Garland Pose aka Malasana is a great hip opening pose and especially beneficial for those that sit at a desk and/or computer all day. It is also a great posture for women preparing for child birth. Also, great for digestion.
Pose Summary
Steps
Step 1
Come to stand at the top of your mat with your arms alongside your body. Step your feet about as wide as your mat with the toes pointed outwards slightly.
Step 2
Engage the belly by gently bring your bellybutton up and back towards the spine.
Step 3
Bring the hands to heart center in prayer position, bend the knees and come into a squat. If the heels lift off the earth you can fold up your mat or put a blanket underneath them. Shift your weight slightly back into the heels.
Modifications: If you have really tight hips and can’t come into this posture fully, you can come to seated on a block and still get the host of benefits.
Step 4
Draw the shoulder blades down the back and away from the ears. The triceps come to the inside of the knees as they push into one another. This will help you to lengthen the spine. Tailbone reaches down towards the earth as the crown of the head reaches up.
Step 5
To release, bring the fingertips down to the earth as you gently start to straighten the legs to come into Uttanasana (Standing forward fold).
Benefits
- Stretches the thighs, groin, hips, ankles, and torso
- Tones the abdominal muscles
- Improves balances
- Promotes digestion
- Increases sexual energy
- Beneficial for women who are pregnant, as it can help in childbirth
Contraindications
- Knee or back injury