Urdhva Hastasana

yoga from the ground up

me, saluting the sunrise at Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville around 2011

Why Urdhva Hastasana is great for yoga mamas

Mamas do so much looking down: we cast our gaze towards the little ones we hold in our arms, scan for crumbs and spills on the ground, bend earth-ward to lift and move things, hunch over the chopping board to prepare meals, and sit spine forward over the glow of laptops, phones, books, creative projects, and so much more.

Really, we all spend so much time looking down, with phones and technology filling up our lives. Here’s my loving reminder to you to take a moment of pause and just look up, because it feels good.

If there is one pose that could lift us out of all that rounding forward, it’s Urdhva Hastasana. This powerful pose is energizing and relaxing at the same time, keeps us grounded to the earth while we reach up and open our hearts, and is a transition between other yoga poses. Plus, almost anyone can do some form of it and modify it to honor their bodies.

Feet, knees, hips

In all standing poses, the foundation is key. That’s why when I guide people through a standing pose, I bring their attention to their feet first, so they can get grounded and set the stage for a steady posture. This can be done with eyes opened or closed (that’s why it’s audio, not video). Either way, it’s intriguing to try it both ways! Our sense of sight affects our balance so much.

Break it down

As we ground down through the legs and feet and reach up skyward through the head and arms, our core responds. As you reach up in Urdhva Hastasana, most likely one of two things is happening:

1. Your core connects lower and upper body with a lengthening action, or

2. The front of your core is opening up because there’s a little backbend happening, especially if you look up, or have some tightness in the shoulders so you backbend in order to bring the arms vertical

Notice that when you bring your arms up overhead, the rest of the body tends to respond. The core might go lax as you do a little backbend to get the arms vertical. Or maybe you feel it in the shoulders and neck as you reach up. Try it. Can you keep your shoulders relaxed, your ribs in, core engaged and lower body stable without tension?

In the video below, you’ll see examples of how to lengthen vertically with the arms-overhead, using the floor and the wall as guides. Listen to your shoulders: it might be more comfortable to bend the elbows, either a little bit, or more so into a ‘cactus’ position (shown in the photo below the video).

You deserve a pause

I began writing this post more than a month ago and then I got swept up into the busyness of life. Literally and figuratively, I had my head down and I was charging forward. Now that I’ve found a moment of pause, I can remind myself that slowing down doesn’t always mean letting myself lounge on the couch; I can land into a moment of rest without crashing. To me that’s the essence of an easeful, restful, yet invigorating standing pose. I can slow down and do something energizing like Urdhva Hastasana, which brings such a nice balance of relaxation and stimulation.

So, if anything, here’s a reminder to you that you deserve a pause. If we catch ourselves at the height of a busy day or week and remember that we don’t have to push through until we crash, we can pause and stay poised. Everyone can find a moment for a mindful pause in Urdhva Hastasana.

Poetic inspiration

Yoga is not just a bodymind practice, it’s for the soul, too. You might sometimes wonder, “Why do I hold my arm in this position? Why should I put my foot over there? Why am I asked to inhale when I move in this direction, but exhale when I move the other way?” You might even come across instructions that really are arbitrary, or at least based on tradition but not necessarily required for physical safety or optimal fitness.

For me, the biggest why in yoga is that persistent inquiry into why we practice at all. What do any of these strange positions, breathing patterns, and bodymind techniques have to do with our lives? This is why I love the yoga poetry of Corie Feiner. She brings so much soul to the practice. Check out her poem on Urdhva Hastasana here.

Many of you know I teach kids yoga as well! Here’s a sweet little piece of wisdom from a book called Yoga Bunny by Brian Russo that I sometimes read to my little yogis:)

Thanks so much for being here! I hope you enjoyed this post and I always appreciate it when readers share the love.

Also, I have been feeling for a long time that I want to shift my approach in Urban Yoga Mama. I imagine slightly shorter, more frequent posts would be helpful to busy mamas. I’m always curious, too, what mix of topics people most want to read about: Yoga Asana? Meditation and breathing? Yoga Philosophy? Finding time to practice in your busy schedule? Staying motivated to practice? Finding yogic inspiration in your life? Please let me know! You can comment here or reach out to me one-on-one.

Jai Ma!