‘Pincha’ means feather, ‘Mayura’ means peacock and ‘asana’ means posture or seat, in Sanskrit. Pincha Mayurasana is one of the coveted inversions that requires skill and patience to achieve.
Organising the Pose:-
1. Come into forearm plank, then walk into Dolphin pose.
2. Keep your forearms parallel to each other with the elbows and palms shoulder width apart.
3. Walk your feet in as much as you can, bringing your hips over your shoulders. Engage the core and draw your shoulder blades into your back to support your back body.
4. Extend the right leg up into the air, pressing down firmly into your elbows, coming up onto the ball of your left foot. Keep your elbows in towards the midline of your body.
5. Once comfortable here, take a bend in your left knee, shifting your weight slightly forward and take a gentle hop with the left foot to bring the left leg up to meet the right.
6. Actively squeeze your legs together and extend the balls of your feet upwards. Push down strongly through the elbows and forearms, drawing your low ribs in , lengthening your spine upwards.
7. This is the final position. Hold the position for as long as is comfortable then slowly release the legs one at a time and rest in Child’s pose, repeating with the opposite leg once ready.
DOs:
-Try looping a strap around your upper arms to keep them shoulder width apart and place a block between your hands for a better grip.
DONT’S:
-Don’t practice this pose if you have neck, shoulder or back injuries, headache, high blood pressure, heart condition or menstruation.
BENEFITS:
-This pose strengthens the shoulders, arms and back. It stretches the shoulders, neck, chest and belly and improves balance.
-It calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression.
Namaste!
Neelanjana Bharadwaj– Yoga Expert