Camel Pose with Yoga Blocks

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on how to prepare your body for the installation of camel (Utrasana). Camel Pose is a difficult chackbend. It stretches the whole body before, especially quadriceps, abdomen, chest and shoulders. In the post, I described a sequence that you can practice in order to stretch and mobilize these vital areas of the installation. In today’s post, I will describe how you can practice camel with yoga blocks to make the installation more accessible and comfortable.

A common concern to practice the installation of camels is that the tension to reach your heels with your hands restricts breathing. The practice of installation of camels with yoga blocks increases your hands and decreases the pressure on your chest, which can help relieve your breathing.

The structure of everyone’s spine does not support the easy back-facination. As you can see in the photo above, the share of the backbend lion occurs in the lumbar column. (The thoracic spine is not really designed for more than a minimum backbending.) The lumbar thorny processes of some people are large and thick, which means that they will “run up” much earlier than the short and thinner thorn process. This restricts the amplitude of movements in vertebral extension.

In addition, some practitioners have a more pronounced thoracic cyphosis (convex curve). This also restricts the amplitude of the back-locking movements. Thus, even if the amplitude of the movements of the thoracic spine in decomposition is limited, even a small extension facilitates the installation, while a shorter thoracic spine will restrict the movement. All this to say that practicing the installation of camels with yoga blocks can make the placement accessible to almost everyone.

How to practice camels with yoga blocks

You can practice camels with three ways yoga blocks. Yoga blocks have three different height options: large, medium and short. (The photo above shows blocks at their average height.) Here is how to pose the installation of camel with yoga blocks.

1. Gather your accessories: a yoga carpet and two yoga blocks. You can also place a yoga cover folded under your knees for additional padding if you wish. If you use a blanket, fold it so that it is narrower than your carpet and place it in the center of the carpet.
2. Come to a kneeling position on your carpet and / or a folded blanket.
3. Place the blocks at their highest level outside your feet. If you kneel on a blanket, make sure that your blocks are on your carpet or on the floor rather than on your cover to give them a stable base. (This applies to solid floors such as wood or concrete. I would not recommend using blocks on the plush carpet.)
4. Place your hands on your pelvic edge and press down, by releasing your coccyx to your knees.
5. Lift your chest and lie down your spine when starting to bend back, reaching your blocks.
6. Take some breaths with the highest height blocks. Is your breathing free and without restriction? Otherwise, stay here for some additional breaths to see if it becomes easier.
7. If your breathing is easy, do not hesitate to turn the blocks on their sides, at the average height. Check again with your breathing. If your breathing is free and easy, take some breaths here. Then, if you wish, you can lower the blocks to their lowest level. Again, check your breathing.
8. Free breathing and without restriction is much more important than putting your hands on your heels or up to the lowest height of your yoga block. So keep checking your breathing to make sure it feels relaxed.
9. Take 5 to 8 deep breaths, wherever you are in the installation. Then go back to your knees and sit on your heels or sit on one of your yoga blocks that your knees allow it.

Another suggestion

Yoga blocks can certainly make the installation of camel more comfortable, but it is just as important to make sure that we prepare the body as far as possible before launching ourselves in Utrasana. I strongly recommend that you read the post I wrote a few weeks ago on how to prepare your body for the installation of camel, and how to refresh yourself later to rebalance your body. Your breath – and a few yoga blocks – can guide you in a camel installation which is both exhilarating and relaxed.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell discovered yoga in 1982 and started teaching in 1986. Charlotte is the author of Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life: A Guide for Everyding Practice and Yoga for Meditators, both published by Rodmell Press. His third book is entitled Hip-Healthy Asana: The Yoga Pratitioner’s Guide to Protect of the Hips and Avoid Si Joint Pain (Shambhala Publications). She writes a monthly chronicle for Catalyst Magazine and is online Yoga U publisher. Charlotte is a founding member of the board of directors of Greentree Yoga, a non -profit organization that brings yoga to poorly served populations. Musician for life, Charlotte plays an oboe and an English horn in the Salt Lake Symphony and the Sextuant Folk Red rock Rondo, whose DVD won two Emmy Awards.