Mandalasana - Yoga Circle pose

The Yoga Circle pose which is also known as the Mandalasana is a strenuous and a difficult pose to do. It is an ideal pose of acrobats and gymnasts to master. Normal yoga practitioners who decide to go in for this pose, should consult their doctor. If you decide to do this pose in the privacy of your home, you will need to engage a yoga tutor to guide you and help you out when you learn to do it.

Learning to do it in a group, would have the benefit of watching others do it and learning from the mistakes and expertise of other practitioners. This is certainly not a pose you can learn to do alone.

You shall also need to schedule to do this pose on an empty stomach or allow a gap of up to five hours after a full meal, before you attempt to do this exercise. Doing it outdoors in the morning would have the added advantage of imbibing fresh air as you do this tiring exercise.

To begin with, be on all fours and bend your arms from the elbows. Fold your arms, to rest you head on your forearms. Lift your legs and balance them on the tips of your toes. Bring your feet slightly closer to your face to raise your hips. Initially you may not find it comfortable to bring your feet close enough, so decide the distance between your face and feet, depending on your comfort level.

Some practitioners who are adept at doing this pose, add more challenge to it by lifting their legs up, to come into an upside down position and lowering their legs behind to touch the mat.

But to make it easier for you to get into this position to start doing the circle pose, you may lie on your back and gradually lift your back off the mat to balance your torso on your arms and legs.

After you come into this position, you start moving your legs towards your right side in a circular manner, to draw in imaginary circle with your legs. Your head is the pivot at the center, when you move this way. The challenge here is that you need to keep your head facing one side as you complete the circle. And to complete the circle with your head facing one side, you need to twist your body half way through the circle.

To do this you need to lift your left leg (as you are moving towards your right) and place it to the right side of your right leg, and continue with the circular movement. Only when you do this will you be able to keep your head facing in one direction as you complete the circle.

When doing the exercise, you bend and twist your hips, you curve your spine, and place your head upside down, and then you move your legs all around yourself in a circle from this awkward position. Learning to do this difficult exercise is helpful for acrobats and gymnasts who can incorporate it into their performances.

Sources:

Mandalasana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrpootdKoH8

Ardha Mandalasana - Half Circle Pose

http://www.yogaessentials.com/archivearticles_asana_ardha_mandalasana.html

Yoga Pose – Mandalasana Twenty Seven

http://yogaisforeveryone.info/2006/12/interesting-yoga-pose-mandalasana-twenty-seven/

Mandalasana [Light on Yoga]

http://www.yogaartandscience.com/pblog/files/practice-lab-july6.php