To start initially, one should begin with the Padmasana or the Lotus Pose where, the legs should be kept intertwined with the crown of both the feet relaxing on the reverse thighs
The hands must be placed on the ground on either of the hip areas
One needs to exhale while pushing the palms strongly against the ground. The abdominal muscles should be drawn inside and upwards along with raising the legs as well as buttocks off from the ground
One should hold on to the position of being suspended for atleast five breaths before liberating from this position by bringing oneself down on the ground. Now, the crossing of the legs needs to be altered and the pose needs to be repeated again for the same duration. It needs to be mentioned in this context that expert practitioners are known to hols this posture for about a hundred breaths
The anatomical focus of Tolasana is on the abdominal muscles which ensure a tightly stretched stomach. The asana not only strengthens the abdominal muscles but also as a result provides internal stimulation with regard to the fundamental organs of the human body.
Tolasana includes quite a few effective therapeutic applications that are considered to be quite imperative and helpful for the smooth functioning of the human body. The abdominal muscles are stretched up tight and makes one breathe heavily which as a result provides an enhanced oxygen supply to the lungs. Tolasana is also known to be therapeutic for any common forms of eye defects and greatly aids in removing them.
There are several health benefits of Tolasana which have been stated below:
It aids in enhancing the overall balance of the human body
It strengthens the upper shoulder muscles and of the hands
It builds the shoulders, neck and the back
This particular pose augments the body awareness and functionality
It strengthens the abdominal muscles, arms as well as the wrists
This pose of yoga helps in curing any common form of eye defects
It greatly helps in liberating tension from the muscles and calms the mind
Breathing heavily enhances the oxygen supply to the lungs
There are quite some great benefits of Tolasana but it needs to be mentioned in this context that there are certain conditions in which the practice of this yoga posture should be avoided or else it might pose fatal consequences. For instance one should stay away from the performance of this asana in case of recent wrist surgery or injury, injury or pain in the shoulders, hands or even arms, injury or pain in the knee, shoulder surgery or pain, ankle injury or pain and also in case of inflexible thighs or hips. It is always advisable to perform the asana under the guidance of an expert yoga practitioner.
Individuals attempting this asana for the first time might experience difficulty to balance the weight of their body only on their hands. Therefore, as a solution for this problem, one is advised to make use of bricks or even yoga blocks under each of the hands for the purpose of learning to balance rightly.
Tolasana is not recommended for individuals who cannot appropriately perform the Padmasana. However, performing the Tolasana can be made possible for such people with certain variations. One need to get into a kneeling posture to begin with and the right ankle should be rested on the left one. The body must be rested on the right heel after which the palms must be placed on the ground or even on blocks. Then the torso needs to be raised in a way so that the back resembles a curved posture along with extending out the shoulders. The left ankle must be positioned on the right one while inhaling and exhaling. This asana should be performed for a minimum of 20 seconds.
The common difficulty experienced while performing this asana is to raise the legs off the ground while placing the hands against the ground. Therefore, it is recommended to place blocks under each hand in order to extend the arms length and also to support lifting of the legs.
Performing an asana that includes a certain difficulty level with a partner makes it quite easy which is even applicable for Tolasana as well. In case of Tolasana, a partner can help the performer to lift oneself or the body off the ground without much initial stress on the hands. A partner also makes it easy for one performing this asana to hold on to the suspended position for the mentioned duration that is 10 to 20 seconds.
The preparatory poses which help to prepare the body for practicing Tolasana include Ardha Matsyendrasana, Garudasana or the arm position, Padmasana, Baddha Konasana, Janu Sirsasana and Virasana.
The follow up poses of Tolasana include the Padmasana and the Kukkutasana. It needs to be mentioned in this context that the Tolasana is generally practised as a form of the Padmasana series. Kukkutasana is supposed to be an universal follow-up pose of Tolasana.
In order to deepen the pose, one must pull up the inner portion of the groins into the centre of the upper body accompanied with the front region related to the spine.