What is Dandasana (Staff Pose)? How to do Dandasana & Benefits

Dandasana is one of the yoga postures that have both physical and mental benefits. The Dandasana pose is known as the staff pose because the spine of the human body represents the staff or stick in this pose. Dandasana is the sitting asana. 

What is Dandasana?

It is a sitting yoga posture with both the legs straight to the body and spine upstanding. The Hindi word ‘Danda’ means staff or stick and asana means pose, together with means staff pose in English or usually called Dandasana. It is considered to be an ideal form of yoga asana helping in the promotion of strength and spiritual support. 

This asana is like a warm-up exercise before starting the real yoga practice. Things that look simple are often more complicated and the same goes for this pose because it is not as straightforward as it looks. It is an intense strength-upgrading pose. This asana is short and simple but the posture should be upright.

How to do Dandasana?

• Sit in an erect position on the floor and extend your both legs at 90 to the upper body with the feet pointing towards the sky or ceiling.
• Sit by placing the buttocks on the floor and aligning the head along with the body to strengthen and prolong the spine.
• Extend the feet, compress the heels, and spread the toes, and allow them to bend forwards towards the upper body.
• Palms should be placed next to your hips to help in relaxing the shoulders and supporting the spine.
• Relax the lower half of the body on the earth.
• Hold on to the pose for 20-30 seconds with relaxed, normal breathing.

It is Important to practice preparatory poses before starting the dandasana and the follow-up poses help in reforming into the other poses. The right posture gives pain while practicing but the wrong posture causes the effect of it after practice. So, ensuring the posture of the body is more important while practicing yoga.

Preparatory poses

These poses help us ease into the staff pose. They prepare our spine and our body for the pose.

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana
2. Uttanasana

Follow-up Poses

The staff pose serves as a preparatory pose for these poses.

1. Purvottanasana
2. Bharadvaja’s Twist

Precautions

• Ensure that the abdomen is completely free from food. Food should be taken at least 4 to 6 hours before practicing dandasana. So that the food is completely digested and there is enough energy to perform the asana.
• Thighs should be pressed down to the floor.
• Hands should be pressed to the floor for support and strength.
• Shoulder blades should be drawn towards each other in staff pose.
• The spine should be erect. The posture should be maintained correctly to get the staff pose right.
• Feet should be flexed with the toes spread in staff pose.
• This pose should not be practiced for more than 30 seconds.
• The staff pose should not be repeated. Repetition of the pose might cause pain in the back.
• Ensure that the weight is equally distributed and balanced between the buttocks.
• The pelvis, shoulders, and ears should be in one line. Alignment is more important to get it right without any pains.
• Beginners should take the support of a wall.
• To get the thighs to touch the ground, the practice of putting some weight of sandbags on the thighs near the hip can help for beginners.
• Avoiding the staff pose if you have an injury in the wrist or back is advisable.
• If the staff pose causes pain, it is better to back out of the pose immediately.
• The legs shouldn’t turn outward, they should be straight in Front of the body.
• The wrong staff pose can lead to severe pain. So, make sure to get the position right as staff pose is the basic pose of all other sitting postures.
• Getting into the right position cannot be achieved in a day or two. Everyday practice can help in getting the posture right.

Advice

• If it is difficult to sit as the hamstring muscles are tight then It is advised to put a blanket under the buttocks. This helps in the removal of external pressure in the legs and hips and to get the dandasana position.
• It is advised to take the assistance of a block or the wall initially if the abdomen and spine are weak to form the erect posture. This helps in forming dandasana until you learn to put the spine erect without any support.
• People with long arms can bend their hands at the elbows to get the support as it would be difficult for them to balance with the long arms.
• If you have tight wrists, then it is advised to point the fingers of the hands behind you. This method can help in opening up the chest and upper arm.
• People with lower back or wrist injuries are advised to avoid the practice of this pose to avoid any stress on the muscles and prevent further pain.
• It is advised to practice dandasana under supervision as it might help in getting the staff pose right in form and doesn’t cause external pains.
• It is most preferably advised to practice in the morning. As the stomach and bowels would be empty and that ensures a complete form of energy to produce in dandasana.
• If one cannot reach their palms to the floor, it is advised to use blocks to reach support for the hands.

Benefits of Dandasana

• This pose has various benefits. Though it looks simple and straight it is quite difficult to get the posture right with the balance of the weight and hamstrings tightening.
• Following are a few benefits of practicing Dandasana:
• It strengthens the back. As dandasana signifies erect posture of the back, it, therefore, helps in strengthening the back and building up the posture of the body.
• Dandasana helps in stretching of shoulders and thorax that helps in proper breathing activities.
• It increases the alignment and brings posture to the body. This helps in maintaining erect posture while doing normal activities and prevents any pains while working. It enhances the ability to work.
• The abdomen is stretched and thus helps in strengthening the weak abdomen muscles.
• Dandasana is known as a helpful method for curing sciatica pain and pulmonary diseases like asthma.
• Dandasana increases concentration and brings calmness to the mind. It relieves stress and helps in focusing better.

• Dandasana improves the spine by stretching of hamstrings and calf muscles.
• For athletes who run regularly, the tightening of the hamstrings and calves occurs. Dandasana helps in the relaxation of the tightened muscles and increases flexibility.
• It helps in stretching the spine that eventually increases the length of the spine.
• Dandasana helps in relieving complications of reproductive organs.
• Helps the body in preventing back and hip injuries.
• Dandasana helps in the improvement of the functioning of the digestive system as the abdomen muscles are improved in this staff pose.
• Dandasana helps in relaxing the brain cells and ensures better brain activity by releasing stress.
• Dandasana helps in the flexibility of changing into other postures as dandasana is the basic fundamental posture.
• Dandasana helps in breathing activity. Breathing difficulties can be overcome by practicing dandasana.
• Dandasana increases the flexibility of the hips and pelvis. More strength is required in the hips to support the back so there is more space for the building of flexible muscles around the hips and pelvis.
• Dandasana teaches you the way of sitting. Sitting properly with erect posture without any bending helps in strengthening the back and improves posture.
• Dandasana helps in the lengthening of the legs. As the stretch Infront of the body ensures toning of the legs and stretches more.
• Dandasana impacts positive energy into the nervous system and helps in focusing better.
• The Regular practice of Dandasana ensures stress-relief and better functionality of brain cells.
• Dandasana helps in the flexibility of all the back muscles.

Who Should Practice This Pose?

Dandasana is a basic posture that can be performed by anyone. 

People suffering from digestive problems should practice dandasana as it helps in proper digestion. It should be practiced for better breathing for people who have difficulty breathing or have complications in the lungs that cause pulmonary diseases like asthma. 

For people who suffer from sciatica which is the radiation of pain along the sciatica nerve, dandasana has healthy benefits in decreasing the radiation of the pain. To see improvement, they should inculcate this pose and practice every day. Major differences can be observed before and after regular practice. 

Dandasana is a healthy practice form that can be practiced by anyone. Athletes should practice dandasana as a warm-up exercise for flexibility of the hamstrings and prevention of pain while running.

Practicing every day under supervision can help in the improvement of the posture. It is important to be safe and careful while practicing yoga. One should avoid the practice of certain asana if it hurts or causes extreme pain. People with back injury or wrist injury should avoid the practice of this pose. 

Beginners should take support for the back until they no more need the support of anything. There are various benefits of this pose that helps in maintaining good health. It helps in strengthening back muscles, hips, and pelvis. It is beneficial for people suffering from respiratory problems, digestive problems, and also for spinal problems.

Dandasana helps in the improvement of posture and builds physical strength in the body. It helps in strengthening and increasing spinal length. It increases the flexibility of tightened hamstrings and calf muscles. Thereby, it is a very healthy practice of yoga that ensures proper posture of the body. 

Regular practice of this pose results in erect posture, healthy and focused brain activity. It relaxes the mind. The breathing activity while practicing this pose helps strengthen the muscles and maintain the posture. Learning basic postures in the right way helps in better performing of other postures.

Conclusion

Dandasana is one of the yoga poses. It is a simple sitting position that is more complicated than it actually looks. It should be practiced under the administration of a specialist to ensure the proper formation of the pose. 

The position needs to stress the thighs to the floor and balance the weight between the buttocks. Hands should be used to support the back without any external support. It should not be practiced for more than 30 seconds. Even if the time crosses, it should not exceed more than 90 seconds as this may lead to severe pains.

This pose should be performed in the morning as the stomach and bowels are empty and complete energy is utilized.Preparatory poses and follow-up poses are additionally advised poses to be performed before and after dandasana to recover to the normal position. Learning a pose does not happen in a day.