7/31/14 6:14 PM Ustrasana: Camel Pose | Yoga International

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Ustrasana: Camel Pose
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The yoga postures are like flowers. Each is a blossoming of the bodys
potential, a transformation of the raw elements and energies into a
flower offered to the reality of the moment. The transforming effects of
the asanas are apparent in many postures. The offering aspect is
particularly pronounced in forward bends, in which a sense of surrender
predominates, but the feeling of blossoming is the forte of backbends.
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The camel pose, ustrasana, is a good example. Here, rooted through the
thighs and knees, the spine lifts, and the chest and throat open, creating a
bloom that is nourished and sustained by the sap rising from earthy
stores of the lower body. Such a flowering must be coaxed, not forced. In
the camel pose, as in many backbends, that means anchoring through
the pelvis and legs with the proper alignment, and then inviting the
upper back, chest, and shoulders to open and welcome the flood of life-
giving energy flowing up the central core of the body.
With careful preparation, the camel pose is valuable for beginners as well
as more advanced students. It is more accessible than many backbends,
such as the pigeon and wheel poses, but more exhilarating than the
prone backbends, such as the cobra, in which you are working against
gravity. In the camel, the feeling of falling backward is thrilling once you
are stable and grounded enough in the lower body to feel secure and
comfortable. As the focal point of the pose is in the chest, ustrasana
makes a wonderful preparation for pranayama, and good therapy for
anyone who tends to rounded shoulders or a sunken chest. It also
strengthens the thighs and lower back, and increases awareness and
strength in the pelvis.
Preparing for the Camel
We will begin with a few preparations from vajrasana, the thunderbolt
pose, to establish correct alignment in the pelvis and legs. Sit on your
heels with the feet pointed straight back. Press the inner thighs together
and squeeze the hips slightly; youll feel the pelvis lift off the heels just a
little, rising up from the foundation of the legs. Let the spine lift and the
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front of the body open and rise as the shoulders drop, and the shoulder
blades move down the back. The back of the neck lengthens. Soften the
belly and let the breath be full, easy, and round. Then inhale and lift the
arms overhead, maintaining firmness in the lower spine and legs. Stretch
the arms, interlacing the fingers and turning the palms up. After a few
breaths in this position, press the arms, still overhead, back away from
the torso (Fig. 1).
Keep the pelvis stable and dont arch the lower
back. Instead, let the heart lift and the shoulders
stretch. As you breathe, feel the ribs separating.
Lift the face to the ceiling. Hold for a few breaths
and feel the upper back and throat open.
Return the head to vertical with the arms still
alongside the ears. Reach diagonally to the right,
lengthening along the left side of the torso.
Move in one piece and resist the urge to round
the upper back, roll the left shoulder forward, or
arch the lower back. Hold and breathe, then return to center and repeat
on the other side.

Continuing with preparations, sit in vajrasana with the knees slightly
apart so the femurs track directly out of the hip sockets. Spread the tops
of the feet into the floor. Place the hands on the floor behind the feet,
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fingers pointed toward the toes.
Press the palms evenly into the
floor and draw the shoulder
blades together and down the
back. Roll the femurs toward each
other, and press the thighs and
sacrum forward. Now lift the
pelvis off the heels into line with
the chest and thighs (Fig. 2). Keep
pressing the sacrum forward, roll the thighs in and up, draw the shoulder
blades together and down, and relax the breath. Release by sitting back
down on the heels, and then fold forward into the childs pose to rest the
back.
Ustrasana
For ustrasana, position your legs in vajrasana as above. Then lift up off
the heels, pressing the thighs forward. Place your hands on the back of
the pelvis to encourage the sacrum to move deeper into the body and to
stabilize the lumbar spine. Stretch up off the legs to lengthen and lift the
torso in line with the pelvis and thighs. Continue pressing the pelvis and
upper thighs forward as you roll the femurs inward, lift the chest up and
back, and draw the shoulder blades toward each other and down.
Lengthen the back of the neck and look up at the ceiling. If youre
comfortable and want to deepen the pose, lift the back ribs, release the
hands, and stretch the arms down to rest the hands on the heels. The
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hands may rest on the soles of the feet or the heels. If you cant reach the
heels, be content with your hands on your back, or come out and try the
pose with the toes turned under.
Keep the thighs vertical and press down
through the knees, inner thighs active,
sacrum lifting into the pelvis. Let the
breath fill the body, softening the belly,
opening the lungs and chest, releasing
the shoulders, lengthening the front of
the neck. When the stretch feels
symmetrical through the length of the
spine and you feel strong and fully
present in the pose, stretch the throat up
and the top of the head toward the floor
(Fig. 3). Hold a few breaths longer, concentrating first on the breath, and
then, as the breath becomes full and easy, be aware of the energy
circulating throughout the whole body. When the bloom of the pose
begins to fade, youre ready to come out.
Take care releasing this posture, and come out as you came in: ground
more strongly through the legs, bring one hand to the back of the pelvis
and press the pelvis forward, and release the other hand and bring it to
the pelvis as you straighten back to vertical. Lastly, lift the head. Sit down
on the heels and fold into the childs pose to rest.
Variations for Shoulders and Pelvis
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You can accelerate the chest-opening
aspects of ustrasana by stretching one arm
overhead. Come into this version by
bringing only one hand back to the heel as
previously described. Stretch the opposite
arm straight up as you lift the chest, look
up, and press the pelvis forward (Fig. 4).
Reaching one arm up as the other
stretches down behind you has the effect
of expanding the front of the body,
drawing the spine toward the front, and
extending the arch of the lower back into
the upper back, thus smoothing the curve
of the spine and drawing energy from the pelvis and legs into the chest
and throat.
Let this opening continue by reaching the top of the head and the arm
back, as if you were going to bring the hand and the top of the head to
the floor behind you, keeping the arm alongside the ear and the thighs
vertical (Fig. 5 ). Breathe so the whole body expands and lengthens on
the inhalation, reaching out a bit more through the shoulder, arm, and
fingers. Exhale and settle into the space you have created.
When youre ready to come out, sweep the lifted arm up and out in front
of you; then with the strength of the legs and abdomen, lift the torso
back to center, following the lifted arm. Sit down on the heels, and, as
before, rest for a few breaths in the childs pose. Then repeat this version
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of ustrasana on the other side with
the same attentiveness you gave
the first.
In Due Time
In a practice sequence, ustrasana
fits nicely after warm-ups and the
standing poses, as you come down
to the floor for the sitting, supine,
and prone postures. The standing poses have activated the legs, pelvis,
and spine. Vajrasana, which we have seen is a convenient starting place
for the camel pose, follows naturally from the standing poses as it
relieves tired legs and directs energy upward. Arching back from the
half-standing, half-sitting position, ustrasana turns our attention from
our usual straight-ahead, into-the-world perspective of standing and
sitting to the inner realm of feeling and intuition, where the intellectual
mind loosens its grip and the innate wisdom of the body rises to blossom
into the world.
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