Mayurasana

Mayurasana is one of the great poses of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and its classical praise is astonishing: held regularly, the text says, it digests even the deadliest poisons, destroys diseases of the spleen and stomach, and kindles the digestive fire until it burns all unwholesome food. The image is the peacock — the bird that famously eats poisonous snakes and thrives. The tradition reads the pose through agni, the digestive fire: the elbows pressed into the abdomen compress and massage the organs, and the fire they kindle purifies the body''s intake as the peacock transmutes poison into the colours of its tail. It is counted among the poses that prepare the body for the higher practices by purifying the middle.

1. Kneel and place the palms on the floor, fingers pointing back toward the feet, elbows bent and pressed together into the soft belly below the ribs.
2. Lean forward until the abdomen rests on the upper arms and the chest comes level.
3. Stretch the legs back one at a time, feet together, until the body is in one straight line.
4. Shift the weight forward until the feet float from the floor; keep the gaze on the ground ahead, not down.
5. Hold for a few breaths at first, lower the knees, and rest. Build to thirty seconds over weeks.

Mayurasana is a demanding arm balance with a strong isometric load on the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and abdominal wall, and an unusual deep compression of the abdomen by the elbows. No trials have tested the classical poison-digesting claims; what research supports is the strength stimulus and the strong vestibular and proprioceptive demand of holding the body horizontal. The wrist extension angle is extreme, and wrist injuries are the commonest reported problem with this pose.