Activating the arms in Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Hands Pose)

The work we have to do with the body in Urdhva Hastasana is almost the same as in Tadasana, so the previous posts where I demonstrate exercises and variations for the feet, legs, pelvis, and chest can also apply to this asana. I am going to add other variations to help you understand the work and engagement of the arms and the correct alignment of the spine.

As I previously said, if you have any cardiac condition or high blood pressure don’t raise your arms for over 30 seconds.

PLACE A STRAP AROUND THE FOREARMS AND HOLD A BLOCK BETWEEN THE PALMS

First, we will need... 1 Block and 1 Belt.

NOW LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN DO THIS

1. Stand up with the feet parallel. Big toes joining together and heels slightly apart. Ground down through the four corners of each foot.

2. Place a strap around the mid-forearms or on the elbows and tighten it to shoulder width (see how to find the shoulder distance on the post “Hello Tadasana or Samasthiti or AKA Mountain Pose“, and then place a block between the hands.

3. Lift the shinbones and the kneecaps, engaging the quadriceps/thigh muscles and drawing the inner and outer knees (without straining them).

4. Neutralize your pelvis by pulling the pubic bone toward the navel lengthening the spine and the trunk – this action prevents an excessive curve on the lumbar spine and also keeps the lower rib cage in.

5. Press on the block and on inhaling lift the arms up.

6. Make sure your lower ribs are not splaying out. Keep your gaze at the horizon, your chin level, and your throat soft and open.

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE

• The strap helps to straighten the elbows. The combination of the block with the strap helps to keep the arms in place, stabilize, and also to strengthen them.

• You can do the same exercise without the belt, holding simply the block between the hands (on the bases of the palms) and pressing it when you raise your arms into Urdhva Hastasana.

REMEMBER...

Source: Iyengar Yoga with Heather @IyengarYogawithHeather

How to work the feet, legs, and pelvis in Tadasana

Because all the bodies are different, with different ranges of mobility and flexibility, I'm going to teach you how you can work this pose at your own pace and rhythm.

All my students soon learned how much I like to practice this pose and to make them work their body, breathing, and conscience through this asana. And how my gosh, they quickly realize how much they learn about their body and also what these poses teach them and embrace so many standing poses.

Mountain Pose, besides promoting balance and stability, also helps us to understand how to work the feet, legs, pelvis, torso, spine, chest, and arms, for this reason, an asana that every beginner learns and we always come back to it in order to find focus, concentration, and equilibrium in a clear and precise way, no matter what our level in yoga is. It’s easy to see this relationship between balance and stability if we stand up with legs and feet joined together and when we close our eyes we observe that the weight of our body tends to float from one foot to another or from one heel to the top of the feet. This happens because our vision and balance are intrinsically connected. In every yoga asana, it’s essential to have a good and solid foundation so I will begin to explain some of the techniques that I have learned through my Iyengar yoga practice, with a special emphasis on the feet and legs, and in a second approach, about the chest and the arms. Keep in mind that Tadasana is an introductory posture very important that helps us to prepare the body for other asanas.

---

ACTIVATE/ENERGIZE THE FEET

1st we will need...

to place one BLOCK between the feet.

STEP BY STEP

1. Stand up straight with the feet apart, and equally distribute the weight of the body through both feet. Put a block between the feet to touch their inner sides.

2. Start to lift all the toes of the right foot, maintaining the rest of the foot, well-grounded on the mat. Press the big toe on the ground, elongating and separating the rest of the toes. Next, lay all the toes on the mat, maintaining them separate and elongated, if you need, bend and help the toes with your hands.

3. Feel and ground the mounds and arches of the right foot on the mat by lifting the inner part of the heels.

4. Now, standing up straight observe and feel the difference between the right foot and leg and your left side.

5. Do the same steps on your left side.

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE...

• Increases the sensation and action of the feet, working out balance and stability.

• The feet and ankles are activated by the resistance of the block, improving the work of the entire leg.

---

ACTIVATE THE KNEES

1st we will need...

to place one BLOCK

between the knees

and one STRAP.

STEP BY STEP

1. Stand up straight with the feet apart and place a block between the knees.

2. Lift the kneecaps up by engaging the thighs/quadriceps muscles.

3. Pull the knees back (without straining them) and opening their back part, press the inner part of the knees against the block.

4. If you have rounded tibias/shins, you may feel useful to place a strap around them a half-height (from the ankles and knees). If you wish you may also place a second strap surrounding the thighs to achieve compactness in your legs.

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE...

• The resistance of the block helps to activate and engage the knees.

• It also helps to understand the internal rotation of the thighs.

• The pressure against the block creates an impression of compact legs without compromising the alignment or losing the elongation sense on the legs.

---

ACTIVATE THE THIGHS

1st we will need...

to place one BLOCK

between the thighs

and one STRAP.

STEP BY STEP

1. Stand up straight with the legs apart and place a block lengthwise between the thighs, pressing the block against them.

2. Shorten the stance of the feet in order to feel the pressure in the thighs through all the block side surfaces.

3. Move the upper thighs internally as if you are trying to pull the block back.

4. Simultaneously, tuck the tailbone under and pull the front of the thighs backward.

5. You may find it interesting to place a strap around the thighs to help with their placement.

Source: Lillah Schwartz - @LillahSchwartz

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE...

• It helps to perceive the internal rotation of the thighs.

• The pressure against the block creates a compactness sensation on the legs without compromising the alignment or even losing the elongating sensation.

---

STABILIZING THE PELVIS

1st we will need...

to place one STRAP

around our pelvis.

STEP BY STEP

1. Stand up straight with the big toes touching and the heels slightly apart and place a strap around the middle of your pelvis.

2. Tighten the strap in a way that you feel the pressure in the greater trochanter (the two bulging bones that you have in the front of your pelvis), touching the middle of the pubic bone. Bend slightly the knees and tighten the strap.

3. Straight up the legs and observe the tension felt in the pelvis.

4. Press the buttock and move the coccyx/tailbone under (as if you want to move the pubic bone toward the navel). 

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE...

• The strap will make pressure on the femur head and stabilizes the joints in their sockets.

• This is a wonderful exercise for the hip joints.

---

LENGTHENING THE CALF MUSCLES

1st we will need...

one BLOCK and

to be standing on the lateral.

STEP BY STEP

1. Support the toe mounds on the lateral of a block, keeping the heels completely supported on the mat.

2. Move the tailbone down and the quadriceps (frontal part of the thighs) backward.

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE...

• For yoga beginners, it’s really hard to understand the action of lifting the kneecaps up and correctly positioning them.

• With this exercise, the quadriceps muscles get instantly engaged and the kneecaps go up and get pulled backward.

• The calf muscles and Achilles tendons are elongated.