** Posture: Vrischika-asana The Scorpion Pose ** Translation: The Sanskrit term for scorpion is Vrischika. Because the body resembles a scorpion with its tail stretched over its head, ready to strike its target, this stance is called scorpion pose. Although the Scorpion may appear to be a tough position for beginners, it is not as difficult as it appears. ** Pronunciation: vrik-shah-sa-na ** Difficulty: (7) ** Instructions: 1- Kneel down on the floor and lean forward, elbows and forearms flat on the floor, palms facing down. The space between your arms should be around shoulder-width apart. 2- Extend your head forward as much as you can and lift it as high as you can. 3- Raise your buttocks and firmly plant your feet on the bottoms of your toes. 4- Swing your legs up and over your head while keeping your balance by inhaling. Raise your legs directly over your head. 5- Slowly bend the knees and lower the legs toward the head, taking cautious not to move too rapidly or drop the legs too far. 6- Return to a kneeling posture by reversing the steps above. ** Benefits You should not try the Scorpion until you are familiar with all of the balancing poses (e.g., Vriksha-asana, Ekapada-asana, etc.) and the Headstand (Sirsha-asana). Beginners should practice this position under the guidance of a trained instructor. If you're new to the Scorpion asana, start by practicing it against a wall. Position yourself so that your head is about 2 - 3 feet from the wall when you're executing step #1 above. If you lose your equilibrium, you can lean on the wall for assistance. The neck, spine, and chest will be stretched to their utmost potential in this position. Many of the advantages of the Chakra-asana (Wheel position) and the Sirsha-asana are combined in this pose (the Headstand). ** Duration/Repetitions: Hold the vrischika-asana for as long as it feels good to you. Keep in mind that gracefully exiting the stance without falling out requires some strength, so don't hold it for too long. For your first few efforts, 20-30 seconds will suffice; as you gain experience, progressively increase the time. ** Variations: This stance has two frequent versions, which are shown and discussed below: To complete the first version, as seen above, after entering the Scorpion as mentioned above, gently lift your legs straight up until your feet are right above your head (you won't be able to see this, but you'll be able to feel it). This version demands a little more power and a better sense of balance than the previous stance.