Rabbit Pose: Sasangasana
Purposes and Benefits:
- Balances out spine and releases tension after doing previous pose–Camel pose (#22)
- Prepares body to do final 2 poses (#24 and #25) by rounding out body
- Improves digestion
- Regulates metabolism
- Alleviates common cold, chronic tonsillitis, and sinus problems
- Nourishes nervous system by maximally extending spine
- Compresses and nourishes parathyroid and thyroid glands
- Enhances mobility and elasticity of back muscles and spine
- Improves flexibility of scapula and trapezius
How to Do:
- Kneel on a towel that extends back past toes
- Reach back and fold edges of towel over heels
- Grab heels and towel together
- Maintain firm grip with thumbs outside feet and with fingers on soles
- Keep chin tucked into chest
- While exhaling, begin curling torso slowly and tightly forward and inward until forehead touches knees and top of head touches floor
- If you notice a gap between forehead and knees, walk knees forward to meet forehead
- As you curl inward, lift hips into air, firmly pull on heels, and roll body forward like wheel
- Push feet firmly into floor and pull on heels with all your power to maintain about 25% of body weight on head
- Tuck chin securely into chest, engage belly to lift hips, and stretch more deeply into lower back
- Work toward these goals: Completely straighten arms; Reach upward using hips so that thighs are perpendicular to floor
- Remember to breathe normally
- Hold pose for 20 seconds
- To reverse out of pose, lower hips back toward heel, uncurl slowly, and lift chin last