Tag: hamstrings
-
Practice: Sucirandhrasana (Eye Of The Needle Pose)
If you’ve ever experienced lower back pain – and most people do at some point in life, you’ll know how limiting it can be to every-day activities. An aching lower back or ‘lumbago’ is common and usually disappears in a few weeks or months, although other causes such as a ruptured vertebral disk or sciatica…
-
Practice: Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch)
‘Parsva’ = Side / Flank ‘Ut’ = Intense ‘Tan’ = To stretch or extend Opening the sides of the body offers us a doorway into a deeper expansion of – and connection to – the breath. From our physical asana practice, and the practice of pranayama, we know that whatever situation we find ourselves in…
-
Practice – Parivrtta Adho Mukha Svanasana (Revolved Downward Facing Dog)
parivrtta = ‘revolved’ adho = ‘downward’ from the Sanskrit word adhas meaning ‘down’ mukha = face svana = ‘dog’ asana = ‘posture’, or ‘seat’ Downward Facing Dog is a posture many people have heard of even if they don’t practice physical yoga – and you’ve likely found yourself here many, many times if you practice…
-
Practice: Prasarita Padottanasana C
The shoulders and chest are another place along with the hips that store a large amount of tension. Long hours spent at desks, carrying heavy bags, and generally holding emotional tension within and around the shoulders and neck is common for most of us, and often shows itself in the form of headaches and…
-
Practice: Parivrtta Upavistha Konasana
When it comes to feeling that sense of opening, expanding and lengthening the body, Parivrtta Upavistha Konasana is one of those postures which can really help satisfy that sensation. Lengthening the calf muscles and hamstrings, while opening the rib cage and hips – this posture also teaches us a valuable lesson about the balance…
-
Practice: Urdvha Prasarita Eka Padasana (Standing Splits)
‘Urdvha’ = ‘upward’ in this case ‘high up’ Prasarita = ‘extended or spread out’ Eka = ‘One’ Pada= ‘Foot’ Asana = ‘Pose’ In this asana – one foot is extended up high, creating a splits-like action with the legs. There are certain words which…
-
Practice: Vasisthasana (Side Plank)
Practicing relatively simple arm balances such as Vasisthasana helps to build the upper body and core strength we’ll need when approaching asanas such as Bakasana, Koundinyasana, Urdvha mukha vrksasana (handstand), or Astavakrasana. Strengthening the upper body helps to cultivate Tapas – no, not the Spanish food…. Tapas is part of the Niyamas; the second limb…
-
Paschima = ‘west’ Tan = ‘To extend’ Asana = ‘Pose’ or ‘seat’ So what’s this pose about? Well, in order to learn that – let’s have a think about what it’s not…. It’s not about touching your toes It’s not about having your head on your knees It’s not just about getting super long hamstrings…
-
Practice: Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana (Compass Pose)
Parivrtta = revolved Surya = Sun Yantra = Instrument Open your hips, hamstrings and shoulders in preparation to guide yourself in to compass pose. This pose requires patience, lots of warming up, and the ability to know the difference between listening to your body and listening to your ego. When we push ourselves in…
-
Practice: Upavistha Konasana (Seated wide-angled forward fold)
This is one of those poses in which we learn that the more you push and force things, the further away you get from where you want to be. Let things be easy, breathe in to it, and realise that the important thing is never where you end up, but what you learn along the…
