bharmanasana - table top

The word bharman has lots of meanings in Sanskrit. Bharmanasana is known as table top pose. This beginners pose resembles a table; wrists are positioned under the shoulders, knees are under the hips creating the ‘legs’ of a table. The spine is long - the top of the table.

How do you get into bhamanasana?

Come to your knees, and place the palms of your hands on the mat so that your fingers are as spread out as possible, trying to extend the distance from your little fingers and your thumb maximising the contact with the mat beneath you. Place your wrists so that they are underneath your shoulders and relax your shoulders down your spine. Take your knees so that they are hip width apart and sitting underneath your hips. The thighs roughly at right angles to the mat. The tops of your feet will be flat to the floor, your neck relaxed.

As you stay in this position, be conscious of pushing your weight into your hands lifting away from the mat and gently draw your navel towards your spine, making the ‘table top’ as flat as possible.