How To Do the Scorpion Pose
- December 10, 2007
- 18,667 Views
from
Joe Kulak
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Yoga Expert
Joe Kulak
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Produced by
Howcast Media
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Directed by
Kevin Hall
- Actor Meghan Miller
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Voice-Over Artist
Mario Bueno
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Production Designer
Karin Olsen
- Cosmetics Provided by M·A·C
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Music
Edison Music Corp
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Art Director
Dew Gueramian
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Writer
Howcast Studios
The Scorpion Pose is a favorite of Cirque de Soleil performers and contortionists of all stripes, which is to say it’s a very advanced position not for the faint of heart—or weak of back.
You Will Need
- Comfortable clothing suitable for stretching and moving
- A calm place where you won't be distracted or disturbed
- A yoga mat or folded blanket
- A wall
Warm up your neck and shoulders by doing other yoga poses first, like the Cat Cow, Cobra, and Bridge poses.
Step 1: Get on hands & knees
Begin on your hands and knees.
To help stabilize yourself, face a wall with your hands about six inches away from it.
Step 2: Lower forearms
Lower your forearms onto the floor in front of you with your elbows shoulder-width apart.
To bring your forearms to the correct distance apart, grasp each elbow with the opposite hand.
Step 3: Place hands on floor
Place your hands palm down on the floor, fingers spread, and forearms parallel to each other.
For added support, form a triangle with your forearms by sliding your hands toward each other until the tips of your thumbs are touching.
Step 4: Straighten legs & raise hips
Straighten your legs, raising your hips up so your body forms an inverted V.
Step 5: Walk feet toward body
Walk your feet toward your body, straightening your back and keeping your weight on your elbows.
Step 6: Bend knees & lift feet
Slowly bend your knees and lift—try not to kick or jump—your feet straight up off the mat.
Step 7: Align body
Lift your legs straight up so your entire body forms a straight line and there is perfect alignment between your hips, torso, neck, head and shoulders.
Step 8: Press against mat
Press against the mat with your forearms to protect your neck, which should not be bearing your body weight.
Step 9: Lower feet
Slowly bend your knees, bringing your feet down toward your head. Arch your back, keeping your body weight on your elbows.
If you are using a wall, bend your knees until your feet touch the wall, then walk them slowly down as you lift your chest toward your feet arching into a back bend.
Step 10: Hold pose
Hold the pose for as long as you’re comfortable.
Remember that you need strength and control to come out of the pose properly, so don’t hold it too long.
Step 11: Release pose
Release the pose by carefully coming down the same way you went up. Now you might want to re-consider running away to join the circus.
There are 90 species of scorpions in the U.S., but only one of them is considered dangerous to humans.
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Comments (2)
Nice pose. I hope to do that one day.
over 4 years ago by cuzic4n
If you really have to tell someone to not put their weight on their NECK, I'm not sure that person should be attempting this.
about 1 year ago by qqieman
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