The Staff pose or Dandasana is a basic seated pose of Yoga exercise and can be called the father of all seated postures of yoga as all other poses originate from it. It can also be considered as the seated variation of the Mountain pose (Tadasana). The Staff pose is also known as the Stick pose as the spinal cord is to be kept in vertical position during this Yoga posture. It is performed in a seated position. It helps to strengthen the legs and improves body’s alignment. It is used as resting or preparatory posture for many Yoga exercises.Procedure for doing Dandasana - Staff Yoga Pose
- Sit down with your legs stretched out in front of you. Your knees and big toes should be touching and the bottoms of your legs should be touching and parallel to the floor.
- Sit up straight. Place your hands around your hips, with your thumbs at the top of your hips bones and shift your hips so that your tailbone is pointing down into the floor. Keep your spine straight and lifted.
- Engage your thighs muscles. Flex your feet, pointing your toes toward the ceiling and flex your thigh muscles, so that your heels gently lift off the floor.
- Contract your core muscles. The core muscles are the girdle of muscles that surround your lower back and abdomen and are the key to performing all yoga poses. Engage your core muscles by drawing your abdomen toward your spine and cinching your waist as if there was an actual girdle around your middle.
- Align your upper body. Roll your shoulders back and open your chest, but do not arch your back. Stack your shoulders so that they are directly aligned with your hips.
- Elongate your neck. Looking straight ahead, pull your chin into your chest, so that the crown of your head is lifted toward the ceiling.
Benefits of Dandasana - Staff Yoga Pose
- Improves digestion.
- Tones the kidneys.
- Helps to prevent sciatic pain.
- Stretches and activates the muscles of the legs.
- Prevents tiredness in the feet by stretching the muscles of the feet.
Precautions with Dandasana - Staff Yoga Pose
- If you are new to yoga, put some padding, like a rolled towel or a folded yoga mat under you sit bones. This will help you to correctly align your body.
- If this bothers your back, it is OK to let the knees bend slightly. Just focus on flexing the feet and pushing out through the heels and you will still feel the stretch.
- Go slowly into and out of this stretch. Engage your abdominal and leg muscles as you come in and out of the pose.
- Do not bounce while stretching.
Dandasana - Staff Yoga Pose Video
