Bhujangasana or "Cobra Asana"

Cobra pose is a great alternative to upward facing dog. It’s a wonderful backbend that helps many yogis know exactly how far they can go in their backbends without getting into their shoulders.

Bhujangasana is also a great asana for a lunar practice. So, connect to your inner cobra asana  or as my 2 year old yogis say: “hissssssssssssss.”

Sanskrit: Bhujangasana                                    Western Term: Cobra Asana

Origin of Word

Bhujanga = serpent, snake

Type of Asana: backbend

How To:

1.     Lie on your belly with your hands a bit wider than shoulder distant. Exhale, insuring that your legs stay hips distant apart.

2.     Inhale as you lift up the shoulders, chest, and neck. Bring your gaze up towards the sky, opening the chest. Press your hands down into the floor and drop the shoulder blades down the back. Do not lift the legs up! Stay up for 15-30 seconds enjoying the backbend.

3.     Exhale as your lower your chest back down towards the floor.

Body Points:

*keep legs hips distance apart           

*shoulder blades drop down the back, keep the elbows bent towards the back body

*keep the pelvis heavy

 Emphasized Body Parts: strengthens the spine; stretches the chest, lungs, shoulders, and abdomen; firms the glutes; opens the heart and lungs; soothes sciatica; very therapeutic for yogis with asthma; increases body heat

Mental Achievements: Helps to relieve stress and fatigue; awakens kundalini

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:

-stay in baby cobra, only lifting the back half way up. Make sure to use the upper muscles of the back and lift the hands off the floor for a moment to ensure you’re using the upper muscles of the back. Keep your gaze down toward the floor to keep your head in line with the spine. Stay for 15-30 seconds.

Chakra: 4^th chakra, anahata chakra, it is symbolized by a green twelve-petaled lotus. This chakra is found over the heart and lungs. This chakra helps us open our heart to love and become ready to embrace others.

-bija mantra or “seed sound” of 4^th chakra poses is “yam” repeat it in 4^th chakra poses to feel the power of love.

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

*Do not perform cobra if you have a back injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, headache, or are pregnant.

Happy April Showers :) 

Sources:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/471. Viewed 4/12/13.

http://www.tulaa7.com/chakra4-green.html. Viewed 4/12/13. 

Vira III or "Warrior III"

In balancing poses, let yourself wiggle a bit, fall, maybe even smile. Let the judgment go!

Sanskrit: Virabhadrasana III                                    Western Term: Warrior III

Origin of Word

Virabhadra = fierce warrior, an incarnation of Shiva with a thousand heads, thousand eyes, and a thousand feet.

Type of Asana: balancing pose

How To:

1.     Start in a high lunge position with the right leg forward and left leg long behind you. Inhale as you move the weight on to the right leg, feeling the pada bhanda of the right heel to ball of the foot pressing into the ground. Slowly lift the left foot off of the ground, keeping the hips squared.

2.     Exhale as you reach the arms in front of you with the finger tips coming together making a prayer mandala with the hands. Keep the shoulder blades dropping down the back.

3.     Lower the chest down, keeping your chest open in slight extension as you raise the back left leg higher. Feel the pada bhanda of the back left foot, energy shooting out of the ball of the foot as you lift the leg higher. Stay for 5 to 7 breaths, do not be embarrassed if you shift side to side or fall out of the asana for a moment. Breath and try to focus on one point with your gaze or dristi in order to stabilize yourself and calm your mind.

4.     To get out of the asana, exhale as you lower and begin to re-bend the right knee and lower the left foot down to the ground into high lunge. Make sure you do both sides!

Body Points:

*keep both hips even and squared; Do NOT lift the raised leg’s hip higher

*keep extension through the back and energy through the top of your head without straining in the neck

*keep pada bhanda of heel to ball of the foot on the grounded foot and energy through the heel of the raised foot

 Emphasized Body Parts: thighs, hamstrings, calves, ankles, hips, shoulders, and spine. Strengthens the ankles, legs, shoulders, and muscles of the back. Warrior III improves balance and posture, as well as toning the abdomen.

Mental Achievements: Helps give us strength, like the courage to put ourselves out their to speak

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’re finding it very difficult to balance with your arms in front of you in a prayer mandala, move your arms by your sides with energy through the fingertips with your arms like airplane arms

For Advanced Yogis: Advanced yogis can enter Vira III from Vira I (see earlier blogs for further description of Vira I).

Chakra: 3^rd chakra, Manipura, meaning “lustrous jewel” is the seat of personal power inside the body. It is the chakra of the life force giving strength to cultivate the creativity found in the 2^nd chakra. It is symbolized by a 10 petaled yellow chakra and found in the navel.

-When this chakra is balanced, we feel at peace, energetic, fearless and free and are able to take full responsibility of our life. The balance of manipura gives us not only a strong sense of self-worth but also positive self-value. This chakra also rules the organs of digestion including the abdomen, upper intestines, liver, adrenals, gallbladder, kidneys, and pancreas.

-If the manipura chakra gets out of balance, some people experience problems with digestion, liver dysfunction, anorexia, bulimia, colon/intestinal problems, and/or somach ulcers. All the more reason to do Vira III and help balance your manipura chakra.

-“Seed sound” or bija mantra is “ram.” Repeat this mantra in your 3^rd chakra poses to connect to your strength and confidence.

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

Element: Fire

*Do not perform Vira III if you have high blood pressure.

Sources:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/941. Viewed 4/4/13.

http://kukhahnyoga.com/2011/08/08/yoga-posesmanipura-third-chakra/. Viewed 4/4/13.

http://www.tulaa7.com/chakra3-yellow.html. Viewed 4/4/13. 

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. 

Vrschikasana or Scorpion Pose

The pose this week is a pose that I greatly admire and am working towards in my own yoga practice. I refer to yoga poses that I’m working towards as a “peak pose.” This name came about during my 200 hr yoga teacher training at New York Yoga. At that time, headstand was my peak pose. I worked on my headstand every night about three times per night. I diligently worked toward my headstand and after a week conquered it! Needless to say, I was very happy. But reaching the physical asana of a pose is not the end of your practice. We can use each pose within our yoga practice (as in each experience in our life) to continue to evolve.

So, don’t be deterred if you don’t immediately reach the physical asana of scorpion pose. As in life, it’s a process.

Sanskrit: Vrschikasana                                                Western Term: Scorpion Pose

Type of Asana: Inversion/Backbend

How To:

1.     Stand and come onto your hands and knees placing your forearms on the mat. Lengthen your arms to create a straight line between elbows, forearms, and middle fingers. Attempt to maintain parallel between the arms.

2.     Walk your feet in to your hands as close as you can towards your head. Keep your gaze between your hands, not at your feet.

3.     Lift your right leg straight up and take little hops, so that your left foot comes off the ground. Bend your left knee slightly in order to hop. Staying right here and working on your hops is a GREAT place for beginners to the pose.

4.     For those who would like to advance further in the pose, find your balance and bring your legs straight together and up towards the ceiling. Tuck your tailbone and ribs in to help stay balanced.

5.     Slowly bend your knees as your shift your chest forward slightly. If your back is very flexible, your feet will have no problem touching your head. If you’re not as bendy, you can hold Scorpion pose with the feet dangling above your head.

6.     Hold for five breaths (or as long as comfortable) before straightening your legs and lowering your feet back towards the floor.

7.     Please come down and rest in balasana or child’s pose for an equal amount of time that you’re up in Scorpion pose.

Body Points:

*Tuck your tailbone and ribs in (for stability)

*Release feet down toward your head

*Keep elbows parallel

 Emphasized Body Parts: shoulders, abs, back muscles, and improves your balance

Mental Achievements: opens your heart, helps bring humility, and move beyond your ego. Helps tune in to your intuition. 

Chakra: Ajna chakra or 6^th chakra which is symbolized by a two-petaled lotus in the color indigo located near the “third eye” in the center of your forehead.

-bija mantra or "seed sound" is "OM"

Ancient Sanskrit Proverb: "Flower has scent. Sesame seeds have oil. Milk has fat. There is sweetness in sugarcane. None of the above can be seen. Just like that, we cannot see the soul in the body although it is very much there."

Element: light

Yogi Tune of the Week: "Each Time" by Steve Gold

*If you’re new to this pose, please do not attempt without a certified yoga instructor present.

**Do not attempt pose if you suffer from hip or back problems or if you have a history of heart disease, vertigo, or high blood pressure

Sources:

http://www.fitsugar.com/Strike-Yoga-Pose-Forearm-Stand-Scorpion-1791397. Viewed 2/22/13.

http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaposes/a/scorpion.htm. Viewed 2/22/13.

http://www.yogawiz.com/yoga-poses/scorpion-pose.html. Viewed 2/22/13.

http://www.yogitimes.com/article/scorpion-pose-yoga-vrschikasana/. Viewed 2/22/13.

http://tulaa7.com/chakra6-indigo.html. Viewed 2/22/13. 

Virbhadrasana II or Warrior II

Warrior II is a well-known yoga pose, but it is far from simple-especially when done correctly and held for a loooooong time. I often like to help my students find their lower body (in an open pelvic position) before focusing on upper body twisting and bringing your drishti (gaze) over the middle finger of the front hand. A “gem” of knowledge that I received from a great yoga teacher was being told to find my “gentle warrior” in Warrior II. Believing that yoga is the language of opposites, I find a great deal of depth to her words. Softening your face and mind help bring ease and efficiency to your Warrior II.

Remember: don’t get mad, get glad and breath.

Sanskrit: Virbhadrasana II                                    Western Term: Warrior II

Origin of Word the name for this pose derives from an incarnation of Shiva, a fierce warrior, with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, wielding a thousand clubs, and wearing a tiger’s skin. Step back, Beyonce, that’s fierce.

Type of Asana: standing pose

How To:

1.     Stand in tadasana (mountain pose). As you exhale, jump your feet about the distance about a full leg length long (this varies depending the size of your leg and flexibility). Raise your arms up, lengthening the arms and keeping them parallel to the ground. Feel energy out of both fingertips, without tensing the fingers and keeping your shoulder blades down your back.

2.     Turn your right foot out and keep the left foot out at 90 degrees. Line both heels up. Firm both thighs.

3.     Exhale to bend your right knee over your right ankle. Press the left sole of the foot down on the floor, spreading the toes and feeling length through the back leg. Keep the core up and in. Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale as you bend a little deeper in the front right knee to move further into the pose.

4.     Keeping your pelvis open, turn to gaze over the right middle finger.

5.     Stay for about 30 seconds to a minute (5 to 10 deep breaths) before inhaling to come up. Make sure you do both sides!

Body Points:

*press the tailbone slightly toward the pubis

*keep the sides of the torso equally long and shoulders over the pelvis

*press down on the outer heel of the back foot

 Emphasized Body Parts: legs, ankles, groins, chest, lungs, and shoulders; stimulates abdominal organs and increases stamina. Relieves backaches (esp through 2^nd trimester pregnancy).

Mental Achievements: radiance, strength, and confidence. Encourages you to turn your energy into action.

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:

-when you bend the right knee, bend it quickly using a deep exhale, and aim the right knee toward the pinky-toe side of the right foot

For Advanced Yogis: increase the length and strength of your arms by turning the palms and inner elbows up toward the ceiling, keeping the shoulder blades dropping down your back. Keep the rotation of the arms and turn the palms of the wrist to face down toward the floor again.

Chakra: 3^rd chakra, Manipura chakra, it is found between your navel and breast bone and symbolized by a 10-petaled yellow lotus.

Transform energy into action by connecting to your 3^rd chakra with poses like warrior II. Repeat the seed sound or bija mantra of “ram” while in your 3^rd chakra pose to ignite the fire within.

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

Element: Fire

*Therapeutic for practitioners with sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, infertility, and osteoporosis

**Do not do if experiencing diarrhea, high blood pressure, neck problems (don’t turn head to the front, continue to look straight ahead)

Yogi Tune of the Week: “Om Namah Shivaya” by Donna De Lory

Pink for Spring!

Cute criss-cross straps

Fav New Yogi Accessory: Lululemon’s Free To Be Tank. Only downside is there are too many cute colors to choose from. This one was my favorite because it makes me think of spring! Bring on the sun!

HAPPY WEEKEND! 

Sources:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/495. Viewed 2/13/13.

http://tulaa7.com/chakra3-yellow.html. Viewed 2/13/13.

http://shop.lululemon.com/products/category/yoga-layering. Viewed 2/13/13.