CORRECT POSTURE leads to well-being.
Dandasana, or staff pose, is a simple yet important pose.
It is the basis for all seated postures and teaches correct postural alignment within the seated body.
Dandasana is an excellent back, thigh and core strengthener. It stretches the shoulders, chest, hamstrings and calves.
To perform dandasana, have a seat on your mat, legs together and extended out in front of you. Press through your heels and the balls of the feet evenly, engaging your thighs to prevent your knees from locking.
Gently reach under and draw the fleshy part of the buttocks out and back to find your sitting bones (the two boney points in the bum).
These should remain directly beneath you in dandasana. If you are unable to bring your sitbone underneath you, your hamstrings are most likely tight. In this case, bend your knees to slacken the hamstrings a bit, then reach under to draw the sitbones into position beneath you.
Once on your sitbones, spread your buttocks muscle (gluteus maximus) and draw your thighs out and away from your hip sockets.
This will cause a slight internal rotation of the upper thighs and help to firm your lower abdomen.
Press your sitbones into the earth and lengthen your spine, vertebra by vertebra.
Reach down through your tailbone, and up through the crown of the head to the ceiling above.
Draw your ears back on top of your shoulders to properly lengthen through the back of the neck, chin level to the floor.
Engage your bandhas, lifting the pelvic floor and the diaphragm, while keeping the pelvis and ribs level.
Flatten your shoulder blades against your back, keeping them wide and down, away from the ears.
Place the hands upon the earth to the side of the hips, gently pressing your palms down as you continue to lengthen your spine, the inner part of the elbow facing forward but not locked.
If you have a longer torso, but shorter arms, simply press your fingertips into the earth or place a block beneath your hands on either side. If you have a shorter torso and longer arms, simply keep a bend in the elbows, arms tucked against the body.
If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, you can create a fist and press against the earth with straight wrists.
If the muscles of the body are engaged properly and the body is well-aligned, you will be able to sit in dandasana for an extended period of time without discomfort or fatigue.