Pincha Mayurasana or "Feathered Peacock" Asana

In the past, feathered peacock asana was an asana that caused me a lot of fear and anxiety. So it was no surprise to me when my students looked at me like I had three heads when I told them that we were moving towards this asana during my 9:15 a.m. Monday class. Luckily, they breathed and opened to the pose. One of my students even helped me demonstrate by coming all the way up into the asana. A shout out to Micaela for being open and exploring a new pose :)

I, personally, am still working on this asana at the wall. So, I encourage you to face your fears and spread your feathered peacock wings.  

Sanskrit: Pincha Mayurasana            Western Term: Forearm Balance/Feathered Peacock Asana

Origin of Word

Pinca = feather; mayura = peacock

Type of Asana: inversion

How To:

1.     If you feel more comfortable, take your mat toward a wall rather than in the middle of the room. Take a block and bring it in between your hands, bringing the longer area of the block on the ground in between your hands.

2.     Place your pointer finger and thumb around the block and keep your wrists in line with your elbows, shoulder width apart. Bring your shoulders over your elbows and come into a forearm plank.

3.     Walk your feet in towards your forearms to come into a dolphin pose (forearm down dog). Krama or “stage one:” inhale as you reach your heels up lengthening and opening your shoulders, exhale as you lower the heels down toward the ground. You can stay raising and lowering your heels or move towards something affectionately called “donkey kicks.” Donkey kicks begin by moving both feet in towards the midline of your body. Keep the left foot grounding down, raise the right leg up towards the sky. Bend the left knee and kick the right leg up towards the sky bringing the left leg with you. Make sure you do both sides! If you feel ready, reach one leg up and the other up in the air to meet it.

4.     Stay up for as long as you can! Make sure you rest in balasana (child’s pose) for as long as you were up.

Body Points:

*Feel pada bandha through the balls of the feet

*Squeeze your inner thighs and lengthen through your shoulders

*Spread your fingers and engage the core to stay upright

Emphasized Body Parts: brain, pituitary, arms, shoulders, legs, spine, and lungs

Don't hit your head against the floor...relieve your stress with Pincha Mayurasana. And please don't attempt to stand on your forehead...ouch. 

Mental Achievements: Great pose to relieve stress! Pincha Mayurasana calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression

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 you find it difficult to keep your elbows shoulder distance without letting your elbows splay away from one another further, make a loop with a strap and place it over your upper arms (above the elbow). Use the strap in the pose, but think of pushing the arms slightly toward your midline rather than letting them bulge out toward the strap.

Chakra: 5^th chakra, Visuddha chakra is symbolized by a blue sixteen-petaled lotus found in your throat. The throat chakra helps improve your communication.

-The “seed sound” or bija mantra is “ham.” Repeat this seed sound in a 5^th chakra poses like forearm balance to help improve your communication and creativity.

Ancient Sanskirt Proverb: “Why should men endowed with good sense speak harshly, when sweetness is within their own power and when sentences can be composed with sweet words.”

Element: sound

Yogi Tune of the Week: “Om Namo Bhagavate” by Veronique Dumont & Rogerio Jardim in their album “Shiva-Shakti Mantras”

*Do not perform forearm balance if you experience back, shoulder or neck injury, headache, heart condition, high blood pressure, or menstruation.

Happy Friday to all! I leave you with these 3 images to ponder...

Seriously don't...

Happy Passover & Easter :) 

Happy 22nd Birthday to my feather peacock, Jasp! Ok, he was dressed as an avatar in this picture but may as well have been a feathered peacock. Love you!!! Boop!

Sources:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/1711. Viewed 3/27/13.

http://www.tulaa7.com/chakra5-blue.html. Viewed 3/27/13.

Matsyasana or "Fish Pose"

To be honest, I really disliked this asana for a long time. Maybe even hated…but as a wise yogi once told, “the asanas that you dislike are probably the asanas that you should be practicing more.” Despite the masochistic tone, there is truth behind the sentiment.

Matsyasana is now a pose that I practice with not only peace of mind, but also enjoyment. There is something to be said for facing your challenges head on, especially in your yoga practice.

Sanskrit: Matsyasana                                    Western Term: Fish Pose

Artistic yogi fish pose drawing

Origin of Word

Matsya = fish; asana = pose

Type of Asana: supine pose

How To:

1.     Lie on your back with your knees bent. Inhale as you lift your pelvis and place your forearms on the floor and hands under your bottom/buttocks/hiney/glutes…any other ladylike word for your “butt.”

2.     Inhale pressing your forearms into the floor and lift up through the upper torso and head. As you lift, imagine someone is pulling you up from the ribs and upper torso area to lower you gently on the top of your head.

3.     Yogi’s choice: keep the knees bent or straighten your legs along the floor. If you  straighten the legs, keep pada bhanda by pressing out through the heels and spreading the toes.

4.     Stay for about 30 seconds, inhaling and exhaling calmly. As you exhale, tuck your chin and lower your head and torso down. Bend your knees into your chest and breath.   

The version of fish asana shown above is a more solar version of the asana, engaging the core with the hands and legs up in the air

Body Points:

*keep energy through the soles of the feet in pada bhanda

*keep weight dropping down through the pelvis

*optional: inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth as you stick your tongue out in fire’s breath

Emphasized Body Parts: belly, chest, spine, shoulders, and neck

Physical Benefits: matsyasana is known as the “destroyer of all diseases;” stretches the psoas and intercostals (muscles between the ribs); stretches and stimulates the muscles of the belly and front of the neck and the organs of the belly and throat; improves posture

Mental Achievements: improve your communication

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 or those who are looking for a more lunar variation:

-if you feel a strain in your neck, either lower your chest slightly toward the floor or place a folded blanket underneath your head for padding

For Yogis looking for a Solar Variation:

-bring your legs into padmasana or lotus pose while remaining on the top of your head

Chakra: throat chakra, 5^th chakra, also known as visuddha chakra. It is symbolized by a sixteen-petaled blue lotus found in the throat.

-Bija mantra or seed sound of 5^th chakra asanas is “ham.” Repeat this word while in 5^th chakra poses to connect with your inner truth and communication with others.

Ancient Sanskirt Proverb: “Why should men endowed with good sense speak harshly, when sweetness is within their own power and when sentences can be composed of sweet words?”

Element: sound

*Helpful for yogis with constipation, respiratory ailments, mild backache, fatigue, anxiety, and menstrual pain

**Do not do this asana if experiencing high or low blood pressure, migraine, insomnia, or serious lower-back or neck injury

Happy Spring! Upon returning from another revoluionary yoga training with my teacher, Shiva Rea, on my path to receiving my 500 hr RYT, I was reminded about the benefits of this time of year. As the days get lighter, we move towards a more solar and energized state. This is a great time to focus on evolving creatively. Enjoy the light :) I know everyone here in Portland, Maine is ready for sunshine after a snowy winter.  

Sources:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/786. Viewed 3/21/13.

http://tulaa7.com/chakra5-blue.html. Viewed 3/21/13.

Ustrasana or "Camel Pose"

 Sanskrit: Ustrasana                                    Western Term: Camel Pose

Origin of Word

Ustra = camel             Asana= pose

Type of Asana: backbend

How To:

1.     Kneel on your knees, keeping a hips width distance between the knees (approx. 2 fists, 6 inches). Firm but don’t tighten your buttox, and imagine drawing your sits bones up in towards your torso. Press the shins and feet into the ground and come to stand on your shins.

2.     Roll your shoulder blades down your back and bring your hands (with the fingers facing up) on your lower back/sacrum area. Press your hands forward on your lower back to bring your pelvis forward as you begin to arch your upper back. You can keep your hands on your lower back or go further by dropping your hands down to your ankles or feet.

3.     Melt your heart down and push your pelvis forward. Keep your head in a neutral position or release your head to look behind you. Make sure your ribs aren’t sticking straight up toward the ceiling (which could bring pressure into the lower back). Release the front ribs and lift the front of the pelvis up towards the ribs. 

4.     Stay in camel for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out of the pose, bring your hands back to the lower back, inhale and lift the head and torso up by dropping the hip points down to the floor.

5.     Rest in child’s pose (balasana) for a few breaths as a counter pose after taking camel.

Body Points:

*keep thighs rotated inwardly slightly

*outer hips stay soft

*keep upper ribs in (not protruding towards the ceiling) and keep front of pelvis lifting towards the torso

 Emphasized Body Parts: stretches the front of the body, ankles, thighs and groins; stretches the deep hip flexor (psoas); strengthens back muscles; improves posture; stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck

Mental Achievements: Opens heart to love and the ability to be vulernable and be loved

Therapeutic Use: respiratory ailments, mild backache, fatigue, anxiety, and menstrual discomfort

Modification:

-if ustrasana hurts your neck, do the pose against the wall. Curl your toes under and press the soles of the feet against the wall, lean back and press the top of the head against the wall.

For Advanced Yogis:

-deepen the pose by bringing the legs togetherà thighs, calves, and inner feet touching

Chakra: Anahata Chakra or 4^th chakra, symbolized by a twelve-petaled-green lotus

-this chakra is found between the heart and lungs

-bija mantra or “seed sound” of 4^th chakra is “yam.” Repeat this sound in camel pose to connect to your 4^th chakra.

(INSERT PIC OF Solar-plexus-chakra.jpg)

Ancient Sanskirt Proverb: “It is called friendship, when seeing someone, or touching them, or hearing them, or talking to them, touches your heart. Otherwise it is just an acquaintance…”

Element: Air

*If you can’t touch your feet without compressing your lower back, you can turn your toes under and elevate your heels.

**Do not perform camel if you have high blood pressure, migraines, insomnia, or serious lower back or neck injury

Sources:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/688. Viewed 3/1/13.

http://tulaa7.com/chakra4-green.html. Viewed 3/1/13.