In short: shoulder-pressing pose is an arm balance in which the backs of the thighs rest high on the upper arms, the ankles cross in front of you and the whole body is held on the hands. It relies on precise positioning and open hips more than raw strength, but it puts full weight on the wrists, so it is an advanced pose rather than a first arm balance.
The pose is known well beyond the Ashtanga primary series, where it is the first true arm balance, and it is a stepping stone to firefly and tortoise.
The name
Bhuja means arm or shoulder and pīḍa pressure or squeezing, so Bhujapīḍāsana is the pose of pressure on the arms. Yoga Journal calls it Shoulder-Pressing Pose and also Arm Pressure Pose. The Iyengar Yoga (UK) syllabus lists it at plate 348 of Light on Yoga, and AshtangaYoga.info describes it as the pose in which the thighs, laid sideways over the upper arms, transfer the whole body weight onto the arms while the chin hovers just above the floor.
Making the pose work
Get the shoulders as far under the backs of the thighs as you can, just above the knees, with the hands planted outside the feet. Then lift by shifting your weight back, not by pushing up: Yoga Journal’s steps describe rocking the weight off the feet onto the hands so the feet lift lightly as the arms straighten. Squeeze the outer arms with the inner thighs and cross the ankles. Yoga Journal holds the pose for about 30 seconds and then repeats with the other ankle on top.
In the Ashtanga primary series the pose is entered by floating forward from downward dog onto the hands and sliding the thighs onto the arms. AshtangaYoga.info gives two keys for that version: cross the feet at the ankles and lift the chest almost into a backbend, which gives enough height for the next step. Then, exhaling, the crossed feet point back between the arms and the elbows bend until the chin hovers over the floor for five breaths. Focus on lifting the feet back rather than lowering the head.
Precautions in plain words
Yoga Journal lists shoulder, elbow, wrist and low back injuries as contraindications. Warm up the wrists and hips first, and keep a blanket under the face for the chin-down version. The deep hip flexion can be uncomfortable with hip or groin injuries. In pregnancy, ask your health care provider before arm balances. This page is general information, not individual advice.
Preparation and what comes next
Prepare with garland pose, standing forward bend, wide-legged forward bend, crow and boat pose. Hands on blocks behind the heels give more room to lift. From shoulder-pressing pose the legs can straighten into firefly; in the Ashtanga primary series it is followed by tortoise. Yoga Journal adds that the pose builds toward crow and Sage Koundinya’s pose II. Afterwards, stretch the wrists and rest in child’s pose.
A simple way to practise it. Work toward the pose in stages. Spend a few breaths in garland pose, then in a wide forward bend with the shoulders working behind the knees. Next, with blocks behind the heels, place the hands and simply sit back until the feet feel light. When the feet lift, hold for a few breaths before crossing the ankles. Only when the lift is easy should you try the Ashtanga chin-down stage, and then with a blanket under the face. Practise both ankle crossings so both sides develop evenly.
You will find this pose in Ashtanga (primary series), Iyengar and vinyasa classes.
