Last updated: December 21, 2023
What Does
Tolasana Mean?
Tolasana is an arm balancing variation of lotus pose, or padmasana. This asana is part of the primary series of Ashtanga yoga, where it is used to engage and challenge the muscles one final time before the body is released and relaxed at the end of a practice. It is also a powerful posture for learning the lower two bandhas.
To perform this asana, the yogi begins in lotus pose. The hands are placed on either side of the body, and the arms are activated so the body and legs are lifted off the ground. The body can then swing between the arms like a scale.
The name for this posture comes from the Sanskrit root word, tola, which usually means "scale" or "balance," but can also mean "poising oneself." In English, tolasana is called scale pose.
Yogapedia Explains Tolasana
Tolasana is a challenging posture because of the way it requires the yogi to draw their body weight and energy up. As such, it helps to activate the mula bandha (root lock) and uddiyana bandha (upward abdominal lock). It is also said to be beneficial for stimulating the muladhara (root) chakra, thus promoting a sense of stability and groundedness.
Because it is a strong pose, it requires the mind to find the balance between effort and ease in order to create a sense of calm in the pose. It may require a lot of practice to attain this posture, which can teach patience and acceptance.
The balancing quality of this posture helps improve the student’s overall balance in body and mind. It is also good for calming the mind and relieving stress or anxiety.
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.
Synonyms
Tulasana
Dolasana
Utthita Padmasana