The Pincha Mayurasana is an acrobatic pose of the Ashtanga yoga series. In this pose you turn your body upside down and hold on to this position as long as you comfortably can. Due to your heart being above your head, your face and head benefit from the increased supply of blood. This leads to benefits like improving your memory, eyesight, reducing hair loss, improving skin tone, etc.
You start doing this pose by being on all fours. You rest your body on your forearms and feet, and raise your hips to be the highest point in your pose. Inhale deeply, and as you exhale push the floor down with your feet to heave your torso up and lift your legs and torso up till they are vertically upside down.
You balance your body on your forearms, and in this position, your elbows hold the maximum weight. Place your palms flat on the mat and spread your fingers to reveal the web between them. This gives you a more secure base to steady yourself in this upside down position.
Keep breathing slowly and consciously when you are in this position and do not stop breathing. The tendency is to hold your breath when you are in a precarious position. Avoid doing this.
This simple sounding move to bring your body in an upside down position is a difficult one to master, and you will have to practice doing this over a few days or perhaps weeks. Once you are able to achieve this position hold on to it for between two to three minutes, or as long as you find it comfortable and then exit this pose.
While exiting, lower your legs as slowly as you can to prevent landing them with a thud on the floor. Use your elbows, shoulders and hips as the fulcrum to lower your legs back to the mat.
Sources:
Pincha Mayurasana - Ashtanga Yoga
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3fCSrveAkM
http://www.howcast.com/videos/22096-Episode-39-Ardha-Pincha-Mayurasana
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