Master the shoulder stand, a panacea for most ailments. If you suspect a sluggish thyroid is the culprit keeping your love-handles intact, speed it up with the yoga tradition of a daily shoulder stand.
BKS Iyengar, author of The illustrated Light on Yoga describes the shoulder stand as the mother of all yoga postures and says,
“Sarvangasana (or shoulder stand) is one of the greatest boons conferred on humanity by our ancient sages.”
Besides being a panacea for most ailments it also instills courage and self-expression. Firmly locking the chin in this upside-down posture increases blood flow flooding the thyroid and parathyroid glands with nutrients. Remember though, if you have high blood pressure, glaucoma, eye disorders or neck injuries consult your doctor before trying it out.
Lie flat on your back with your legs outstretched, feet together and arms at your sides. Take a few deep breaths. Exhale, bend the knees and bring the thighs up to the tummy. Take two breaths. Exhale and raise the hips from the floor, bend the arms at the elbows and use the hands to support the hips. Take two breaths. Exhale, raise the torso even further with the help of the hands until the chest touches the chin and the torso is perpendicular to the floor. The head, the neck, shoulders and the back of the arms to the elbows should be resting on the floor. Exhale, straighten the legs and breathe evenly. Remain in the shoulder stand for as long as is comfortable working up to five minutes. Release the posture very slowly bending the legs and rolling down one vertebra at a time. Take a few breaths before getting up slowly. Practice daily and you will master the shoulder stand, a panacea for most ailments.
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Tip: Find a great yoga studio in Cape Town to deepen your daily practice.
