Tripod pose

The Yoga Tripod pose is aimed at increasing the supply of blood to your brain and face. As you do this pose you bend forward to bring your head below the level of your heart. This leads to greater flow of blood towards the brain as you harness gravity to do this.

This pose is also called the arm balance pose. You can start this pose by first sitting cross-legged in the Lotus pose and breathing evenly to feel refreshed, and relax before you go ahead and do this pose.

From the cross-legged position, you can move into to a kneeling position. Bend forward from your hips and lower your head to the mat. Place the crown of your head on the mat. Ensure that your palms are firmly placed on the mat as you will need to use them as the levers for making the next move.

Inhale, and as you exhale push against the floor with your feet and lift your hips off the mat. Bring your hips to the highest position in this posture. Your upper arms are now horizontal to the floor, while your forearms are vertical. Pause at this step before moving on. Keep breathing slowly and deliberately. When you are learning to do this pose, you can stay put at this position and exit. This is the classic tripod pose.

After you master to do the tripod pose, thus far, you can move on to do the head stand or hand stand from this pose. Proceed to push your feet once again against the floor and lift your feet off the mat. Rest your knees momentarily on your upper arms and then lift your legs further up to make them vertical. You now come into an upside down position as in a head stand.

Pause here for some time and then bend your legs from the knees to cross them while you are still in an upside down position. Pause in this position for some time and then lower your legs while they are still in the crossed position to rest them on your upper arms, and then lift your head off the mat. Make your torso horizontal to the mat. Pause at this stage too, and then lower your hips to the floor to sit down in a cross legged position.

Sources:

Advanced Arm Balance Yoga Poses: Tripod Handstand Pose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE69ud7NsPk

Tripod headstand

http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f16/tripod-headstand-5194.html

Headstand, Tripod Variation

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/yoga/headstand-tripod-pose

Strike Yoga Pose: Tripod Balance

http://www.fitsugar.com/Strike-Yoga-Pose-Tripod-Balance-96756

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