Posts Tagged ‘Paschimottanasana’

Goodnight and Joy Be With You All: Halasana (Plow Pose)

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Halasana (Plow Pose) registers as 4* on Iyengar’s scale of difficulty.

Halasana is arguably one of my favorite asanas because of the deep back body stretch it provides. In Halasana, your spine and hamstrings are fully extended and stretched. As Iyengar mentions, stretching the back body so completely helps prepare you for Paschimottanasana, another deep back body stretch.

Interestingly, Paschimottanasana is also one of my favorite poses. My love of these deep back stretches stems from their symbolism. As I mentioned in my post on Paschimottanasana, the back body represents the past. When we stretch our back bodies, we open up to and acknowledge the past, as well as let go of it.

This past weekend, I went to a folk music festival where one of the bands, The Swell Season, played a traditional Irish song at the end of the night. The song, “The Parting Glass” is typically sung at a wake, from the perspective of the corpse. That may sound a bit morbid, but the lyrics are a beautiful reminder of the importance of looking back on the past with equanimity and no regrets:

Of all the money that ere I had, I spent it in good company

And of all the harm that ere I done, alas ’twas done to none but me

And of all I’ve done for want of wit, to memory now I can’t recall

So raise to me the parting glass, goodnight and joy be with you all.

How can you, on your mat and in your life, gaze back upon the past with love, gratitude, and joy? The next time you catch yourself rethinking the pose you just did two minutes ago, or wishing that your day had turned out differently, pause. Be glad to be here, right now, and thank the past for ushering you forward.

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Posted in Asanas, Halasana | 6 Comments »

Faith in the Future: Purvottanasana (Upward Plank or Intense Stretch to the East Pose)

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Purvottanasana (1* on the scale of difficulty) is commonly referred to as Upward Plank Pose. But, this isn’t the literal translation of the asana’s name. Iyengar says, “Purva literally means the East. It means the front of the whole body from the forehead to the toes. Uttana means an intense stretch. In this posture, the whole front of the body is stretched intensely.” So, Purvottanasana could be loosely translated as Intense Stretch to the East Pose.

The front and the back sides of our body carry with them significant meaning. As I mentioned in my post on Paschimottanasana, the back, or Western, side of the body represents the past. The front, or Eastern, side of the body represents the future. Reaching your entire front body toward the sky in Purvottanasana represents an opening toward possibility.

Purvottanasana couldn’t come at a more appropriate time for me during this journey through all the poses in Light on Yoga. I just moved to Denver less than a week ago from New York City, and every day seems filled with thoughts of how my life will shape itself here. Where will I teach? Which students will I share the practice with? Who will I be friends with?

These questions could be daunting, but I choose to let them be inspiring. Rather than constricting under the power of the unknown, I feel my heart expanding. In Purvottanasana, I raise my entire being toward the sky, offering my body upwards with complete trust in my inner strength. In Denver, I open my heart completely, expanding my range of possibilities with full faith that the universe will bring me all that is right for this moment.

What possibilities are you opening your heart to?

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Posted in Asanas, Purvottanasana | 1 Comment »

New Balancing Acts in Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana I (Upward Facing Intense Stretch to the West Pose)

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana I (Upward Facing Intense Stretch to the West Pose, 10* on the scale of difficulty) is a balancing variation of Paschimottanasana.

Consistent yoga practice enhances balance, especially the ability to balance on one foot or on both hands. But, rarely do we attempt to balance on our butts! Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana I requires the practitioner to balance on her sacrum, all the while resisting the urge to roll onto her back. Even the practitioner with the most graceful Vrksasana (Tree Pose) or Bakasana (Crow Pose, pose 152) may find Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana a great challenge.

The more I try to bring my torso toward my extended legs in this asana, the more my balance falters. Also, as I crane my torso forward toward my legs, both my legs and my spine begin to curve. For me, balancing in Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana I is difficult, but weighing a fuller expression of the pose against the importance of alignment requires more of my attention. So often in the yoga practice, the balancing act isn’t simply the balancing of the body – it’s also the balancing of your ego and your personal, physical truth within the pose. Let the scales of your practice always tip toward truth.

The practitioner can prepare for Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana I wtih Ubhaya Padangusthasana (Pose 70, stay tuned tomorrow for more on this).

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Posted in Asanas, Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana I | 2 Comments »

Parivritta Paschimottanasana (Revolved Intense Stretch to the West)

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Parivritta Paschimottanasana (Revolved Intense Stretch to the West Pose) registers as 9* on Iyengar’s 60* scale of difficulty.

Until attempting this pose as part of my project to do all the poses in Light on Yoga, I never explored this pose before. I love Paschimottanasana so much that I never gave its variations a second thought.

But, Parivritta Paschimottanasana has much to offer. Not only does the pose challenge your sense of what’s possible within a deep forward bend, it also provides numerous benefits, including abdominal toning and stimulation of blood flow around the spine and the kidneys.

Practicing Parivritta Paschimottanasana for the first time, I realized how easy it is to throw your hips out of alignment in the asana. When you attempt the pose on your own, pay attention to how the alignment of your hips changes as you continue to revolve to one side. As you twist to the left, you may notice your right hip point creeping forward. Draw it back in line with your left hip point. This will increase the stretch in your side body and will prevent strain in your lower back as you twist to each side.

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Posted in Asanas, Parivritta Paschimottanasana, Paschimottanasana | No Comments »

Bowing to the Past in Paschimottanasana (Intense Stretch to the West Pose)

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

“Paschima literally means the west. It implies the back of the whole body from the head to the heels. The anterior or eastern aspect is the front of the body from the face down to the toes.” BKS Iyengar, Light on Yoga

Paschimottanasana (Intense Stretch to the West Pose, 6* on the scale of difficulty) is one of my favorite asanas. Both the deep stretch and the meaning behind the pose reverberate with me. Physically, the intensity of the stretch in my back body – from my heels to the nape of my neck – offers the perfect release toward the end of a vigorous practice. As Iyengar explains, the pose provides the practitioner with many benefits. “A good stay in this pose massages the heart, the spinal column and the abdominal organs, which feel refreshed and the mind is rested. Due to the extra stretch given to the pelvic region more oxygenated blood is brought there and the gonad glands asorb the required nutrition from the blood. This increases vitality [and] helps to cure impotency.”

While the physical benefits and sensations of Paschimottanasana definitely contribute to my enjoyment of the pose, I fell in love with Paschimottanasana for its symbolism. Stretching the western side of the body, the back body, represents a letting go of everything that has come before. Bowing down to the western sunset of your practice, you acknowledge all that may have happened to lead you to this moment, and gently release your ties to those memories. You honor your experiences and, with the reverence of a deep bow, you leave them behind to reside in the beauty of the present moment.

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Posted in Asanas, Paschimottanasana | 7 Comments »