As a yoga teacher and student, I’m always looking for ways to share my learnings from my practice with you. Lately heart-openers have been a major focus in my personal practice and Camel Pose (Ustrasana) has been a work in progress for me for years. When I took these pictures a couple of weeks ago, it was the first time that I comfortably entered and held it.
Camel Pose is a strong yoga posture that engages your quads, core, shoulders, chest, back and opens your Heart Chakra. While it’s a strong physical posture, it is just as strong for tapping into your emotions as the Heart Chakra is connected to your sense of forgiveness, compassion, love and more; so don’t be alarmed if you feel emo when doing this pose. ⠀
Here’s a Yoga Pose Breakdown Showing You How To Do Camel Pose AKA Ustrasana.
1. Start by coming to a seated position with your glutes resting on your heels. ⠀⠀
2. Next, come onto your knees with your legs hips-width apart and hands resting on your hips. ⠀⠀⠀
3. Bring your hands to heart’s center in Anjali mudra (prayer hands) and press your thumbs into your sternum as you lengthen thorough your crown. This is a backbend, but the key is to lengthen into the bend, so don’t collapse into your spine. Keep the integrity of your spine by lengthening into your bend!
4. Place your hands on your sternum as if you’re about to reach into your back pockets, while continuing to lengthen through your crown. You’ll notice that your body naturally enters a backbend.
5. With an engaged core, continue to lift your sternum, and focus on keeping your shoulders relaxed as you place the heels of your hands onto the heels of your feet.
Gently allow your head and neck to extend back without any strain. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and let your heart beam up like a Care Bear! ⠀⠀
To come out of the pose, tuck your chin, place your hands on your lower back and slowly come back to your knees before resting on your heels, again.
Enjoy your practice of Ustrasana!
Want more free yoga tutorials? Check out this Morning Yoga Sequence and this Splits Tutorial.
Ciao Bellas,
