Pose Breakdown: Balancing Table
Balancing table pose, or dandayamana bharmanasana, is an excellent pose to help with core strength, coordination, and balance. It also helps to undo gravity's work on compressing the spine by lengthening it. Regular practice of this pose can actually help relieve pressure on the spinal discs in between each vertebrae. Mentally this pose aids in concentration and focus.
While simple looking, many of my students are surprised at how difficult it is to keep their balance. All of the small muscles, at the surface and far below, that are along the spine, side body, and abdominal area are things most of us don't think about, but they are paramount in balance and full spinal health. Having strength in the core and improving balance lowers the risk of injury in almost everything we do. From getting out of bed to swimming across the Atlantic, we can all benefit from a good core. A common misconception is that the “core” is the frontal abdominal muscles, when, in reality, it's 35 different muscle groups. A wide variety of poses and exercises targeting front, back, and sides, internal and external, is the way to a healthy core.
There are so many body parts to pay attention to in this pose, but that is part of why concentration and focus are so affected (a.k.a. improved) by regular practice of this pose. Keeping the appendages up, even, and straight while simultaneously not falling over is a difficult task, especially if the body is unaccustomed to it.
Start in table top position: knees on the floor, directly beneath the hips, and hands on the floor directly beneath the shoulders, with the tops of the feet laying on the ground. (A.K.A. “down on all fours”).
Look straight down at the floor and tuck the chin towards the chest a bit, to elongate the back of the neck. Tuck the pelvis slightly, bringing the belly button towards the spine, without arching the back.
Lift one hand up off of the mat, sending it directly out in front of the body, straightening the arm. The goal is to eventually get the arm to be parallel with the floor. The palm should facing inward.
Life the opposite leg up, straightening it until parallel with the floor. The foot of the raised leg should be flexed with the toes pointing towards the floor.
Take notice of the lifted leg and arm to make sure they are not going outward or inward, but are staying in line with the body. Aim for neutral spine alignment, meaning a straight line from the top of the head to the tailbone. In the mind, envision elongating the spine and allowing space to come between each vertebrae. Energetically, pull the heel of the lifted leg towards the wall behind and the head and fingertips of the lifted arm towards the wall in front of the body, while keeping the shoulders pulled back and away from the ears.
Hold this for a few breaths, then slowly return to tabletop position and repeat the whole process on the other side. If the right arm and left leg were lifted the last time, use the left arm and the right leg the second time. Go back and forth between sides as many times as desired, just be sure to do both sides an even amount of times.
There are even variations that can add to the intensity of the core strengthening. The lifted elbow and knee can repeatedly be drawn in to meet under the torso to help strengthen the anterior (front) core, they can be bent out to the sides to help strengthen the side body, and they can be lifted upward to help strengthen the posterior (back) core. This pose really is the pose that keeps on giving.
As with any pose, balancing table can feel different on one side than the other. After prolonged, regular practices, this should even out. Don't feel pressured to push one side more than the other, whether the reasoning is because that side is better or worse. Forcing the body, or mind, is not what yoga is about; it's about achieving balance. Treat both sides equally, focus on the feeling, not the look of the pose, and rejoice in how you progress as time goes on. Thank your body for all it does for you every single day and allow it to just be.