Pronunciation: saw-LAWM-buh KAH-put-AWS-ah-nuh

Translation: Salamba, in Sanskrit, means, supported. Kapot translates to Dove or Pigeon, and asana means pose as in yoga pose. Thus, Salamba Kapotasana is Sanskrit for Supported Pigeon Pose.

Introduction: This is a hip opening pose that is an antidote for tight hips. The buttocks area has strong muscles which are the hip rotators and flexors. These muscles are stretched and extended in Salamba Kapotasana.

In the pose the back leg hip rotates to the rear the front leg hip rotates forward. Thus, the pose”opens” your hips and you experience their rotation in opposite directions. As you build a regular practice of Salamba Kapotasana your hips will become more “open” and have smoother and wider and easier rotation and range of motion. You can imagine your hips as a metal ball in a socket being oiled to find ease. Over time, practicing the pose will feel progressively better and you will bring that ease into your everyday movements.

Modern life with extensive sitting in chairs often makes ones hips less open and flexible than they could be. Conventional activities like walking and even running and biking can be wonderful but they don’t open your hips in the way that yoga hip opening poses such as Salamba Kapotasana can. Add Salamba Kapotasana, working slowly and mindfully, to your regular practice and enjoy increased freedom of movement.

Technique:

There are a number of ways that people start assuming this pose. Choose the one that seems to work best for your body.

One is to start kneeling on your mat. Then, bring your left leg back so that it extends straight behind you with your left knee facing the mat. Now, place your right leg on the mat in front of you with the heel below your left groin.

Another is to start seated on your mat with your legs stretched out in front of you. Then, bend your left leg and bring your left heel in as close to your right groin as possible. Place your hands on the mat by your hips with your palms down on the mat. With the support of your hands, lift up and swing the right leg out, around and behind you. Extend and straighten the leg. The center of your right knee should face and touch your yoga mat.

Or, you can start with your legs extended behind as in Bujangasana, the Cobra Pose. Then bend the left leg and swing it in front of you positioning it so that the left heel is under the right groin area.

After assuming the initial pose using one of the approaches described above, use your arms and hands to help keep your balance. Straighten your arms and simultaneously elongate your spine.

This pose has a pretty backbend that isn't especially deep. Because your pelvis is slightly lifted your own weight and gravity elongate your lower (lumbar) spine and helps to protect your lower back.

Feel the connection with your long spine through the extended back leg (through the inside of the leg all the way to the toe) and the front bent leg. Play with your balance with the arms pressing, keeping long and extended. Open the shoulders and chest and lift your sternum proudly.

Bring the foot away from your groin and up a bit forward toward the front of the mat so that your shin becomes parallel to the top of the mat.

Listen to your body and only go as far as feels comfortable. You will gain stretch over time and repetition. Keep the hips level throughout your work in the pose. Continue to work on opening the hip joints by descending your pelvis toward the mat without either hip sinking lower than the other. If the stretch is too uncomfortable, place the hands more in front of you to make it easier. Likewise, move the hands behind you a bit to make the stretch deeper and more difficult.

For many this is a very intense pose. If it seems intense to you, observe and bring awareness to the places you feel the stretch. This helps you open. It also helps your reaction to the intensity of the pose become more manageable. Send your breath to your hips where you feel intense stretch.

Listen to your body throughout the pose. Do not do something that causes you unhealthy (burning) pain. If you feel such pain, stop doing the pose or find a way to make it less intense by moving out of it a little (bringing the hands forward on the mat and pushing yourself upward with your arms).

For safety, always listen to your body in yoga whether you are in a class or at home.

Hold the pose for 5 to 10 full breaths. Relax into it.

Addition and Variation: Next, walk your hands forward, with your arms over your front leg and lean forward onto the floor. Bring your navel forward in the direction of your front shin and beyond. Only go as far as feels comfortable. Depending on your flexibility and stretch this variation may come more easily by using a prop such as a bolster under your chest or by simply leaning onto your elbows and forearms that rest on the floor. You eventually will descend low enough so that you can place your arms chest on the floor and your front leg that is bent on the floor. Your front leg will “want” to start with your foot close to your body. But once you have descended into the pose you can gradually bring your foot forward until, eventually, the front shin is parallel with the front of the mat.

Make your spine long, especially the lower spine as your release into the pose allowing your own weight and gravity to help your descent. Stay for 3 to 5 breaths in this variation working deeply in your hips throughout.

When finished with this forward bending variation, gradually walk your arms up so you are sitting up. Use your arms against the floor for leverage and support as you bring your legs to the front. Sit cross legged and rest a breath or two.

Then do the pose on the other side as described above this time putting your right leg in front of you.

Beginner’s Tips: Allow your breath to work for you. Send your breath to your hip and release. Take your time and let persistence and a calm, equanimous mind work magic on your body mind. Play with the stretch by adjusting your hands and legs while you breathe. Keep the waist long.

Advanced Variation: See our article on a version of this pose that is more difficult. Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana may be done after the basic Salamba Kapotasana and before the Addition and Variation of the pose as described above.

Suggestion: Try this pose as part of your vinyasa (yoga flow) practice as you transition from posture to posture. Move from Downward Dog, Cat Pose, Lotus or Half Lotus Pose, Dandasana Staff Pose, or Baddha Konasana into Salamba Kapotasana. It is versatile in that it is easy to transition to, and also very beneficial.

Benefits:

Opens the hips and makes them agile with rotation, extension and flexion.

Helps the muscles, tendons, and ligaments stretch and gain increased circulation.

The front leg's knee gets stretched.

This helps your posture by helping open important major muscles and muscle groups.

Because hip flexibility is an important factor in feeling good while moving, Salamba Kapotasana helps you move more easily whether walking, sitting, running, doing yoga or something else.

Helps you have a better feeling back.

Caution and Contraindications: This pose is contraindicated after recent hip replacement or surgery and hip injuries. Be careful of your wrists especially if they are sensitive as the pose requires some flexion in those joints as you push yourself up also put weight on your hands.

Article written by Shannon Brophy, yoga practitioner and Thai Yoga Bodyworker in Cambridge, MA who also is involved in the day-to-day running of Yoga.com, and has been with Yoga.com since 1995 when she and Victor Oppenheimer founded it. Victor Oppenheimer made major contributions editing this article from the perspective of being an experienced yoga teacher.

Copyright 2009 Yoga People LLC

All Rights Reserved

I have frequently been asked how yoga differs from gymnastics or, for that matter, from any of a number of other physical disciplines or regimens such as aerobics, calisthenics, Nautilus workouts, or jogging. One answer is that none of these activities seems to have a spiritual focus. Most of them have performance or competitive orientations, and concentrate on the achievement of external goals. Yoga, on the other hand, focuses on the goal of developing a continually greater degree of awareness and integration of all aspects of one's physical, emotional, and intellectual being. It nourishes the spirit with which the practitioner meets each moment of his or her life. Yoga practice is also exceptional in that it directly addresses the health of the internal organs and the nervous system.

Unfortunately, the above explanations do not convey anything of the essence of a yoga practice. I find there is a strong analogy between my experience with music and my experience with yoga.

I love to listen to music. It plays a very important role in my life. Music, like yoga, has to be experienced to be known. If one were able to fully explain all of musical theory and the physics of sound generation to a person who had never heard music, that person might assume that he or she possessed a thorough understanding of the subject. And, indeed, from an intellectual standpoint that assumption would be correct. However, as we all know, until that person had actually listened to music, until he or she had been personally stirred by classical music or moved by the sounds of jazz or folk music, the person would have no idea of what music can mean to the human soul.

Because I believe that there is no practical limit to the depth of self-knowledge obtainable by each of us, I find that yoga has no achievable final goal.

Like music, yoga also is only appreciate on an experiential basis. There are other similarities. A dedicated musician and a dedicated yogi must each devote themselves to a regime of relentless daily practice in order to achieve that greater liberation of the soul and immersion in inner beauty which are the fruits of their respective arts.

Anyone who has had the privilege of undergoing a period of intense yoga training with B.K.S. Iyengar has learned that yoga, as he teaches the subject, has little to do with the external performance of any given posture. For me, his teaching has always focused on each person achieving a more pervasive contact with every part of him or herself. In the poses, students learn to to become more aware of each part of themselves interacting from moment to moment with each and every other part. The postures become a creative quest for a deepening and more refined self-knowledge and awareness, never an attempt to meet some external standard of perfection.

This ongoing inward directed and intense process tends to yield what, in one class, Mr.Iyengar refers to as a sense of innocence. It provides an escape from the concerns of one's ongoing interpersonal relationships and the often superficial goals of one's daily life. I find that these benefits-like those of music-defy description but are incomparable sweetness and incontrovertible benefit to my soul.

So, despite the fact that many of the yoga postures look just like many of the gymnastic postures and even confer many of the same physical benefits, there is no comparison. Because, I believe that there is no practical limit to the depth of self-knowledge obtainable by each of us, I find that yoga has no achievable final goal. Rather, it is an ongoing process designed over many centuries to provide serious practitioners with a carefully orchestrated program that yields a constantly deepening, rewarding, and unifying knowledge of self.

Victor Oppenheimer has been practicing and teaching Iyengar Yoga for decades, and teaches teachers in the U.S. and overseas.He has traveled to India on numerous occasions to study with his beloved teacher Mr.Iyengar. He is the founder with Shannon Brophy, of yoga.com, and sees yoga as a path to inner joy.

¨Copyright Yoga People LLC 2009

All rights Reserved

Pronunciation: eh-KUH PAW-duh VEE-puh-ree-tuh DAWN-DAWS-uh-nuh

Translation: Eka means one, and Pada means foot in Sanskrit. Viparita translates to mean reversed or inverted. Danda is a staff, and asana means pose or posture as in yoga.

Yoga is said to create longevity and agelessness and vitality. Knowing yogis and yoginis over the ages of 50, 60, and 70, I can attest to their youthful looks, flexibility and the energy they bring to living. To yoga practitioners, a flexible spine means a long life. Often living in today's modern culture means that we lean forward often and, as aging occurs, many people slump. Backbends are a perfect antidote to this slumping. They are not what our bodies are used to, so an adventurous spirit is required to do them.

Eka Pada Dandasana is a strong backbend. In the pose the head is nestled in the hands as in Sirsasana (the headstand), and the torso is gracefully arched into the air. One foot remains on the floor while the other leg is raised and extended with the foot pointing towards the sky.

Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana is assumed out of Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana, the two legged inverted staff pose. "Dwi" means two in Sanskrit. Before attempting to learn Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana you should first learn Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana.

In Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana the head is nestled in the hands as in Sirsasana, both feet are firmly planted on the floor and the torso is gracefully arched up towards the sky. To assume the one legged variation of the pose one must first get into the two legged pose and then raise and extend one leg.

Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana is considered an advanced backbend. It takes disciplined practice to learn and is one of the most beautiful postures in yoga. Practitioners of Iyengar yoga, ashtanga yoga, power and others do this posture.

This posture can be learned and initially practiced more easily using a wall as a prop as described below.

Technique: Place a mat on the floor perpendicular to the wall. Have about two inches of the end of the mat curling up the wall. This provides some cushioning to your elbows when they press into the corner where the wall joins the floor.

Start by lying on your back with your head at or near the wall. Bend your legs bringing your knees up. If possible bring your feet close enough to your pelvis so that you can clasp your ankles. Position the feet hip-width apart and move the heels out so they are slightly further apart than the front feet. This angling of the feet will slightly separate the buttocks and create space for the coccyx to move through in the pose. Plant your feet firmly on the floor and attempt to keep them in this position throughout the pose.

To start moving into the back arch you must raise the pelvis up from the floor. There are a number of areas that are important to attend to as you move your pelvis up.

• A primary danger in backbending is "crunching" your lower back allowing the lumbar vertebrae to collapse towards each other and put pressure on the cartilage between them. For some, over time, this movement can lead to pain and even cause so called ?slipped disks? in the lower back. To avoid this collapse keep as much space as possible between the vertebrae in your lower back as you work towards and in this pose. As you move your pelvis up, keep it tilted and continually move the coccyx bone up through your buttocks. Keep this action throughout your work in the pose.
• As you move into the pose and while holding it, avoid the tendency to separate the knees. Keep them hip-width apart.
• Roll the inner thighs down and the outer thighs up throughout.
• As you mindfully raise the pelvis, keeping all of the above points in mind, move it forwards toward your feet as well as up.

After you've formed a bit of a back arch place your hands on the mat behind your shoulders and lift your head and shoulders off the ground high enough so that you can position your head as you would in Sirsasana, the headstand, so that the weight is on the flat area at the top of your head, the fontanel.

Now clasp your hands behind your head and bring your elbows forward until they are shoulder width apart and face the wall. Eventually the pose can be done without using the wall as a prop. However, initially using the wall is very helpful. To use the wall properly the elbows should be positioned in the corner where the wall meets the floor. If they do not easily reach that spot you should lower yourself out of the pose, adjust the distance your head is from the wall, and try again until you find the proper starting location for your body.

Just as you are rolling in with your inner thighs you should also roll down with your inner forearms.

Press down with your inner forearms, open your upper chest and move it towards the wall as you walk your legs in towards your head and elevate your pelvis keeping your coccyx moving up between your legs. In the final pose your abdominal area should be flat and your body should form a graceful arch without overarching in the pelvic or chest areas. Hold the pose and continue to work on opening your spine for at least ten breaths before coming down.

This is Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana. You should do this a pose a number of times each practice and for a number of practices until it becomes familiar and you grow to understand it.

After you have added Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana to your backbending practice you can start to work on the one legged variation, Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana.

To come into Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana from Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana you should first stabilize your pelvis and then putting all your weight on one leg bend the other leg and bring its knee up towards your chest. Now and throughout this variation it is important to keep the pelvis level and avoid raising the raised leg side of the pelvis. Straighten the leg and extend it up towards the sky.

Work in the pose by pressing down with the leg on the floor and rolling your inner forearms down. This work will help you to further open your chest toward the wall and to raise your pelvis higher. It will deepen your back arch. Hold and work in the pose for at least ten slow breaths before bending the leg and lowering the knee towards your chest. Keeping the leg bent bring the knee up and put the foot back on the floor. Take a couple of breaths as you refine your Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana. Repeat the Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana variation on the other side.

When you are finished doing Viparita Dandasana release your arms, and lower down onto the mat in a lying down position where you can rest. You will notice how stillness of mind is cultivated in this pose as you are called to be equanimous in doing this challenging and exhilarating backbend.

Beginner's Tip: Don't do this pose before you have an established beginning backbending practice. Initially, focus on other backbends like Ustrasana (the Camel Pose), Setu Bandha Sarvangasana over a prop, supported backbends over bolsters or even a blanket roll beneath your shoulder blades on the mat, and Cobra.

We suggest having a teacher instruct you if possible. Those newer to yoga and less flexible can learn to do the two legged version over a chair, with your feet on the wall, a blanket folded under your back and a yoga strap around your thighs. Have a teacher show you how. A teacher who teaches the Iyengar style of yoga is most likely to be familiar with that variation.

Benefits:

Heart opening posture, with emotional and physical effects
Opens and expands your chest area
Open the thoracic spine and lumbar spine (Make space between your vertebrae in backbends)
Powerful leg stretch and front body stretch
This Pose stimulates many organs and glands: adrenal, thyroid, pituitary and pineal glands, makes more space in the lungs for respiration and effects the heart while improving circulation
Increase spine and shoulder flexibility
Strengthens and invigorates the whole body
Builds inner confidence
Develops poise and stillness of mind, and humbles the practitioner

Contraindications/Cautions:

Please don't do this pose or the two legged version if you have any of the following conditons.

Spinal nerve damage and disc problems
Chronic shoulder dislocations or problems
Pregnancy
Unmanaged high blood pressure
May be intense for menstruating women, listen to your body.
Retina problems

Remember that you are your own best guide how yoga poses feel and how deep is right for you. Sharp pain is a sign to stop and come out of the posture. It is best to do this pose and variations under supervision of a trained and skillful teacher when you first attempt them, as we have mentioned. The lumbar spine area is a place to be highly conscious of while doing the pose.

Author Shannon Brophy is an eclectic yoga practioner and yoga writer. She is training to become a Thai Yoga Bodyworker in the Boston Area. Victor Oppenheimer, a yoga practitioner and teacher trained by BKS Iyengar, provided editing and content.

©Yoga People LLC 2009

All rights reserved

Pronunciation: pin-cha my-your-AWS-ahna

Translation: Pincha means the chin or a feather in Sanskrit. Mayura means peacock and asana is a yoga posture. It is sometimes also called "forearm balance". It is a wonderful pose to open the upper back and a good preparation for more advanced backbends like Urdhva Dhanurasana.

This pose is a challenging to learn arm balance and inversion. However, it becomes easy once you have the balance figured out. In the pose you are balanced on your forearms with your legs extending towards the ceiling and your head lifted from the floor. We suggest having a yoga teacher who knows what he or she is doing to instruct you with this pose, and use this article to refine the practice once you have done it with supervision.

Technique: It is best to initially learn this pose using props. The props we recommend are a wall,a sticky yoga mat, a yoga block and possibly a belt.

Eventually the pose is done unsupported in the middle of the room. However, initially, it is prudent to use a wall to stop you from tumbling backwards and to provide support while you work on proper alignment and the opening of your chest and upper back in the pose.

To prepare for doing this pose against the wall with props place your yoga mat against the wall. Put the rectangular yoga block so that it is in the middle of the mat with a long side against the wall.

Begin the pose by kneeling on the floor and putting your hands on either side of the block so that your thumbs are facing each other and your first fingers run along the sides of the block. Your forearms should be parallel to each other on the ground.

Bend your arms at the elbows until your upper arms are perpendicular with your forearms. Keep this right angle throughout the pose. This alignment allows a smooth and healthy transmission of your weight through your skeletal system your shoulders and elbow joints into the floor. In the pose you will be supported by your bones rather than your muscle. Proper alignment of your arms makes holding the balance much easier.

If your yoga block does not separate your arms to a distance so the forearms arms are parallel, try a differing prop such as a book. This writer has found that the dimensions of some printings of Light On Yoga by BKS Iyengar are ideal to do the pose.

The yoga block or other prop between the hands is to keep the hands separated to the correct distance. Without the prop your hands tend to slide towards each other and your elbows move away from each other as you come up into the pose. Some people can keep the hand and arm positions without the use of a prop. Others initially need a prop but eventually can assume the pose without a prop and whithout disturbing the placement of the hands and parallel forearms.

Keep your forearms planted solidly on your mat and your head lifted off the floor as you walk your legs towards your head raising your buttocks up towards the ceiling.

Many people find that here and throughout the process of assuming the pose there is a tendency for your inner wrists to come up. Combat this tendency by rolling the inner forearms and wrists down throughout the pose.

If the elbows tend to splay out and so that your forearms are no longer parallel despite your best efforts to keep your forearms parallel then use a yoga belt placed on the upper arms just above the elbow joints to keep them from widening.

Keep your upper arms perpendicular to the floor and make them firm and strong to give you a good base. Your shoulder blades should stay firm and lifted towards your tailbone. Rotate your upper arms outward with wide shoulders. Feel as if you have an iron bar connecting your deltoid muscles in your upper arms and providing you support.

Plant your elbows firmly on your mat. Walk your legs in towards the wall until your spine is perpendicular to the floor or as close to perpendicular as possible without rounding your spine or losing the weight on your elbows. Do not walk in so far that you lose weight on your elbows or allow them to splay out from under your shoulders.

When you have walked in as far as possible you are ready to bring your legs up into the balance. In the balance your legs are stretched up towards the sky, your spine is straight and your weight is supported on your forearms. Initially most find it easier to assume the pose by kicking up first one leg and then the other in a scissoring motion so that the heels rest against the wall behind you.

There are a number of key points to remember as you come into and stay in the pose. They are:

• Keep your forearms rolling inwards and down so as to avoid your inner wrists arching up.
• Keep your shoulders over the wrists so that the upper arms are perpendicular to the floor.
• Avoid the tendency to collapse the lumbar vertebrae towards each other. This collapse rounds the lower back in an unhealthy manner. It causes the navel to move forward and makes the balance more difficult.
• Keep your head lifted off the floor.

A yoga teacher who has experience in this pose can assist you by guiding you up to the wall, holding one leg and giving it a lift with your kick. She should stand to the side for safety to avoid being kicked. You aim your tailbone and sacrum to the wall as you jump your extended legs up.

After bringing your legs up so that your heels reach the wall stretch the legs and press against the wall with your heels. This pressure will help you move the pelvis forward until it is positioned away from the wall aligned over your shoulders. The pose is a beginning backbend in which you work on rolling the inner forearms down as you open the armpits and upper chest. This opening is a very important aspect of Pincha Mayurasana.

Eventually the pose is held unsupported in the middle of the room. To work on the balance when you have come up against the wall extend one leg and slowly move it away from the wall until it is over the pelvis. Then extend the other leg and bring it forward next to the first. The balance is controlled by subtle movements of the pelvis which can be controlled by pressure from your fingertips. It is very important while holding the balance to keep the spine extended and thus avoid any collapse in your lumbar spine

After you have obtained some level of comfort in holding the balance near the wall, you should work with a teacher to help you jump up into the pose and hold it in the middle of the floor.

It is important that you do not use too high a prop to keep your hands separated while doing the pose in the middle of the floor. Half the height of a normal yoga block is considered safe. If the prop is as high as a full height wooden yoga block and you were to fall backwards from the pose there is some risk that you would fall so that your cervical spine collided with the block possibly causing injury! Foam or cork yoga blocks are good, or use a thin (half-height) wooden one.

Eventually, when your hamstrings have stretched enough, you can walk your legs in until the pelvis is perpendicular to the floor without your back rounding or losing any weight from your elbows. If you can do this, work on coming into the pose by first lifting one leg up so that it is extended towards the ceiling and then, holding the first leg steady, bringing the other leg up next to it with no jumping at all. Once this becomes easy, work on coming up with both legs simultaneously adjusting the position of your pelvis as you raise the extended legs to counterbalance their weight.

After holding the pose for a small period of time come out of the pose. It is important to learn to bring the legs down lightly with control rather than allowing them to fall to the floor. This controlled descent of the legs comes from moving the pelvis back to counterbalance the weight of your legs as you bend the first leg at the waist and bring it to the floor and then join it with the second leg.

This work with counterbalancing the weight of the descending leg by moving the pelvis backward is best first performed against the wall. Here you can use rest the pelvis against the wall and then bend at the waist to lower first one leg and then the other lightly with control.

After learning to descend the legs gently with the pelvis leaning against the wall you can gradually learn to lower the legs without using the support of the wall by using your fingertips to adjust the placement of your pelvis.

It is important to keep the upper arms perpendicular to the floor and the head lifted up off the floor throughout your descent.

Beginner's Tip: Many people are initially unable to stop their elbows from separating when they go into the pose. To counteract this, you can have two people in your yoga class stand by your sides when you do the pose against the wall. The person to your right should place a foot along the outside of your right forearm and the person to your left should place a foot along the outside of your left forearm. This will provide you with support and stop your elbows from separating. Remember to plant your forearms strongly and keep weight on the elbows as you come into the pose. Use a sticky yoga mat to prevent slippage. Alternatively loop a belt around your upper arms as close to the elbows as possible, so your head can easily move through your upper arms when you are upside down. The belt loop should be wide enough so that your outer elbows are aligned just below your outer shoulders. The goal is to have your forearms parallel to each other on your mat.

Benefits:

Strengthens arm and shoulder muscles
Opens the shoulders
Encourages skill in balancing
Calms the brain and brings extra blood flow to the brain

Cautions and Contraindications:

Please don’t do this pose if you you have back, shoulder, or neck injury.
If your shoulders are tight, work on opening the shoulder girdle with other postures including the the downward dog pose.
Don’t do this pose with a headache, high blood pressure or a heart condition.
Don’t do the pose during menstruation.

Thanks to Victor Oppenheimer who edited this article and is a Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and founder of Yoga.com along with Shannon Brophy, who wrote the article and is a yoga practitioner and student of Thai Yoga Massage.

© Yoga People LLC 2008
All Rights Reserved

At 30, I found myself with an autoimmune disease, overweight, and confused.

At my peak I was 100 pounds heavier than I am now. I had gained the weight slowly over ten years or so. I've always loved food, but I was disconnected from how it made me feel. And, looking back, I had many obsessive food behaviors. I ate when happy, when depressed, when bored...

I'd eat cheese as a snack before going to bed and wondered why I burped so much.

I drank a lot of coffee and twitched in my sleep.

I ate a lot. Some good food, some bad.

I tried to lose weight through exercise -- I ran 4 times a week or so while smoking 3-4 packs a day.

My weight bobbed up and down.

My knees hurt.

My sickness landed me in the hospital for a couple of weeks, followed by a few months of recovery. My near death experience highlighted my need for a spiritual life -- at the time, I had none. My legs were weak and I was completely out of shape. I needed to do something. I was grateful for being alive and wanted to continue that condition.

My girlfriend (now my wife) suggested I go to a yoga class with her -- so I went. I had no real desire -- no expectations for myself. The only thing I had on my mind was that a lot of women did yoga, so I probably would be out of place. I didn't know it at the time, but I was completely unattached to the result. I just did it.

It was fantastic.

I started doing yoga regularly and really felt it was changing me. I started to eat differently. Gained the willpower I had been lacking. As I physically opened myself, the weight fell into place.

My stress level lowered. How stressed had I been, anyway? I think I was in a constant state of stress.

I was not doing a strenuous practice. But I did it every single day. I have to admit -- I thought that's what everyone did. Like music lessons: I would go to class, learn some things, then try them at home. I didn't realize this wasn't always the case. Also, I wasn't a "natural." I couldn't sit comfortably. No range of motion. Things others did effortlessly, I considered impossible. But I did it anyway.

I put myself on a new eating regimen which progressed all the time. Got addicted to various foods, and unaddicted again. This time there was a difference. I was aware of it. By practicing yoga every day the awareness came. The desire for awareness came, too. I wanted to know more and more about food. How much and what did I really need to eat?

The pounds came off. My diet evolved into this beautiful thing. I got rid of most of my addictive behavior. I enjoyed my practice. I got into my spiritual self through reading and meditation. Just bowing at the end of my practice and thanking the universe for letting me be alive changed me.

I wrote this book after my own path to a peaceful relationship between me and my body had been cemented. In addition to my private teaching, I wanted to share my experience and new perspective with others who were in need of inspiration. It can be used as a stand alone guide - or in conjunction with any other mind/body/eating perspectives you find useful. The yoga and food practices are simple and promote a deepler understanding of ourselves. I sincerly hope that this book helps you down your road towards happiness.

Awareness of more subtle aspects of my health and nature continue to reveal themselves to me. A taste of peace can effect your entire self. Developing regular practice gave me that. That is how I lost the weight.

Now I continue on my path, sharing the little I discovered with others and trying to continue uncovering myself. I still have my food weaknesses. I still eat too much sometimes. I still stress sometimes -- but it feels different than before.

Many thanks to author Brandt for sharing his story and inspiring us in the new year. He has a book, CD and Dvd, Peaceful Weight Loss through Yoga. He also has a website at http://www.PeacefulWeightLoss.com which is worth checking out and you
can subscribe to his newsletter there. He teaches private yoga sessions in NYC and Northampton, MA.

© 2005 PeacefulWeightLoss.com

All Rights Reserved

Virasana: Hero Pose

Translation: In Sanskrit, Vira means hero. Asana means pose or posture.

Introduction: This is a foundational seated posture. It is used for pranayama and meditation and for stretching out tight quadriceps muscles, opening tight ankles and providing therapy for heel pain and spurs. If your body cannot yet assume this pose or hold it comfortably use props as explained below and shown in the photos.

Technique: Start the pose with a spread out folded blanket covering your mat. This will protect the tops of your feet and make them more comfortable. The people in the photo are not using a blanket on their mat for comfort. The fifth photo down the page has a student using a blanket covering her mat though.

Use a prop or props as a support under your buttocks to provide enough height to assume and hold the pose. Place the props under your sit bones to raise your pelvis enough so your feel a good stretch yet are comfortable enough. Possible props include one or more foam blocks, a rolled blanket and/or a sandbag.

If you find that the pose causes knee pain for you it may often be alleviated by placing a rolled facecloth tightly in the inner crook of the painful bending knee. Keep the cloth in place as you lower your buttocks towards the floor. Begin by coming into a kneeling position on your knees at the front of the mat. In this pose your kneecaps should be aligned vertically rather than tilting. This will help align the inner knee and avoid knee discomfort or injury.

To bring your kneecaps into better vertical alignment, hold onto your calves and roll them to the outside while you roll your upper thighs inwards as you lower yourself into the pose. Grasp each of your calves with your thumbs on your inner legs and fingers the outer. Use the hands to roll the lower legs towards the floor on the outside of each lower leg.

Descend your buttocks between your feet to or towards the floor. As you descend and throughout the pose attempt to keep as much weight on the tops of the little toes as you have on the tops of your big toes. If you still experience discomfort in the knees or cannot yet lower your buttocks to the floor you should provide support under your sit bones. Observe our photos of a yoga class being instructed in this posture. Notice how the students do it different ways using differing props of differing heights depending on their flexibility. If your hips sink low enough, the inner sides of your feet should touch the sides of your hips. If your hips do not fully descend, the feet should still be positioned so that the hips would be between them if you could descend lower.

Actions of the Legs and Feet: Move the calves outward as you sit down between your feet. Do so gradually. Bring the feet toward your hips so they are next to your body.

After you have descended as far as possible, pull the skin that is under the knee up your leg to release pressure on your knees. To do so, lift the each knee slightly and insert your fingers under the knee and pull to move the skin of the shin towards the knee.

The tops of the feet should be hip width apart on the mat and parallel to each other. Center your weight on the center of each foot. Spread your toes out and bring the little toes to the floor. Keep equal weight on the top of each of your toes. If your heels swing in towards your hips then there will be more weight on the tops of the inside of each foot then the outside. Correct this by moving your heels out until the weight is equally distributed.

If the stretch is too much for your ankles, put a rolled facecloth or small towel under each ankle so it won’t stretch so much. Ditto for the knees, a small rolled facecloth can go in the crease behind your knee before as you kneel down which gives relief for those with sensitive knees. Those with knee problems should avoid the pose all together unless advised by a knowledgeable teacher.

Listening to your body is important in yoga as is having a good teacher to learn the poses from, which can be invaluable, especially to those with any sort of physical condition.

How to Work the Upper Body: Establish a “tadasana” of the torso. Align your upper torso so you are upright, with your outer shoulders lined up with your side hip bones. Keep your spine elongated. Lift your rib cage and sternum up from your pelvis. Ground your sit bones on the floor as your extend the spine, and raise the crown of the head toward the sky. Soften your abdomen and breathe. Take long relaxed breaths in the pose.

Coming out of the pose: Lift up onto your knees. Cross your lower legs behind you. Carefully sit down with your buttocks landing on the other side of your crossed legs so you are in Sukhasana, or seated cross legged pose. Rest and relax.

Build up your time in the pose each time you do it, starting at a minute and going longer. If you are meditating or doing pranayama breathing practice, use a higher support for even greater comfort as you will be holding the pose longer and want your attention to focus on the meditating or breathing practice as well.

You may want to try Supta Virasana (not shown on this page), the reclining version of this posture, with or without props. Many like to lean back on a bolster with a folded blanket under the head. See http://www.yoga.com/ydc/enlighten/enlighten_document.asp?ID=398§ion=9&cat=144 for details.

Beginner’s Tip: For Virasana, make yourself comfortable with a high enough support underneath. See the examples shown in the yoga class photos on how to do this. Use props like blocks or blankets. Each time you do Virasana, you get more flexible. Over time you should find that you need less and less support until the day when you can do the pose comfortably without needing any props to elevate your pelvis. A thick layer of blanket and mat under you will feel good under the tops of your feet. If you are uncomfortable in your knees while staying in Virasana for longer periods make your support higher in order to sit comfortably for an extended time. One method is to use two foam blocks on end under your sit bones. Or, if you need additional height, try three blocks with the first two on end and the third on top of them to construct a more elevated platform.The woman in the top photo is very flexible and doesn't need props, so this is what you are aiming for as you gain flexibility. However, be comfortable and use props if you need them.

Benefits: This pose stretches the thighs, knees, and ankles.

It strengthens the arches of the feet.

Improves digestion and relieves gas, and may help constipation.

Virasana helps relieve the symptoms of menopause.

It also reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester) . See http://www.yoga.com/ydc/enlighten/enlighten_document.asp?ID=398§ion=9&cat=144 for Supta Virasana which is also highly recommended for pregnant women using a bolster or two for support under the back when reclining.

Contraindications, Cautions and Therapuetic Suggestions:

Virasana may be therapeutic for high blood pressure and asthma. If you have high blood pressure, make the pose comfortable and find the restfulness in the posture, listening to a meditation CD if that appeals to you. If you have asthma, focus on having an open wide ribcage and allow deep long breaths in and out, consciously taken.

If you have a headache, practice this pose lying back on a bolster in http://www.yoga.com/ydc/enlighten/enlighten_document.asp?ID=398§ion=9&cat=144 Virasana. Some like to use an Indian Head Wrap or Ace bandage around their head and eyes for getting rid of the headache.

If you have any knee or ankle injury, please avoid this pose unless you have the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher.

Thanks to yoga teacher and co-founder of Yoga.com Victor Oppenheimer for his editing of this article.Thanks to students at Yandara Yoga Institute for allowing photos, all taken by ©Shannon Brophy. Lena Nyholm is the in the first photo of Virasana at the top, and we thank her.

Copyright © 2008
Yoga People LLC
All rights reserved

Years ago. Many years ago! I was a music critic living and working in New York City, covering mainly non-mainstream forms of music, from the avant-garde jazz of such musicians as The Revolutionary Arts Ensemble, Sun Ra and the Cosmic Space Arkestra and the Art Ensemble of Chicago to the then new music of composers such as Philip Glass, Glen Branca and Rhys Chatham as well as the burgeoning punk scene and such bands as The Dead Boys, Richard Hell and the Voidoids and Television. One day I wrote an article that attempted to summarize something that I felt all these different forms of music had in common and we called the article “Important Fun.”

Not so long ago, at a family retreat led by Thich Nhat Hanh, a young child asked him, “What do you do for fun?” Thay looked genuinely puzzled at first, and then said, “Everything I do is fun.” We all laughed of course, but as usual, the Zen Master was trying to point out an important lesson for those of us who could hear it. Is it possible that sitting and walking meditation could be “fun?” Could living mindfully be approached in a spirit of fun? Perhaps even more importantly, might Thay be telling us that practice should in some way be fun?

The article I wrote years ago was prompted by the release of the first album by The Clash, and what I had then attempted to say was that what all this non-mainstream “new music” had in common was that it had something important to say to those with the ears to hear. And, that as important as its message might be, it didn’t have to be taken somberly or overly seriously and intellectualized. We could enjoy the music and have fun listening and dancing to it, not in spite of its importance, but as an element of its importance. Like the old adage says, “Life is too important to be taken seriously.”

A friend recently wrote me an e-mail, and at the bottom was written, “Angels take themselves lightly; that’s why they can fly.” It reminded me of something I heard Pema Chodron say once, that awakening is also known as “en-lighten-ment” and that means we should “lighten up.” After all, if yoga practice is meant to free us from the delusion of self: what Patanjali calls asmita, (the sense of “I-am-ness”) then taking ourselves seriously is a major cause of duhkha and perpetuates the false sense of separation and alienation.

I think that there is nothing more important than waking up from our delusion that we are separate beings, existing autonomously like little isolated monads living our lives apart from the totality. AND, taking ourselves seriously, and all that happens to us personally, are among the fundamental mistakes that keep us in the delusion of bondage! So I have found that the ability to laugh at our human foibles is a very important form of practice.

Whether I am sitting in formal meditation, or simply being mindful of the thoughts floating through this mind I call “mine,” I am amazed at how crazy the show can be. If I don’t resist and attempt to suppress it, AND if I don’t grasp and cling to it, it can all be fairly entertaining! I find myself sometimes wondering, “Where does all this stuff come from! I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried!”

Some dictionary meanings of the word “fun,” seem more relevant to practice than others. For instance, “enjoyment; something that provides amusement; whimsical; playfully; play” all seem to point to an attitude we can find in practice if we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Meanings such as “diversion; violent and excited activity; tomfoolery; jest” and “nonsense” seem less relevant – unless of course one is speaking about the contents of one’s mind!

When practicing asana, for instance, I have found that maintaining a “lightness of mind” around asana – especially the more challenging, difficult postures, actually allows me to enjoy the process whether I “successfully” attain the desired goal or not. It’s also true that with that “lightness of mind” I often do in fact attain the full manifestation of the posture with the ease and stability Patanjali encourages whereas if I strain or have tension in my mind, I am almost guaranteed to “fail.”

Of course, there is a lot of muscular effort in the performance of much asana practice, but the release of effort and the sense of relaxation that Patanjali speaks about in Book Two, Sutra 47 can still be applied to our mind and our mental approach to even the most challenging and difficult postures. As far as I am concerned, this greater flexibility and ease of mind is much more valuable than any greater flexibility I may develop in my body.
It is with this understanding of practice, that I encourage my students to “play” in the posture, rather than “work” in it or through it. This sense of play can help free us from the attachment to the outcome, and invites us to pay attention to the process. In a challenging and deeply thought-provoking book called, Finite and Infinite Games, philosopher James P. Carse tells us that there are at least two kinds of games: “A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.”

Finite games require that there be winners and losers. In a finite game, the game comes to an end when someone wins. Finite games require definite boundaries in time and space. Infinite games are open-ended. Infinite game players may also “win” and “lose” but this “winning” and “losing” are in the service of continuing the play, not in ending it. Infinite games are played for the enjoyment of the playing. They are about the process.
Living a yogic life, for me, is playing an infinite game (lila or “divine play”) and with mindfulness, the dynamic process is itself of value. While there may be a “goal,” even that goal is not grasped as a final “state” but as the continuing process of awakening. It’s like the concept of “balance.” If we think “balance” is some final state to achieve, we are caught in concept and lose the reality. Stand in Vrikshasana (Tree) and see for yourself. Your standing foot is continually making subtle (and sometimes not so subtle!) adjustments. There is in fact no such thing as “balance,” but there is the process of “balancing!” If we “lighten up” our approach, and let go of the notion of attaining some final state of “balance,” we can enjoy the playful process of “balancing.”

The twin concepts of abhyasa and vairagya are pertinent here. All yogic action involves the braided actions of continued applied effort and the letting go of attachment. In meditation, we observe the object of meditation, whether it is your breath or mantra or some other object. When the mind wanders, we notice the wandering and gently return to the object of meditation. And then we repeat these simple steps billions of times! If there is irritation and frustration, self-judgment and recrimination, this makes meditation terribly painful. This is all effort (abhyasa) and no letting-go (vairagya). This makes a chore of meditation – and a painful one at that! With vairagya, we cultivate “lightening up” and find we can enjoy the process. Freedom is not contingent on any conditions. It is here and now or nowhere and never!

Freedom and happiness are not found in some future time or other place. They are found here/now and here/now is always changing. My hope is that you may find real pleasure and real fun in this most important matter of birth and death, the real field of yogic action (kriya-yoga).

Special thanks with deep appreciation to author and writer Frank Jude Bocchio who wrote this unique content reminding us of the joy of life and yoga.

Frank Jude Boccio is the author of Mindfulness Yoga: The Awakened Union of Breath, Body and Mind. He has been a student of Thich Nhat Hanh and Samu Sunim and is an ordained Buddhist teacher and interfaith minister. He leads classes, retreats, and teacher trainings throughout the North America and Asia. A certified yoga teacher, Ayurvedic practitioner, hypnotherapist, and health and transformation counselor, he maintains a private counseling practice in Tucson, Arizona.

See his website at http://www.judekaruna.net .

This is a brief introduction to a little of what yoga can offer. We strongly recommend you seek out a yoga teacher in your local area to gain a greater insight.

Yoga can be a wonderful antidote to our stressful lives. The deep breathing, stretching, and relaxation techniques not only help release tension in the body, but can also quiet a busy mind.

Many people spend much of their busy day in stress overload, with the ‘fight-or-flight’ or ‘stress response’ chronically aroused. This can cause exhaustion, depression, as well as numerous stress-related physical complaints. Taking up yoga can help redress the balance, by instead, engaging the parasympathetic (quietening) nervous system which produces the ‘relaxation response’.

First-time yoga students often comment that they experience the best sleep in years after starting yoga. Once they have been attending class for a while, they may also notice that they are coping better with, and responding more appropriately to, those daily stress-triggers.

Here are two simple yoga practices to help relax your body and mind.

1. ‘Legs up the Wall’ Pose
In this passive inversion, you can’t help but relax as it nourishes the nervous system and rejuvenates the circulation. Sit side on to a wall and then flip the legs up the wall to lie on your back. Shuffle your bottom in as close as possible to the wall. Have your arms to the side or bent up overhead. Close your eyes and stay here for anywhere between 2 – 15 minutes. Breathe deeply and slowly. Learn more at http://www.yoga.com/ydc/enlighten/enlighten_document.asp?ID=453&section=9&cat=125 on how to do this pose, Viparita Karani.

2. ‘Alternate Nostril’ Breath
I’ve coached corporate groups in this breathing technique, and after just a few rounds, people appear so much more relaxed and calm. It’s a great, quick-fix way to centre yourself at any time when you are feeling anxious – before that job interview, or difficult meeting, for example!

Sit up tall in a comfortable position on the floor or in a chair. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then place the index and middle fingers of your right hand at the point between the two eyebrows. Close the right nostril with the thumb and take a slow, gentle breath in through the left nostril, then close the left nostril with the ring finger and exhale without force through the right nostril. Inhale again through the right nostril, and then, closing the right nostril and opening the left nostril, exhale. That’s one round. Complete 5 – 15 rounds in your own time. When finished, lower your hand to your lap and breathe naturally for a few cycles before opening your eyes, and easing back into your day

Once you’ve tried and felt the benefits of these two simple practices, why not search our directory of yoga teachers to find a local class, so you can look forward to a tranquil, new you!

Many thanks to author Ana Davis. This article was first published on this site: http://www.ayl.com.au/magazine.html . Ana Davis is an Australian writer and yoga teacher at Byron Yoga Centre - http://www.byronyoga.com .

Copyright Ana Davis – ana@byronyoga.com
All rights Reserved by author

As a seasoned triathlete addicted to long distance, I started experiencing lots of physical annoyances once I hit that 40-plus age mark. My knees and my lower back were constantly ailing but of course, that didn't stop my "type A" personality from plugging along and doing what I love most: swimming, biking and running. Striving to find the remedy to all my aches and pains, I went to see a battery of doctors which included Chiropractors (ART), Physical Therapists, Orthopedists, Acupuncturists, etc. I had tried it all and although I did see some results in relieving my ailments while under the care of all of these different types of doctors, I found that their techniques alone just gave me temporary relief; a band aid. Once I started putting on the mileage again, the back spasms and the knee pains started to creep up again and again.

Then one day, a friend of a friend suggested that I try yoga. I looked at her and thought she is nuts and that’s NOT for me, much too relaxing. She went on to say that the owner, Lorraine (head yogi) of this studio in Glen Head was also a Physical Therapist and that she could definitely help me. Lorraine’s knowledge of the anatomy and understanding injuries is what made me give it a shot. I went for a private consultation with her and found that my biggest problem was my weakened core and she told me that through the practice of Anusara Yoga which focuses on body alignment, I would be able strengthen all the weak areas in my body, specifically core, and lower back, as well as knees.

And so, with an open mind, I began the classes and much to my amazement, I discovered, in a one hour session the hidden secret to core strengthening, mega stretching, flexibility, range of motion, serious concentration and balance improvement! I also found that my knowledge of what I thought yoga was, "relaxing", was not entirely correct. It takes an enormous amount of strength to engage all the muscles isometrically, and hold a pose for 5 LONG breaths. Think of it as hugging all your muscles to the bone and isolating them while holding the pose and trying not to tip over. Not an easy task! However, over time, I discovered that the practice of yoga is striving to find a balance between effort and ease and isn’t that what all of us athletes strive for? I found the focusing aspect to be very similar to triathlon training and racing. As an athlete who has completed many thriathlon distances, including one Ironman, the amount of concentration and composure that one needs to maintain during training and especially on race day is tremendous! Also, the breath is very critical in yoga as it is in triathlon. In the midst of the challenge of achieving a pose, finding the ease in the breath is key. Similar to when I am out there doing all those open water swims trying to concentrate on the rhythm of my breath and not on what creatures are lurking below the dark waters! And maybe the most important aspect of yoga that I discovered, in addition to building strength, is the stretching. Let’s face it, most of us don’t take the time to stretch before or after our bike rides or runs and this can cause many problems down the road. In yoga, while you are engaging all those muscles, and focusing on not falling over, AND breathing, you are also stretching your limbs in opposite directions….very challenging!

The first few yoga classes were grueling for me. How could this be? I had endured all types of challenging terrain, climate and long hours of training/racing during my triathlon experiences over the last seven years and yet yoga was so difficult! But of course, it was the inability to find ease in doing yoga that intrigued me the most and so I stuck with it. After 4 months of practicing, 4 days a week, I can see the difference in my body, especially in the core area and flexibility. I no longer live with nagging lower back aches, muscle spasms or constant knee pain. As I train for my summer races, I am folding in the yoga classes as my strengthening workouts instead of hitting that gym and doing many reps that don't add up to a whole lot for me... I encourage all of you to try it as you may find that inner peace we are all searching for, as well as a kick-butt strengthening workout with a great body stretch.

Thank you Brigitte for sharing how yoga improved your life and inspiring others! Brigitte suggests that you contact Yoga Flow Studio in Glen Head, NY is where the author loves to do yoga. Yoga Flow Studio is located at 977 Glen Cove Avenue, in Glen Head. For more information, check out Lorraine’s website at www.yogaflowstudio.com .

Translation: In Sanskrit, Setu means dam or bridge. Bandha means lock or bridge, Sarvanga means support. Asana means yoga pose. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is Supported Bridge Pose in English.

This posture is a relatively simple, but still exhilarating, backbend. It is can be safely practiced by beginners yet also benefits experienced practitioners.

Doing the pose brings flexibility to the spine and calms the nervous system. Practice this pose and enjoy both physical and emotional benefits. The pose will also help prepare you for deeper more intense back bending postures.

"Backbends are rejuvenating. They give energy and courage and combat depression. They open the chest and make the spine flexible. The arms and shoulders become strong. The mind and body become alert."
B.K.S. Iyengar, "Light On Yoga"

Technique:
Lie on your back centered on your mat. Bend both knees and bring the feet up as close to your buttocks as possible. Place the feet on your mat hip width apart. Position your palms facing down aligned with your hips. Lie supine, facing the ceiling with an extended neck. The long extended neck that is best for Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana) should also be maintained in this pose.

Movement of the Pelvis:
In this pose as in most backbends it is important is to tuck your pelvis. To do this, start by extending your buttocks down towards your back knees. Then, tilt your pelvis by bringing your tailbone forward and up through your legs toward the pubic bone. Keep this pelvic tilt throughout the pose. It protects against unhealthful collapsing the lumbar vertebrae in your lower back during back bends.

Inhale and lift your hips then your lower back off the ground. As the pelvis ascends it should also move slightly forwards towards your feet.

Keep your feet parallel or slightly angled with the balls of the big toes closer to each other and the heels slightly more apart. As you raise your pelvis you may experience a tendency to reposition the feet to a different angle so that your big toes move away from each other and your heels move towards each other. Avoid this tendency and keep your feet planted firmly on the mat.

There is also a tendency to roll the upper thighs out and separate the knees as you raise the pelvis. This puts stress in the knees and brings your buttocks towards each other. Bringing your buttocks together interferes with your ability to keep the coccyx moving up between them. Separating the knees and rolling the outer thighs out are unhealthy movements. They can cause stress in the lower back. To counteract these unhealthy movements roll your inner upper legs down towards the floor and keep the upper legs parallel with each other throughout the pose. Do not allow your knees to "float" apart. We suggest using a strap around your lower quads just above your knee if your knees do move outward in the pose and you cannot stop them on your own.

Keep lifting the hips so that the mid back and upper back come off the mat. Lift your sternum and open it forward. Maintain the pelvic tilt action with the tailbone moving up towards the pubic bone to protect your lower back throughout.

Movement of the Arms and Upper Torso:
Initially your arms are positioned lying on the mat at your sides. As you come up into the pose also keep your arms parallel and extend them towards your feet. Come up as high as possible onto the tops of your shoulders. The more you come onto the tops of the shoulders, the better the back arch you will be realize in the pose. Throughout, continue to activate and extend your arms and hands towards your feet. Place your palms face down on the floor, or interlace your hands and bring them toward your feet with straight arms. Alternatively, do the variation shown in the photo with a strap as explained later in this article.

The support of the weight of your body is on your two feet and two shoulders.

In the pose lift your sternum forwards. Keep a long extended neck. Meanwhile bring the inner shoulder blades up and toward the chest as you roll on top of your shoulders. Extend all parts of your spine to achieve a deep symmetrical arch. Have a long abdomen with a long extended spine.

Some do the pose and look like a triangle with their body in a slanted straight line from head to pelvis. You don?t want to look like a triangle from the side view of your body! Work on achieving a nice spinal curve with lifted sternum. Keep the tailbone tucked forward and upward with a long sacrum, protecting your back.

Keep weight on the insides of your feet as you use them to get more height in your pelvis while simultaneously opening the sternum forward and increasing the arch in your spine.

Hold for the pose for half a minute and longer while taking a number of slow deep breaths.

To come out of the pose, gradually lie down on your back with knees bent, placing your sacrum on the floor. The top of the spine touches the mat first, with each vertebrae descending one by one, keeping a long spine in the process. Slide the feet forward so you are lying down in Savasana or Corpse Pose. Lengthen your back as you lie there and rest.

Repeat the pose again a number of times. Backbends deepen with repetitions.

In your back bending practice, try preceding Setu Banda Sarvangasana with Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose. You may follow the pose with Ustrasana. If your practice includes Urdhva Dhanurasana, you will find that Setu Banda Sarvangasana to be a good preparation for Urdhva Dhanurasana.

Variations:

1. Use a yoga strap as shown, one end in each hand and around the front of the ankles. Tighten more when you are up in the pose and it can help your lift and curve of the spine by providing traction. Be careful to keep the feet under the knees, with shins perpendicular to the floor. Lengthen the upper legs and make a visible curve in your spine with a lifted sternum and pelvic tilt as previously described.

2. If you are able to reach your ankles in the pose, grasp them and then use your arms and legs to help in obtaining more opening in the upper sternum.

Benefits:
Enjoy the stretch for the chest, neck, spine, and hips as it strengthens back muscles, spinal muscles, buttocks, and hamstrings.
This pose helps calm the brain and central nervous system, a stress relief and good as an antidote to depression.
Your abdominal organs are stimulated and digestion enhanced.
*Lungs and thyroid
Women with menopausal symptoms may find relief.
The backbend lessens your aches in the back and head. Back muscles lengthen and strengthen and it is preventative for back pain in some cases.
Doing the pose prior to bedtime can help you sleep at night if there is insommnia.
Like many poses, it increases your blood circulation.
Do the pose supported on a Setu Bandha bench when menstruating, and it is restorative.
It may be therapeutic for asthma, hypertension, osteoporosis, and clogges sinuses.
Your 4th and 5th chakras open and move energy better after doing this posture.
Legs get a workout in the calves, quads, and hamstrings.
Your lungs, and lung capacity are increased.
Stiffness in the back, shoulders and ankles are alleviated.
The pose may give relief of abdominal cramps.
Women can do this pose as therapy for a prolapsed uterus, and it regulates menstrual flow.

Contraindications/ Cautions:
Do not do this pose if you have neck injury. Do not do this pose late in pregnancy.
Do not do this pose with knee injury. A folded blanket or blankets would be useful if
you have tight shoulders or neck in a way that you would use them in Halasana. Use them under
guidance of a teacher. If you have back pain or injury, please consult your experienced teacher to teach you.
Always listen to your body and stop if it hurts.

Article written by Shannon Brophy, yoga practitioner and Thai Yoga Bodyworker. Thanks to Victor Oppenheimer who made major contributions editing this article from the perspective of being an experienced yoga teacher and practitioner of Iyengar Yoga.

Copyright 2009 Yoga People LLC

All Rights Reserved