Sugarcane Pose is a a complex pose found most often in vinyasa sequences.
It’s a challenging balance that requires you to hold your arms up while balancing sideways. It takes practice to get a hang of it, and it has many benefits.
The Sugarcane pose is a variation of the Half Moon Pose, which is an advanced balance (or more accurately, a counterbalance) pose. The Sugarcane starts with your feet hip-width apart, your core engaged and neutralised and a strong spine of the hips.
It’s essentially Half Moon on the move in its most challenging form. Carrying the same action forward from balance to extension, let’s take a closer look at how it works:
How to Do the Sugarcane Pose in Yoga with Correct Form?
This pose can be performed wherever you can reach your arms out at full length. Here’s how it’s done:
- Begin in Half Moon Pose—facing the ceiling while standing on your right leg and left leg parallel to the floor.
- Letting go of your left arm, bend your left knee, and reach behind you with your left hand to grab the top of your left foot.
- Keep your left thigh roughly parallel to the floor till you feel stable with your balance, but focus first on creating a stable base with your straight, standing leg before going deeper into this pose.
- With your left hand on your back, kick your right foot towards your left side.
- Push your foot into your hand, and turn to the left. This action helps open the side body and creates a backbend.
- Feel your chest expand forward to make this bow shape.
- Hold for one to five breaths before releasing the foot back into the Half Moon position. Return it to the floor, and try it again with the other leg.
Tips and Techniques for Sugarcane Pose in Yoga
Here’s how this pose is performed:
- Don’t bend your right foot at the knees when you take the first step in Ardha Chandra Chapasana.
- Bend from your lower back, making sure it is straight, and extend your right hand in front of you.
- It’s crucial to open up the chest when practicing the Sugarcane posture.
- Make sure your chest is not bending downward, even if you are unable to grasp your left leg by the left hand.
- The key to the Ardha Chandra Chapasana is lateral bending, so it’s crucial to open your chest externally rather than downward.
- An intermediate-level yoga pose is the Ardha Chandra Chapasana. Therefore, ensure that you are stable in the preparatory poses before starting.
- This asana’s main component is balance. Therefore, if you ever feel like you are losing your grip, simply gradually relax in tadasana, and exit the posture (standing posture).
Benefits of Sugarcane Pose
1) Your entire lower body is used and stretched in the Ardha Chandra chapasana position. The hips, thighs, calves and hamstrings expand as a result of practicing it.
2) Your spine is stretched, and its functionality is improved by doing the Ardha Chandra Chapasana. Because of our upright spines, we are capable of performing amazing things. This asana can stretch the spine and make it more flexible.
3) One leg and one hand must be used to balance the body in the sugarcane stance. This position helps improve overall body coordination, allowing the practitioner to hold the pose steadily. This posture enhances coordination while bringing your attention to various bodily functions.
4) Sugarcane Pose’s main goal is to get your chest open. In order to improve breathing, this helps to open the ribcage. Your ribcage opening increases the size of your lungs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
No chest opening
Maintaining your chest open toward the ceiling, as it is in Half Moon, is the most crucial aspect of this pose. You’ve lost the foundation of the posture and probably won’t be able to explore the backbend if you can grab your left foot but it makes your chest rotate toward the floor.
Knee Position
The standing leg’s knee shouldn’t be locked or overextended. Without bending the knee, keep it just a little supple.
Bottom Line
All in all, the sugarcane pose has a wide variety of benefits. It can be advanced with time and regular practice and if included in your yoga exercises, will be an important milestone in these and your overall Yoga progression.
Also Read
Story Continues below
But at the same time, you should take it easy. Start with a lower level and then proceed to a higher one when the body is ready for it. Only then will you be able to gain maximum benefits from such difficult poses.
The sugarcane pose, while challenging, can be a lot of fun to do and is certainly worth your time. Give it a shot and feel the benefits yourself. Please note that you should approach this pose with caution if you are recovering from an injury.
Q. Have you tried this yoga pose?
