Lolasana – Pendant Pose, Right Method, Benefits, Dosha Effects

By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S

Lolasana is a hardcore and intermediate level arm balancing pose. In the final pose the practitioner is moving front and back just like a hanging pendant. Therefore, it is called as pendant pose. It is also known to strengthen the flexors of hips and muscles of the arms. It strengthens wrist, forearms, shoulders and tones up core muscles and upper back.

Lol – pendant / fickle / swinging / trembling / dangling
Asana – pose
Read – Health Benefits Of Yoga: Mind And Body

Preparation for Lolasana

• The pendant pose should be practiced early in the morning, preferably on empty stomach.
• If the pose is practiced at some other part of the day other than early in the morning, one should take the food 3-4 hours before taking on to the pose. With this, your stomach would be empty by the time you take on to the pose and you will also derive energy needed for performing the pose from the food that you consume.
• Keep your bowel and bladder empty before practicing the pose.

Method of doing Lolasana

Positioning for the pose

Sit in Vajrasana – diamond pose.
Inhale to align your body.

Getting into the pose

• Keep your hands on the floor, grounded or pressing on the floor. You can use the blocks to do the pose comfortably. This avoids you to lean more forward and your shoulders getting rounded.
• Now inhale deeply. Gather your core strength to thrust it towards upper back.
• Now exhale and raise upper torso in an upward direction.
• Stabilize your hands on the floor. Combine the strength of core, wrist, and upper back along with the grip of your hands. Pressing the floor with hands or pressing the blocks gradually lift your body off the floor.
• Your ankles should remain crossed. Push lower ankle up. Contract abdomen to supply strength to the body to accomplish the pose.
• Swing to and from with hand support.
• Perform few swings as much you are comfortable doing.
• Hold the posture for some time. Stay in the pose for 30-60 seconds. If you have mastered this pose, have a developed shoulder, wrist and core strength you may extend the time of doing the pose.
  Read – How To Do Pranayama – A Simple Pranayama Technique

Release from the pose

• Come back to the floor by releasing the core and be in diamond pose.
• Shake your hands gently and roll your wrist slowly.
• Breathe easily and relax.

Variations  

Advanced variations of pendant pose are –

Padma Lolasana – It is a variant of Lolasana. Instead of diamond pose the practitioner keeps his legs crossed in lotus pose, lifts the body off the floor with the support of his hands pressed against the floor / block and swings to and fro.

Here, legs are crossed in lotus pose. Then the body is raised off the floor. From Lolasana, you should place your right foot on the left thigh and left foot on the right thigh to assume lotus pose. From here, by taking the hand support on the floor or on the blocks placed beside your legs, lift off your body in the air. This is also called as Uttitha Padmasana – raised lotus pose by some experts.

Utthita Lolasana – Raised pendant pose

Modifications

Navasana – beginners may start with boat pose
Read – Paripurna Navasana Full Boat Pose, Method, Uses, Ayurveda Details

Related Video

Watch this video to follow the method of doing Lolasana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FrATDQTXHs

Health Benefits

• It mainly strengthens hip flexors and arm muscles
• The pose will make shoulders strong and enable you to do the inversions and deeper arm balancing poses.
• It strengthens the arms, wrists and shoulders
• It strengthens lower back, legs and abdominal region
• Good for neuromuscular coordination
• Strengthens all the muscles of the abdomen
• Lengthens the lower back
• The pose increases the bone density and makes them strong, due to pressure exerted on the wrists, shoulders and upper back.
• This pose involves core strength. This assists in body lifting. It also increases the strength of abdominal strength.
• It is a preparation pose for more advanced arm balancing poses.
• It helps one in getting rid of their belly fat.
• Helps to relieve backache because the pose gives a good traction to the back
• It is also a good preparatory pose for tulasana.
• The abdominal contraction caused by this pose improves the digestive functions. It rejuvenates the digestive organs. These organs in turn secrete optimum enzymes and digestive juices.
• It is good for patients of Schizophrenia – Study. It helps in improving subjective well being, daily basic living skills, personal hygiene, self care, self discipline and social communication in these patients.
• Regular practice helps in eradicating abdominal disorders and respiratory disorders.
• It generates control and coordination

Preparatory Poses

• Vajrasana – Thunderbolt Pose
• Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward facing dog pose
• Padmasana – Lotus pose

Follow Up Poses

• Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog Pose
• Chaturanga Dandasana – Four Limbed Staff Pose
• Bakasana – Crane Pose
• Kakasana – Crow Pose

Time spent doing Lolasana

Hold the pose for 4-5 counts while you take deep breathe or for 30-60 seconds.

Impact on Chakras

This pose activates Muladhara Chakra – Root Chakra and the Manipura Chakra – the Solar Plexus. One would achieve mental and emotional stability when the root chakra gets balanced. Likewise the self-confidence and motivation improves when the solar plexus is activated.

Contraindications, Precautions

• Shoulder and Wrist injuries
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Knee and ankle injuries
• Neck sprain and diseases of cervical vertebrae
• Hypertension
• Hernia
• Dislocation and sprain of wrist
• De Quervain’s Syndrome – inflammation of tendons around wrist

Caution

Practice with caution if you are a pregnant or take advice from expert Yoga teacher.

It should also be avoided by women during menstruation.
Read – Ayurvedic Diet And Lifestyle During Menstruation (Periods)

Impact on doshas and tissues

Impact on Doshas and its subtypes – The pendant pose is beneficial for digestive functions and rejuvenates the related organs of the system and hence beneficial in balancing the doshas related to digestive functions including samana vata, pachaka pitta and kledaka kapha. It is also good for mental wellbeing and hence balances prana vata, sadhaka pitta and tarpaka kapha, including vyana vata. The pose provides good cure for respiratory disorders and hence useful in balancing udana vata and avalambaka kapha.

Impact on tissues – This pose strengthens the muscles and hence beneficial for maintaining the health of muscle tissues in the body. Since it increases the bone density and makes them strong, it is good for bone tissue. The pose also is good for the health of joints of the body. It is beneficial for the healthy maintenance of the channels of circulation and transportation of muscle and bone tissues. The pose is a good one to deplete the belly fat and is hence an important one to balance the fat stores in the body. It also keeps the channels of transportation of fat in the body healthy and balance.

Click to Consult Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ayu)