Fundamentals Flashcards
Tadasana
= Mountain Pose
- Feet together or hip-width apart - Press weight evenly into each part of foot - Lift quadriceps/engage thighs - Internally rotate thighs slightly - Lengthen tailbone down - Lift frontal hip bones up toward ribs - Firm front ribs together - Lift back ribs up toward shoulder blades - Draw belly to spine - Broaden collarbones - Press shoulder blades forward toward chest - Stack ears over shoulders - Lift crown of head to sky
Bitilasana/Marjaryasana
= Cow/cat
- Come up on all fours
- Hands underneath the shoulders
- Knees underneath the hips
- Grip your fingertips onto the mat
- Take the entire length of the breath to get to the end of the movement
- Cow (arched back):
○ Inhale
○ Lift the tailbone up (round 2: anterior pelvic tilt)
○ Lift the chest
○ Pause
- Cat (rounded back, contracting in)
○ Exhale
○ Press the ground away
○ Protract the shoulder blades
○ Bring the Tailbone down (round 2: posterior pelvic tilt)
§ Lengthen the tailbown down
§ Point your tailbown down
§ Be cautious of "tuck your tailbone under" so that it's not exaggerated
○ Gaze between the thighs
○ Pause
Ardha Namaskar
= Half salutation
- Tadasana: Mountain Pose
- Inhale - Urdhva Hastasana: Extended mountain pose
- Exhale - Uttanasana: Forward fold
- Inhale - Ardha Uttanasana: Half forward fold
- Exhale - Uttanasana: Forward fold
- Inhale - Urdhva Hastasana: Extended mountain pose
Samastitihi
Surya Namaskar A
= Sun Salutation A
- Tadasana: Mountain Pose
- Inhale - Urdhva Hastasana: Extended mountain pose
- Exhale - Uttanasana: Forward fold
- Inhale - Ardha Uttanasana: Half forward fold
- Exhale - Step back into plank pose
- Inhale - Draw your belly in
- Exhale - Lower slowly all the way down to the ground
- Inhale - Bhujangasana (Boo-jungah-sana): Cobra Pose
- Exhale - Adho(ado) Mukha Svanasana: Downward facing dog
- Five breaths
- Inhale - Look to the top of your matt and come on your tippy toes
- Exhale - Bend in your knees. Step or jump to the top of your mat
- Inhale - Ardha Uttanasana: Half forward
- Exhale - Uttanasana: Forward fold
- Inhale - Urdhva Hastasana: Extended mountain pose
- Samastitihi
Uttanasana
= Forward fold = intense stretch pose
- Ut = Intense/powerful Tan = Stretch/extend Asana - Legs of Tadasanas: Keep the base of tadasana - Fall forward towards the ground - Try to keep the hips stacked over the ankles as best as you can - Keep a slight bend in your knees - Drop your chest and crown of the head towards the ground ○ Drop your chest towards your thighs ○ Bring crown of the head towards the ground - Fingers can come: ○ To the chins ○ Finger tips on the ground ○ Fingers in line with the toes - Legs are active and lifting ○ Hug outer shins/outer hips in ○ Outer gludes hugging on ○ Lift your sit bones to the sky ○ Reach through the back of the legs - If someone has a rounded back, struggling to come down: ○ Bend your knees more ○ Bring your tailbone up slightly, Keeping an anterior pelvic tilt then come down ○ Put hands on the chins
Ardha Uttanasana
Half forward fold/half intense stretch
- Ardha = Half Ut = intense/powerful Tan = stretch/extend Asana = Posture
- Legs of Tadasanas: Keep the base of tadasana
- Inhale
- Come halfway up to a flat back
○ Creating length through the spine
○ Lengthen - Track chest forward
- Hands:
○ On the shins or blocks to bring spine forward
○ On the ground:
§ Under the shoulders
§ Hands will be by the feet (like uttanasana) as you become more open - Bring shoulders away from the ear
- Squeeze shoulder blades together:
Urdhva Hastasana
= Extended mountain pose
- Urdhva = upward Hasta = hands Tas = Mountain Asanas = Posture - Keeping the lower half of tadasana - pushing evenly throughtout feet, engaged quads - Creates lift and length through the sky - Inhale - Circle the arms out and up towards the sky ○ Bring the arms overhead ○ Arms can come up from the side or from out in front of you - Take your gaze up if that feels okay on your neck, if it doesn’t bring your gaze is forward - Bring the palms together if that feels good for your body - Push down through your feet, Lift up through your spine Draw the belly in
How to plan cueing
1) Ask to bring blocks/props close by (if needed)
2) Set up foundation of pose
3) Breath:
- Inhale: Upward movement ; expanding the body/lungs ; opening of the body
- Creates space/prepares the body
- Exhale: Downward movement/contraction the body/lungs, /forward fold
- Often the hard part/effort
4) Name the pose (Sanskrit and English)
5) Action
6) Body part
7) Direction
a. To the front, right, ect
8) Start from the initial cues that come to mind then from the bottom up cue:
a. Toes/feet: hip distance, at a certain direction (12/10pm)
b. Knees: bent?
c. Thighs: internally rotated? Adducted vs. abducted?
d. Pelvis: neutral, externally rotated, posterior/anterior pelvic tilt
e. Spine: long? Creating lift?
f. Chest: lifted?
g. Shoulder: protracted/retracted?
h. Hands
i. Gaze
j. Energetic cue
k. Anatomy cue
9) How to come out
10) Other side (if applicable)
11) Counter pose
Abducted vs. adduction
Abducted = limbs moving away from the midline
Adducted = limbs toward the midline
Bhujangasana (Boo-jungah-sana)
= Cobra Pose
- A bigger cobra may not be a better cobra (especially people with lower back issues)
- Looking to create an extension to the middle upper back
- Baby cobra
§ Gaze is down
§ Chin is drawing towards the chest
§ Hands underneath the shoulders
§ Pin elbows to the side
§ Push the hands down and back
§ Retract the shoulder blades;
□ Shoulder blades retract so shoulder heads can lift
§ Peel chest up
□ Lift the chest up
□ Imagine like you’re trying to fly your body forward through the arms
§ Draw low belly in
§ Tailbone gently lengthen towards the heel (slight pelvic tilt)
§ Tops of feet pressing into the floor until you feel the kneecaps lifting
§ Spin inner thighs in and up
§ Knee caps lift
- Full cobra:
§ Hands are slightly above the shoulders
§ Pin elbows to the side
§ Tops of feet pressing into the floor until you feel the kneecaps lifting
§ Spin inner thighs in and up
§ Knee caps lift
§ Tailbone gently lengthen towards the heel (slight pelvic tilt)
§ Draw low belly in
§ Push the hands down and back
§ Peel chest lifts all the way up
□ Lift the chest up
□ Aim to lengthen arms (as best as possible without dumping into your lower back)
□ Imagine like you’re trying to fly your body forward through the arms
- Modified cobra:
§ Hands are off of the mat and onto the finger tips
□ Creating wider arm cobra creates more space in upper back and access to shoulder blades
Adho(ado) Mukha Svanasana
= Downward facing dog
- Background: Strengthening and lengthening pose , shoulder flexion pose § Best way to measure downward facing dog is by coming into plank (it's okay for the heels to come off the floor) - Send the hips up and back § Lift and lengthen the hips towards the back of the space § If someone is not getting the length through the spine, bend your feet - Press the ground away - Drop your head, Look backwards your feet, should see the front of ankles but not your heels - Relax your neck - Hug the front ribs towards pubic bone - Engage your core - Allow the shoulders to come closer to the ears - Externally rotate the arms as if trying to shine your elbow pit to the front of the room: § May need to slightly rotate shoulders outwards - Spin inner thighs in and up - Knee caps lift - Firm quads - Drive the heels toward the ground - Two long lines of energy: from the hands to the sit bones, from the sit bones to the feet
Utkatasana
= Chair pose (Fierce Pose)
- Utkata = fierce/proud/intense Asana = Posture
- Background: lengthens spine, strengthening the legs, being in the fire (tapas)
- Tadasana legs:
○ Neutral pelvis, tailbone lengthens down (posterior tilted pelvis)
○ Big toes together, heels apart. If not feet hip distance apart
○ Pregnancy yoga or different body types = wide legs if that feels better
- Inhale
- Bend your knees
- Sit back into your heel
- Take your arms up overhead (shoulder flexion)
○ The tighter your shoulders, the further apart your arms are
○ Hands can be in prayer, cactus shape
○ Palms facing each other (could be facing the palms to the back)
○ Arms externally rotated
- Shoulders away from the ear:
○ Soften the traps and delts; leave your arm up
○ Soften the top of your ears
- Gaze forward
○ Advanced: gaze to the thumbs
- Peel your chest up
- Tailbone down, long lower back
○ Posterior pelvic tilt
- Keep your low belly hugging in
○ Naval to spine
○ Front ribs in and down
- Legs:
○ Lift all of your toes
○ Shift your center of gravity back towards the heels
○ Sit back into your heel, keep your arches lifted
○ Weight is in your heels (people often time have their weigh shifted forward)
○ Look for the middle ground; want to press through the ballmound of your feet and the heels
○ Knees:
○ don’t want it to be too far forward but may not be 90 degrees to the heels
○ Want to abduct without squeezing in together
○ Put all of your toes back down
○ You are using your toes but not gripping them for dear life (if you are, sit back more)
Virabhadrasana 1
Warrior 1 pose
- Virabhadra = a fierce form of the Hindu god Shive - the warrior
- In vinyasa:
○ Be cautious when going from warrior 1 to warrior 2, you need to be very clear with the cuing
○ Front foot needs to move in
○ Back foot turns out more
○ Hips, turso,
- Tadasana legs:
○ Tailbone down
○ Arches lifted
○ Lengthening through the spine
- Front knee bending and pointed straight forward
○ Knee in line with ankle
○ Pull the hip socket back
- Turn your chest to the front of the room
○ Don’t say turn your hips to face front
- Back foot: ○ About 3 feet back, exact amount is based on your body ○ heels down ○ Toes pointed at whatever angle feels good for your body ○ Back toes point out 45 degrees ○ 90 degrees is too pointed ○ Take the back inner thigh and spin it in and back - Feet are train tracks apart, turn the back toes out: ○ With the backfoot externally rotated out 1) Move the foot train tracks distance apart 2) Pivot the heel in - - Turning the upper body forward but there’s a natural opening based on back foot ○ Ribs turning forward - Bend your front knee ○ Take the front hip point and bring it back into the socket - Keep the back feet grounded through the outside edge of the foot and big toe - Chest and gaze forward - Working towards getting the back hip forward - Arms up ○ Arms may or may not meet - Ground down through your feet, up through the spine
From down dog
- Typical vinyasa class:
○ Inhale the leg up
○ Exhale step the foot forward
- Ashtanga:
○ Inhale in downtog
○ Exhale bring the foot forward
- Take your foot and bring it to the top of your mat if you need to
- Pivot back heel down
Anchor legs
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (shva-nasana)
Upward facing dog
- In Cobra:
○ Hands under the shoulders/slightly forward
- In upward facing dog:
○ Hands slide back in line with bottom rib so that the elbow is stacked over the wrist
- Straighten elbows:
○ Everything is in a straight line (shoulders over elbows over the wrist)
- Push down through the hands
○ Hands gripping the floor
- Pull the chest through the gateway of the chest
- Engage the low belly to mitigate dump in lower back; lift it in and up
- Lengthen the tailbone down
- Internally rotate thighs
- Externally rotate the arms
- Squeeze shoulder blades together (shoulders retracting)
- Shoulders come down by actively pushing down through the hands
- Widen across collar bones
- Gaze slightly up without crunching the neck
- Tadasana legs
- Push down through the tops of the feet until thighs lift
- Pull the belly in
Surya Namaskar B - Vinyasa Version
1) Tadasana: Mountain Pose
2) Inhale - Utkatasana: Chair pose (Fierce Pose)
3) Exhale - Uttanasana: Forward fold
4) Inhale - Ardha Uttanasana: Half forward
5) Exhale - Chaturanga: Four limbed staff pose
6) Inhale - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana: Upward facing dog
7) Exhale - Adho Mukha Svanasana: Downward facing dog
8) Inhale - Lift right leg up (most of the time we start on the right side but can change it)
9) Exhale:
a. Step the foot forward (next to the right thumb ; grab if it if you need to)
b. Pivot the heel in, toes facing out:
i. back foot down; ground through all four corners of the foot ; press through the outter and inner edge of the foot
10) Inhale - Vira Bhadrasana 1: Warrior 1
a. Bring your arms up
11) Exhale - Chaturanga: Four limbed staff pose
12) Inhale - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana: Upward facing dog
13) Exhale - Adho Mukha Svanasana: Downward facing dog
14) Inhale: Lift left leg up
15) Exhale:
a. Step the foot forward
b. Pivot the back foot down
16) Inhale - Vira Bhadrasana 1: Warrior 1
a. Rise up
17) Exhale - Chaturanga: Four limbed staff pose
18) Inhale - Urdhva Mukha Savanasa: Upward facing dog
19) Exhale - Adho Mukha Svanasana: Downward facing dog
20) Five breaths in downdog
21) Inhale - Look to the top of your matt and come on your tippy toes
- Gaze to the top of the matt
22) Exhale - Bend in your knees. Step or jump to the top of your mat
23) Inhale - Ardha Uttanasana: Half forward
24) Exhale - Uttanasana: Forward fold
25) Inhale - Utkatasana: Chair pose (Fierce Pose)
26) Exhale - Samastitihi:
Bring the hands to chest
Chaturanga
Four limbed staff pose (Yogi push up)
- Common issue: Joints aren’t stacked or dumping into the shoulders - Coming from plank pose ○ Hands under shoulders - Exhale - Gaze forward (not the neck forward) ○ Gaze to the top of the mat - Shift forward onto the tippy toes - Bend your elbows halfway - Shift the elbows over the wrists (stack your ish) ○ Triceps squeezing into your side; elbows hugging into the side - External rotation of shoulders ○ Shoulder blades will go to neutral (wont be in retraction or protraction) ○ Be mindful of people dumping into their shoulders (hunching forward) —> ask to retract shoulder blades - Keep the posterior tilt of the pelvis - Squeeze the glutes - Create strong straight line, everything hugs in - Modifications: ○ Come to the knees instead, keep plank with the knees down (nothing else has changed) ○ Game: Can put a block underneath the chest (medium level). If someone is too tall, might need two blocks ○ Try to avoid touching the block; don’t touch your chest to the block without collapsing the pelvic area
Surya Namaskar C/Chandra Namaskar - Beginner
= Moon salutation
- Good for backbends, only Surya Namaskar with no halfway lift, no chatarunga, no jumping/stepping to the top of the mat, continous flow with no break (only one without 5 breaths in downdog)
- Tadasana - INHALE: Urdhva Hastasana/Extended Mountain Pose - EXHALE: Uttanasana/Forward Fold - hold breath ○ Step Right leg back (means left side is starting first) and softly lower knee to the floor - INHALE: Anjanayasana or low Lunge (take it all the way through) ○ Step left foot back - EXHALE: Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog - INHALE: Plank pose - EXHALE: Ashtanga Namaskar/Knees, Chest, Chin ○ Keep your butt in the air (with back bend) - INHALE: Low cobra - EXHALE: Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog ○ At the bottom of EXHALE, step Right foot between hands and lower Left knee down. - INHALE: Anjanayasana/Low Lunge - EXHALE: Uttanasana/Forward Fold ○ Left foot meets right foot - INHALE: Urdhva Hastasana/Extended Mountain Pose - EXHALE: Samastiti/Hands to Heart Center
Second side
- INHALE: Urdhva Hastasana/Extended Mountain Pose
- EXHALE: Uttanasana/Forward Fold
○ Step Left leg back and lower knee to the floor.
- INHALE: Anjanayasana/Low Lunge
○ Step right foot back
- EXHALE: Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog
- INHALE: Plank pose
- EXHALE: Ashtanga Namaskar/Knees, Chest, Chin
- INHALE: Cobra
- EXHALE: Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog
○ At the bottom of EXHALE, step Left foot between hands and lower Right knee down.
- INHALE: Anjanayasana/Low Lunge
- EXHALE: Uttanasana/Forward Fold
○ Right foot meets left foot
- INHALE: Urdhva Hastasana/Extended Mountain Pose
EXHALE: Samastiti/Hands to Heart Center
Surya Namaskar C/Chandra Namaskar - Traditional
- Tadasana
- INHALE: Urdhva Hastasana/Extended Mountain Pose
- EXHALE: Uttanasana/Forward Fold - hold breath
○ Step Right leg back and lower knee to the floor. - INHALE: Anjanayasana or Low Lunge
- EXHALE: Ashtanga Namaskar/Knees, Chest, Chin (shoulder blade retraction)
- INHALE: Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward Facing Dog
- EXHALE: Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog - hold breath
○ At the bottom of EXHALE, - INHALE: step Right foot between hands and lower Left knee down (Anjanayasana/Low Lunge)
- EXHALE: Uttanasana/Forward Fold
- INHALE: Urdhva Hastasana/Extended Mountain Pose
- EXHALE: Samastiti/Hands to Heart Center
Second side
- INHALE: Urdhva Hastasana/Extended Mountain Pose
- EXHALE: Uttanasana/Forward Fold
○ Step Left leg back and lower knee to the floor.
- INHALE: Anjanayasana/Low Lunge
- EXHALE: Ashtanga Namaskar/Knees, Chest, Chin
- INHALE: Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward Facing Dog
- EXHALE: Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog
○ At the bottom of EXHALE, step Left foot between hands and lower Right knee down.
- INHALE: Anjanayasana/Low Lunge
- EXHALE: Uttanasana/Forward Fold
- INHALE: Urdhva Hastasana/Extended Mountain Pose
- EXHALE: Samastiti/Hands to Heart Center
What are the Yamas?
What are the Niyamas?
Virabhadrasana 2
= Warrior 2
- Virabhadra = a fierce form of the Hindu god Shive - the warrior - Turn to the side of your mat - Legs go wide - Open up your hands, ankles underneath the wrists ○ Front leg externally rotated ○ Back leg is abducted , mostly neutral - Pressing through outside edge; big toe mounded - Feet: ○ Keep your right toes parallel to the matt ○ Front foot externally rotated; will align to the back arch - Bend into your front knee (towards 90 degrees) ○ Make sure you can control getting out of it - Keep your shoulders over the hips - Lift the front hip to have a neutral pelvis: ○ Lift the bottom of the pelvis to create space ○ Don’t hinge the hip - Lift the pelvis; hug the hip in and under your body (so you're not sticking it out); hips are at a diagonal ○ Front hip is forward ○ Back hip slightly to the side - Torso squares to the side - Arms are straight ○ Deltoids are concentrically contracted - Gaze is over the middle finger of the front hand - Lift the arms up in line with the shoulders - Stretch through the fingertips - Shoulders down - Push down through your feet, lift up and out of your pelvis - Draw the belly in and up
Viparita
Reversed
Viparita Virabhadrasana
Reverse warrior
- Viparita = reserve, - Typically practiced from warrior 2/keeping warrior 2 legs ○ Often a transition pose from warrior 2 to something else ○ A good side body stretch, it's not a back bend it's a side bend - Front body lengthens - Lift the pelvis - Flip the front palm, Inhale --> Stretch top arm up behind you ○ Reach powerfully behind you - Bottom arm: ○ Resting lightly on back leg (engage the core) ○ In a bind - Gaze: top thumb or to the side - Lengthen tailbone down towards the floor
Utthita Parsvakonasana
= Extended Side Angle Pose
- Utthita = extended, Parsa = side, Kona = angle, Asana = Posture
- Start from warrior 2
○ Foot turned out
○ Bend into the knee
- Extend the top hand forward
○ Take the rib cage and glide it forward towards front leg
- Bring forearm to thigh
- Push down into the forearm
- Lift up and out of the shoulder
○ Shoulder blades slide down
- Hip hugs in and under
- If you have the space:
○ Bring fingertip down on the floor
- Vinyasa: inside the foot
- Ashtanga: outside the foot (more advanced)
○ Place block on the floor
- Take the arm up, like you’re spinning a lightbulb
○ Externally rotated stretch your arm overhead
- Track the knee over the toes
- Open torso to the sky (slightly rotation happening)
- Opposite line of energy: from back heel to back hand,
- Take the gaze up (if possible)
- In astanga:
Hand is outside the foot
Utthita
Extended
Utthita Trikonasana
= Extended triangle pose
- Tri = three, Kona = angle, Asana = posture - Come from a wide stance ○ Slightly shorter than ankles under wrist - Turn front foot out and straighten ○ Press through the ball of front foot ○ Lift knee cap, engage quads ○ Unlock front knee, Don’t sink into the knee - Back foot stays at 90 degrees ○ Back buttcheeck on (that's the anchor) - Leave back hip neutral ○ When coming into triangle, back hip can roll down a little - Arms at a T ○ Can be on block - Push the (right/left) rib back ○ Upper bod - Start upright hands wide - Reach body forward to bring hand to the shin - Lean back and bring shoulders in line with front shin - Back hand up to the sky ○ Hands can be at the hips - Gaze: ○ Down to the bottom ○ Up to the hand Engage the core
Ardha Chandrasana
= Half moon
suggest bringing block to start out with
- Ardha = half, Chandra = moon, Asana = posture - Secretly triangle pose but tipped over - Bottom foot points forward, keep leg externally rotated - Tip the body over - Bend into your front knee, grab a block: ○ Block on the highest leg, want it to be underneath the shoulders ○ Keep a slight bend in the knee - Hand comes out in front of you: ○ Finger tips to the floor ○ Advanced modification: lift the fingertips from the ground - Open up the hip - Back leg is lifted at 90 degrees, in line with the hip ○ Bottom hip (standing hip) externally rotate - Extend the side body and the spine - Top arm stretching up towards the sky - Bring your bottom ribs under and open up your chest Hug the bottom hip in and under
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B:
= extended hand to Big toe Pose variation B
With a strap
- I’m going to go through utthita hasta padangusthasana B or extended hand to big toe pose B
- Prior to doing so, I would recommend using a strap and having one near by
- maybe stretching the hips and hamstrings prior to get into into pose but it certain s
- First I’m going to show it with a strap on my right leg and then without a strap on my left
- First staring off in tadasana (or mountain pose)
○ Press through the ball mound of the foot
○ Lift quadriceps/engage thighs
- Shift your weight to your left leg, while keeping a soft bend in the knee
- Bring the right knee up
- Put the strap around the ball mound of the foot (not too close to the heel)
- Right arm extended straight, left hand at the hip
- Externally rotate the leg (while keeping knees bent)
- Hug outer hip in and plug the extended leg it into the hip socket
○ Try not to let that hip jet out
- Think about engaging the gludeus medius to hug it in
- Straighten the leg on a diagonal
- Take it out to the side, aiming for 90 degrees
○ Left hand side of the body is still in tadasana
- Reach the left arm up
- Plug extended arm in shoulder socket
- Keep a steady gaze to help with balance
- To come out: you would do the reverse
Vrksasana
Tree pose
- Externally rotated balancing pose (leg going up)
○ Externally rotate before leg comes up
- Can practice by coming to wall
- Externally rotate at the hip
- Come to the tippy toe
- Slide the foot up the leg
- Standing leg and foot are opposing forces
- Other leg in tadasana
○ Engage the glutes in towards the midline
○ Firm the inner thigh into the foot, and foot to inner thigh
- Keep ASIS (front hip points) pointing forward
- Keep pelvis forward, use outter gludes to keep knee open
- Ground standing foot
- Lengthen tailbone down
○ Close the jaw
- Lift up through the core
- Active flexibility: no force needed to bring leg up
- Foot can be:
○ Up on inner thigh
○ Okay on inner knee
○ Shin
○ Ankle
○ Toes on the floor
- Hands can be:
○ At the heart
○ On the hips
○ On a wall
○ Eventually –> arms up and overhead
- Gaze can be:
○ Forward
○ up/Towards your thumb
○ Eyes closes
Malasana
= Squat (Garland pose)
- Props: towel and blocks ; requires hip, ankle mobility -** Bring your legs shoulder distance apart** ○ Legs are externally rotated ○ Toes pointed out - Knees bend - Come down into a deep squat - Palms at the heart - Elbows pressing into inner knee ○ As the elbows press out, inner knees push in --> gives a nice length through the spine - Heels down on the ground - Spine long - Crown of the head and neck long - Progressions: ○ Take the arm across the thigh, twist the upper arm up ○ Internally rotate both and clast the hands behind the hip ; rotate over the open shoulder - Modification ○ heels not coming to the flloor --> use yoga blanket/yoga matt underneath the heels ○ If experiencing pain in the knees/hip flexion, don’t bring bum to the ground. Find a half squat To come out --> bring fingertips to the floor , straighten the legs
Anjaneyasana
= Low lunge pose
- Has the knee down ○ Can use a towel to soften the impact (pad the - Will likely be coming from downward facing dog or forward fold - Opens the hip flexors and prepping for back bend Forward fold: (beginner) - Bring your hands to the ground - Press one leg back - Lower the knee to the ground Downward facing dog: (more advanced) - Lift leg up - Shift forward - Draw the knee close to the chest - Place the leg in between the hands (this will be hard. If it's too hard take the foot and move it forward) - Toes: ○ Can keep them tucked under ○ Press through the top of the foot * (anchors down through whole chinbone; also helps us square the hips/get ASIS pointed in the same direction) - Lift your chest up - If experiencing pain in the knee, can double up the mat or use a towel - Front heel underneath the knee ○ Not going to hurt the knee if it goes beyond the toes ○ To access the hamstrings and glutes, try to track to your heel - Front ribs draw down - To lengthen the hip flexor and working neutral pelvis (ie someone sitting all day) ○ Have them back our (hips over knee) ○ Lengthen and lift ○ **90 degree angle in both back and front leg**) ○ Push down into front heel ○ Both hips go back into socket ○ Want neutral pelvis to get into hip flexor (posterior pelvic tear) ○ Lengthening tailbone down ○ lifting front hip points up ○ Can still be upright with the pelvis and get deeper - Front heels drive down and you pull back to square the opposite hip forward ○ To turn on the isometric: push the front heel down and ground through - When you get into deep back bends: ○ Allow pelvis to pull down as you reach up and back for deep back bend ○ Hands in polymudra ○ Stretch up and gaze up ○ Press down into the toenails of the back foot (that's what's going to stabilize the shape) - Hands can be: ○ On the chins ○ On blocks (either side of the hips) ○ Up towards the sky in flexion - External rotation in the tops of the arms - Shoulder blades elevate and internal rotate - Anatomical: ○ Back leg: hip extension - Glute max and hamstrings ○ Front leg: Hip flexion and knee flexion - When you move the leg back, most people will go into anterior pelvic tilt ○ Press into the front foot ○ Back out of it to align that knee on the ground to the hip - Going deeper or being upright (one is not more right than the other; it depends on what you're doing and where you're doing) - This is a good pose to change up based on what your focused on: ○ Might cue squeeing the glutes - When we have a bent knee, want to push down through the heel ○ Straight leg; press through the ballmount of the foot - Modifications: ○ If balancing is issue: - Using the wall - Slightly widening the stance - Pad the chins with a yoga blanket so the knee cap is off the floor ○ If they cant come down: - Crescent pose - Cuing with anatomy: ○**** Adduct your thighs (to the midline)**** - Squeeze your thighs together ○ Flex your arms to the ceiling - Raise your arms over head - Energy lines: ○ Ground down through the foot and reach the energy up through fingers
Alanasana
= Crescent Pose
- Does not have the knee on the ground
- Likely coming into it from downdog, maybe warrior 3, unlikely from tadasana
- All about the back hip flexor and keeping pelvis as neutral as possible
- Lift leg up
- Step the leg up or grab the foot
○ Weight is in the front heel
- Squeeze the inner thighs together and glutes
- Draw the front hip back, bringing the back hip forward
- Pull the front hips back in order to align to pelvis
- When you move the leg back, most people will go into anterior pelvic tilt
○ Place hand on the hip
○ Will need to bend the back leg in order the tilt the pelvic
○ Lift frontal hip points
○ Zip the tailbone down towards the floor
- Lift the arms
- If you want to straighten the back leg, push the thigh bone back and resist the tilt of the pelvis (or dumping forward into anterior pelvic tilt)
- Gaze: forward or maybe up toe thumbs
- To come out: hands to hips, shift bodyweight forward into front leg
- Modifications:
○ Struggling with balance:
- Hands on the hips
- Use a wall
- Shortening the stance front to back
Widening it side to side*
Parsvottanasana
= Pyramid Pose; intense side stretch
- Used to open up the back of the legs and open up the shoulders - Start with blocks – used as modifications for people whose hamstrings are tight (which will be most people) - Slight minor bend in the knees - Legs are on train tracks with pelvis facing forward - Feet: ○ Back foot: - Back foot slightly turned out at 10/11 PM □ Heel will likely be raised ○ Front foot: - Pointing forward at 12pm - Keep a slight bend in front knee ○ Take your feet as far as you can while still having the back heel down - If back feet is heeling, step the feet closer - Feet are likely shorter than warrior 2 (wouldn’t go from warrior 2 to pyramid) - Hands (also depends on there you're headed): ○ Reserve prayer, bring the palms together to touch (full expression) up as high as you can - Modifications: fists, or grabbing elbows ○ On the hips ○ At the hearts center - Roll shoulder heads back - Lengthen tailbone down, close the jaw - Keeping front collarbone open - Internal rotation of the arms - Press down through the ball of the front big toe and anchoring down through the heel of the back foot - Square the hips: ○ Squaring the ASIS to the front of the room ○ Neutral pelvis ○ Pelvis is facing forward - Inhale - With a flat back, hinging torso forward - Continue descent as much as your shoulders can stay open - Stay for 5 breaths - Release hands and place on block - Bring chest towards leg - Modification: ○ Wall ○ Blocks - Draw the front hip back in place - Can bring to various settings ○ Widening the stance ○ Make it harder: - Lift the front toes - Close the eyes
Prasarita Padottanasana
Wide legged forward fold
- Pado = foot, prasarita = extended/wide inttense stretch
- Likely coming from warrior 2, straighten front leg (lots of ways to get there)
- Goal of this pose: inversion, strengthening the quads, hamstring stretch, stretch inner thighs lengthening the spine, pelvic tilt ; head doesn’t need to be on the floor
- Abduction of the legs
○ Internal rotation
- Feet:
** ○ Toes are turned in slightly to one another,
○** Heel is slightly apart**
** - Heels and butt on top of each other
- Pelvis is square ; hips facing forward
- Neutral pelvis
- Lengthen tailbone towards the floor
- Open up the chest
- Draw the shoulder blades together
- Exhale, torso folding forward with a flat back
○ Keep as long of a spine as possible (don’t round the back)
- Walk fingertips in line with big toes, bend your elbows (like chaterunga), and use the hands to draw the crown of the head to the floor
- Variation for hands:
1) Hands in tripod shape –> take tripod headstand
i. Hug inner thighs toward midline
ii. Squeezing butt muscles together
iii. Actively hugging in, squeezing the glutes
2) Hands are on your hips, with the thumbs moving back to SI joints on the sacrum
i. Squeeze elbows together
3) Interlace the hands behind the back (try keeping the wrists together)
i. Pull knuckles back behind the back
ii. Roll shoulderheads open, tailbowne down
iii. Bring knuckles overhead
iv. Change the clast of the hands, and take it again with the hands clasped the other way (takes it to opposite shoulders)
4) Grabbing the big toe
i. Hands on hips
ii. With a nice flat back, come straight down
iii. With the peace sign fingers, grab the big toe
iv. Place the thumbs on the floor
v. Inhale, right to a flat back
vi. Exhale, bend the elbows outward and using the thumb to push
vii. Lengthen the shoulder blades away from the ears
- Want hips in line with your heels
- Overtime walk hands back
- Stay for 5 breaths
- To come out:
○ Walk it out to a flat back
○ Hands on the hips
○ Bend legs slightly
○ Use your core to bring you back up
- Not necessary that the head touches the floor
- Line of energy:
○ Feet grounded, lengthening the spine
- To make this more engaging/harder:
○ Pull through the arms to deepen forward fold
○ Lift the knee caps, engage the quads
○ Actively hug in the thighs (isometric contraction)
- Modificaion:
○ Bend your knees
Closed chain: both legs on the ground, using gravity
Open chain: fighting gravity, only one feet on the ground
Virabhadrasana 3
= Warrior 3 Pose
- Neutral leg balancing posture
- Great to use blocks to start off with
- Tadasana –> bend right leg
- Legs:
○ Standing leg is in flexion (torso coming down)
○ Lifted leg is in neutral pelvis and in tadasana
- In relation to the torso it is not in extension but it’s neutral
- Internally rotate the lifted leg
- Dorsey flex/pull the toes to the top of your matt
○ Working towards 90 degree angle
- Neutral pelvis
○ Both hip points pointing town
- Still need to engage hip extension muscles for that clean line to occur (or else you have
○ Need to engages the glutes ie
- Keep the ASIS pointing down
- Adduct inner thighs to the midline
- Exercise:
○ Bring one leg to the wall
○ Turn around
○ Place block under the shoulders
○ Press foot into the wall
- Hands on modification:
○ Push your heel into my hand (will feel their entire leg turn on)
- Modification:
○ Chair-/wall
○ Block under the shoulders
- Arms:
○ On the hips
○ Hands to arm center
○ Arms forward: Full expression (flexion and external rotation
- People may arch the spine –> close the jaw
- If someone has weak ankles, want to strengthen their ankles. Hold onto a chain instead
- Take the inner thigh and pull it up toward the ceiling
- Top of the thighs/quad rotated towards the standing leg
- Energetic cue:
○ Making a capital T
- Lines of energy: reach the crown of the head forward, reach your heel back
