Dandasana

Pronunciation: dand-DAW-suh-nuh

Translation: Danda means staff or rod. Your spine is the “staff” or “rod” in this pose. Asana, in Sanskrit, means pose or posture.

Dandasana is the starting posture for seated poses much like Tadasana (the “mountain pose”) is the starting posture for standing poses. In this pose, your alignment is similar to Tadasana in that, when the pose is viewed from the side, your ear is above the shoulder which is above the side of your mid-hip.

Technique: Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Reach back with each hand and move your buttock flesh backwards and out to the sides. This adjusts the angle of your pelvis. Place your palms on the floor next to the hips with your fingers facing toward the feet. Press down through your hands and give your spine more length.  With an erect spine, lift up through the top of your head. Open your chest and widen your shoulders. Lift the sternum and bring it forward. Keep your abdomen relaxed and open. Get as much length as you can between the pelvis and ribs by extending the spine upwards. 

The extended spine should be perpendicular to the floor.  This means that the side hip bones are over the sit bones and directly under the outer shoulder bones.  Retain the normal spinal curves that that your spine has when standing erect in tadasana.  The lower back should be slightly concave.  For most this is achieved by bringing the back pelvic rim forward.  However, for some with a very mobile lumbar spine, it is possible to over-arch the lower back by bringing the back pelvic rim too far forward.  Be aware of your own lower back and try to get a “normal” concave arch.

Extend the legs forward with energy from the heels. Bring the kneecaps toward the torso and up the leg using the quadrecepts muscles in your upper legs. Your heels may come off the floor when your legs are straight and active. Press your thighs press into the floor.

Beginner’s Tips:

If you have difficulty bring your side hip bones directly over your sit bones, try the pose with a blanket folded and placed under your buttocks to raise you up a little. This will help you to tilt the pelvis forward.  Your hamstrings won’t stretch as much with the lift underneath you and this can make the pose more accessible. Adjust the height of your prop until you can sit comfortably with a vertical pelvis.  A beginner should also practice the pose without the blanket.

It is also helpful to to the pose with the back against the wall.  This will allow you to feel the arching of the lower back and the verticality of the spine.  As a way to learn alignment, sit on the floor against the wall. Your lower back (sacrum) and your shoulders will touch the wall. The wall should help you achieve a normal lumbar spinal curve with an erect and extended spine.  . Keep weight on the front of the sit bones throughout.

Benefits: This pose strengthens the back and legs. Your hamstrings stretch. It assists your sitting posture throughout the day especially if you routinely spend time sitting at a desk. Your back will feel better if you take time to practice the pose daily. BKS Iyengar tells us that the pose relieves bloating in the abdomen due to gas, and helps those with gastric problems. The waistline is trimmed and the kidneys are toned.

Thanks to Victor Oppenheimer for sharing his yoga expertise in this article.

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