Malasana (Garland Pose)

Malasana will benefit your body and mind in many ways. Through this pose you will stretch the ankles, groins and back torso. Also you will be able to tone your belly and make your abdominal muscles stronger.  Malasana is a great pose to open up the hips, to lengthen the groins, and bring mobility in the lumbar region of the spine.  The primary benefit to the mind of Malasana is the quietude it fosters. 

Stand with feet joined, a few inches from the wall. Bend the knees and take the hands to the floor, keeping the knees and feet together. Roll the front thighs in. Rest your sacrum against the wall but not your lower or upper back. Lift front ribs and sternum, and stretch the arms forward while you draw the arms bones back into their sockets. Press the heels down without collapsing the arches, and draw the outer thighs towards the hips. To tone the abdomen in this stage, coordinate the following actions: press the heels down while moving the calves towards shins; lift the abdomen at the same time. Earlier stage/alternative – hold the lower wall ropes while doing the first stage of the pose.  

Stand on a rolled up mat or a folded blanket, with feet together in Tadasana. Bend the knees and take your hands to the floor for balance, then with hips moving towards heels, extend your arms forward. Turn the arms out and draw outer arms back into shoulders so the chest can lift more easily. Press the heels down into blanket, roll the front thighs in and take outer thighs into hips. Take the abdomen in and up as you lift your chest.  Coordinate the lift of abdomen with action of pressing calves toward shins to deepen the toning of abdomen.

From stage two, bend your knees out to the side while pressing down through the inner heel and ball of the foot. Reach your arms and trunk forward in between your knees. Hold the sides of the sticky mat and extend your chest forward. Then bend your elbows and place the back of your upper arm against the top of your shins and use the pressure of the arms against the shins for leverage to lengthen your spine and extend your chest further forward. Keep the inner heels pressing down and front ankles moving back to counter the forward motion of your chest. Once you have elongated your spine, turn your upper arms inward and take your hands to the back of your ankles, wrap your palms around the back of your heels. Pull on the back of your heels to get your arms more tightly intertwined around the outside of your legs.  Take your head toward the floor, or rest it on a block or blanket if it does not reach the floor.

From third stage, release your heels and place the back of your hands on the small of your back and gradually work your hands closer to each other until you can clasp the hands together. If you are unable to clasp your hands, use a strap to connect the hands behind the back. Use your clasped hands for leverage to fully extend your chest forward and take your head down to the floor. If you are unable to reach the floor with your head, use a block or blanket so the top of your head is supported.