An Introduction to Yoga for My Parents - Staff Pose

During this short visit back home, I'm teaching my parents some yoga that they can do on their own when I leave. They both have some physical ailments, my father suffers from sciatica and my mother has a very mild case of rheumatoid arthritis in her ankles and knees, so they asked for my advice on some yoga postures that could help alleviate discomfort.

My first lesson with them was showing them how to sit. The yoga asana, or pose, that is the foundation for all sitting forward bends is called Staff Pose, or Dandasana in Sanskrit. Done properly, one can yield so many benefits from this seemingly simple pose like improving posture. It's great for rheumatism of the knees and ankles, which my mom has, because it strengthens and tones the leg muscles, and lengthens the ligaments of the legs. It's great for my dad's sciatica because it helps to relieve strain in the back by toning the spine, chest, and abdominal muscles.

Truth be told, it's not the most natural way of sitting and therefore, can be very uncomfortable at first. It feels a little strange the first time you do it. I know my father has some difficulty.

If you are starting and don't have the strength of spine to remain erect, then you can do this posture with your back against the wall.

How do you do it?

1. Sit on the floor with outstretched legs. Legs should be touching and toes should be pointing towards the ceiling.
2. Move the flesh of the buttocks out to the side so that you're sitting directly on your butt bones. This will help with stability and balance.
3. Place your palms on the floor beside your hips with your fingers pointing forward. Depending on the length of your arms, adjust your hands so that your arms are straight - ie. You might have to move your palms either a little more forward or a little more backward accordingly. - I have short arms so I really have to lengthen my arms to reach the floor.
4. Lift your waist and ribcage.
5. Lift your chest to open your heart.
6. Roll your shoulders back and down to release the tension.
7. Lengthen your neck and spine by imagining a cord attached to the top of your head and pulling you towards the ceiling.
8. At the same time, press the bottom of your thighs to the floor and activate your quadriceps (this should already be happening because your toes are slightly flexed pointing upward. Don't forget!)
9. Relax your face.
10. And breathe!
11. Hold for 30 seconds... and relax.

Your spine should be straight. Your legs should also be straight and exactly perpendicular to your torso. An old yoga teacher of mine would tell us to imagine we were Barbie dolls. Remember Barbie? She could only hinge from her hips. Otherwise her spine was completely straight and her legs (separate from her torso) were also completely straight. That's the idea.

That's a lot to remember, right? Hence the reason why I'm teaching one pose at a time to my parents.

One of my yoga teachers in India says, "If it's easy for you, you're not doing it right." He's right. For every "simple" posture, there are a myriad of things to focus on, while breathing and staying relaxed.

For my parents, it's a step by step process whereby I'll teach them a new pose everyday until I leave, which will give them a sequence to practice on their own. Staff Pose will likely be a pose in any yoga sequence that you do. But you can also do it on it's own. My mom says that she does something similar in the office when her legs are getting sore. She sits in her chair and lifts her legs into Staff Pose. She already intuitively does this pose. It just goes to show that yoga is everywhere and we all have the ability and intuition to practice. Doing it with mindfulness, awareness, and intention is the key.