Moordhasana

Intermidate

Inversion Asanas

Moordhasana

Crown Based Pose

(mur-da-sun)

Meaning: moordha = crown

Table of content

Spinal Movements:

Preparation

Stand upright with a straight spine, relaxed shoulders, arms at your sides, feet together. Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Getting into position

Step your feet (one at a time) as wide apart as comfortable, keeping toes pointing forward. Roll the shoulders backward, bring hands behind the back; hold the wrist or interlock the fingers. Rotate your palms inward toward your hips and then face your palms down (inside of elbows facing toward your back). Inhale. Exhaling, bend forward from the hips with a flat back and raise your arms up (adjusting the shoulders as needed). Keep your head at the same height as your spine (parallel to the floor). Raise your hands up more. Slide your feet out slightly wider if needed. Inhale. Exhaling, press away through the palms to help lengthen the spine, lower the crown of the head to the floor, raise the arms up farther. Hold with normal breathing for around 30 seconds.

Coming out of position

Slightly relax the body. Exhale. Inhaling, activate your leg muscles for stability, slowly raise your torso upright. Exhaling, relax your shoulders, release hands. Stand up into starting position. Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Tips

  • Press down on the outer edges of your feet with your toes active for stability.
  • When separating your legs, do not bend knees or lift outside of foot. Feel equal tension/pressure in hip muscles, glutes, and thighs.
  • Go down in steps; going farther on each exhalation.
  • Be careful with your shoulders; do not overstrain excessively.
  • If you feel dizziness or discomfort, release hands, place your hands on the floor in front of you and come to a kneeling/sitting position.
  • Keep the abdomen and thigh muscles active throughout the practice.

Precautions

Avoid

If you suffer from chronic/serious back or neck problems, sciatic nerve pain/injury, heart disease, high blood pressure, or herniated (slipped) disc.

Be careful

If you have common cold/sinus congestion, back pain, low blood pressure or get dizzy easily, weak eye capillaries, recent ear problems, thyroid gland problems, weak spine.

Benefits

General

  • Stretches the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, calf muscles.
  • Strengthens neck, shoulders, abdomen, and thighs.
  • Increases blood flow to the head and brain.
  • Improves rounded shoulders and digestion.

Therapeutic

Helpful for those with low blood pressure.

Variations

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