‘Bhumi’ means earth, ‘pada’ means feet, ‘Mastak’ means head and ‘asana’ means pose. Bhumi Pada Mastakasana is a preliminary pose to sirshasana, a simple inversion which can be incorporated in your practice.
Organising the Pose:-
1. Come into ‘Marjari asana’ or the cat stretch with the knees and hands on the floor and back in a table top position.
2. Tuck in your toes and place the crown of the head on the floor between the hands. Straighten the knees and raise the buttocks, balancing on the head and feet.
3. Bring the heels together and separate your toes.
4. Raise the arms, clasp the hands or hold one wrist behind the back. Come up high on the toes.
5. Maintain the final pose for as long as is comfortable.
6. Lower the arms and place the hands beside the head, slowly returning to Marjari asana and then lower into ‘shashankasana’ or child’s pose for a few moment.
7. This is one round after completing which lie down in shavasana or the corpse pose before continuing with your practice.
DOs:
- Do breathe normally while in the pose
- Do practise upto 3 rounds, gradually exetending the time period in the asana.
DON’Ts:
- Don’t practise this pose if you have high blood pressure, heart conditions, inflammation of the ear, weak eye capillaries, severe near sightedness, dizziness or any cerebrovascular conditions.
BENEFITS:
- Helps in the case of low blood pressure.
- It brings a rich supply of blood to the brain, aiding memory, improving concentration and benefitting the eyes and hearing.
- Strengthens the neck, back and foot muscles. Balance the nervous system.
Namaste!
Neelanjana Bharadwaj– Yoga Expert