Unsupported Shoulderstandनिरालम्ब सर्वाङ्गासन

Set up on folded blankets and come into a steady supported shoulderstand first. Check that the line from shoulders to ankles is genuinely vertical before changing anything. Release one hand from the back and rest that arm along the floor, palm down. If the line holds without wavering, release the second hand and lie both arms alongside the body. Hold briefly, replace the hands on the back, then roll down one vertebra at a time. Hold for 10–30 seconds.

Primarily the abdominals, spinal erectors, shoulders, with the glutes, upper back, hip flexors assisting or lengthening. In mechanical terms: removes the hands from the back so the trunk alone holds the vertical line.

Glaucoma or raised pressure in the eye, and uncontrolled high blood pressure. Neck or cervical spine injury — without the hands, more of the load reaches the neck. Pregnancy — do not begin here; whether to continue an established inversion practice is a decision for you and your doctor. Menstruation: many traditions leave inversions out then, a personal choice rather than a medical rule. Recent ear infection — and learn this only with a qualified teacher present, after supported shoulderstand is effortless. This is general information, not medical advice — if any of these apply to you, ask your doctor and learn the pose with a qualified teacher rather than from a page.

No. Unsupported Shoulderstand is rated advanced. The shape itself is rarely the problem — arriving at it years too early is. Work through the beginner and intermediate inversions poses on this site and learn this one in person.

The honest answer is that nobody has measured a single asana. The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities publishes MET values for styles of yoga, not for individual poses. Unsupported Shoulderstand sits closest to Compendium code 02175, yoga, Power, at 4 MET — about 147 kcal for 30 minutes of that kind of practice for a 70 kg adult. Holding one pose for a minute is a rounding error either way.