Yoga can be your start to a beautiful journey of improving self-awareness, reducing stress and strengthening your physical body. As therapeutic as yoga is, this practice also works to heal various conditions and ailments you might be experiencing.
It is not uncommon to combine yoga and meditation in a posture. As various poses help to rejuvenate the mind and body, poses such as the Standing Prayer pose serves as a starting pose for most yogis at the beginner level of their practice.
Standing Prayer Pose (Sthitaprarthanasana)
In Sanskrit, Sthitaprarthanasana means prayer pose. This pose is a popular stance taken by Hindus during their prayer sessions. A standing pose that is easy to master, standing prayer pose is an iconic posture that is recognized by most individuals around the world.
What many don’t know is that this pose is extremely beneficial for women who are pregnant as it relieves any excessive pressure on the pelvic organs.
Additionally, standing prayer pose is a therapeutic stance that induces relaxation that is beneficial for your physical health and mental well-being.
Standing Prayer Pose Directions:
The following steps will serve as a guide to practicing the standing prayer pose.
- Start by standing erect with your feet together, both toes and heels touching. Your weight should be distributed on the balls of both feet. Your knees should be straight but relaxed.
- Raise your head and chest toward the ceiling and relax your shoulders.
- Bring your hands forward and bend the elbows to raise your hands across your chest. You can choose how close or far you would like to place your hands. Bring your palms together to touch.
- Keeping a straight back, draw your abdomen slightly inward, and make sure that your shoulders and elbows are relaxed.
- Close your eyes and observe your breath. If you don’t want to close your eyes, shift your gaze to a neutral position in front of you.
- Maintain this pose for about 3 to 5 minutes or for however long you feel comfortable.
Benefits of Standing Prayer Pose:
The benefits of performing the prayer pose on a regular basis positively affect the mind and the body.
The various advantages that come with this pose include:
- Improves posture and corrects your standing posture
- Induces relaxation to the mind and the muscles
- Supports postnatal therapy for pregnant women
- Promotes the start of meditation practice
- Introduces beginners to a good starting pose
Updated by Siya Rajan on 07/13/2018
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References:
Courtesy The Yoga Institute, Santacruz (E), Mumbai
Indianetzone.com. (2011). Sthitaprarthanasana. [online] Available at: https://www.indianetzone.com/42/sthitaprarthanasan.htm
