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Yoga For You
Ray Madigan and Shelley Choy
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MANOA YOGA CENTER
Shelley Choy and Ray Madigan show the stages of Urdhva Namaskarasana.
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Urdhva Namaskarasana
(Upward Prayer Pose) » "Namaskar" means "to join the hands in prayer." In this position, the joined palms are extended over the head with the arms straight. By practicing the poses from previous weeks, stiffness in the shoulders is reduced, enabling one to achieve this pose.
Regular practice of Urdhva Namaskarasana helps to relieve tension in the neck and shoulders, and brings lightness to the body and mind.
1. Join the feet and balance your weight evenly on your feet with your legs straight and chest open. Straighten your arms beside the body. This is called Tadasana (Mountain Pose).
2. Turn your arms out to lift and open the chest. Bring your shoulder blades into the back, spread the collarbones wide and lift the breastbone.
3. Now inhale and re-lift the chest as you join your palms in front of the breastbone. Keep your elbows back and release the shoulders down, away from the ears. As you breathe softly through your nose, lift the chest to the hands. Do not let your chest collapse or let the shoulders round forward. This is called Namaskarasana.
4. Inhale and extend the joined palms over the head. Fully straighten your arms and do not let your elbows bend. Breathe evenly as you press your feet into the floor and lift the muscles of the legs. Lift the sides of your trunk and fully open your chest. Open the armpits as you stretch upward, creating lightness and space in the body.
Ray Madigan and
Shelley Choy are certified Iyengar Yoga teachers and co-direct the Manoa Yoga Center at Manoa Marketplace. Visit
www.manoayoga.com or call 382-3910. Manoa Yoga Center, the authors and the Star-Bulletin take no responsibility for any injury arising from the practice of these yoga postures. Readers should seek a doctor's approval before commencing this yoga practice.
