Last updated: December 21, 2023
What Does
Elbow Stand Mean?
Elbow stand is an advanced balancing pose and inversion that requires core strength and tremendous balance.
From forearm balance pose (pincha mayurasana), each forearm is lifted off the ground and the hands rest on the sides of the face, cupping the chin so that all of the body weight is balanced on the points of the elbows. The drishti (gaze) is focused on the nose.
Elbow stand is also known as repose pose or couch pose, and by its Sanskrit name, sayanasana.
Yogapedia Explains Elbow Stand
Elbow stand is part of the fourth series vinyasa of Ashtanga yoga. Yogis who struggle with the full version of the pose may take the half version with one arm in the elbow balance and the other arm in a forearm balance.
Considered a variation of scorpion pose, elbow stand has many of the same benefits as well as benefits common to inversions in general, including:
- Strengthens the shoulders and arms
- Increases blood flow to the brain
- Nourishes the endocrine and pituitary glands
- Eases varicose vein symptoms
- Stretches the spine and back muscles
- Energizes the body and mind
During These Times of Stress and Uncertainty Your Doshas May Be Unbalanced.
To help you bring attention to your doshas and to identify what your predominant dosha is, we created the following quiz.
Try not to stress over every question, but simply answer based off your intuition. After all, you know yourself better than anyone else.