Crocodile Pose

Crocodile Pose (Makarasana) – Let’s relax and renew today with this restorative yoga pose. I think you’ll be surprised at how calming it is to rest face down on the floor! Sometimes when I lead this posture in yoga classes, I offer my students the option of lingering there a little longer, or to transition to child’s pose when they’re ready. Almost always, they linger in crocodile pose.

Benefits: This pose helps relieve back pain, and tension in the neck and shoulders. Crocodile pose reduces stress and anxiety; relieves insomnia; slows the heart rate and regulates blood pressure. When we place gentle pressure on the center of the forehead, our vagus nerve is stimulated. The vagus nerve activates our “rest and digest” (parasympathetic) nervous system. This pose also massages the internal organs and improves digestion.

How to: Rest on your belly and draw the arms up with elbows extended to each side. With palms down, stack your hands and rest the forehead on top of your hands. Relax your shoulders away from the ears. Allow the heels of your feet to fall outward and your toes to angle inward. Breathe deep into the lungs and feel your belly pressing against the floor as your inhale. Follow the rise and fall of your body with the breath, allowing yourself to completely relax here. Hold this pose for several minutes. Release crocodile by coming to table pose and then child’s pose for a few breath cycles.

Mantra: “I am at peace with the Universe.”