"Sarva" means "all" and "Anga" means "part" in Sanskrit. Almost all parts of the body are involved and the asana works on all parts effectively. Sequence:
- Lie down straight on your back positioning arms on the sides and palms turned down.
- Bring the legs close to each other, with heels and big toes kept together.
- Inhale and exhale at regular pace and relax the whole body.
- Push down the ground with the palms and elbows and ensure the knees kept straight.
- Breathe in and during the process, lift up the legs together to the extent they are perpendicular to the floor.
- Breathe out and during the process, increase the pressure of your palms and elbows against the floor and lift up your hips and lower back against the floor simultaneously bringing your legs towards your head.
- Ensure the palms resting beneath the hips and prop up the trunk and legs.
- Keep moving the palms higher on the trunk, simultaneously pushing the hips and the small of the back higher and lift up the whole trunk against the ground to the extent it is vertical. During the process, bring the legs also back to the vertical position.
- Ensure the palms resting at the back of the ribs and balance the lifted trunk and legs using palms, forearms and elbows.
- Keep moving the palms further higher and higher, lift up the hips and legs more to the extent trunk and legs are in a straight line.
- Push the chest forward towards the chin to make a chin-lock.
- Focus your attention on the big toes and maintain the balance.
- 1.Inhale deeply and make a rhythmic sound and stay in this posture for about three minutes.
- Come back gradually in the original position following the reverse order.
- Deeply inhale and exhale few times and then breathe as usual.
- Get relaxed totally in Sarvangasana.
Caution:
- Patients of cardiovascular disorders or high blood pressure are recommended not to attempt this asana.
- Do not try the asana if you are suffering from cold and your nostrils are blocked or if you have a thyroid disorder.
- Patients of any kind of eye trouble must not do this asana.
- Youths who have not crossed fourteen years age should not practice this.
- Women must avoid this asana during menstruation as the blood released at this time is often very acidic and a back-flow may result in damage of the womb.
- Avoid practicing this asana if you feel dizzy or have palpitation while performing it.
Benefits:
- Sarvangasana basically improves the functioning of thyroid and parathyroid glands, which are responsible for regular functioning of important organs of the body and synchronize the metabolic processes. A thyroid working properly combats nervous tension. Signs of old age, due to the faulty functioning of the thyroid, are counteracted by performing this asana regularly.
- It also increases efficiency of the pituitary and thyrnus glands and functioning of the prostate gland improves.
- It keeps away the unwanted wrinkling of the face and premature ageing.
- The inverted position of the body in Sarvangasana, in which the feet and legs are kept higher than the heart, results in improved blood supply to the thorax, neck and head due to the reversal of the gravitational pull on the blood flow. Enhanced blood supply to the brain, the scalp, face, the organs of the chest, the roots of the cranial and spinal nerves, and other vital organs and glands improves overall health of the body. Most of the blood flow related problems are solved along with increasing the free flow of hormones into the blood. The blood flow in the reverse direction improves the efficiency of the heart.
- If done on regular basis, this asana helps to make the vertebral column supple. A stiff spine can be made pliable and minor defects in its curvature are corrected. The spinal nerves are also toned up.
- The asana makes muscles of the upper arms, shoulders, neck and thighs stronger.
- The inversion of the body helps to get rid of congestion of the organs in the lower part of the abdomen and the pelvis.
- The liver and kidneys work more effectively.
- It helps in proper digestion and regular pancreatic secretion.
- It helps to get rid of extra fat around the abdomen, waist and hips.
- This asana prevents sagging of breasts in women.
- It regularizes working of the throat vessels and the vocal cords. The voice is improved due to the pressure kept on the neck and the massaging of the larynx and pharynx and all the organs of the throat.
- It improves the eyesight.
- Persons who work in conditions where long hours of standing are required can practice this asana as this posture relaxes the legs. A regular practice of this asana controls the weight of the body because of increased efficiency of the thyroid gland.
- Patients of palpitation, bronchitis, tonsillitis, headache, insomnia and epilepsy must practice this asana to cure the disease.
- The asana helps to cure goiter.
- One can get benefit from the pain in the back of the neck following this asana.
- It cures hernia effectively and helps to get rid of bleeding piles and urinary disorders.
- This asana treats leprosy in very effective manner.
- Sarvangasana helps to combat nervous fatigue and exhaustion.
- The regular practice of Sarvangasana keeps away cold and other nasal disturbances by clearing congestion in the sinus cavities.
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