Chin Stand Pose (Ganda Bherundasana)

One of yoga's most formidable poses, Chin Stand places the chin and chest on the floor while the legs arc dramatically overhead into a full inversion-backbend, supported only by the hands pressing into the ground beside the torso. It demands extraordinary spinal flexibility, neck strength, and precise body control to prevent compression of the cervical spine. Practiced with deep preparation and awareness, it embodies the meeting point of inversion, backbend, and arm balance.

Cues

• Place your chin — not your forehead or throat — on the mat and keep the neck muscles actively engaged rather than passively collapsing the cervical spine.
• Press your palms firmly into the floor beside your ribcage to bear as much weight as possible through the arms, minimizing load on the neck.
• Engage your glutes and inner thighs as the legs travel overhead, and keep the movement of the legs slow and controlled.
• Only attempt the full leg overhead position after you have built strong, pain-free neck and shoulder preparation through poses like Locust and Wheel.