Pose of the week

Parighasana (Gate Pose) 

Parighasana really stretches and lightens the side body and invites the breath to become truly three-dimensional. The pose stretches the intercostal muscles that connect the ribs (and much more...) When these muscles are tight, which commonly happens when we cough and sneeze repeatedly or have poor posture, the rib cage's movement is restricted, and so is respiration. Elongating the intercostal muscles improves breathing; consequently it's a pose i like to practice before exploring the breath with the three-part breath exercise.  

Sequencing Parighasana can be used as a preparation for many of the standing poses, including Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)and Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose). It's also a good preparation for Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose) and a nice addition to an asana practice that is preparing the body for Pranayama.  

Benefits Stretches the sides of the torso, intercostal muscles and spine, Stretches the hamstrings and iliopsoa, Opens the shoulders and frees the breath.  

Cautions With any serious knee injury, kneeling might be difficult or impossible. In this case, perform the pose sitting on a chair. Arrange your legs either in front of your torso, with knees at right angles, or stretch one leg out to the side, mimicking the full pose.

Pose of the week

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Savasana is a pose of total relaxation, which can make it one of the most challenging poses to be in.

  

After a balanced practice, the entire body will have been stretched, contracted, twisted and inverted. Savasana allows the body a chance to regroup and reset itself.  This means that even the deepest muscles will have the opportunity to let go and shed their regular habits, if only for a few minutes. Most importantly the physiological benefits of deep relaxation are numerous.

In the classic pose you lie out flat on the ground, like the image above, with no support, but this isn't a truly comfortable position for us all. Comfort is essential in the pose! The fairy tale of The Princess and the Pea always comes to mind when preparing for this pose. The slightest point of discomfort can be endlessly distracting. There are a few things you can do to support the body in this posture, for example placing a bolster or rolled blankets under the knees to help relax the low back, or placing a blanket under the head to help lengthen the neck and release tension at the base of the skull. You might also like to have something over the eyes, if that helps you soften the face,  and make sure you are warm enough.

Savasana can come at the beginning and/or at the end of a practice. I often start and always finish my practice with a version of corpse pose, and there are loads of visualisations for relaxation out there, but i like the simplicity of melting, with a focus on the breath.

When you come into the pose it's nice to start by internally patrolling the body, you cannot release tension until you know where it is! See if you can let go of that tension bit by bit, from the crown of the head to the tips of the toes. Have the idea of simply allowing your body to melt as a whole, like butter, into the floor.

As you continue to let go you'll feel like your body is spreading into the ground, the whole of the back of your body literally taking more and more space.

Just enjoy watching all your muscle tension melt with gravity and an easy breath into the ground. It's bliss!

One of the most challenging aspects of this pose is keeping your attention on what you are doing as you are doing it...a challenge in all yoga asana!

Your attention often seems to want to run ahead of you, so that you feel like you are constantly trying to keep up with it. It may help to think of your attention as a young and eager puppy. Every time you catch yourself wandering off call your attention to heel so that it follows what is happening rather then trying to lead. Over time you'll find that you've trained it into to staying with you for longer and longer.

Last of all, and most importantly (i think) is to be careful not to judge what you you come across when relaxing. See if you can be with yourself without judgement and accept what ever you come across in each moment. Let yourself be, allowing your attention to linger in the places that you feel it might benifit from most. 

image from here

Pose of the week

Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance)

To add to my previous 'pose of the week' series (see the Pincha Mayurasana and Salamba Sirasana pose) i recently came across this article in Yoga Journal and it's a good answer so a commonly asked question so i thought i would share!

Q: I have been doing yoga for four years and still can't do an elbow balance. I collapse by going forward until my head hits the wall. I don't feel it is lack of strength as I can do Headstand and Handstand.

—Shirley Mahoney

Lisa Walford's reply:

In Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), you have a longer fulcrum from the hand to the shoulder, so you can depend on momentum to kick up. In Sirsasana (Headstand) you have a broader base with the forearms and the crown of the head on the floor, so the shoulder muscles get additional support from the upper back muscles, which makes it easier to get up. But keep in mind that even if you can get up in Headstand, the integrity of alignment in the neck can be severely compromised if there is inadequate lift in the armpit and instability in the shoulder girdle. How you get up is as important as being there! 

In Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Stand or Elbow Balance), the actions required of the shoulder are confined to a smaller area, which challenges the flexibility and stability of the shoulder girdle directly. When viewed from the side, the optimal placement should be an even column from the base of the pose through the upper arm, armpit, shoulder, torso, pelvis, and legs. That is, the pose should not collapse in the armpits and then compensate by bending in the low back. Sound familiar--the banana shape? 

From your hands and knees, face a wall and place your forearms on the floor. Place a belt or strap just above your elbows so that your forearms remain parallel to each other and shoulder-width apart. Set a block between your hands. These props will help you keep the chest open when you kick up. They'll also help you to get the stability you need from the serratus anterior, a key muscle that attaches the shoulder blades to the back ribs and from which you can properly distribute weight through the shoulder girdle into the back. 

Keep your shoulders in a vertical line directly above the elbows, draw the shoulder blades onto your back, and straighten your legs. You will be in a shortened Downward-Facing Dog with your forearms on the ground. While pressing down into the elbows and the forearms, draw your upper back (the thoracic spine) in toward the chest and slowly walk your feet toward your hands until you get a vertical lift from the elbows all the way up through the shoulders, ribs and waist. Stay in this preliminary stage for several breaths to reinforce the stability and length in the shoulders and armpits. If you have the flexibility in the upper back and the armpits can yawn and open, then bring one leg slightly in front of the other and kick up. 

While kicking up, maintain the 90-degree angle between the forearm and the upper arm by pressing the center of the forearm into the floor and lifting the upper arm off the forearm. This will help keep you from collapsing toward the wall. 

By setting up properly and carefully studying how you go into a pose, you will better identify what needs strength or stability and where you need to elongate and open. Like pruning a garden and watching it flourish, practice with vigilance and you will find that your yoga will become more refined. 

Lisa Walford is a senior intermediate Iyengar Yoga instructor and has been teaching for more than twenty years. She is one of the directors of the Teacher Training Program at Yoga Works, in Los Angeles. She has served on the faculty of the 1990 and 1993 National Iyengar Yoga Conventions and studies regularly with the Iyengars.

On a far more serious note, and for inspiration,  have a look at Mikhail Baryshnikov's sublime serratus anterior....cor(e)!

image source: top image of B.K.S Iyengar from here and Mikhail Baryshnikov from Rebecca Ketchum)

Pose of the week

Salabhasana (Locust Pose)

When practised with attention to the distribution of movement, this posture is the most fundamental of backbends. It engages the extensor muscles of the body in a patterned way, developing an even tone, while at the same time encouraging a release of the flexor muscles. It is the only back bend to to act this way, making it and important posture for restoring the balance between flexion and extension. 

The muscles used here are the hamstrings and gluteals to extend the legs, the erector spinae to extend the spine and the lower trapezius to anchor the scapular down. The difficult places to move from, as with most backbends, are the hip joint and the thoracic spine. Pursuing the extension needed to much from the neck and low back, which most people can do with ease, when practicing these back bending movements is pointless.  

When movement comes from the hip joint, the lumbar will be protected, but this can only happen if there is enough length and release in the iliopsoas muscle and the iliofemoral ligament. If you attempt to lift against resistance from the hip flexors, you will likely find yourself compressing the lumbar and trying to bend from another easily accessible place, the neck.

Remember, as always, it is not how far you bend that is important, but how well distributed your pattern of movement is. 

(image found here) 

Pose of the week

Salamba Sirsasana (Supported Headstand)

To loose the unnecessary tension in the body (especially the shoulders!) needed to do this pose you have to find adequate support from your bones. The grounding is important. A well grounded body can become still, like the way a bowl of water becomes still if undisturbed - unlike being still like a brickwall - the bowl of water always has the potential for free movement. 
Also, always keep in mind that it is the quality of the pose that is more important then the length of time you hold the pose. 

Practice

The biggest challenge coming in is maintaining the moment by moment attention needed to preform the pose. It is only when you are able to proceed with complete attention on what you are doing and feeling, rather then what you are anticipating, that this pose becomes truly safe. 

Based on the variation in the second image,  learning how to take weight into the elbows, forearms and the crown of the head is an essential first step. You need to strike a balance between pushing the base of the pose into the floor to help maintain a lift in the shoulder girdle and (as much as possible) thinking about your weight being transmitted through the bones of the upper arms into the elbows and through the spine into the crown of the head.  There should be no compression in the neck.

Note, the abdominal muscles are not what haul you up and keep you in the pose. Although you need good core strength, the belly actually remains fairly soft and the abdominal muscles really only act to help you balance the weight of the pelvis over the head.

It is worth experimenting with the different variations to find the right one for your body. If your upper arms are fairly short and your neck long then you might be better of trying the tri-pod (1st and 2nd picture) or taking a lift under forearms, like a folded blanket. If your upper arms are comparatively long then you might want to try placing the elbows further away from the head or taking the folded blanked underneath the crown of the head. Play! There is a variation for everyone, you just have to find it.

Sequencing
Salamba Sirsasana requires stability at the base, long, strong shoulder muscles that also know how to release, the muscles of the neck and spine need to be strengthened and you need a length in the hamstrings and shoulder flexors before attempting to lift the legs. Great preparation poses include;

• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Salamba Sarvangasana
• Uttanasana
• Virasana
•  Dolphin pose 
• Plank (including side plank and forearm plank)

Follow up with Adho Mukha Svanasana and Balasana.

Benefits

There are numerous benefits to the body when you turn yourself upside down; you are reversing the effects of gravity for starters, allowing all the oxygen rich blood that pools in the legs and feet throughout the day to flow down towards your vital organs and brain (which makes you feel like you've had a double espresso!), it can certainly help strengthen the arms, shoulders, legs, and spine and i've read claims that it can stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands and improve digestion. But, for me, one of the biggest benefits is the challenge to the nervous system. You need to beable to manage the fear, anticipation and desire that arises from attempting this pose to beable to make it safe. A big challenge!

Contraindications and Cautions

• Back injury
• Headache
• Heart condition
• High blood pressure
• Menstruation
• Neck injury
• Low blood pressure: Don't start practice with this pose
• Pregnancy: If you are experienced with this pose, you can continue to practice it late into pregnancy. However, don't take up the practice of Sirsasana after you become pregnant.
• Sirsasana is considered to be an intermediate to advanced pose. Do not perform this pose without sufficient prior experience or unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher. Some schools of yoga recommend doing Sirsasana before Sarvangasana, others vice versa.

Pose of the week...

Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel or Upward Bow pose)

Urdhva Dhanurasana is arguably one of the most beautiful asanas, and done with care it feels beautiful too. In some ways, when practiced coming up from the floor, I don't really think of it as a backbend. You have to let go of the 'doing' in the back to achieve the shape and it is much more about the transmission of force through the skeleton then about trying to bend back.

The movement in this pose is delivered into the spine by pushing into the floor with the hands and feet. It is the ability to release the hips, spine and shoulders while you push into the floor that creates the back bend shape. Length in the iliopsoas is essential, the thoracic spine needs to be mobile and you need a freedom in the shoulders (length in the latisimus dorsi) to make this a comfortable shape. Ofcourse our areas of freedom vary, which will influence the way our version of the posture looks.

Practice: To begin it is a good idea to spend some time settling the body into the floor quietly and then try experimenting with Setu Bandha to assess how the back feels and get the right spacing between your feet to keep your hips and knees happy. 

Notice what happens as you push your feet into the floor and you lift of the ground vertebra by vertebra. If you don't interfere, the first thing you will notice is the pelvis rolls under a little and the belly deepens. This is because we are engaging the extension muscles of the hips and knees and relaxing the hip flexors, ideal for back bending! If you have managed to relax the muscles around the ribs and upper spine the more the belly will deepen. With the ribs a little wider, the diaphragm draws up a little and the belly follows...Uddiyana bandha without intention...these are the feelings you want to carry through to Urdvha Dhanurasana.

As you develop the hips will lift higher via the action of the hip extensors and the rest of the body needs to remain relaxed to reduce resistance to the back bend.  Once the hips feel fully open you can play with bringing the hands into the 'push down' position. The higher the hips, the less work the arms will have to do to push up.  It is a mistake at this stage to lift the ribs and engage the spinal extensors becuase the groin will close an the movement will then come from the lower back, which needs to be avoided...

Once in the full pose the work should be evenly distributed through the hips, spine and shoulders. It should feel nice and there should be not unnecessary pressure in the low back or neck spine.

As always you need to be completely aware of what your own body is capable of in this pose. Use the time between try's resting and assess how the back feels before continuing.

Sequencing: Poses like Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana and Salabhasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Pincha Mayurasana, Adho Mukha Vrkasana and are all great for preparing the back and shoulders, but you will also need to stretch the muscles and skin of the front thighs, ankles and feet. Try Virasana, Supta Virasana and a little low lunge/warrior sequence to warm up. To follow it is wise to twist, try Ardha Matsyendrasana, before taking a forward bend like Balasana or Paschimottanasana.  A pose like Malasana can also be beneficial afterwards if the lower back feels a little compressed.

Benefits: Stretches the entire front of the body, the ankles, thighs, groins, abdomen, chest and throat. Stretches the deep hip flexors, psoas muscles and gives a lovely energy boost! 

Cautions: Take care if you have high or low blood pressure and do not practice if you have serious neck or lower back injuries...also not so great if you have a migraine...

Pose of the week

Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

Ustrasana is one of my favorite back-bends. It gives my body a great energy boost when i'm feeling drained and it has the potential to help you find great openness in the thoracic spine—the upper back—where many of us are relatively tight. Most people tend to be more mobile in their cervical spine (neck) and lumbar spine (lower back).

Practice: When backbending it is less about 'bending back' and more about lengthening the spine and lifting up to move back.  Getting the right amount of space and lift in the upper spine and chest is crucial in Ustrasana to avoid compression in the lower back and to help free the neck. This article describes how to practice at the wall with props to aid that lift before coming into the full pose.

Bringing the head back is not necessary to reap the benefits of this pose. If you can comfortably maintain the lift of the thoracic spine and chest enough to comfortably follow through with the neck then fine, but keep the chin gently tucked towards the chest if it is at all uncomfortable. The neck should not be held in a state of collapse. 

As always you need to be completely aware of what your own body is capable of in this pose. Use the time between trys resting and assess how the back feels before continuing.

Sequencing: Poses like Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana and Salabhasana are all great for preparing the back, but you will also need to stretch the muscles and skin of the front thighs, ankles and feet. Try Virasana, Supta Virasana and a little low lunge sequence to warm up. To follow it is wise to twist, try Ardha Matsyendrasana, before taking a forward bend like Balasana or Paschimottanasana.  A pose like Malasana can also be beneficial afterwards if the lower back feels a little compressed.

Benefits: Stretches the entire front of the body, the ankles, thighs, groins, abdomen, chest and throat. Stretches the deep hip flexors (psoas), Strengthens back muscles, energy boost. 

Cautions: Take care if you have high or low blood pressure and do not practice if you have serious neck or lower back injuries...also not so great if you have a migraine...

 images from here and here.

Pose of the week

 

Malasana (Garland Pose)

A re-post...because  this pose is important!
Squatting is a fundamental movement that everyone, regardless of yoga practice and barring injury, needs to get right. We all have the intrinsic physical tools to squat the right way, and, as Mark Sisson so eloquently puts it... "if it weren’t for those pesky creature comforts of civilization (chairs, toilets, heeled shoes, Smith machines) softening us up and messing with our joint mobility, Grandma might be darning you a sweater from the Grok squat pose instead of the rocking chair."

Malasana is, i think, one of the most important stretches for the body and the beauty is it's about letting go and allowing gravity to do the work.

Practice Here's a 'how to' guide. I would advise using blocks or a folded/rolled mat under the heels if they don't comfortably come to the ground. It can also be a nice pose to do in partners to help you with that sense of surrender and spreading weight evenly over the feet.

Sequencing Good poses to prepare include Baddha Konasana, Upavistha Konasana and Virasana. Follow with Uttanasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana.

Benefits Stretches the ankles, lower legs, hips, groins and back torso and can help prevent compression on the tailbone, the sacrum and lower back.

Cautions  Low back or knee injuries.

Pose of the week

Parighasana(Gate Pose) Parighasana (Gate Pose) really stretches and lightens the side body and invites the breath to become truly three-dimensional. The pose stretches the intercostal muscles that connect the ribs (and much more...) When these muscles are tight, which commonly happens when we cough and sneeze repeatedly or have poor posture, the rib cage's movement is restricted, and so is respiration. Elongating the intercostal muscles improves breathing; consequently, Parighasana helps respiratory problems usually associated with asthma, allergies, colds, and flu. It's a pose i like to practice before exploring the breath with the three-part breath exercise.  

Sequencing Parighasana can be used as a preparation for many of the standing poses, including Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)and Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose). It's also a good preparation for Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose) and a nice addition to an asana practice that is preparing the body for Pranayama.  

Benefits Stretches the sides of the torso, intercostal muscles and spine, Stretches the hamstrings and iliopsoa, Opens the shoulders and frees the breath.  

Cautions With any serious knee injury, kneeling might be difficult or impossible. In this case, perform the pose sitting on a chair. Arrange your legs either in front of your torso, with knees at right angles, or stretch one leg out to the side, mimicking the full pose.

Pose of the week

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Savasana is a pose of total relaxation, which can make it one of the most challenging poses to be in.
  
After a balanced practice, the entire body will have been stretched, contracted, twisted and inverted. Savasana allows the body a chance to regroup and reset itself.  This means that even the deepest muscles will have the opportunity to let go and shed their regular habits, if only for a few minutes. Most importantly the physiological benefits of deep relaxation are numerous.

In the classic pose you lie out flat on the ground, like the image above, with no support, but this isn't a truly comfortable position for us all. Comfort is essential in the pose! The fairy tale of The Princess and the Pea always comes to mind when preparing for this pose. The slightest point of discomfort can be endlessly distracting. There are a few things you can do to support the body in this posture, for example placing a bolster or rolled blankets under the knees to help relax the low back, or placing a blanket under the head to help lengthen the neck and release tension at the base of the skull. You might also like to have something over the eyes, if that helps you soften the face,  and make sure you are warm enough.

Savasana can come at the beginning and/or at the end of a practice. I often start and always finish my practice with a version of corpse pose, and there are loads of visualisations for relaxation out there, but i like the simplicity of melting, with a focus on the breath.

When you come into the pose it's nice to start by internally patrolling the body, releasing tension bit by bit, from the crown of the head to the tips of the toes. Have the idea of simply allowing your body to melt as a whole, like butter, into the floor.
As you continue to let go you'll feel like your body is spreading into the ground, the whole of the back of your body literally taking more and more space.

Just enjoy watching all your muscle tension melt with gravity and an easy breath into the ground. It's bliss!

One of the most challenging aspects of this pose is keeping your attention on what you are doing as you are doing it...a challenge in all yoga asana!
Your attention often seems to want to run ahead of you, so that you feel like you are constantly trying to keep up with it. It may help to think of your attention as a young and eager puppy. Every time you catch yourself wandering off call your attention to heel so that it follows what is happening rather then trying to lead. Over time you'll find that you've trained it into to staying with you for longer and longer.

Last of all, and most importantly (i think) is to be careful not to judge what you you come across when relaxing. See if you can be with yourself without judgement and accept what ever you come across in each moment. Let yourself be, allowing your attention to linger in the places that you feel it might benifit from most. 

image from here

Pose of the week

UTTANASANA (Standing forward fold) 

Uttanasana is the basic forward fold. Everything you learn here will be applicable to all forward folds. There are many variations so, as always, find what works for you in each given moment and work to your own edge. Whatever stage you are at will be perfect.  

Practice  I like to think of Uttanasana as lengthening down.
Start in Tadasana and ground yourself from the top of the pelvis down, firming the legs and spreading the soles of the feet. Allow the upper body to soften and watch for the exact moment at the very end of your exhalation. Let you spine 'catch' the rebound - feel space rippling up your spine like a snake - and at the bottom of the exhalation see if you can feel space opening up at the base of the spine - just above and around the sacrum.

Use that space! At the end of an exhalation hinge slowly and gently down over a quiet pelvis. You can keep the hands on the hips or float them upwards lightly as you fold forward. Which ever you chose keep your shoulder blades on the back and as soft as possible. Try not to let any tension into the upper body and do not disturb your strong roots.

As you hinge keep breathing down evenly through the soles of your feet, heels and tips of the toes included, and try not to let the weight of your head or arms drag on your spine. You are not pulling or pushing to come into this pose so keep the belly soft and don't 'flatten' the back. Once in the pose bring the finger tips to the floor or clasp the elbows over the head.

There are a few visualisations that help me with the quiet internal feeling forward folds give you....

1. As you lengthen forward into your fold, visualise your pelvic girdle as a fan. This fan has the potential to open enormously - being pulled in two directions; the weight of the head Vs. the tail and heels creating space all around the sacrum and lower spine. The opening of the fan as you lengthen forward should help you feel the whole lower back really open and begin to soften.

2. As you breath into the pose keep your awareness in your spine and see if you can feel the individual vertebrae of your spine moving away from each other.

3. As with all poses it is important not to hyper-extend the backs of your knees. you want to allow your kneecaps to engage and lift evenly to open the backs of the knees, but don't lock back. As you firm the legs try not to allow any other areas of the body to tense in sympathy. To keep your knees open without hyper-extending or tensing, rest your attention at the back of the knees, like you have eyes there...just let it live there for a little while.
Can you feel feel the direct relationship between the backs of the knees and the heels? Between the four corners of the feet and four corners of the kneecaps?

Sequencing  Tadasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana,  Supta Padangusthasana and Malasana are all good preparation for Uttanasana. It can also be benificial to stretch the front thighs with Virasana or lunges to help open the hamstrings.

Benifits Calms the brain, stimulates the liver and kidneys, stretches the hamstrings, calves, and hips, strengthens the thighs and knees, improves digestion.  

Cautions Uttanasana can be dangerous for the lumbar discs so it is important not to bend forward from your lower back. Instead fold from your hips and allow your groins to deepen and soften. Strive for the feeling of moving from your groin area like a fulcrum. If the lower back is already an issue do this pose with bent knees, or perform Ardha Uttanasana (with your hands on the wall).

 Image from Shirley Srey

Pose of the week

Uthitta Trikonasana (Extended Triangle pose)

If you can walk, you can do the standing poses and they really are important. Standings are a great place to start when you are new to yoga, brilliant for building and improving strength, great for warming up the big muscle groups and working through some of the fundamental principles of alignment that apply to many other poses....i could go on...my favourite at the moment is Trikonasana and right now i practice it most days.

As with so many poses there is a play of opposites in Trikonasana—establishing a solid foundation in order to fly, standing firmly on your feet in order to grow away from the earth, and finding muscle support and strength in order to expand and become lighter (and less serious.) - and it is really worth exploring!

Practice  For full pose instruction see here.

Sequencing Begin with Tadasana and then Vrkasana, if you are the mood for a balance. Trikonasana extends the spine and opens the hips in preparation for backbends; lengthens the hamstrings and opens the hips in preparation for deeper forward bends; teaches the connection between legs, hips, and spine in preparation for inversions; and lengthens the spine and strengthens the back in preparation for deeper twists. You can think of this pose as a teacher of basic movement principles that apply to many other poses.

Benefits Stretches and strengthens the thighs, knees, and ankles, stretches the hips, groins, hamstrings, and calves; shoulders, chest, and spine, Strengthens abdominal muscles, can help relieves backache, especially through second trimester of pregnancy, Therapeutic for flat feet, osteoporosis and sciatica.

Cautions Heart Condition: Practice against a wall. Keep the top arm on the hip
High blood pressure: Turn the head to gaze downward towards the front foot in the final pose. Neck problems: Don't turn your head to look upward; continue looking straight ahead and keep both sides of the neck evenly long.

(Image source)  

pose of the week

Virabhadrasana 3 (Warrior 3)

Yoga practice really helps you find a balance between expansion and contraction. Every posture demands both. In a very tangible way, finding stability in any asana requires you to really tune in and listen to your body; it's important to become present to your circumstances, moment by moment, so that you can sense exactly where you need to draw energy in and where you need to radiate it out. As you develop this awareness on the physical level in asana practice, it starts to become possible to  apply it to everything else in life. 

Virabhadrasana 3 teaches you precisely how to balance between gathering your energy in and extending it out. The pose asks that you stay stand grounded on one leg, yet at the same time to lift the other leg and stretch horizontally from the tips of your toes to your fingertips— But if you expand out too much, you lose your power and balance. On the other hand, if you contract too much and hang on too tightly, you lose expansion and tend to collapse and lose your balance. Instead, we must work to stay present with each of these opposing forces. It's a challenge, but a fun one!

Practice  For full pose instruction see here. A little tip...don't forget the lifted leg foot. press out evenly with all four corners of the foot. The benefit of sending your energy down the leg and out of the sole, your spine will naturally lengthen away from your lifted foot, helping open up the centre of your pose.

Sequencing To develop the strength and steadiness needed for Virabhadrasana 3, spend some time working with these postures: Salabhasana (Locust Pose), Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior Pose I), a transitional posture that will help you go from Virabhadrasana I to Virabhadrasana 3, and Virabhadrasana 3 with the assistance of a wall. Virabhadrasana 3 is usually practised as part of a standing sequence.

Benefits Strengthens the ankles and legs, strengthens the shoulders and muscles of the back, tones the abdomen, improves balance and posture.

(Image source)

pose of the week

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)


"You want to stand on your head and you don't even know how to stand on your feet." 
-- B.K.S. Iyengar


Tadasana is the foundation of the asana yoga practice, everything comes back to Tadasana! Tadasana is also called Samasthiti, which translates as equal standing. For me the art of standing correctly starts with this pose.

Practice always begin Tadasana by placing the feet properly and work up from that foundation. Traditionally you have the feet together in this pose, but if you are new to it or find it hard to balance then start with the feet hip width apart. This description by Brad Piddy is the most precise i could find.

Sequencing whenever and wherever you like! Do it to establish strength and balance in your feet, legs and spine before standing poses, after standing poses, a the beginning of a session, at the end, when you are standing in line at the supermarket or waiting for the bus....

Benefits improves posture, Strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles, is said to relieves sciatica and reduce flat feet.

pose of the week

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose)

This pose takes practice and preparation. Slow and steady is the key. I always find backbends are brilliant for training yourself to work with integrity...always chose a variation of the pose that is the most challenging to you in each given moment, but that remains its integrity. Oh and focus on the journey, not the end product.

Practice This guy has the details of the pose nailed so have a read here for a good description.


Sequencing There is lots you can do to prepare the body for this pose... standing poses, Adho Mukha (Downward-Facing Dog), Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance), Ustrasana (Camel Pose), Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog), Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose), Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (Two-Legged Inverted Staff Pose), Kapotasana (Pigeon Pose), Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana I and II (One-Legged Inverted Staff Pose) will all be useful. Follow up with a twist or two before you fold forward. I like to follow up with Ardha Matseyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose...good name!)

Benefits Stretches the thighs, groins and psoas, abdomen, chest and shoulders, and neck. Opens the shoulders and chest.

Contradictions  Sacroiliac injury, Ankle injury, Knee injury, Tight hips or thighs.

image from here

pose of the week

Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-wall pose)

Viparita Karani is a very rejuvenating and refreshing inversion. It's definitely one for people who spend long hours standing or sitting who may experience swelling in the ankles. It is also ideal for cultivating an optimal postural alignment in the carriage of the upper body as it lengthens the spine and gently stretches and opens the shoulders.
Definitely one of my favourites.
 
Practice You can practice this with our without support and both have benefits. This is a nice guide for setting up.

Sequencing Viparita Karani is usually considered to be a restorative pose, sequenced near the end of either a restorative or active practice, but it can also be practiced as a pose in itself. Excellent preparations include: Supta Baddha Konasana, Uttanasana, Virasana and Setu Bandha Sarvangasana.
I like to follow up with Supta Sukhasana or Savasana.

Benifits. This pose is quiet calming for the nervous system and therefore has a very rejuvenating effect in a short amount of time. It relaxes the abdomen and releases tension in the solar plexus which helps deepen the breath. It can relive lower back pain and create more evenness in the pelvis.

Cautions Many teachers maintain that Viparita Karani is an inversion, and as such should be avoided during menstruation. I think its OK done without a lift during menstruation. As with any inversion Viparita Karani should be avoided if you have serious eye problems, such as glaucoma. With serious neck or back problems only perform this pose with the supervision of an experienced teacher. If your feet begin to tingle during this pose, bend your knees, touch your soles together, and slide the outer edges of your feet down the wall, bringing your heels close to your pelvis.


image from here

pose of the week

Utthita Hasta Padangustasana (Extended hand-to-big-toe pose)

This is a great pose for experimenting with that tricky balance between action and release, being and doing. It is a strong pose which requires strength, flexibility and balance and it is ALL about staying connected to a firm foundation. You need to be precise with the alignment, but not lose focus of the pose as a whole...i always find a focus on the breath helps with that.

Practice: There are three main variations of this asana.  The first is simply the lift and extension of one leg while the other acts to strengthen and stabilise (see picture).  The second version abducts and externally rotates the lifted leg, while the final version realigns the lifted leg at the midline then revolves the torso. Practising them as a three makes for a really uplifting sequence. 

The most common limitation in all variations of Hasta Padangusthasana is tight hamstrings.  To extend the leg, we lengthen the hamstrings intensely.  This can be more accessible when done with a strap, but when done by taking hold of the big toe (as the name of the pose suggests) it then involves the muscles of the forearm and the shoulder as well.    In striving for balance in standing Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, it is often common to create imbalance in the hips to compensate for weakness in the standing leg adductors in order to achieve a false sense of centre.  In addition, it is common to experience hip flexion as a compensatory expression of the full pose. This description of the pose from Brad Priddy is a good guide for the different variations.

Sequencing: Practice Supta Hasta Padangusthasa first to insinuate the mechanics of the pose into your mind and body.  When we first practice the pose on the floor with the pull of gravity working in our favor, we can open the hamstrings and the work with the hip flexion and neutralisation of the pelvis in a more easeful way.  In this space we can also begin to feel the rooting of the femur bone into the hip socket and the power that is required in the straightened leg to maintain the stability of the pose.  

Follow with poses like Uttanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana and Supta Virasana.

Benefits: Strengthens the legs and ankles, stretches the backs of the legs, improves sense of balance.

Cautions: Be careful if you are recovering from an ankle injury and if you have any lower back issues.


image of Mr Iyengar from here.

pose of the week

Garudasana (Eagle Pose)
This is the most compact of the one-legged balancing postures, both in terms of shape, center of gravity, and the breathing. The entwining of the arms compress the ribcage, and the hip flexion, combined with the mild spinal flexion compress the lower abdomen. As with all balances it is great for concentration!

Practice: Don't be in a rush to get to the full expression of the pose (both arms and legs entwined). Take things slowly and build the pose in bits. Start in Tadasana and try just the arm action alone, and then the legs alone, and then put the two together when you are ready.  This article is a good 'how to' for beginners.

Sequencing: This can be a difficult pose so is often practiced near the end of a sequence of standing poses once the body is warmed up. It focuses on the ankles, calves, thighs, hips and shoulders so i like to use Adho Mukha Svanasana, Gomukhasana and Vrksasana as preparation.

Benefits: Strengthens your thighs, ankles, and calves; Stretches your shoulders, arms and upper back; Develops focus and concentration as it improves your balance and coordination.

Cautions: Knee Injuries - Avoid full version of foot behind calf-only cross one leg over the other; Late term pregnancy (issues with balancing); Medical conditions that affect balance; Low blood pressure
 
image from here

Pose of the week

 

Malasana (Garland Pose)

A re-post...because  this pose is important!
Squatting is a fundamental movement that everyone, regardless of yoga practice and barring injury, needs to get right. We all have the intrinsic physical tools to squat the right way, and, as Mark Sisson so eloquently puts it... "if it weren’t for those pesky creature comforts of civilization (chairs, toilets, heeled shoes, Smith machines) softening us up and messing with our joint mobility, Grandma might be darning you a sweater from the Grok squat pose instead of the rocking chair."

Malasana is, i think, one of the most important stretches for the body and the beauty is it's about letting go and allowing gravity to do the work.

Practice Here's a 'how to' guide. I would advise using blocks or a folded/rolled mat under the heels if they don't comfortably come to the ground. It can also be a nice pose to do in partners to help you with that sense of surrender and spreading weight evenly over the feet.

Sequencing Good poses to prepare include Baddha Konasana, Upavistha Konasana and Virasana. Follow with Uttanasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana.

Benefits Stretches the ankles, lower legs, hips, groins and back torso and can help prevent compression on the tailbone, the sacrum and lower back.

Cautions  Low back or knee injuries.