Fold one or two blankets and stack them on top of each other.
Lie with shoulders on blankets parallel to edge with your head on the floor.
Arms should be straight along your body with palms facing down.
Bend your knees so that your feet are on the ground with your heels near your sitting bones.
Press your arms against the floor, and push your feet away from the floor, drawing your thighs into the front torso.
Lift by curling the pelvis and then the back torso away from the floor, so your knees come toward your face.
Bend your elbows bringing them toward each other.
Lay the back of your arms on the blanket while spreading your palms against the back.
Raise your pelvis over your shoulders, so that the torso is perpendicular to the floor.
Walk your hands towards the shoulder blades making sure your elbows stay about elbow width apart.
Once you are up on your shoulders do not rotate your head and make sure to keep your head aligned.
straighten legs and torso up toward the ceiling, bringing your thighs in line with your torso.
Press the heels up toward the ceiling.
Keep your spine straight.
Press the backs of your upper arms and the tops of your shoulders actively into the blanket support, and try to lift the upper spine away from the floor.
Hold for about 30 seconds, gradually adding 5 to 10 seconds every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 3 minutes.
To come down, exhale, bend your knees into your torso again, and roll your back slowly and carefully onto the floor, keeping the back of your head on the floor.
"Benefits
• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Stimulates the thyroid and prostate glands and abdominal organs
• Stretches the shoulders and neck
• Tones the legs and buttocks
• Improves digestion
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
· Alleviates hypertension and urinary disorders
• Reduces fatigue and alleviates insomnia
• Therapeutic for asthma, infertility, and sinusitis
Contraindications/Cautions
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• High blood pressure
• Menstruation
• Neck injury
• Pregnancy: If experienced with this pose, can continue to practice it late into pregnancy. Don't take up the practice of Sarvangasana after you become pregnant.
• Salamba Sarvangasana is considered to be an intermediate to advanced pose. Do not perform this pose without sufficient prior experience or unless with the supervision of an experienced instructor. Once in the posture, do not move the head."
Bibliography
http://www.yandara.com/resources/poses/salamba_sarvangasana.htm
http://www.yogatic.com/yoga-poses/shoulderstand/
