How to Do the Dandasana Pose in Yoga
Dandasana or Staff Pose is a seated pose in yoga. It is the most basic seated pose and it is from Dandasana that all the others originate. If you are familiar with yoga, you might think of Dandasana as the seated version of Tadasana or Mountain Pose. If while performing the Dandasana Pose you feel like you are just sitting on the floor, then you are doing it incorrectly. Though it is a relatively simple pose, it does require the body to be fully contracted and engaged, using the muscles and joints in each part of the body. Dandasana works to strengthen the legs and improve the bodies overall alignment.
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Instructions
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Sit down with your legs stretched out in front of you. Your knees and big toes should be touching and the bottoms of your legs should be touching and parallel to the floor.
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Sit up straight. Place your hands around your hips, with your thumbs at the top of your hips bones and shift your hips so that your tailbone is pointing down into the floor. Keep your spine straight and lifted.
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Engage your thighs muscles. Flex your feet, pointing your toes toward the ceiling and flex your thigh muscles, so that your heels gently lift off the floor.
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Contract your core muscles. The core muscles are the girdle of muscles that surround your lower back and abdomen and are the key to performing all yoga poses. Engage your core muscles by drawing your abdomen toward your spine and cinching your waist as if there was an actual girdle around your middle.
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Align your upper body. Roll your shoulders back and open your chest, but do not arch your back. Stack your shoulders so that they are directly aligned with your hips.
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Elongate your neck. Looking straight ahead, pull your chin into your chest, so that the crown of your head is lifted toward the ceiling.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are new to yoga, put some padding, like a rolled towel or a folded yoga mat under you sit bones. This will help you to correctly align your body.
