As I begin to practice Parsvottanasana more, I am coming to realize that this pose is definitely a gateway pose. Gateway to Virabhadrasana I, Parivrtta Trikonasana, Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana, Virabhadrasana III. It teaches us to balance with our feet awkwardly placed. While our hips are tight and not wanting to turn, the buttocks really, really want to hold our low backs hostage, and then back to the feet thing! So, next time you practice, remember this pose can be as much as a warm up as Dog or even the infamous Utthita Trikonasana, you know the one us Iyengar yoga teachers always want to teach, teach, and teach more:)
Watch this video carefully. Listen to Geeta and her description of why the back leg is so important. It really is true, being all in the front causes our ego to not be in check. Bringing attention to the back of the body makes us more humble. Think about it after your practice. Leave a comment and let me know what your experience is!!
Geeta teaching Parsvottanasana
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Senior Sequence
This is the sequence from yesterdays class at Northglenn:
-Cat/Cow use breath and articulate the movement from the tailbone and the sternum.
-Vajrasana-sit on heels with blankets or bolster, toes pointed back. After 2 minutes, lean forward, tuck toes under. Repeat this 3 times.
-Tadasana with Urdvha Hastasana, use belt around wrists to help keep the arms straight. Only take the arms up as much as you can, remember, do not overdo!
-Put belt around wrists again, but this time back behind you. Loosen the loop as needed for your shoulders. Then, bend forward into Uttanasana lifting the shoulders up away from the neck. If you have a shoulder injury, please stay upright and work on the shoulder blades deep into the back.
-Quad opener at the wall, place your left fingertips at the wall. Grab your right ankle with your right hand, bring the knees close together, draw the tailbone forward, abdomen lifted. If you have a knee injury, place a rolled sticky mat behind your knee and use a belt to lift the leg. Repeat this 2 xs
-Lie down on the floor on your belly. Be sure to roll the thighs in and extend the buttocks to the heels for a long low back before beginning these!!
-Urdvha Mukha Svanasana, upward facing dog. Turn hands out to roll the shoulders back. Come up on the knees and lift chest. Maintaining a strong core, lift the knees a few inches off the ground. If you cannot lift the knees today, do not worry! Just stay on the knees and work on the arm strength!
-Salabhasana, Locust. Lift your chest, your arms and your legs off the floor. Keep the legs straight, abdomen lifted, and please breath!
-Bujangasana, Cobra. Place hands right beside the floating ribs. Keep the legs straight and hip width apart. Once again, focus your attention on the buttocks, move it towards the heels and then slowly coil your spine up off the floor. Maintain even steady breath and smile a little.......Backbends make you happy!!
- Dhanurasana, Bow pose. Bow, like a bow and arrow. Bend the knees and grab both feet with your hands and inhale lift your chest off the floor by pressing your feet into your hands. Breath!! If you have an injury and cannot grab your feet, just repeat the last pose and know you are taking care of your body. That is the hardest thing to learn in yoga, to listen to your body, take cues of when to back off, when to modify, when to push. So listen and let your body be your teacher.
-Adho Mukha Virasana, Pose of the child. Time to neutralize!
-Lie down on the back, place a belt around your heels and straighten out your legs to the ceiling to release the back some more.
-VIparita Karani, Legs up the wall.
** I have run out of recent photos seniors. Anyone up for being photographed again??
-Cat/Cow use breath and articulate the movement from the tailbone and the sternum.
-Vajrasana-sit on heels with blankets or bolster, toes pointed back. After 2 minutes, lean forward, tuck toes under. Repeat this 3 times.
-Tadasana with Urdvha Hastasana, use belt around wrists to help keep the arms straight. Only take the arms up as much as you can, remember, do not overdo!
-Put belt around wrists again, but this time back behind you. Loosen the loop as needed for your shoulders. Then, bend forward into Uttanasana lifting the shoulders up away from the neck. If you have a shoulder injury, please stay upright and work on the shoulder blades deep into the back.
-Quad opener at the wall, place your left fingertips at the wall. Grab your right ankle with your right hand, bring the knees close together, draw the tailbone forward, abdomen lifted. If you have a knee injury, place a rolled sticky mat behind your knee and use a belt to lift the leg. Repeat this 2 xs
-Lie down on the floor on your belly. Be sure to roll the thighs in and extend the buttocks to the heels for a long low back before beginning these!!
-Urdvha Mukha Svanasana, upward facing dog. Turn hands out to roll the shoulders back. Come up on the knees and lift chest. Maintaining a strong core, lift the knees a few inches off the ground. If you cannot lift the knees today, do not worry! Just stay on the knees and work on the arm strength!
-Salabhasana, Locust. Lift your chest, your arms and your legs off the floor. Keep the legs straight, abdomen lifted, and please breath!
-Bujangasana, Cobra. Place hands right beside the floating ribs. Keep the legs straight and hip width apart. Once again, focus your attention on the buttocks, move it towards the heels and then slowly coil your spine up off the floor. Maintain even steady breath and smile a little.......Backbends make you happy!!
- Dhanurasana, Bow pose. Bow, like a bow and arrow. Bend the knees and grab both feet with your hands and inhale lift your chest off the floor by pressing your feet into your hands. Breath!! If you have an injury and cannot grab your feet, just repeat the last pose and know you are taking care of your body. That is the hardest thing to learn in yoga, to listen to your body, take cues of when to back off, when to modify, when to push. So listen and let your body be your teacher.
-Adho Mukha Virasana, Pose of the child. Time to neutralize!
-Lie down on the back, place a belt around your heels and straighten out your legs to the ceiling to release the back some more.
-VIparita Karani, Legs up the wall.
** I have run out of recent photos seniors. Anyone up for being photographed again??
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Sequence for ALL of us!
I am back on the blog wagon. I have no excuse people. I have been working a lot and not wanting to be on the computer when I get home. I am the one who preaches balance to my husband. I sit here now watching Roxy and Wilson (Wilson is the new 10 week old puppy) they are sleeping now. Sleeping because they know when to say stop. The beasts know when to say when. Maybe I should take a lesson from them. It is not about work work work, then crash crash crash. Life it too short people. Get outside, even though its hot and enjoy what nature has to offer. Remove yourself from the dredges of your couches and play in the grass and plant something that makes you happy. Know that each time you choose to sit in stillness, breath and take a few moments to sit in the grass and look at what is growing, you have chosen wisely.
This sequence is for us all. Do it mindfully in a quiet place, unless you have a new puppy.....get over it and do it anyways.
(if you cannot remember the sanskrit, remember the pose index over on the side of the blog)
Adho Mukha Virasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Uttanasana
Tadasana
Utthita Trikonasana
Vira I
Vira II
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Dandasana
Baradvajasana I & II
Triang Muka Eka PadaPaschimottanasana
Chatush Padasana
Salamba Sarvangasana or Vipariti Karani
Supta Baddhakonasana
Savasana
This sequence is for us all. Do it mindfully in a quiet place, unless you have a new puppy.....get over it and do it anyways.
(if you cannot remember the sanskrit, remember the pose index over on the side of the blog)
Adho Mukha Virasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Uttanasana
Tadasana
Utthita Trikonasana
Vira I
Vira II
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Dandasana
Baradvajasana I & II
Triang Muka Eka PadaPaschimottanasana
Chatush Padasana
Salamba Sarvangasana or Vipariti Karani
Supta Baddhakonasana
Savasana
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