How to Do the Supported Shoulder Stand in Yoga
If you are a baby boomer and no longer as sprightly and agile as you were in your younger years, you can still do yoga. If you have physical limitations like arthritis or your balance isn't quite as good as it once was--or maybe you're simply stiff and creaky from lack of exercise--you can still practice this form of exercise, although it might take you a little longer to learn how to execute the more challenging poses. Props are your friend. Props don't need to be anything fancy or expensive. You can use a wall or a chair as a prop when doing yoga. A prop helps you modify a pose so you can do it based on your abilities and limitations. You will still receive the benefit of doing the pose, even though it has been modified.
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Instructions
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Know that a shoulder stand in yoga is an inverted posture; because you will be turned upside-down, it will make your blood flow in the opposite direction, which is a good thing. You're changing the force of gravity. The shoulder stand can help relieve fatigue and jump-start your circulatory system.
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Be aware that the shoulder stand is a taxing posture and shouldn't be undertaken without the supervision and guidance of a yoga instructor. This pose directly impacts your neck, so you must be very, very careful.
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Modify the shoulder stand to suit your needs. Rather than doing the shoulder stand in the center of the room, with no support or props other than a yoga mat, you can use the wall as a prop and blankets as a cushion of sorts.
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Place a folded blanket on your yoga mat. Lie on your back on the blanket. Your shoulders (but not your neck or head) should be resting on the folded blanket. (This elevates the shoulders and decreases neck strain.) Your head should be resting on the mat itself. In other words, your shoulders will be a couple of inches higher than your head. The cushion of the folded blanket (or blankets) will help prevent strain to the neck.
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Do not turn your head in one direction or another. Tuck your chin. Scoot your buttocks close to the edge of the wall, making sure your shoulders are still cushioned by the folded blankets and your head is not on the blanket, but on the mat. Bend your knees, then lift your legs above your head and allow them to rest against the wall. The entire length of your legs should be touching the wall.
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Bend your knees and press the bottoms of your feet against the wall while simultaneously raising your hips slightly and putting your hands under your waist, balancing on your elbows. Your hands should be supporting your back. At this point, the only parts of your body that are in contact with the blanket and the mat should be your shoulders, neck and head. If you feel any neck strain whatsoever, slowly lower your buttocks to the floor, remove your hands from underneath you, bend your knees, curl up (as if in the fetal position) and roll to one side or another, carefully coming out of the posture.
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Tips & Warnings
Follow the links in the Resources section to see how a regular shoulder stand is executed and to find whatever props you need to master the practice of yoga.
Do not attempt the shoulder stand--supported or otherwise--on your own if you don't have any yoga experiences. This is an advanced posture and should always be done under the supervision of an instructor.
Resources
- Photo Credit http://www.yogachicago.com/sep07/images/Bob%20supported%20shoulderstand.JPG
