Virbhadrasana 1 or "Warrior 1"

Sometimes people overlook the common poses like warrior I. Warrior poses are harder than they look. Yes, warrior I is a common pose that is incorporated into most yoga classes one drops into today. But don’t be deceived! There is a strength and softness integral in warrior I. With practice you can find ease and efficiency in this pose.

Sanskrit: Virbhadrasana I                                    Western Term: Warrior One

Origin of Word

Yes, yogis are about non-violence but in the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna and Arjuna are well-known revered warriors

Type of Asana: Standing Pose

How To:

1.     Stand in tadasana (mountain pose).

2.     Jump your feet about a full leg length apart.

3.     Turn your right toes forward and the back left foot at a 45 degree angel. Lift your arms up and bring hands into a prayer position with arms long reaching back towards your ears.

4.     Bend front right knee so that the knee stays over the ankle and lengthen through back leg. Bring your gaze up toward the sky in between the hands, opening your heart.

5.     Stay for 5-7 breaths.

Body Points:

*keep your knee over your ankle

*keep hips squared off to the front of the room; lengthen through the back leg

*drop your shoulder blades down the back

 Emphasized Body Parts: chest, lungs, shoulders, neck, belly, groins (psoas), shoulders, muscles of back, calves, and ankles

This pose is therapeutic for sciatica.

An aid for beginners: 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 that I offer is for beginners to the pose:

-it can be hard to keep the hips squared with your back foot on the ground. Beginners may keep back heel raised, in order to get used to the hips squared feeling before moving toward dropping their heal down to the ground.

Chakra: Root chakra, Muladhara, symbolized by a red four-petaled lotus. Use your 1^st chakra poses to build a strong foundation.

Seed sound or bija mantra: “lam” repeat while in 1^st chakra pose to unlock the secrets of the earth.

Ancient Sanskirt Proverb: “Regular exercise gives you good health, longevity, strength, and happiness. Health is the biggest wealth. It is the key to every success.”

Element: earth

*Do not do if:

-high blood pressure

-heart problems

-shoulder problems keep hands apart; neck problems keep gaze forward rather than up

Weekly Yoga Tune:

Have a great weekend!

Sources:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/1708. Viewed 1/24/13.

http://tulaa7.com/chakra1-red.html. Viewed 1/24/13.

Utkata Konasana or "Goddess Pose"

Sanskrit: Utkata Konasana                                    Western Term: Goddess or Victory Squat

English Translation: Fierce Angle Pose

Type of Asana: Standing Pose and a fierce pose that connects to your femininity.

How To:

1.     Stand at the top of your mat in tadasana or “mountain pose.”

2.     Step open to the right, opening your legs about three feet apart. Turn your heels in, keeping your feet parallel.

3.     Bend your knees into a wide-legged squat until your legs are parallel to the ground. Knees should stay directly over your ankles for knee safety.

4.     Lift your arms up, bending your elbows into goal-post arms with wrists over elbows in line with the shoulders. Open your palms away from you.

5.     Stay here for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Body Points:

*draw your tailbone slightly toward your pubis to maintain length in your spine, bringing attention to your core

*spread your toes and root through the four corners of your feet

*draw your shoulder blades in lightly and feel the expanse in your ribcage, chest, collarbones, and belly

 Emphasized Body Parts: strengthens lower body, activates the core, releases breath in abdomen and helps to integrate the upper and lower energy centers of the body.

February 14th is getting closer. Connect to your inner boop with 2nd chakra poses ;) 

Mental Achievements: learning to balance and integrate the pairs of opposites- will and surrender, strength and softness, activity and receptivity. This balance of opposites can inspire growth toward wholeness within.

An aid for beginners: 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 that I offer is for beginners to the pose:

-If this feels like a lot of pressure, stay for only 3 breaths at first. Then come back up to tadasana (mountain pose) before returning back down to Goddess Pose for another 3 breaths.

-This is a DEEP hip opener. Lying on the floor in supta baddha konasana (see pic above) keep the pelvis heavy and let the knees drop down lower to the ground furthering the stretch in the hips.

Chakra: svadhisthana, the 2^nd chakra which is symbolized by an orange six-petaled lotus. It is located in your lower abdomen and pelvis.

This chakra will get you in touch with your sensuality. The bija mantra or “seed sound” of the 2^nd chakra is “vam.” A mantra you can repeat in a 2^nd chakra pose like Goddess Pose to connect to your sensuality and experience pleasure.

Ancient Sanskirt Proverb: “Hunger, thirst, and desire are like a man’s wives. They do not desert a man throughout his life. Of them, desire is the most faithful. Others leave at least temporarily after eating and drinking.”

Element: water

Goddess Associate with Pose: Lakshmi, the mother goddess form of wealth, prosperity, beauty, and fertility.

*Goddess Pose is a GREAT pose for moms or moms-to-be to connect with your inner goddess

Sources:

http://www.fitsugar.com/Strike-Yoga-Pose-Goddess-3143622. Viewed 1/17/13.

http://www.yogatreesf.com/pose-of-the-month-goddess-pose/. Viewed 1/17/13.

http://tulaa7.com/. Viewed 1/17/13.

Tittibhasana or "Firefly" Pose

Sanskrit: tittibhasana                                    Western Term: “firefly pose”

Type of Asana: balancing pose

Dorky video, but hopefully you get the point of the pose :)

How To:

1.     Heel toe the feet into a wide-legged parallel position. Exhale to fold into a wide-legged uttanasana (forward bend). Reach the hands back, keeping the arms shoulder distant apart, try keep the palms of the hands down on the floor, and bring the legs over the shoulders. Staying right here and working on bringing the legs over the shoulders in this forward bend is a great place for beginners to stay.

2.     Bend the elbows making a shelf with the arms and spreading the fingers for more surface area for support.

3.     Bring one leg off the floor, bringing the weight into the hands. As you feel steady, scoop up and in with the belly (udiyanabandha) and start to lift the second leg up. When both legs come up, start by crossing the ankles in front of you while balancing on your hands. Stay here for a breath.

4.     As you feel ready, start to reach the legs out to the sides in a wide “V.” Stay here for 5-7 breaths.

5.     To come out of the pose, re-cross the ankles over one another and (in a controlled manner) re-bend the elbows as you sit back onto your sits-bones.

Body Points:

*Keep energy reaching out of the toes as you lengthen the legs out to the side, keeping them raised over the shoulders.

*Keep the belly scooping up and in

*Spread the fingers and toes

 Emphasized Body Parts: hamstrings, adductors, inner groins, back torso, strengthens arms and wrists, tones the belly, & improves balance

Mental Achievements: energy, energy, and energy. This pose will light you up like a firefly for the rest of the day. Feel light, energized, and connect with your sensuality. 

An aid for beginners: 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 that I offer is for beginners to the pose:

-there are many karmas within this pose. Take your time evolving from one krama to the next as you feel ready and no sooner.

For beginners: get a feel for the pose by sitting on the floor and widening the legs to a 90 degree angle. Elevate each heel on a block and press your palms into the floor between your legs.

Chakra: 2^nd chakra, symbolized by the color orange in a six-petaled lotus, located in the lower abdomen and pelvis. The Sanskrit name of the 2^nd chakra is svadhisthana.

-The svadhisthana chakra allows you to get in touch with your sensuality.

-When you’re in a 2^nd chakra pose say the word “vam” which is a bija mantra or “seed sound” which helps you connect to your pleasure and sensuality.

Ancient Sanskirt Proverb: “Hunger, thirst, and desire are like a man’s wives. They do not desert a man throughout his life. Of them, desire is the most faithful. Others leave at least temporarily after eating and drinking.”

Element: water

Song of the Week: “Ganesh is Fresh” by MC Yogi

* Do not do if shoulder, elbow, wrist, and lower back injury is present in body

Sources:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2470. Viewed 1/8/13.

http://tulaa7.com/. Viewed 1/11/13.