Pida: Pressure or Pressing
Asana: Pose
Bhujapidasana at a Glance
Bhujapidasana also known as shoulder press pose, is an Advanced level asana. This is the first real challenging arm balance of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series. This pose can guide one to take up challenges in life helps to face fears and gives us the control to balance.
Benefits:
- It helps to improve your flexibility in the hip flexors and hamstrings.
- It can help to strengthen the arms, shoulders, and wrists.
- It also helps to strengthen the core and inner thighs.
- This asana also helps to improve the digestion process.
- It helps with focus, and balance and takes out the fear of challenges in life.
Who can do it?
You would need an advanced level of strength, flexibility, balance, and also a high level of mental stability for doing Bhujapidasana. People already doing advanced-level asanas can do this. People who have a strong upper body and a strong core can do this asana. People who have patience and are ready to practice consistently can do this asana but only under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher.
Who should not do it?
This pose requires a tremendous amount of hand, wrist, and upper body strength. So Students new to yoga, should not do this asana. If you have any injuries in your arms, shoulder, or back should avoid doing it. Pregnant women should avoid it. People with very high blood pressure should avoid doing it. People with joint problems and individuals who have problems with balance and weak core should not do this asana.
How to Do Bhujapidasana?
Follow the Step-by-Step Procedure
It’s very important to prepare yourself physically and mentally before your shoulder-pressing pose.
- Stand straight in the Tadasana and take a few breaths to ease yourself and prepare mentally to start the pose.
- Now, come to the squat position (Malasana). Keep your feet at the hip-width, and let your knees be wide.
- See that your feet are firm on the floor, and your toes shouldn’t point in front. Keep them slightly pointed outward.
- Now bend your torso forward so your upper body is between the thighs.
- Here, your elbow should be touching the inner side of your knees and keep your hands flat on the floor. Should be placed on the outside of the fingers wide (and the heels of your hands should be in line with the heels of the feet).
- See that your shoulders are tucked into (underneath) your thighs.
- Now, you should press your upper left arm and shoulder on the left thigh and should be above the left knee and keep the left hand flat on the floor.
- Now, you should press your upper right arm and shoulder on the right, should be above the right knee, and keep the right hand flat on the floor.
- Once you reach this position, engage your upper arms, press the shoulders onto your upper thighs, press the upper thighs onto your arms and bring your knees closer to your shoulders.
- Now, you can see that your upper back starts getting rounded.
- Now engage your core, press your hands on the floor firmly, bring the weight to your hands, and lean your body slightly back and inhale.
- Exhale and then lift your feet (entire body) from the ground and you can cross the ankles.
- Hold this pose for a few breaths, according to how much your body allows you to.
- When you want to release, bend your elbows and bring your feet back to the ground.
- Come to the Malasana and then slowly stand in the Tadasana and relax with a few breaths.
What are the Benefits of Bhujapidasana?
The Bhujapidasana helps to challenge your balance and strength and to improve on it.
- It helps to improve your arm, wrist, shoulders, hip joints, and upper back strength and makes it more flexible.
- The best benefits are it helps you to improve your focus and balance, maintains your stability, and helps to improve your mental and physical strength.
- It helps to strengthen your abdominal muscles and thighs and also removes extra fat in these areas.
- As it engages your abdomen, this also helps in the better digestion process.
- It helps to improve the circulation of blood in your body.
- This can also help to improve your body awareness and enhance your body posture.
Health Conditions that Might Benefit Bhujapidasana
- Like many other yoga poses, the shoulder pressing pose also helps in the proper functioning of the digestive system and keeps you away from constipation and bloating.
- This pose can be helpful to reduce or remove mild back pain issues.
- When practiced consistently, this can help you to improve and maintain a better physical posture.
- As this pose is all about core strength, it helps to strengthen your core and abdominal muscles.
- If you are looking for better balance and stability and to improve your focus and concentration. This pose could be a great help by practicing regularly.
- This improves your hamstring and hip muscles and helps to improve and maintain their flexibility level.
Safety and Precautions
- If you have any health concerns with your shoulder, elbows, arms, and wrists, you should not do it.
- While doing the asana, if you feel that you can sense some pain or discomfort, immediately stop it and consult your yoga teacher.
- Almost all yoga poses should be done gradually, and this being the advanced level, take utmost care before you start it.
- You should be only doing it under the guidance of your yoga trainer.
Common Mistakes
- Warm up your arms, hips, and hamstrings before doing this yoga practice.
- Don’t force your body too much to attain the pose.
- Don’t bring your chest forward, or you will lose your balance.
- Let the weight be distributed evenly and engage your core.
- Avoiding the alignment principles may lead to injury or discomfort.
- Keep breathing throughout the pose, and avoid holding your breath at any point during the pose.
- You can find these asanas in the six Ashtanga yoga DVDs, but if you are a beginner, initially learn under the guidance of the yoga teacher in person.
Tips for Bhujapidasana
- This is a challenging pose, so preparatory poses in a must and warmup. Preparatory poses like Malasana, Seated Baby Cradle Pose, and Elephant’s Trunk Pose.
- Always do this pose on an empty stomach and the yoga mat or any soft surface.
- Be focused and have patience.
- Listen to your body while you do this pose and act accordingly.
- Mandatory to use props for better support initially.
- Beginners should start practicing under the guidance of the yoga teacher.
Physical Alignment Principles for Bhujapidasana
- Fold forward (torso) between your thighs.
- The important point is the arms should be firm and the fingers wide and distribute the weight evenly on the palms.
- The heels of your feet should align with the heel of your palm.
- The back part of the knees should rest on the upper arms.
- When you lift the body, slightly lean back.
- You should press your shoulders and squeeze your thighs when you lift your legs.
- Keep your core engaged and activate your pelvic floor muscles and weight forward on the palms.
- Your spine should be elongated, and lift your hips as quickly as possible.
- Elbows should be pointing backward.
- You should gaze to the tip of the nose or on the ground comfortably within your eye level.
- Engage your triceps and keep your elbows straight to lift your body.
- After lifting the body, your ankles (feet crossed) should be hooked to each other or any easy modification if you are a beginner.
- The breath should be continuous and you exhale and lift your body.
- Take the torso deeper downwards and inwards with every exhalation.
- While you release, bring your feet down to the floor and release your arms.
Bhujapidasana and Breath
Start with a few breaths in the Tadasana and ease yourself. Inhale and exhale when you fold forward between your thighs, and this will release your tension. Keep breathing, and when you are about to lift your feet off the ground, inhale deeply, lift and tuck your ankles, and keep your breath gentle and flowing. When you release, inhale and come out of the pose. Here core should be engaged with the breath. Your breath flow will let you focus and balance and keep you stable in the Bhujapidasana pose.
Bhujapidasana and Variations
- The simple variety can be Bakasana or Parsva Bakasana.
- You can also modify the Bhujapidasana by using yoga blocks under your hands or your hips to support you.
- Initially, you need not hook your ankles if it does not allow you.
- Another variation is the One-legged Shoulder pressing pose.
- Next is the advanced pose, Tittibhasana or firefly pose.
The Bottom Line
Bhujapidasana is a great base pose for other advanced arm balancing poses. This asana needs a lot of flexibility, core strength, focus, and stability. Beginners can gradually progress step by step to achieve this pose under the guidance of the yoga teacher. Don’t force yourself to get into the pose. This pose helps to strengthen your upper body muscles, such as your inner thighs and your abdomen.
The breath should guide the pose and coordinate with your breath throughout the pose. Regular practice of the Bhujapidasana can help you achieve, better balance and stability, improving your focus, concentration, self-confidence, and body awareness in your everyday life.
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