"The practice of yoga brings us face to face with the extraordinary complexity of our own being." - BKS Iyengar
Asana study is a selection of postures from our hearwithheart classes that you can do from the comforts of home to support your own practice.
1. Sphinx, salamba bhujangasana
Salamba bhujangasana, translates to "supported cobra pose." A belly down pose that offers us a mini-back bend, particularly helpful in counteracting the rounding-shoulder effect caused by us sitting at a desk for long periods at a time (or texting).
In Sphinx pose, we feel an opening through the chest and shoulders, abdomen and hip flexors. This posture also helps build strength in our back muscles.
HOW TO:
Begin on your belly with the legs stretched long behind you.
Place the palms face down on the mat in front of you with elbows bent. Arrange your shoulders over your elbows.
This is a static pose, though imagine you are trying to pull your chest forward, toward the front of your mat. (This will help you to open through the chest.) Drop the shoulders away from the ears.
Take four to five deep breaths before releasing the pose.....
*This pose can feel intense in the low back. To reduce this sensation of the back bend, bring your elbows further out in front of you.
*If you need a more intense stretch in your low back, walk your hands closer to you and straighten your arms. (This now becomes a variation of Seal pose.)
Another Variation: Finish in sphinx but with your shins up against the wall. To come into this, roll over onto your belly. Bend your knees and scoot yourself back to the wall so that your knees are now at the corner between the wall and the floor. Your shins will be against the wall. For a few minutes, allow the back to soak into this shape, and if you want a bit more compression or sensation in the lumbar spine, feel free to rest your elbows on a cushion. Stay for 3 to 5 minutes. The deepest version is to extend the arms into Wall Seal.
AŚānti (शान्ति) Sanskrit for peace. It is a practice, not a destination. It's the quiet place where we can hear our own truth. Where clarity emerges.
Where our hearts find REST.
Heading 1
Did you too see it,drifting, all night, on the black river?Did you see it in the morning,rising into the silvery air –an armful of white blossoms, a perfect commotion of silk and linenas it leaned into the bondage of its wings;a snowbank, a bank of lilies, biting the air with its black beak?Did you hear it, fluting and whistlinga shrill dark music, like the rainpelting the trees like a waterfallknifing down the black ledges? And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds –a white cross streaming across the sky,its feet like black leaves, its wings like the stretching light of the river?And did you feel it,in your heart, how it pertained to everything?And have you too finally figured outwhat beauty is for?And have you changed your life?-Mary Oliver
Another Variation: Finish in sphinx but with your shins up against the wall. To come into this, roll over onto your belly. Bend your knees and scoot yourself back to the wall so that your knees are now at the corner between the wall and the floor. Your shins will be against the wall. For a few minutes, allow the back to soak into this shape, and if you want a bit more compression or sensation in the lumbar spine, feel free to rest your elbows on a cushion. Stay for 3 to 5 minutes. The deepest version is to extend the arms into Wall Seal.
Wall sphinx
Half frog, yin pose
Bhekasana, using a prop to explore this posture. This particular one targets our groin asymmetrically with a block (use or or two) to elevate the knee of the target leg. This variation might help you reach the appropriate stretch as well to the inner thigh.
HOW TO:
Start in a prone position (lying on your stomach), bend one knee and the other leg remains extended.
Place your block under your knee, lift chest, distance your elbows apart, palms together.
Explore your hold, as you breath and make adjustments until you feel the ideal stretch.
Remain (3 to 5 mins) before releasing
Half butterfly, yin pose
Salamba bhujangasana, translates to "supported cobra pose." A belly down pose that offers us a mini-back bend, particularly helpful in counteracting the rounding-shoulder effect caused by us sitting at a desk for long periods at a time (or texting).
In this pose, the whole spine (flexion and lateral flexion) and hips (flexion, external rotation, abduction) are the focus along with our hamstrings. How far apart you have your legs will also determine the tension in your inner thighs and inner knee.
HOW TO:
From a seated position, draw one foot in toward you and stretch the other leg straight out to the side.
Allow your back to round, fold over the straight leg.
Rounding the spine may place more stress in the fascia of the back. Keeping the spine neutral may place more stress on the hips and back of the legs. Explore the sensation you are yearning for. Hold and breathe. Variations below.
Figure 2
reach the opposite hand to the extended foot and/or lower that shoulder to emphasize the side of the spine.
Figure 3
add a twisting side bend to the spine by resting the elbow on the thigh and the head in that hand or by placing the arm alongside the straight leg and placing the other arm behind the back (depending on flexibility range). Rotate chest toward the sky; to deepen the emphasis along the side of the ribs and spine.
Figure 4
folding down the middle will change where you feel the stress. The abductors or inner groin? Explore to decide what's better for you.
Bridge, yin pose
A posture that targets the sacrum/low back. The arms/shoulders as well when our arms are overhead. This also creates a nice stress in the lower belly, with possible tension through the hip flexors.
HOW TO:
1. Start lying on your back with knees bent. Lift the hips high enough to slide a block (widest sides) or bolster under the pelvis. Make sure the support is under the pelvis/sacrum and NOT under the low back. We want our lumbar spine to be unsupported.
2. If more height is needed, you can add a second block, stacked.
3. Remain here or walk the feet away, thus straightening the legs (this creates the deepest stress into the lower back, sacrum and hip flexors.
Remain, 3 to 5 mins.
Melting heart, yin pose
Anahatasana is a posture that targets our middle and upper back, with neck (extension) and arms/shoulders (flexion.)
HOW TO:
From your hands and knees, walk your hands forward, allowing your chest to drop toward the floor. Keep your hips above your knees. Find the neutral position for your arm width (might or might not be shoulder width apart.
Toes can be tucked under or not.
Variation: you may also stretch out just one arm at a time, resting your head upon the other forearm.
Holding time recommended, 3 to 5 mins.
..., restorative pose
Salamba bhujangasana, translates to "supported cobra pose." A belly down pose that offers us a mini-back bend, particularly helpful in counteracting the rounding-shoulder effect caused by us sitting at a desk for long periods at a time (or texting).
In Sphinx pose, we feel an opening through the chest and shoulders, abdomen and hip flexors. This posture also helps build strength in our back muscles.
HOW TO:
Begin on your belly with the legs stretched long behind you.
Place the palms face down on the mat in front of you with elbows bent. Arrange your shoulders over your elbows.
This is a static pose, though imagine you are trying to pull your chest forward, toward the front of your mat. (This will help you to open through the chest.) Drop the shoulders away from the ears.
Take four to five deep breaths before releasing the pose.....
*This pose can feel intense in the low back. To reduce this sensation of the back bend, bring your elbows further out in front of you.
*If you need a more intense stretch in your low back, walk your hands closer to you and straighten your arms. (This now becomes a variation of Seal pose.)
..., restorative pose
Salamba bhujangasana, translates to "supported cobra pose." A belly down pose that offers us a mini-back bend, particularly helpful in counteracting the rounding-shoulder effect caused by us sitting at a desk for long periods at a time (or texting).
In Sphinx pose, we feel an opening through the chest and shoulders, abdomen and hip flexors. This posture also helps build strength in our back muscles.
HOW TO:
Begin on your belly with the legs stretched long behind you.
Place the palms face down on the mat in front of you with elbows bent. Arrange your shoulders over your elbows.
This is a static pose, though imagine you are trying to pull your chest forward, toward the front of your mat. (This will help you to open through the chest.) Drop the shoulders away from the ears.
Take four to five deep breaths before releasing the pose.....
*This pose can feel intense in the low back. To reduce this sensation of the back bend, bring your elbows further out in front of you.
*If you need a more intense stretch in your low back, walk your hands closer to you and straighten your arms. (This now becomes a variation of Seal pose.)
"Yin Yoga is like a conversation with your body;
listen carefully and you'll
learn profound truths." - Paul Grilley
״Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.״
- Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati
"We don't use our body to get into a pose, we use the pose to get into our body." - Bernie Clark
"The act of meditation is like feeding a bird, it requires three qualities; stillness, patience, and presence. Stillness as the bird first needs to gain trust in you. Patience, as you wait for the bird to come and land. Presence, so you don't miss the event." - Nico Luce
