves
• improvement in blood circulation and
• increase in efficiency of the thyroid