Parivrtta Parsakonasana or Revolved Side Angle

Sanskrit: Parivrtta Parsvakonasana            Western Term: Revolved Side Angle

Origin of Word parivrtta = revolved; parsva = side; kona = angle

You know you’re a dork when you put math jokes into a yoga blog. Oops.

Type of Asana: Standing Pose

How To:

1.     Standing in tadasana (mountain pose). Inhale and jump legs 4-41/2 feet apart and stretch arms sideways. Turn the left foot about 60º angle and the right foot at a 90º angle. Line the front heel with the middle arch of the back foot. Extend the spine up.

2.     Turn the left let in and bend the right leg to a right angle, squaring the hips and turning the upper body to face the right leg. Keep the coccyx facing directly back and the middle of the pubis and sternum facing ahead.

3.     Exhale to turn and bend the left side of the body toward the right leg. Bend the left arm and place it against the right outer knee with the forearm and hand stretched. Place the right hand on the right hip and tuck the hip in toward the coccyx (in order to keep the coccyx centered). Press the left upper arm agains the thig to bring the left side of the chest to the right. Squeeze the abs up and away from the right thigh. Extend the front of the body revolving the right side of the upper body up and back, opening your chest up towards the ceiling.

4.     Stay for 20-30 seconds (roughly 5-7 breaths). Repeat on opposite side.

Body Points:

*Front thigh down

*Back thigh lifting

*Upper body rotating and extending

 Emphasized Body Parts: stretches: spine, chest, back, legs, and groin. Strengthens the knees, ankles, and leg muscles.  Enhances the body’s stamina, sense of balance, and digestive functioning.

Mental Achievements: Seeking achievement? Revolved side angle connects to the third chakra, which cultivates radiance, strength, and confidence.

To quote a man famous for grabbing his crouch and the moon walk: “My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into strength.” –Michael Jackson, may he rest in peace

I mean that takes balls. 

Moving on to modifications…this is that part of yoga that gives you a chance to cultivate your body awareness. Find your edge, work-perhaps even harder than you thought you could in the pose, but also honor your body and where it is that day, year, hour of your practice.

Beginner Modification: kramas or levels of a pose give us yogis with various levels options. For any given pose, there are various levels of difficulty. This krama is for beginners to the pose:

-Drop the back knee on to the floor for more support

OR

-Raise the back heel off the floor.

Option for more advanced yogis:

This krama that I offer is for yogis looking for a bit more heat, and feeling very open in the shoulders:

-Straighten the left arm and place the hand on the floor, but do not lose the lift and turn of the upper body. As the right shoulder goes back, stretch the right arm up and over the ear with the palm face down. Take the head back and look up.

-If you’re looking to go even deeper start to connect the right and left hand behind the back, taking a bind.

Chakra: Manipura chakra, the third chakra in the solar plexus behind the navel. It is symbolized by the color yellow located between the navel and breast-bone. Connect to your manipura chakra with revolved side angle and transfer your energy into action.

Ignite your fire within by repeating the bija mantra “ram” while in third chakra poses.

And if that mantra doesn’t work for you, perhaps this hot song will (at times, even listening to the words makes me sweat… awkward)

Ancient Sanskirt Proverb: “Person with enthusiasm is a powerful one. There is no power equal to will power. For person with enthusiasm and will power, there is nothing that is difficult.”

Element: Fire

Twists not only massage internal organs, but also help to detoxify the body. They can be quite intense. It is not surprising that you may be very hungry after a practice with many twists. So, here is this week’s guilt-free recipe that Jasper and I created this past Saturday when my best friend, Caitlin, came to visit us. It’s easy to whip up and delicious. Just look at how happy they are (or how pissed at me they will be when they see I posted this candid bootyful picture on my blog)

Ingredients for lentils dish: lentils (2-3 cups), potatoes (5), red peppers (1/2), spinach(2 cups), onion (1/2), and coconut oil.

Ingredients for salad: spinach, spring lettuce, tomatoes (1) , red onion (1/2), red pepper (1/2), baby carrots (10), Spanish almonds (10-12), avocado (1), cucumber (1/2), croutons (10-12), feta cheese (sprinkle as preferred)

Twist (but try not to shout) in Revolved Side Angle and have a good weekend! 

Sources:

http://www.fitnessrepublic.com/yoga/poses/revolved-side-angle-pose-parivrtta-parsvakonasana.html. Viewed 10/15/12.

http://tulaa7.com/chakra3-yellow.html. Viewed 10/15/12.

http://www.yogasadhana.co.uk/chakras.html. Viewed 10/15/12.

Mira, Sylva & Mehta, Shyam. “Yoga the Iyengar Way: the new definitive illustrated guide.” Forwarded by B.K.S. Iyengar. US, New York: 2010. Page 36-37.