Archives

Asana

20
May
2015

2767-1011

Half Frog Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions

Lie on your belly. Press your forearms against the floor and lift your head and upper torso.

For More Chest Openers

Bend your right knee and bring the heel toward the same-side buttock. Then, supporting yourself on the left forearm, reach back with your right hand and clasp the inside of your foot. As you slowly rotate your elbow toward the ceiling, slide your fingers over the top of the foot and curl them over the toe tips. The base of your palm should be pressing the top of the foot.

To start press your foot toward the buttock; after a while, if you have the flexibility, take the foot slightly off to the side and press it toward the floor. Be sure to keep your knee in line with your hip. Don’t push your foot too hard if it hurts your knee.

For More Backbend Poses

Square your shoulders with the front of the mat and don’t collapse into your left shoulder. Instead, press down with your elbow to lift your chest.

Do Half Bhekasana on each side for the same length of time, 30 seconds to two minutes. Once your thighs and groins open enough, you can try the full pose-both legs at the same time.

Pose for the week

Poses-Sugarcane

13
May
2015

sugarcane

Type of Pose
: Standing, balancing, backbending

Benefits: Improves core strength and balance, stretches the quadriceps and hamstrings.

Instructions:

1. Begin in ardha chandrasana – half moon pose, standing on your right leg with the left leg parallel to the floor and the left arm lifted straight up.

2. Bend the left knee and reach your left arm down to catch hold of the top of your left foot with your left hand.

3. Keep the left thigh roughly parallel to the floor. It’s ok if the thigh rises a bit, but raising the leg is not the primary goal of the pose.

4. Draw the left foot toward your body with the left hand, but at the same time, press into your hand with your foot. This push-pull action creates a bow shape in the spine, turning the pose into a back bend.

5. Hold one to five breaths before releasing the left foot back into half moon pose.

6. Return the left foot to the floor and try the other side.

Beginners: A block under the right hand can help you get the lift you need to explore this posture.

Advanced: Remember to keep the standing leg strong. The gaze stays uplifted and the shoulders move away from the ears. Try staying as long as ten breaths.

Tips

Poses

06
May
2015

hp_10

(pra-sa-REE-tah pah-doh-tahn-AHS-anna)
prasarita = stretched out, expanded, spread, with outstretched limbs
pada = foot
ut = intense
tan = to stretch or extend (compare the Latin verb tendere, “to stretch or extend”)
Wide-Legged Forward Bend: Step-by-Step Instructions

Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), facing one of the long edges of your sticky mat, then step or lightly hop your feet apart anywhere from 3 to 4 1/2 feet (depending on your height: taller people should step wider). Rest your hands on your hips. Make sure your inner feet are parallel to each other. Lift your inner arches by drawing up on the inner ankles, and press the outer edges of your feet and ball of the big toe firmly into the floor. Engage the thigh muscles by drawing them up. Inhale and lift your chest, making the front torso slightly longer than the back.

See also More Standing Poses

Exhale and, maintaining the length of the front torso, lean the torso forward from the hip joints. As your torso approaches parallel to the floor, press your fingertips onto the floor directly below your shoulders. Extend your elbows fully. Your legs and arms then should be perpendicular to the floor and parallel to each other. Move your spine evenly into the back torso so that your back is slightly concave from the tailbone to the base of the skull. Bring your head up, keeping the back of the neck long, and direct your gaze upward toward the ceiling.

Tips