For the student with healthy neck and shoulders, you may enter   this pose from lying on the back arms at the sides of the body, palms face down. Press hands into the floor and lift straight legs and hips together while rolling the shoulder blades together and bring your hands/palms to the back to support the lifting of the thoracic spine. Keep the legs engaged, lengthen the tailbone and pubic bone toward each other and the feet.  Most of the weight should be in the shoulders while the legs are lifting and the palms of the hands support the back. Keep the action of the shoulder blades drawing in toward each other and away from your ears. Create as much space as you can between your neck and the floor so that you could conceivably slide a pencil or something similar between you shoulder blade past your neck to the notch in your skull. Your chin should be in the notch in your chest/throat properly securing jalandhara bandha and your nose should be aligned with your feet.

If your neck is healthy and you are new or a little shaky in the practice you may start with your legs up the wall, bend your knees and place you’re the soles of your feet on the wall. From there press your feet into the wall and lift your hips off the ground and lengthen you pubic and tailbone up toward the ceiling bringing your hands to your back for support. When and if you feel steady you may lift one foot off the wall and then the other to balance.

If you have any neck problems you may wish to bring your legs up the wall in Vipariti Karani or just place a block beneath your butt and lift your legs up to the sky. (In the presence of a teacher (if you are in any way unsure), you may also use a blanket folded under the shoulders and scapulas. Both of these options will protect your neck and give you most of the benefits of the full posture.

Physical benefits: BKS Iyengar refers to sarvangasana as ‘one of the greatest boons conferred to humanity from our ancient sages’ and that its importance cannot be over-emphasized. It brings health and balance to the thyroid and parathyroid glands and helps to support the endocrine system and hence brings balance to the body and brain. It relieves breathlessness, bronchitis and asthma. It relieves headaches, insomnia, short temperedness, and hypertension. Because of the reversal of gravity and the pressure on the abdominal organs it also relieves gaseousness, constipation, urinary disorders and menstrual pain. It also helps to bring renewed vitality.

Sri K Pattabhi Jois says that “Sarvangasana cures all diseases, purifies the vishuddhi chakra and the amriti bindu (the drop of immortality) firm.

Spiritual benefits: As this pose does so much to purify, tone and balance the body, the endocrine system, the digestive organs, the brain. It is no wonder that one will feel more joyful, more vigorous and energetic, and the mind will be calmer and more at peace.