Camel yoga pose
Ustrasana is named a camel pose because of its resemblance. It consists of two words: Ustra means camel, and asana indicates a yoga pose. Camel pose gives an excellent stretch to the thighs, abdomen, ribcage, and throat. This asana helps to open the heart chakra (Anahata).
How to do camel pose
The different steps of ustrasana are given below:
- First of all, kneel on the floor.
- Keep your thighs and feet together.
- Toes should be pointing back and resting on the floor.
- Bring the knees and the feet about one foot apart and stand on the knees.
- Inhale and bend backwards slowly.
- Exhale; place the right palm on the right heel and the left palm on the left heel.
- The thighs should be vertical to the floor, and the head should be tilted backwards.
- The arms and legs should evenly support the weight of the body.
- Maintain the pose as long as you can.
- Exhale; come to the original position slowly.
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Camel pose benefits
- Reduces belly fat: The regular camel pose helps reduce belly fat.
- Chest: This asana provides optimum stretch to the chest and abdomen, thus suitable for ailments associated with the chest and abdomen.
- Good for the liver: It imparts thorough massage to internal organs like the liver, kidney, pancreas, and intestine.
- Expansion of lungs: This helps to expand the ribcage and the associated muscles. Thus facilitating the expansion of the lungs.
- Spine stretching: The asana helps to suitable stretching to the spine, thus helpful in vertebral loosening.
- Correct stooping back: While performing this asana, the shoulders are pulled backwards, and the chest is pushed forward, which helps to correct rounded shoulders and stooping back.
- Thyroid: The asana massages the thyroid gland, thus suitable for a thyroid person.’
- Stiff back: Those suffering from backache and neck ache should perform this asana.
- Improve digestion: It gives appropriate stretching to the organs related to the digestive system, thus suitable for digestion.
- Menstrual discomfort: A person experiencing menstrual difficulties should practice this yoga asana.
Courtesy: Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga
Precautions of camel pose
- Persons with severe back problems such as lumbago should strictly avoid it.
- Avoid having an enlarged thyroid.
- Those suffering from heart disease and hernia should avoid it.
- It should be skipped in case of high or low blood pressure.
- Avoid back injury
- One shouldn’t perform in neck injury.
