Mayurasana
Mayur means peacock in sanskrit. It is a balancing pose which
strengthens the shoulders, arms and wrists.
One has to hold his whole body like a stick on both his elbows. The
pose resembles the shape of a peacock hence it is called Mayurasana.
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Rukshan showing step 1 |
Step 1: Squat on the mat. Place your hands on the floor
between the knees with the palms down, fingertips pointing back towards
the feet. Keep the hands touching together. Bring your elbows together
and place them on the abdomen. Try to keep the elbows close together
throughout the pose. Place your forehead on the mat in front of you.
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Demonstrating step 2 |
Step 2: Straighten out both legs behind you. The body is now
resting on the head, hands and feet. Lift your head. Keep the head up,
gradually shift the weight of your body forward and as you do this lift
the feet. The body should be parallel to the floor.
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Side view of step 3. Pictures by Ranjith Asanka |
Step 3: This is a side view of the asana. In the beginning it
is easier to lift each foot one at a time until you get the feeling for
shifting the body weight forward and build up strength in the arms. In
the beginning, hold the posture for 10 seconds, gradually working up to
30 seconds or more.
To come out of the posture exhale and gradually lower the feet back
down to the mat.
[Benefits of the asana]
*Improves balance
*Puts pressure on the abdomen improving digestion, and relieving
indigestion and constipation.
*Stimulates the abdomi nal organs.
*Stretches the muscles of the forearms, wrists and fingers.
*Beneficial for repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome,
and for people who spend a lot of time on the computer.
*Improves concentra tion and determination.
Dip in yoga- India
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