yogabuch / asanas / urdhva hastasana
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urdhva hastasana
„arms up“
instructions and details with working links as PDF for download/print
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last update: 30.12.2018
Name: urdhva hastasana
Trivial name: Arms up
Level: A
- Classification: A
- Contraindication
- Effects of
- Preparation
- follow-up
- derived asanas
- similar asanas
- diagnostics
- Instruction
- details
- Variants
Classification
classic: standing posture
Contraindication
Effects
Preparation
Depending on the flexibility of the shoulders, the following postures can prepare you:
- downface dog, especially the „wide“ variation
- Back extension, especially the „elevated “ variation as a generally good stretch of the shoulder joint in the direction of frontal abduction
- Right-angled handstand
- Handstand as a related and synergistic posture
- Elbow stand as a posture with exorotated arms that works intensively on the frontal abduction ability
- Right-angled elbow stand as a further posture with exorotated arms
- dog elbow stand
- Hyperbola as one of the most effective and efficient stretches in the direction of frontal abduction without exorotation of the arms
- Shoulder opening on the chair as one of the most effective and efficient stretches in the direction of frontal abduction with exorotation of the arms
In cases of significantly restricted flexibility of the hip flexors, the pelvis can therefore remain tilted forward in the posture (i.e. in flexion in the hip joints), in which case the following preparations are suitable:
- hip opener 1
- hip opener 2
- warrior 1 pose with strong straightening of the pelvis
- ustrasana
- setu bandha sarvangasana
- urdhva dhanurasana
Follow-up
If the trapezius feels very tense or cramped after the pose, this can help:
- gomukhasana, possibly with the head tilted forward and sideways
- karnapidasana, possibly also the version on rollers
- Head up dog pose
- tolasana
derived asanas:
similar asanas:
As a standing posture:
Geometry:
with restrictions too:
Effect on the shoulder joint
- Head down dog pose, also the right-angled version
- Back extension
and some postures with a stronger effect on the shoulder that promote the flexibility required in urdhva hastasana:
Diagnostics (No.)
In urdhva hastasana, a hollow back tilt based on a shortening of the hip flexors can be easily recognized due to the extended knee joint and the upwardly stretched trunk, if an upright pelvis cannot be produced despite intensive work of the extensors in the hip joint(hamstrings and gluteus maximus).
(293) Excessive tension in the trapezius
The trapezius, which plays a major role in lifting and rotating the shoulder blades, is probably one of the most tense muscles in Western civilization. Internal and external posture, including today’s widespread VDU workstations, contribute significantly to this. If the trapezius in urdhva hastasana shows a tendency to spasm after only a short time, excessive tension must be assumed.
(880) Overextension of the knee joint
Overextension of the knee joint refers to the ability to or the current state of an angle of more than 180° in the knee joint. To a certain extent, this is considered normal by anatomists and is on average more common and more pronounced in females. However, it can also indicate weakness of the quadriceps or hamstrings. Furthermore, hyperextension often causes unphysiological sensations that are not caused by stretching or exertion of the muscles and should be avoided, see also the FAQ.
In urdhva hastasana, the flexibility of the shoulder joints can be recognized, including side discrepancies, and there may be indications of diseases of the shoulder:
- irritable hypertonus of the deltoid: ambitious beginners in yoga in particular tend to develop irritation in the deltoid, which is localized in the area of the muscle origins, probably stems from an overstraining of the structures due to frequent repetitive demands in full frontal abduction and is also noticeable in just such a strain, see the FAQ.
- Various pathological changes in the shoulder joint such as impingement syndrome, frozen shoulder, calcification of the biceps tendon, which cannot all be discussed here and require clarification.
- side discrepancies in flexibility
The flexibility of the shoulder can be recognized by the degree of deviation in the three dimensions of movement:
- Outward deviation of the upper arms, often with flexion of the elbow joints
- Loss of rotation of the arms
- Incorrect angle of frontal abduction that does not reach 180° or not permanently
(650) Kyphosis and lordosis of the spine:
The deviations from the physiological double-S shape of the human spine become quite visible in this posture. There should be a certain degree of lordosis in the lumbar and cervical spine (convex spine from the front) and at most a small degree of kyphosis in the thoracic spine (convex spine from the back); the thoracic spine can be fully extended in this posture without retaining any of the physiological kyphosis; however, true extension is not the purpose of the posture. See the FAQ.
(611) Pelvic obliquity/unequal shoulder height/scoliosis of the spine:
The lateral deviations of the spine from the median plane known as scolioses are also quite visible in this posture. See the FAQ.
(950) Foot deformities:
Deformities of the foot can be observed here, especially if the feet are not kept closed, such as flat feet and fallen ar ches, but also others.
Variants:
Instructions
- Stand in tadasana. Rotate the upper arms and forearms out to the maximum and bring the arms up sideways(lateral abduction) until the arms are parallel.
- Stretch the arms with the shoulder blades as far as possible towards the ceiling. Maintain the rotation of the upper arms and do not allow the arms to move forwards or outwards.
- Keep your hands and fingers straight, palms facing parallel to each other.
- Keep checking that the rest of the tadasana is still correct.
Details
- When working with the arms, make sure that the basis of standing up straight with the upper body and pelvis upright and legs straight is not lost.
- Depending on the flexibility of the shoulder joints, it may not be possible to stretch the arms vertically parallel to the ceiling. In particular, the attempt to bring them parallel will cause them to deviate forwards or outwards, or they will lose their rotation and vice versa. In general, it can be said that the three dimensions of movement(lateral abduction up to the vertical, the backward movement of the arms that may have swerved forward up to the vertical (or beyond), i.e. frontal abduction and the outward rotation of the arms) contradict each other towards the end of the range of motion. The total amount of evasion with the same amount of force applied will always remain the same at a given point in time, only the weighting can be shifted between the dimensions of evasion.
- The corrective movement of moving the arms back again after they have previously moved forward a little tends to simultaneously stretch the thoracic spine (too much in terms of posture) to the point of a slight backbend if you are not careful. Try to use your core muscles to keep your upper body constant while moving your arms backwards.
- While the shoulder blades in tadasana are back-down-in, i.e. in retraction and depression, they are moved away from the spine on the way up during the upward swing of the arms, i.e. lateralized to a certain extent and maximally elevated for the final position. Of course, this must not lead to cramping of the trapezius. If there is a clear tendency to do so, make sure that the upper arms are turned out as far as possible and also turn the forearms into supination as far as possible so that the palms are facing backwards rather than towards each other. Trying to keep the palms facing each other can limit the exorotation of the upper arms. If there is generally high tension in the trapezius, for example, it is advisable to repeatedly lie in karnapidasana on the V-shaped rollers.
- The performer can get an idea of whether the shoulder flexibility is sufficient to bring the arms into a vertical and parallel position and to hold them by doing other exercises such as head down dog, handstand, elbow stand and its relatives as well as the hyperbola and shoulder opening on the chair, all of which require and promote appropriate flexibility. A rough test of shoulder flexibility consists of the requirement to bring the arms into the position corresponding to urdhva hastasana, but with the back against the wall. If it is not possible to hold the spine against the wall and at the same time get the arms and hands against the wall with the arms extended and turned out, this is an indication of insufficient flexibility. This test can be performed well in pairs, with the supporter pressing the chest against the wall in the area of the sternum in order to prevent the entire upper body from moving against the wall when the arms are moved, see the corresponding exploration.
- You may have the feeling that the arms can be raised further with the inhalation, while the exhalation pulls them back down a little. This observation is correct and corresponds to the human physiology of movement, in which the rib cage and the arms connected to it lift during inhalation. The aim is therefore to maximize the lifting of the arms during inhalation with minimal lowering during exhalation.
- Apparent correlations between the intensive lifting of the arms and the facial muscles are sometimes observed. Leave them soft!
- As in tadasana, the hip flexor flexibility test provides information on whether it is possible or impossible to straighten the pelvis while keeping the knee joint extended. The tendency of the hollow back will be slightly greater here than in tadasana. This results from the fact that the raised arms lead to a pull of the latissimus dorsi on the posterior iliac crest, but also from the fact that the movement of the arms backwards is associated with the extension of the thoracic spine and this in turn with the lordosis of the lumbar spine.
Variants
with arms crossed
Instructions
- Assume urdhva hastasana as described above, but cross your arms by grasping the opposite elbows with your hands.
Details
- This pose is also known as urdhva baddhanguliyasana.
- This variation is much less prone to trapezius spasms than the original. If they do occur, you can turn the opposite upper arm out with one hand – at least on one side.
- Stretch your elbows as far as possible towards the ceiling.
with clasped hands
Instructions
- Assume urdhva hastasana as described above.
- Place the palms on top of each other and fold the middle finger, ring finger and little finger while the index fingers continue to stretch towards the ceiling. Pull your hands away from each other with force.
Details
- This variation also shows significantly less tendency to cramp in the trapezius than the original.
- Again, pay attention to the rotation and extension of the arms and raise them, including the shoulder blades, to the maximum. The firm connection of the hands allows the pronators of the forearm to be used for the exorotation of the upper arm.
- Pull the arms away from each other. The three interlaced fingers hold the palms together, but the arms, and with good flexibility in the shoulder joints also the shoulder blades, move away from each other, i.e. into lateralization. As is often the case, the movements to be performed contradict each other, try to perform them all at the same time as far as possible. In extreme cases, the shoulders and head resemble an aggressive cobra. The movement of the shoulder blades is the same as in caturkonasana.
Hands in namaste
Instruction
- Take the pose as described above, but move the arms towards each other so that the palms are on top of each other with the elbow joints stretched.
Details
- This pose is also known as urdhva namaskarasana.
- Due to the closer position of the arms and the attempt to build up a certain amount of pressure between the hands, a tendency to spasm can occur not only in the trapezius but also in the pectoralis muscle and possibly in the deltoid pars clavicularis. While in the basic pose it was still possible to turn the forearms out further for support, i.e. to let the hands tend to point inwards towards the back, this option is no longer available here. As the forearms are largely in pronation when the hands are held above the head, this has a detrimental effect on the exorotation of the upper arms in the shoulder joint and therefore results in an increased tendency to spasm in the muscles described.
- If possible, the arms should not be extended in front of the head but behind it, although this may not work in cases where the shoulder joints are less mobile.
Back bend
Instructions
- Take the pose as described above.
- Using the glutes, tilt the pelvis (cranially) backwards and bring the upper body into a backbend. The extension in the hip joints and the backbend of the upper body should occur simultaneously and evenly.
Details
- Maximum extension in the hip joints and maximum backbend in the upper body may be too strenuous. In this case, make sure that the degree of backbend in the upper body and the extension in the hip joints correspond to some extent. The abdominal muscles (mainly the rectus abdominis) are under a lot of strain here due to the large lever of the upper body, head and arms and may start to tremble, which is generally not a bad thing and will gradually disappear with practice and the development of more strength. However, make sure that this does not distract from the work required in the gluteus maximus for extension in the hip joints and healthy load distribution.
- Compared to the starting posture urdhva hastasana, the pelvis must move slightly forward so that the center of gravity is still in front of the heels and you don’t tip backwards. The extent to which the pelvis has to move forward depends on the extent of the backbend, which shifts the body mass backwards.
- Keep the knee joints straight. Tilting the pelvis into extension in the hip joints causes the thighs to pull forwards via the pull of the iliopsoas and therefore naturally causes the knee joints to bend when the feet are fixed. Although the extension of the hip joints also causes an extension moment in the knee joint via the increased tension of the rectus femoris, the pull of the iliopsoas on the lesser trochanter clearly outweighs this effect.
pull on a block
Instructions
- Go into urdhva hastasana as described above.
- Hold a block between your hands and pull from the side.
Details
- This variation is much less prone to trapezius spasms than the original. The front deltoids and especially the trapezius are greatly relieved.
with supporter
Instructions
- The supporter turns the upper arms out, presses them together until they are vertical and lifts them, observes the upper body and gives feedback if the performer moves out of the way with the upper body. One of the three dimensions of evasion is that the arms move forward when they are squeezed together or turned out. Simply pushing them backwards in a corrective manner would push the body backwards to the point of losing balance or push the upper body into a backbend. It is more favorable if the supporter tilts the performer’s arms backwards from tilting in their own wrists into the ulnar abduction of the hand instead of just pushing.
Details
- This variation reduces the tendency to cramp in the trapezius in the basic pose because the performer does not have to move and lift the arms inwards as intensively with their own strength and also because the upper arms are turned out more than would be possible with their own strength.
- It is often only in this variation that the performer experiences how far the arms can really be moved upwards. It is also very helpful to control the position of the upper body when moving the arms backwards.
- Make sure that the support does not lead to a back bend in the thoracic spine or a loss of stability.
with two supporters
Instructions
- One supporter turns the arms out, pushes them towards each other and lifts them, the other corrects the evasive movement of the upper body (upwards to the back) and observes whether the pelvis remains upright and the knee joints remain stretched.
Details
- As the arms move backwards, the upper body often swerves by extending the thoracic spine in order to be able to move the arms absolutely further backwards when its range of motion relative to the upper body is exhausted.