camel pose

 I love camel pose

I find it easier to include in classes

rather than doing a full bow pose

and although the effects of each are actually slightly different

the rewards of the camel are immense

and, most importantly, everyone can do a variation of it

Photo by Andre Iv on Unsplash

(I must admit, I truly cannot see the connection between a camel and the camel pose)

I'm not too sure why the camel pose, ushtrasana, is not more widely taught. If it is modified to suit a general class, or individuals, then anyone can do it. 

What does it do for us? 

• keeps us upright. Even at a young age, many people (and I was one of them), stoop. This leads to a rounded back, neck problems, and really does make our breathing harder due to compressing our chest. It really does make a difference to our whole well-being when the spine is able to hold us upright and the chest is "open", expanded.
• forces air into the lower part of the lungs. This is where much of the important work of the lungs takes place. When we are stressed, or have asthma, we often do not breathe deeply enough into the lower lungs. 
• eases tension from between and around the shoulderblades - areas where we do indeed hold much stress.
• squeezes the kidneys and adrenal glands. When we come out of the pose, fresh fluids then circulate through these organs. Even if you just do a very simple modified version on the inhale, and come out of it on the exhale, you will get this effect. Having said this - camel pose is NOT for people with kidney problems. I really do get concerned at teachers using the poses as physical therapy. Please do not do this. 
• opens up the neck and whole chest and abdomen area. On the esoteric level, this creates a freer flow of energy in the throat, chest, and navel chakras, in the aura. And yes, this does make a difference. For when these chakras are expanded in the aura, our levels of physical, mental and emotional well-being really do jump up several notches.

My first ever camel pose

I shall never forget my first camel pose. It was the last class of my first year of learning yoga. We were doing an old fashioned combination of poses which included the camel. As I went up into the pose from a seated position, I had an unusual experience - a bolt of white lightning went up my spine into my head. I was a completely different person after, for it had been a base chakra (mooladhara) awakening. Lucky me. I know that this is not common, but still - lucky me. 

We shall be looking at many variations of this beautiful asana over the next few posts. 

the most simple version:

If you can't do a high kneeling position, it's fine to sit on a chair and just do the torso and head movements. You will still get the effects.

** From a high kneeling stance, elongate your spine and neck. Thrust your hips forwards, open your chest wide so that your arms hang behind you, and if there are no neck issues, drop your head back. Relax and breathe. Three to five deep breaths are fine. 

** You can breathe out and just relax backwards, then inhale to upright. Sometimes it's easier just to get the motion right rather than adding the stress of correct breathing. 

extra help

** Some people get dizzy bringing their head to upright from the backward bend, In this case, lift up the head first, sort of tucking the chin in, then come to upright.

** If you push the shoulderblades downwards when you hold the camel asana, the pose is intensified.

** Tucking the toes under also increases the backbend.

** As people progress, they can interlace the fingers starting with a loose hold. Then work up to making the hands into a firm fist which will intensify the backbend. As you progress push the hands towards the floor.

** It is easier to do this pose with knees and feet shoulderwidth apart. I don't know why people only do it with legs and feet hip width apart, as in a more advanced version, one starts sitting between the legs. So I always recommend the wider leg stance. Plus, it makes the pose more doable. Even so, we will later see versions where the legs are hip width or less, apart.

camel counterpose

Camel is a stimulating posture. It's accompanying pose is child pose which relaxes us. 

** link here to a beautiful little camel flow

** link here for beginners camel

** link here to my lifestyle blog