Sue Ransom Yoga

Dandasana (base pose) is a posture we usually hurry briefly through on the way to another one. But it has it’s own merits. We don’t often sit in such an aligned intentional way on the floor. If practiced regularly this simple asana is beneficial in improving posture, and is a great core strengthener. It strengthens back muscles and hips, lengthens the spine from tailbone to crown, and this combined with the lowering and widening of the shoulders creates space to breathe, so it’s beneficial for our respiratory system. Try it sometimes when you’re watching TV.

To set yourself up remember being on the sitting bones is the aim, enabling the pelvis to become an effective base of support. A folded blanket under the sit bones can assist with this, as can bringing a bit of a bend into the knees. If hamstrings are tight the pelvis can be drawn under so you find yourself sitting on your sacrum, your spine rounds and this is uncomfortable, and the above measures will alleviate any tendency for this to happen. You want to be protecting your back.

Encourage your legs to be active – if knees are pointing elsewhere activate your thighs to roll knees ceiling-wards, have the inner edges of your feet vertical and parallel and the centre of both heels on your mat. With an active core lengthen your spine – head over heart over hips, and feel  the spaces between your vertebrae. Feel  the muscles lengthening along the back of your body and legs. Have your palms on the floor by your sides or a little behind you, fingers facing back. But have a play. Try facing fingers forwards and placing palms on thighs.

See what it’s like to sit in this intentional way for a little while. Is it possible to feel strong and supported here, and yet also not to feel too tense?

To intensify things you could link fingers and stretch arms out in front of the body (palms facing away), then take the hands overhead, arms beside the ears, with the shoulders still nice and low to increase the stretch and the strengthening process.

It’s worth taking time to align yourself in dandasana as a foundation for other movements – seated twists and forward folds will all benefit from good preparation in this foundation pose creating an active base with your pelvis from which your spine can rise with space between the vertebrae and a working core. Let’s get technical here – creating this space can prevent your spine from getting “squished” as you go into the next movement 😊

If you’re practicing this at home try folding your arms and walking around on your buttocks, lifting buttocks and legs off the floor as you’re moving and getting the top of your body involved in this, too, swinging each side forward in turn. We get into habits of moving in our lives and it’s good to change things up and have variety in your movements. You can explain this to anyone who catches you trying this out and wonders what on earth you’re doing. Try going forwards like this and also sideways and backwards, too. You could get said person to join in.

Enjoy…

Best to check with your health care professional before practicing yoga. I share yoga in beautiful Tasman Bay near Nelson, New Zealand. Please contact me for more information about weekly group sessions, private sessions, workshops and to book.