Featured Pose: Camel (Ushtra-Asana)

In order to give our students a way of expanding their yogic learning and exploring asanas in more depth, we are going to begin having a Focus Pose of the Month.  These poses will not necessarily be included in every class, but you may notice the focus pose, support poses and counter poses recurring in different classes with teachers representing personal perspectives.  We hope that this will give students a chance to thoroughly learn poses from a variety of vantage points.  

All backbends including camel are exhilarating and invigorating - they stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and prepare your body and mind to be active.  Because of this, Camel (and other backbends) are great poses to include in morning practice or any time of the day when you would like some extra energy. 

Camel Pose Benefits:  

• Deeply arches the sacral/lumbar spine

• Opens the top of the thighs and stretches hip flexors

• Good for digestive system, stretches stomach and intestines,helps allieviate constipation

• Good for reproductive system

• The neck-back variation tones neck muscles and regulates thyroid gland

• Opens the shoulders; excellent for drooping shoulders or hunched backs (things we get from driving cars and working at computers)

Camel Pose Warnings:

• Seek medical advice if you have a spinal injury.

• Without support, the back can spasm, so those with weak backs should only do gentle versions.

• If you have neck issues, do not drop head back, keep chin to chest.

Camel Pose Counter Pose:  

It is important to follow this asana with a forward bend like  Paschimottanasana or any Child’s Pose variation.  

Brian says:

Camel is one of my favorite backbends because it is a deep back-bend that doesn’t force you to engage lots of muscles; you can allow gravity to work in your favor.  It is intense at the same time as it is relaxed.

Reminder:  As in all backbends it is important to flatten the lower back first, then engage moola bandha and uddiyana bandha before you go into the pose and mantain them throughout.  This will keep the spine long in the lower back as you bend, protecting it from crunching up.  This engagement works in slight opposition to the bending, and you want that.

I often use Camel instead of Fish as a counter pose to Shoulder Stand.