I know, its been awhile. Camel pose revisited.

OK I been busy with a number of things.
1. Muay Thai sparring. Its a new thing I am doing and I DO NOT love it. But its hard and challenging and I want to not get hit in the head SO damn much.
2. Teaching more Yoga! YAYY!
3. Still doing Bikram. This is my last week with it and honestly I am not really into it anymore. Not that I was to begin with. I don't have the craving for it that I have with the other things I do (Muay Thai, Vinyasa, running)

So my post today is about Camel Pose or Ustrasana. I love backbends! So this is going with my Bikram trial the past month...in that its part of the Bikram series. Here was my previous post about Ustrasana. I am also revisiting this post because it is beneficial to those who have Thyroid diseases. So listen up Thyroid Disease sufferers, do this pose! It helps balance the hormones...we have general hormone imbalances -not just thyroid hormones.

Here are the benefits of the pose:
-Compresses the kidneys and adrenal glands, helps reduce excess production of cortisol
-Eliminates toxins from the body
-Stretches abdominal organs and cures constipation
-Stretches the throat, thyroid and parathyroid
-Good for reproductive organs and digestive system
-Stimulates the nervous system
-Good for anxiety and depression

Thing to note: you will feel dizzy and out of sorts after this pose, so don't be alarmed. Just take a rest and breathe. It's not recommended to drink water before or after this pose

You should NOT do camel pose if:
-You have severe back pain
-heart problems
-high blood pressure
-people who have had abdominal surgery
-pregnancies in the second and third trimesters

How to get into the pose:
1. Come to standing on your knees. Bring your knees about hip distance apart. Toes can be tucked or untucked.
2. Place your hands on your lower back/booty as if you're putting your hands in your back jean pockets.
3. Pull your ribs in and start bending in your upper back first. Keep the hips above the knees.
4. Drop the head back and if you feel comfortable enough, bring your hands to the top of your heels.
5. Don't let the fact that you're feeling dizzy and out of sorts freak you out! Breathe it out.

Another reason why I wanted to write about the pose today was because I am working on getting into the full backbend of the pose which looks like this:

Right now, I am at the point where I can get the top my head on the floor behind me but I can't seem to figure out how my forearms or elbows are supposed to lay on the floor like that without my body snapping in half. Something to work on!