Yoga BLOG

Lolasana - Earring Yoga Exercise You've probably seen a yogi in Lolasana before. This yoga pose, in which you stand on your hands and pull your crossed or even just bent legs under your bent torso, exerts an irresistible fascination on every observer. Many people then imagine that Lolasana is an exercise that can only be performed by very experienced yogis and seems impossible to learn on their own. But appearances can be deceiving. With a little practice, you too can perform this asana. In this blog post, we'll describe what Lolasana actually looks like, where its name comes from, the effects of this exercise, and how you can learn it. Earring and swing at the same time The term Lolasana comes from Sanskrit—you'll know this from other yoga poses, too. "Asana" means "exercise," and "lol" means "to dangle or swing." The descriptive description refers to a swinging exercise, which in yoga is also known as the "earring exercise." Just as an earring dangles from the wearer's ear, the yogi swings the rest of his body in the air with the strength of his arms. Feeling strong and light at the same time Strength and lightness in one. The Lolasana pose allows you to experience both. Strength comes from the sensation of your strength. The strength of your arms, with which you support yourself. The strength of your torso, with which you effortlessly hover above the ground. Lightness comes from the pendulum motion of your body itself. You seem to swing above the ground, virtually weightless. This frees you—both in your body and in your thoughts. This, too, is flow. Movement in body and mind. Added to this is the self-confidence that this pose brings you: You know that you can rely on your strength and balance. In addition, with Lolasana you activate two important chakras: Muladhara (root chakra) and Manipura (solar plexus chakra) . Laying the foundations To perform Lolasana, you need a few basics that will enable you to assume and hold this position. If you want to "hang like an earring," you need strength. Firstly, in your arms, as this pose is part of the arm balances. Secondly, in your core, because like so many yoga poses, Lolasana requires a strong core, a centered strength in the middle of your body. You can best train your strength with downward dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) , plank pose (Chaturanga Dandasana) , and—at an advanced stage of your practice— crane or crow pose (Bakasana) . Your path to Lolasana Feel how it feels to sit with your legs stretched out and place your hands on the floor at your sides. Then get into a cross-legged position . Place your hands next to you. Gently press the floor beneath you and feel the weight of your body resting on your hands. Now try lifting one bent leg and then the other using the buttocks on the same side, alternately. If you can manage it, do both sides. Only when you feel confident enough, go a step further: Practice Crow Pose, Bakasana. To do this, support yourself on your hands while squatting and lean your upper body forwards. Here you first lift one leg, then the other and finally both legs and pull them under your torso. You are now ready for Lolasana, your swing. Blocks as a valuable tool When practicing Lolasana, Earring Pose, you might think your arms are too short and that swinging will never work. Be patient—with yourself and with the practice. With blocks, you can lengthen your arms as needed, and you'll be well on your way to swinging. Image © vatikaki / 123rf.com