Mandala Pose (Mandala-asana)

Mandala, or Circle Pose, known in Sanskrit as Mandalasana, is an advanced yoga posture that demands significant strength, flexibility, and spatial awareness. This dynamic inversion involves maintaining a Headstand foundation while powerfully circling the legs around the body in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

The name Mandalasana comes from the Sanskrit words "mandala" (मण्डल), which means "circle" or "disk," and "asana" (आसन), meaning "posture" or "seat." The pose visually embodies the concept of a mandala as the practitioner creates a full circle with their legs and torso around the central axis of the head and arms. It is a testament to the practitioner's mastery of inversions, backbends, and core control.

Before attempting Mandalasana, it is essential to have a strong and comfortable practice in preparatory poses like Upward-Facing Bow Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana), often referred to as Wheel Pose, as well as a stable Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana).

How to Practice Mandalasana

Mandalasana is a complex sequence that requires focus and deliberate movement. Always approach this posture with a warm body and a clear mind.

Instructions:

1. Begin in a stable Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana), ensuring your neck and shoulders are strong and supported, and your core is engaged.
2. From Headstand, exhale and slowly begin to lower your legs towards the floor, arching your belly towards the sky. Your body will naturally begin to create a deep backbend.
3. Initiate the clockwise movement: Start walking your feet (or rather, guiding your legs) to the right. As your legs move towards the 3 o'clock position (relative to your head), lift your left leg over your right. This action will cause your entire torso to flip, so your belly now faces the floor.
4. Continue to guide your feet in a clockwise direction around your body. The movement should be controlled and fluid, maintaining the integrity of the circle.
5. As you reach approximately the 9 o'clock position, lift your right leg over your left. This will flip your body again, returning your belly to face the sky.
6. Continue the circle until your feet return to the starting position with your belly arched toward the sky.
7. Pause, recenter, and take several deep breaths. Rest briefly in Child’s Pose (Balasana) if needed.
8. Repeat the entire sequence in the counterclockwise direction, starting by guiding your legs to the left.

Practicing Mandalasana can be visualized and broken down using a mental yoga generator or a Circle Pose generator to understand the rotational dynamics.

Benefits of Mandalasana

The advanced nature of Mandalasana offers a profound range of physical and energetic benefits:

• Invigorates the Entire Body: The dynamic circling motion, combined with the inversion, stimulates circulation and energy flow throughout the whole system.
• Massages Abdomen and Internal Organs: The compression and decompression of the torso during the circular movement provide a deep massage to the abdominal organs, aiding digestion and detoxification.
• Energizes and Opens the Chest and Lungs: Mandalasana is a powerful backbend that significantly opens the chest cavity, promoting deeper breathing and stimulating the heart and lung functions.
• Opens the Hips: The broad, circular leg movements actively engage and increase flexibility in the hip joints.
• Elongates the Sides and Front of the Body: The expansive nature of the backbend and the lateral movements create significant length along the obliques, intercostals, and deep anterior fascial lines.
• Promotes a Healthy Spine and Bones: The intricate spinal movements in Mandalasana foster spinal flexibility and strength, and as a weight-bearing inversion through the arms and head, it can contribute to bone density in the upper body and spine.
• Enhances Core Strength and Coordination: Maintaining control while rotating the legs demands exceptional core engagement and refined body coordination.

Cautions and Contraindications

Due to its complexity and inversion component, Mandalasana is not suitable for everyone.

• Do not practice this pose if you have any existing back or neck injuries.
• Avoid if you have high blood pressure, heart problems, or any other medical condition that contraindicates inversions.
• Pregnant individuals should avoid this pose.
• Those with glaucoma or other eye conditions should also refrain from practicing Mandalasana.
• If you experience dizziness, pain, or discomfort at any point, immediately and carefully come out of the pose.

Pose Details