How To Do: Staff Pose (Dandasana)
Level: Beginner
Targets: Hamstrings, Calves and Back
Pose Type: Seated
Staff Pose is a safe and effective beginner yoga pose.
Performing Staff Pose seems simple but there are many factors to consider. In staff pose you need to focus on correct alignment to capture all of it benefits. It’s a great pose for building strength and improving posture.
Staff Pose is a foundational yoga pose and demonstrates the basic alignment used for most other seated yoga poses. It prepares your body to enter more advanced poses.
The pose might look easy but tight hamstrings and a weak core will make sitting upright quite challenging.
Staff Pose will help you cultivate awareness your spines alignment. An aligned and upright posture allows the diaphragm to move freely, this allows your breath to deepen and your nervous system to relax.
Staff Pose will often be followed by Seated Forward Fold in Vinyasa Yoga.
How To Do: Staff Pose (Dandasana)
Step-by-step
- Sit with your legs together and extended forward.
- Engage your thigh muscles without hyperextending your knees, and flex both feet drawing your toes back.
- If you need to, you can bend your knees slightly.
- Stack your shoulders above your hips and drop your shoulders away from your ears.
- Place your palms next your hips to support your spine, fingers facing forward. Depending on your arm length, you can bend your elbows or place your palms on yoga blocks if they are shorter.
- Rotate your thighs inward and press them down.
- Lift your chest and broaden your collar bones.
- Engage your back muscles and sit up tall.
- Draw your lower abdomen in and up and keep your core engaged to maintain the pose.
- Lengthen the spine on every inhale.
- Stay in the pose for 5 breaths.
- To exit the pose, relax your arms and shake out your legs.
Modifications for Staff Pose (Dandasana):
Whether you want to go deeper into the stretch or want to make it a bit more accessible to your current fitness level, there is a modification for you.
- Sit on the edge of a folded blanket to prevent slouching. Elevating the hips will help to tilt your pelvis forward and lengthen the spine.
- Placing a folded blanked under your hips will also help for tight hamstrings and back pain.
- Place a rolled towel under your knees if your hamstrings are very tight or if your knees tend to hyperextend. This will also help if you experience any knee pain.
- Place yoga blocks under your palms if your arms are shorter. Press into the block and sit up tall.
- For better balance you can sit with your back against a wall. Only your sacrum and shoulder blades should touch the wall lightly. Maintain the natural curve in your spine.
- If you experience discomfort with your legs, spread them as much as needed. Make sure your knees keep facing up.
Variations for Staff Pose (Dandasana):
- You can perform the pose with your legs slightly spread and your hands reaching overhead.
- For a deeper stretch you can transition into Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)
Tips for Beginners:
- Make sure to activate the legs by flexing the ankles and toes and pressing out through the heels.
- Tucking your chin will help keep your neck long and your spine straight.
- Breathwork is essentials in any yoga practice. Make sure to practice your yoga breathing during the pose.
- Keep your abdominal muscles engaged to support your lower back.
- Your ears, shoulders and hips should be aligned in a straight line.
Beginner Mistakes:
- Legs rotating outward. Don’t let your legs fall open, consciously make sure they rotate internally in line with the front of the body with the toes flexed.
- Don’t round the lower back. Your back should be nice and straight but maintain the natural curve in the lumbar spine (Lower Back) by gently tilting your pelvis forward. Modify the pose if needed.
Benefits of Staff Pose (Dandasana):
- Staff pose stretches the hamstrings, calves, chest, and shoulders.
- It improves posture by improving flexibility and strengthening the back muscles. While stretching and lengthening the spine.
- It strengthens thigh muscles and improves core strength and stability.
- It may help relieve sciatic pain.
- Practicing this pose with a steady breath will help relieve stress and anxiety.
- Staff Pose helps with digestive issues by stimulating the organs in the abdomen.
Caution When Performing Staff Pose (Dandasana):
- Avoid if you have a wrist or back injury.
- Don’t over arch your lower back or lift the chest too much.
- Always listen to your body and work within your own range and limits.
- If you suffer from knee pain, you can keep your knees slightly bent.
