I’ve been working on my shoulder stand (salamba sarvangasana) for many months now. One thing that I’m becoming more sensitive to is the strain on my legs. After about a minute as the blood flows from my legs, it becomes increasingly hard to keep them straight as the muscles are getting weak. Often i wake the following morning with sore leg muscles. At first I thought shoulder stand was purely for the blood and organs, but I now realize my legs are really being worked. Just wondering if this is normal. Is this pose intended to work the leg muscles?
Work the leg muscles in what way exactly?
Well, my quads and some other leg muscles seem to be “working” or flexed during the shoulder stand. I guess this is to keep my legs up and straight.
Oh I see.
Well in that instance I’d need quite a bit more information about your doing of the pose and the subsequent alignment.
Do you perhaps have the ability and fortitude to post a photo - if not of you then one on the web we can use as a reference?
Generally speaking, the work of the legs in that pose is proprioceptive. To have leg muscle soreness from it would be a bit unusual unless you are a) truly stiff as a board, b) almost entirely sedentary, or c) doing the pose incorrectly and therefore having to compensate for that lack of integrity via the musculo-skeletal system.