A More Effortless Vasisthasana

Vasisthasana: Variations

To get you started on your month of study, here are some of my favorite variations to teach. The two challenges in this pose (what? Only two?) are balance and strength (mostly core). So the prep variations help with one or the other. Notice in some variations I have my arm down. This modification can be used in any of the variations to make them easier.

You can also put your back or feet to the wall to help with balance. I recommend placing the feet at the wall rather than the back, if you can. The wall to your back quickly can become a crutch.

This is my favorite for making the pose easier. It is a bit hard to see in the photo. I have my bottom leg bent at 90 degrees and the top leg is like the final pose. I am also on my elbow which makes the balance easier.

In this varation, the top leg is coming over the bottom to stand on the floor. Eases both balance issues and strength. Make sure the toes and knee are pointing in the same direction to keep the knee aligned.

Here I have one foot in front of the other. This variation makes the balance easier and takes the full strength of the full pose.


Although technically not the "full" pose (the full pose is the bottom photo), I use this pose as the final pose in most classes. The full pose is significantly more difficult and unapproachable (not to mention scary) for many of my students.)

Having said that, many can move toward this variation. What I like about this one is you feel the balance necessary in the complete pose without the flexibility necessary:

And, voila! The full pose:

Inspired Vasisthasana

Just had to share what MuseBeth did one day when I challenged her to make her day unforgettable. Yep, she is on her desk! Want to see her Downward Facing Dog on her desk? Her poses on her desk not only made her day unforgettable for her but also for me (and, I am guessing, her secretary who took the photo)! She has inspired me to do more each day to make my days unforgettable. Thanks, .mB.!

Vasisthasana

Okay, here we go. My students will be exploring this in each class...probably good they don't know it! :-)

Prasarita Padottanasana: Variations

Okay, I didn't get to much blogging on this pose this month. So, to make up for my lack of contribution, I thought I'd give you lots of photos! I did teach the pose in each class and practice it in my own practice. I was again reminded of the importance of being grounded strongly in my feet and legs in all variations. Here are my favorite variations of this pose:

Traditional hands between the feet. I did not put my head between my hands here.


Extended Prasarita Padottanasana: Be sure to keep your weight over your feet. If you feel your hands "slipping" forward, you have too much weight in your hands.

Clasp hands behind the back: It is even more essential to be strong in the legs when your hands don't touch the ground.

Clasping the toes: Again, strong in the legs:


Reverse Anjali Mudra: I only do this one in my own practice, not one I teach, because most people aren't open enough in the shoulder to do this one without injuring the wrist:



And then, last, but far from least: Snuggling-with-daughterasana:

So much fun, and then...

I love Prasarita Padottanasana and I was having a lot of fun playing around with it.  I took Laura's suggestion to heart and I've been doing PP in each class I teach and each time I do my own practice, at least until this week...

This week I've come down with a cold and am quite stuffy and congested.  I'll take this opportunity to reminder you all to first and foremost listen to your body while practicing yoga. If you are not feeling well, rest, relax and restore.  Your yoga practice can consist of just one pose, like Child's Pose or even Savasana (final relaxation).  For me right now, if I bend forward in the slightest it creates tremendous pressure and pain in my head and face so I'm avoiding all forward bending poses. Including Prasarita Padottanasana!  In fact there isn't much that feels good besides sitting.  Even breathing through my nose is a challenge too.  I'll be taking it really lightly in the Yoga practice this week.  I'm taking care of myself so I'll be back to Prasarita Padottanasana in no time! 

Prasarita Padottanasana Spotlight

We are only half way through this month. You know what that means? There are still 2 more weeks of Prasarita Padottanasana in the spotlight! I have taught it in all of my yoga classes with great response! I like to start with separating the feet as far as is comfortable and then moving into the pose - and hold it. Focus on keeping the weight back and in the feet. Come up and then moving the legs in 1/3 of the way 2 more times finally ending in Uttanasana. Then follow it up with standing poses - hold them a little longer than usual. Your legs will feel very strong and steady after working in Prasarita Padottanasana. And...after all that, Savasana is glorious. Ahhhhhhh.

Parsvottanasana--it's not just about the legs!

This month as I regularly practiced Parsvottanasana (one of my favorite poses) I focused more on keeping my heart open with shoulders and collar bones open and shoulder blades flat. It is hard to keep that open position while folding forward but the openness adds so much to the pose. I focused on this aspect as I taught my students and their poses were beautiful. Now I love the pose even more!

Challenge: Prasarita Padottanasana

Commit to practicing the pose of the month in each practice. What did you learn?

Parsvottanasana: Now I Know More

At the beginning of the month, I posted about how I didn't care for this pose much. I vowed to practice it and teach it in every class for the month to explore where it was my attitude came from. My students and I played with working the feet more, engaging the legs more fully, opening the heart more. I discovered what I didn't like...I have to work harder in the pose than, well, I wanted to. I wasn't working my legs enough, grounding the back heal and the ball of the front foot. I discovered that grounding the back foot helped wake up my back hamstring and the inner thigh. I also discovered that I needed to draw the femur bone in more as I drew up and over the front leg. Phew! Good stuff! Now, while I don't profess to loving the pose yet...I do understand its gift to me...

Parsvottanasana

I had not realized how much I enjoy this pose before this month. I cannot say that I practiced it every day. I did study it myself to come up with teaching points and I did put it in many of the classes I taught. There are so many fun variations and great ways to explore this pose. One of my favorites is with the back foot against the wall and the hands down to blocks. Feels so good and really helps you to feel the energy in this pose.

Writing about it is inspiring me to get on my mat and experience this pose right now. Bye!

Taught it Tonight

I taught the pose tonight and focused on keeping weight balanced in both legs. Fun variations! Want to read more? I wrote about it here.

Parsvottanasana: Ideas for Deeper Study

Before moving into the pose, feel complete equality between each leg. Then move slowly into the pose maintaining that equality.

Explore the connection between your back heal and your heart.

How does your heart affect your head position?

Play with the position of your arms behind your back. Do you have a position you prefer? Why?

Parsvottanasana: What's to Become of Me!

Okay, this month's pose is one of my least favorite. I injured my hamstring 13 years ago and this pose was the one that most aggravated the injured state. About two months ago I healed the injury completely. (You can read the discussion I had around it with Nadine Fawell.) Anyway, I taught the pose this morning and realized, even though my injury is gone, I still have animosity toward the pose! This month I vow to include it in every practice and teach it in every class. It is time to learn more from this pose. It obviously has something to teach me.

Ardha Chandrasana - So sorry my love!

I love Ardha Chandrasana. Why is it that I had given it no attention in the month of October? Has another pose stolen my heart? No. I'm embarrassed to admit - I just never did it except for those two times I demonstrated it while teaching. That's it. I'm so sorry my love.