Ushtraasana

Ushtraasana - The Camel Pose

The Sanskrit word ushtra means camel. Thus Ushtraasana means the Camel Posture.
Ushtraasana aims at opening up the chest cavity, promoting lymph drainage, sliming the thighs, waist line, hip and activating the Vishuddha chakra or thyroid plexus.

The ushtra-asana is a powerful posture for streatching the spine, back muscles, shoulders and arms. It is best to practice it later in your asana routine after most of the muscles are limber and and you have worked the back and shoulders.

How to Do Ushtraasana?

• Sit up on the knees with the heels of the feet pressed against the buttocks and the calves of the legs flat on the floor.
• Reaching backward, grasp the left ankle with the left hand and right ankle with the right hand.
• Inhale & lift the buttocks off the legs arching the back and thrusting the abdomen forward and tilt the head as far back as possible.
• Hold the posture for the duration of the inhale breath or breath gently through the nostrils while holding the posture.
• Exhale and return to the kneeling position.

Benefits of Ushtraasana

• Ushtraasana increases the lung capacity by expanding the rib cage.
• Work to mobilize the fat tissue of abdomen, thighs and hips.
• Increases the muscular flexibility, mobility of joints and elasticity of ligaments of the spine.
• With gravity pull, blood circulation is boosted in head and hence, sensory organs are activated and helps in curing hair problems.
• Strengthens the arms, shoulders, knees and thighs.
• Massages the kidneys & bladder and gives simultaneous stretch and contraction to posterior and anterior sides of the body.
• Increases blood supply to brain and increases memory, concentration and reduces stress and anxiety levels.
• Helps in cases of insomnia, disturbed sleep, depression, tension headaches.
• Regulates the functioning of the pituitary gland, pineal thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands.