How to Do Tulasana: Meaning, Benefits & Steps

What is Tulasana?

Tulasana, also referred to as Tolasana or the Scale Pose, is a challenging hand-balancing asana in modern yoga. It gets its name from the Sanskrit terms ‘tula’ meaning balance and ‘asana’ meaning posture.

While performing this asana, your body is lifted off the ground and is balanced on your arms. This resembles a weighing scale, giving Tolasana yoga pose its name. It represents the same balance that a weighing scale has between your body, mind, and spirituality.

Tulasana doesn’t find a mention in the ancient yogic texts. Instead, it gets its first mention in the 1960s in BKS Iyengar’s book on yoga. 

Who can do Tulasana?

Scale Pose yoga can be done by: 

1. Seniors who have a good range of motion and strength.
2. Children
3. People who want to improve their strength and flexibility.
4. Those who want to cure their digestive problems.
5. People who want to improve their balance and coordination.
6. People who want to reduce stress and calm their minds. 

Who should avoid Tulasana?

Avoid doing the Scale Pose yoga without consulting your doctor in case you suffer from any of these conditions:

1. Injury in the arms, shoulders, or wrists.
2. Pregnancy
3. Menstruation
4. High blood pressure
5. Acute osteoporosis 
6. Osteoarthritis
7. Cardiovascular problems

How is Tulasana done?

Since this pose requires you to balance your entire body weight on your arms, it is considered to be a challenging pose. This makes it important for you to know the Tolasana Pose steps well to avoid injuries. 

Here is a step-by-step explanation of Tulasana:

1. Sit comfortably in the Dandasana pose with your legs stretched out.
2. Place your right foot on the left thigh and your left foot on the right thigh. They should be kept close to the hip joint. Your heels must be facing upwards.
3. Place your hands on the sides and touch the floor with your palms.
4. Engage your core muscles and straighten your spine.
5. Press your palms into the floor and lift your hips and trunk off the floor.
6. Hold the pose for 20-30 seconds or for as long as you comfortably can.
7. Exhale deeply and lower your hips and knees to the floor.
8. Uncross your legs and stretch them forward.
9. Repeat the Tolasana pose by alternating your legs.

What are some variations of Tulasana?

Once you have mastered the Tulasana steps, you can try these variations of this asana to keep yourself engaged and progress your workouts:

1. Kukutasana

Also known as the Cockerel Pose, this is an excellent Tulasana variation to enhance your circulation and build strength in your upper and lower body.

Steps involved in Kukutasana:

1. Begin by sitting in Padmasana and inserting your arms between your thighs and calves.
2. Position your palms on the floor.
3. Lift your body slowly using your hands.
4. Keep your back and head straight.
5. Position your gaze on any object in the front.
6. Hold the pose for 30-40 seconds.
7. Return to the starting position and repeat by alternating the legs.

2. Lolasana

This is a challenging variation of the Tolasana yoga pose and effectively strengthens your upper back, arms, and shoulders. Also known as the Pendant Pose, it cures respiratory problems and enhances your control over your body.

Steps involved in Lolasana:

1. To begin, sit in Padmasana.
2. Position your palms on the floor by the side of your thighs.
3. Take a deep breath in and using the strength in your arms, raise your body gently as you balance it on your hands.
4. Keep your abdomen tucked in throughout the movement.
5. Hold the position for 20-40 seconds.
6. To return to the starting position, exhale deeply and lower your hips and legs on the ground.
7. Repeat the asana with alternate legs.

What are the benefits of Tulasana?

Tolasana has immense benefits for not just your physical health but also for the health of your mind. Here are some top reasons to include the Tolasana yoga pose in your daily routine:

1. Just like the Dolasana yoga pose, Tulasana also enhances your overall body strength. It works on the muscles in your shoulders, hands, core, and arms and improves your workout performance and endurance.
2. One of the most important Tolasana benefits is that since it gives a deep stretch to your shoulders, arms, hips, legs, and wrists, it makes them more flexible. Just like in Dolasana, this asana also improves your flexibility and makes daily activities easier.
3. Tolasana benefits people who suffer from chronic lower back pain or stiffness due to their sedentary lifestyle. It strengthens your lower back and makes it more flexible and cures postural problems.
4. One of the most important benefits of Tulasana is that it enhances your circulation. This helps in calming your mind and relieving your stress and anxiety. It also facilitates mental health and prevents neurodegenerative problems like Alzheimer and Parkinson’s.
5. Tulasana benefits people who experience chronic digestive problems like IBS, gas, and constipation. It stimulates your digestive organs and improves their functioning.
6. One of the most important benefits of Tulasana is that it reinvigorates your root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras. This lifts your mood, energises you, and enhances your creativity and self-confidence.
7. Since you don’t need to invest in expensive equipment or yoga studio memberships, this asana can be easily included in your home workouts.

How to do Tulasana safely?

Since it is an arm balancing asana, it is important to do Tulasana correctly. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. This asana requires considerable strength and flexibility. Before you start doing this asana, condition your body by doing preparatory poses such as Virasana, Baddha Konasana, or Padmasana.
2. Learn the steps of this asana either by joining online yoga classes or from an experienced yoga practitioner. This is especially beneficial during yoga for beginners and to prevent injuries.
3. Use props such as a cushion or yoga block to make the Tolasana yoga pose easier in the initial stages.

Takeaway

Once practised well, Tulasana is an excellent addition to your daily yoga practice. However, to gain Tulasana benefits, be consistent with your practice and don’t vary the intensity and frequency of this asana. 

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