** Posture: Sarvanga-asana The Shoulder-stand Pose ** Translation: Sarvaanga is a Sanskrit term that signifies limb or body. As a result, sarvanga can mean "all-limb stance" or "whole-body posture." It gets its name from the fact that it benefits the complete body. Because one is practically standing on one's shoulders, it is sometimes referred to as the "shoulderstand." ** Pronunciation: sar-vong-ah-sa-na ** Difficulty: (5) ** Instructions: 1- In shava-asana, lie flat on your back. 2- Take a deep breath in through your nose. Place the palms of your hands on the floor, facing down. Exhale while bending the knees and bringing them up toward the stomach, keeping the hips on the floor. 3- Slowly inhale through your nose, press down on your hands, and lift your torso off the floor from the waist up, arching your spine backwards and straightening your arms. Keep your hips on the ground. 4- Inhale, then lift the legs straight up perpendicular to the floor while exhaling. Depending on how comfortable it is, you can either support your hips with your hands or leave your arms flat on the floor. 5- Keep the legs together, knees straight, and toes pointed straight up. Keep your head straight and don't turn it to one side or the other. The chin should rest on the chest. 6- Maintain the position by gradually inhaling and exhaling through the nostrils. 7- Return to shava-asana by reversing the steps. ** Benefits Many people believe sarvanga-asana to be the most helpful of all yoga positions. If you just have a limited amount of time to practice Yoga at home, it is advised that you focus on the sarvanga-asana because of its numerous advantages. Sarvanga-asana, when done in the morning, reduces exhaustion caused by sleeping too much or too little, and when done in the evening, it aids in the promotion of deep, peaceful sleep. It helps to strengthen the back and ease lower back discomfort. Increased blood flow to the head and upper body aids in the treatment of a variety of ailments, including headaches, nasal congestion, and sore throats. The body's whole endocrine, digestive, neurological, and circulatory systems are stimulated in ways that no diet or traditional exercise can. Because the body is inverted, a large amount of oxygenated blood is directed to the upper body's organs and glands, such as the brain, thyroid, and pituitary, as well as the heart, stimulating them. The lower body extremities are freed of pressure, which relieves discomfort and/or swelling in the feet and legs. The sarvanga-asana is also beneficial to the abdominal organs, since it relieves gas and constipation while simultaneously stimulating digestion. The mind is energized and the nervous system is calmed when this position is practiced regularly. ** Duration/Repetitions: Hold the sarvanga-asana for one to five minutes, depending on how comfortable you are. Two or three times, repeat the pose. ** Variations: This position may be seen in two different variants. The shalamba-sarvanga-asana is one among them. The use of the arms to support the legs and torso when inverted is referred to as sa alamba, which means with and alamba meaning prop or support. The niralamba-sarvanga-sana is the other variety. Because Nir means "without," this variant is performed without the use of the arms.