PEACOCK POSE (Mayurasana)

 

Peacock Pose (Mayurasana) is an advanced hand-balancing yoga pose which is the most associated with Hatha Yoga.

Method: To build strength and flexibility, take up the practice of Peacock Pose. Here are the steps:

Step 1:  Sit on your toes with knees kept wide. Keeping some distance between your knees will open up your hips.

Step 2: Lean forward to place the hands on the floor. The fingers will point towards outwards your body. As you lean forward, your elbows will bend slightly. Make sure your elbows face inward towards your heart.

Step 3: Fold the elbows and make the torso rest on the upper arms. The elbows should touch the sides of the navel. As you press your palms into the floor, your torso will press against the back of your upper arms. Your head will come forward. Raise your heels while toes still touching the ground. Keep the shoulders in a retracted position to prevent the onset of a shoulder injury.

Step 4: As you lean forward, stretch the legs behind and keep the lower body tight. Unbend your knees and extend your legs behind you, toes facing the floor. The weight of your body should be distributed on your hands and feet. Engage your core as you prepare to shift the weight of your lower body to your upper body.

Step 5: Lift your feet off the ground one at a time. As you gain balance in your arms, lift your legs so that they are parallel to the ground. Lift your head and look forward. Keep the body straight to maintain your balance in the pose. Try to hold the pose for a few seconds.

Step 6:  Release the pose by lowering your feet to the ground, then your knees. Lift off of your hands and sit back on your knees and heels to take the pressure off of your wrists. Slowly lower down the body to the ground in a resting position.

Special Tips: Emphasize the perfection of technique. Let it be performed just after Side-to-Side Push-up exercise to obtain more flexibility and stamina.

This is called a balancing pose for a reason. Though most of the bodyweight is carried by the upper body, you should avoid leaning all the way forward. With your fingers pointing towards your pelvis and your wrists in a vulnerable position, leaning the head toward the ground may cause harm to your bones. Remain in an upright position as you find a balance between leaning forward and backward.

Benefits: Peacock Pose is an advanced yoga pose because it requires upper body strength and balance. It is an arm-balancing yoga pose that is practiced for reaping the stretching and strengthening benefits.

The hamstrings, glutes, erector, spine and posterior deltoids make for posterior chain muscles. As you hold your body parallel to the ground in the peacock pose, an immense amount of muscle power is used that strengthens the posterior chain muscle group. The posterior chain is the powerhouse of the body. Keeping it healthy and strong is the key to maintaining good health.

The performance of Peacock Pose is a natural, effective and simple way to trim the stubborn fat. During the practice of the pose, the abdominals are contracted and are kept tight, which results in the trimming of excess fat from the tissues. Also, it involves core stabilization that also contributes towards shedding of fat from the body.

The placement of arms, shoulders and wrists in the peacock pose fosters strength in these body areas. Stronger arms and shoulders are vital for healthy movements. By balancing on your hands, your wrists and forearms are stretched and your core and back are engaged. This pose is a great way to release tension in the body, elongate your limbs and challenge your balancing skills. It is beneficial for building core strength necessary for other advanced poses. You will feel the stretch the deepest in your wrists and forearms, though your core will also be engaged. As you balance your body on your hands, the extension of your legs will help release tension by opening up your back.

As you squeeze your legs together to keep your lower body above the ground, your pelvis will also open up, and your thigh muscles will become engaged. This stretch opens up and strengthens the whole body. The anti-gravity aspect of this pose may appeal to people who stand on their feet for long hours during the day. So, start living your life with grace, beauty and strength of a Peacock with the Peacock Pose (Mayurasana).

Results of this pose and the preceding exercise may vary from person to person depending upon many factors such as technique used, availability of time, age, health condition, regularity, discipline, mood, interest and the like.

Final Position: Now enter into Natural Standing Posture and relax your body.