Standing yoga poses do not usually produce excitement among beginers, especially if they tend to be tired by their daily routine. Generally, those who just start practicing associate yoga with stretch and relaxation poses. However, experienced yogis are well aware about the benefits of standing asanas for body and mind, and always include them in their trainings.
Benefits of standing yoga poses:
1. Give the necessary base for further practice. When you are just starting to practice yoga, the body needs to be prepared for performing advanced poses. Without proper preparation, training can bring you more harm than good. And standing poses will assist you in this: you will learn how to stand properly and distribute the body weight evenly and harmoniously, so you can get the best result from practice. Standing asanas teach you to align the spine, help to remove deformations of the feet, thighs, lower back. They teach you to control the posture, keep your back straight, and the chest open. Also standing asanas strengthen the legs and back muscles, help to open the hips and increase the overall muscle tone. They show how to stretch in different directions. You will learn to feel your body, focus on the sensations. At first, poses may seem tough and difficult to accomplish, but by practicing them regularly, you will feel that your body becomes stronger, more docile and flexible.
2. Not only do they make you strong as a lion physically, but also help to develop self-confidence. Having strengthened your body in a standing asanas, you can transfer this toughness and perseverance into your daily life. Regular practice of standing poses helps to develop purposefulness and the habit of following things through, strengthen the body and spirit. Asanas teach you to walk through life with your chin up, both literally and figuratively. You will feel more inner freedom and ease.
Performing standing poses, you will learn to breathe smoothly and calmly, regardless of the difficulties that you have on the way. You become more persistent, hardy, calm and unperturbed.
3. Standing asanas contribute to the development of the ability to concentrate (especially balance poses), help to calm the mind and prepare the body for the practice of meditation.
Indications and contraindications (limitations to performance):
- Strange as it may seem, standing yoga poses are recommended for people, who spend most of the time on feet, whose activities are associated with long walking and standing. Standing-heavy jobs often cause weakness of the legs and back, joint deformity, swelling, scoliosis, varicose veins and much more ... Performing standing asanas will relieve back and legs tension, properly straighten the spine and strengthen the muscles. - Standing asanas are recommended for people engaged in sedentary work. Those who spend a lot of time in a sitting position, sooner or later, face heart disorders, impaired vision, curvature of the spine, swollen legs and varicose veins. Standing yoga poses effectively fight these problems. Standing asana can strengthen the heart muscle, bring the legs and the whole body vessels into tone. The tension in the back and spine will be gone, and the back muscles will strengthen and create a strong corset to maintain the correct position of the spinal bones, joints and body organs.
- Performing standing asanas is useful in case of devitalization. Standing asanas not only strengthen the body, but also fight depression, strengthen the spirit and energize.
- Standing asanas are equally useful to both men and women. Yoga gives flexibility to men, and strength and endurance to women. Standing yoga poses tone up masculine and feminine health, providing life without physical limitations and without pain.
- Standing yoga poses are beneficial at any age, for people of any complexion and with any state of physical health.
In my opinion, there are no contraindications to yoga. At the moment there is a huge number of schools and styles of yoga, able to satisfy the interests of each individual. There is even a bigger number of teachers who offer different approaches to practice. The internet is full of records, video lessons and articles about yoga. It is only the issue of willingness, needs and aspirations of the practitioner. But there are several rules that should be followed when practicing yoga:
- Standing asanas are contraindicated during illness, medication intake, exacerbation of chronic diseases and in postoperative period.
- Some standing poses are contraindicated for women during the menstrual cycle: during the first few days of the cycle, do not perform power asanas, closed twists, deep deflections and asanas, which tense the abdominal muscles. Inverted asanas are also contraindicated for performance in this period.
- Do yoga on an empty stomach.
- The courses of deep massage, acupuncture, manual therapy are also a limitation to the performance of power standing poses. It is advisable to refrain from intensive yoga practice for a period of this treatment and replace them with restorative practices.
And now let us go over some standing yoga poses.
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Instructions:
Stand up, put the feet together so that the inner edges of the feet from the thumbs and to the heels are touching (if you have problems with the lumbar spine, you can put the heels wider than toes). Firm your leg muscles and lift the knee caps, pushing feet away from the floor; grow up. Draw in the tailbone and lower ribs, relax the abdomen. Press your shoulders back and down, opening your chest; push the center of the chest up, and the tips of the fingers down. Perform a light Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock). Do abdominal or full yoga breathing. Hold the pose for 5-7 breathing cycles.
Common mistakes and how to correct them:
1. Weight towards toes. When the weight of your body is on your toes, the body takes the form of a question mark. Typically, when you stand and walk, leaning more on the front part of the foot, the hips shift forward to equalize the center of gravity of the body, which leads to lower back compression. The chest compensates this position of the hips and curls, the shoulders go downward, which leads to stoop, as well as lungs and heart contraction. This position of the hips and back will create tension in the waist and organs of the body, which can trigger the development of chronic diseases. Chest compression can cause depression.
To correct this mistake, transfer the body weight to the center of the feet, pull the shoulders back and the chest upward. Watch how stretching the legs and opening the chest stretches and relaxes the lower and the upper back, makes it easier to breathe. Over time, you will learn how to correctly distribute the body weight in your daily life as well, which will ease the pain in the lower back and kidneys, and teach you to breathe a full breast.
2. Weights toward heals
When the weight of your body is on the heels, you begin to cling to the floor with your toes, creating unnecessary tension in the lower back. When you stand and walk, leaning more on the back of the foot, the hips, thighs and the entire lower body, in order to keep the balance, shift back, forming a lumbar deflection. This position of the hips and back will create tension in the lower back and pelvic organs, which can lead to the development of chronic diseases. To correct this mistake, transfer the body weight to the center and tuck your tailbone more tightly, push the feet into the floor, while relaxing and stretching all the toes, pull up the knee caps. Observe how the waist stretches and relaxes with the extension of the legs. Over time, you will learn how to correctly distribute the body weight in your daily life as well, which will ease the pain in the lower back and abdomen.
3. The uneven distribution of body weight between right and left legs leads to an incorrect hip position, consequently, to the organ displacement, which can significantly affect the functioning of the organism as a whole.
Stand in Tadasana and note which foot you tend to lean more against. Try to distribute the weight of the body between the feet evenly. To do this, spot the foot that is lighter, on which you lean less, and anchor it to the floor. Leveling the pressure on the feet will help to level the position of the hips and protect you from organ displacements and deformities.
Neck position I want to say a few words about the position of the head and neck in Tadasana. The cervical spine is very important for many reasons – its incorrect functioning can lead not only to physiological problems, but also to the obstruction in the energy flow. The neck is the thinnest, most fragile and unprotected part of our body, but at the same time it is impregnated with a huge number of vessels (blood, lymphatic) and nadis (energy channels). The neck connects the body and head into a single whole. To obtain the desired energy-physiological effect from asana, it is necessary to ensure the correct position of the neck. To do this, make a wavy movement with your head forward - down - towards yourself, stretching with your chin. Such a simple movement returns the head to the axis of the spine, stretches the back part of the neck, releasing the energy flow, and pulls the spine back into alignment without a neck bend, which occurs when tilting the head back or forward.
Benefits:
1. Teaches you to stand properly and distribute weight evenly. Our posture, the position of our spine heavily depends on the way we stand and on how the weight of our body is distributed. Tadasana helps to improve posture and ensures the correct position of the vertebrae.
2. Strengthens limbs, removes feet, shins and hips deformations. It stretches the spine, especially the waist and sacrum, relieves the back muscles tension.
3. Recommended for backache, neck, elbow and shoulder joints arthritis, feet numbness.
4. Promotes calmness and steadiness, boosts your vitality, tones up the entire body.
5. Shows a proper body stretch in yoga poses, prepares you for mastering other standing asanas.
Contraindications:
1. Headaches and migraine
2. Knee osteoarthritis
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Instructions:
Stand with your legs wide (approx. 1 -1.1 meters) apart, (the distance between your feet depends on your legs length: ideally it should be equal to the length of your leg from the heel to the hip joint, to make an equilateral triangle). Align your feet so that their outer sides are parallel (for this, the feet should be turned inside), raise your arms above your legs parallel to the floor. Stretch the entire body, like in Tadasana, pulling up the kneecaps and tucking the tailbone. Reach the arms actively out to the sides. Turn the right foot to the right by 90 degrees, with the left one going inside by 5-10 degrees. Inhale and reach after your right hand, stretching the entire right side, then exhale and lower the right palm to the right shin, or to the floor. Reach your left arm toward the ceiling and gaze at it. Hold the pose for 5-7 breathing cycles, then inhale, return the body to the center. Repeat the asana to the left.
Common mistakes and how to correct them:
1. Feet not aligned. The feet in Utthita Trikonasana should be aligned to ensure stability and balance. If you do the pose to the right, then the right heel should be aligned with the center of the left foot arch, and vice versa, if the asana is performed to the left. When the feet alignment is broken, the practitioner loses their balance, swings or falls, the posture looks unharmonious and can give a negative effect. If it is difficult for you to put the feet correctly from the start, you can go to the edge of the mat and align the position of the feet by the line of its long edge. Over time, you will learn to do the pose without additional visual support.
2. Closed hips, upper shoulder falling forward, closed chest. The hips and chest in this standing asana should be open. To ensure this, it is necessary to work properly and intensively with your feet. Your legs should be strong, your knees straight and taut. The front hip parts should face opposite directions. So, for example, if the asana is performed to the right, then the right thigh should turn completely to the right, and the left one 90 degrees in the opposite direction from the right one. This position of the legs will ensure correct rotation in the hip joints and harmonious performance of the asana.
The back position and the chest opening directly depend on the hip-opening. If the hips are closed, the upper shoulder will fall forward, closing the chest, which will lead to the back tension, squeezing the heart, lungs and abdominal organs.
There are several ways to help yourself properly perform the pose and check the hip-opening. The most accessible and effective one for individual practice is wall alignment: stand with your back facing the wall and get ready for Utthita Trikonasana. The feet must be placed at some distance from the wall to ensure balance. Press the buttocks against the wall and turn the right foot all the way to the right by 90 degrees, and the left one by 5 degrees inside. Pull the knee cups up, make the legs strong as in Tadasana, and, keeping this stretch in the legs, turn the hips in a direction from each other. Stretch your arms parallel to the floor above your feet, press the shoulder blades against the wall. Stretch the right hand to the right and, keeping the hips and shoulder blades firmly pressed against the wall, lean to the right, dropping the palm on the shin. Your whole body will be aligned, the hips and chest are open, the shoulder joints and arms are located one above the other and form an even line. This is the correct position of the body in Utthita Trikonasana. Perform the pose adjustment at the wall to the left, and then try to repeat the pose without leaning on the wall.
3. Leaning on knee. I often notice this gross mistake among beginners performing asanas. This applies not only to Utthita Trikonasana, but also to other standing poses, in which we lean on the leg with our hands. Dear reader, when you lower your hands towards the leg, the support should be either on the hip, or on the shin. Leaning on the knee join can cause injury! When you lower your hand to the knee in asanas, it relaxes reflexively, and most of the weight goes to the relaxed, unprotected knee joint, which leads to a hyperextension of the hamstrings and the displacement of the joint. In the future this can lead to various knee joints diseases.
4. Side compression towards the bend. Uttthita Trikonasana should be performed from the hip joints, and not with a back bend, so as not to pinch the lower side and ensure the correct free position of the organs. To achieve this, before bending down, we perform stretching towards the hand, which will go on the shin. This results in the lower side lengthening, which we must preserve while doing the asana.
Benefits:
- Makes the hip joints more flexible, stretches the arches of feet, calves, hamstrings;
- Strengthens leg muscles;
- Relieves waist and neck tensions, stretches the spine;
- Strengthens the ankles, removes leg deformities;
- Opens the chest, increases its mobility;
- Improves digestion and blood circulation;
- Relieves the symptoms of menopause;
- Relieves stress;
- Therapeutic for anxiety, flat feet, infertility, osteoporosis and sciatica.
Contraindications:
- Neck injuries;
- Back problems;
- Low blood pressure;
- Headache;
- Diarrhea.
Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)
Instructions:
Stand in Tadasana. Bend your right knee and place your right foot on the inner left thigh (if necessary, do it with your hand). The supporting leg must be strong, the kneecap tightened, the bent knee turned to the side, opening the hips. Bring your palms together in front of the chest in ‘Namaste’ and, pushing the palms apart, open the chest, with the top of your head stretching upwards, tuck the tailbone. Once you are well balanced, you can deepen the pose. Raise your arms from the sides and reach them over your head. Your eyes should focus on a single point in space or on the floor, either directly in front of you or on arms extended upwards - the higher you look up, the more difficult it is to keep balance. The most advanced version will be when you can close your eyes and hold a pose. Perform the asana leaning on the second leg, keeping the balance for 5-7 breathing cycles for each side.
Common mistakes and how to correct them:
1. Weak support leg. The knee of the supporting leg in Vrikshasana should be strong and taut, like in Tadasana, to avoid injuries to the knee joint.
2. Foot of the bent leg on the knee of the supporting leg. We have already covered the pressure on the knee and the consequences of it above. If the foot of the bent leg slides off the hip, then you can hold the bent leg with your hands or belt, or try turning the heel of the bent leg forward, and the toes backwards - when the foot is placed slightly at an angle, it slips less. But if the body does not allow you to put a foot of the bent leg on the hip of the support leg, even in a light version, then put the foot on the shin under the knee.
3. Hips going back, lower back flexion, shoulders lowered forward.
Tuck the tailbone and align the body as if you were standing at the wall and your hips, shoulder blades, shoulders and heel of the supporting leg are pressed to it. This will protect your waist from overexertion, provide chest opening and ensure balance.
4. Hips going to the side.
Pull up the entire body, from the heel of the supporting leg to the tips of the fingers up. Do not let the hip of the supporting leg go to the side in order to avoid lower back flexion and pressure in the hip joint, back and abdomen.
5. Restless irregular breathing.
Keep your breathing even when standing in the asana. Calm and even breathing guarantees the balance and calmness of mind.
Benefits:
- Develops a sense of balance and stability;
- Strengthens the ankles and knees, leg muscles, improves posture;
- Promotes mindfulness and concentration;
- With regular practice fixes flat feet;
- Helps eliminate stiffness of the shoulder joints, strengthens the arm muscles and shoulder girdle;
- Helps to increase the lungs volume, restores blood circulation in the hands and back;
- Removes salt deposits in the shoulder joints;
- Tones the whole body and the entire skeletal system;
- Gives a feeling of a boost of strength and energy, helps to gain a sense of stability and confidence.
Contraindications:
- Knees/ thighs injuries;
- Joint pain;
- High blood pressure.
Utkatasana (Fierce Pose/ Chair Pose)
Instructions:
Stand in Tadasana, inhale, raise your arms from the sides and bring them together above your head. Lower your shoulder joints, letting your neck muscles free up. Exhale and bend your knees so that they are keeping your feet on the floor. Lower the thighs as nearly parallel to the floor as possible. Try to keep your knees from projecting out over the feet and your back as vertical as possible. Make sure there is no lower back flexion and tuck your tailbone. Pull your shoulders back, opening the chest. Keep the pose for at least 3-5 breathing cycles.
Common mistakes and how to correct them:
1. Lower back flexion.
Very often while practicing Utkatasana, the butt sticks out and lower back flexion occurs. This creates a great strain in the spine and in the organs of the body. To avoid this and get the maximum positive effect from the pose, you need to tuck your tailbone and straighten the lower back. If it is difficult to grasp it, then start mastering Utkatasana at the wall. Stand with your back to the wall and fully press your back to it, especially the lumbar area. Exhale and slide down the wall, slightly backing away from it with your feet. Stretch your arms and press the tops of your shoulders against the wall, bring the shoulder blades closer together. Hold this position for several breathing cycles. Then you can deepen the asana at the wall: Stand facing the wall at arm's length. Put your palms against the wall at shoulder level. Exhale and bend your knees, make sure that they don’t project out over the feet. Pushing your hands against the wall, tuck your tailbone and align your back. Hold this position for several breathing cycles. Then repeat the asana without leaning on the wall.
2. Neck squeezed between shoulders.
For your neck to be relaxed and free, you should bring your shoulder joints back and down, with your straight arms reaching up behind your ears.
3. Knees drifting apart.
To protect the knee joints from overexertion, the hips should be tightly pressed together or, if you perform Utkatasana with feet at shoulder length, keep the hips parallel.
Benefits:
- Stretches shoulders and chest
- Eliminates the stiffness of the shoulders;
- Builds leg muscles;
- Strengthens the ankles;
- Stimulates abdominal organs, back and diaphragm;
- Reduces flat feet.
Contraindications:
- Low blood pressure
- Knee pain
- Headache
- Insomnia
Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose)
Instructions:
Stand in Tadasana, make a long (1-1.2 meters) step back with your left foot and press it to the floor. Close the hips, pull your knee caps up the thighs, tuck the tailbone. With an exhale, raise your arms from the sides and join the palms, then release the shoulders, freeing the neck. With an exhale, bend your right knee at a 90 degree angle, so the thigh is parallel to the floor. The left leg is strong and straight, the foot is firmly pressed to the floor. The back is perpendicular to the floor, the neck is relaxed. Keep the pose for 5-7 breathing cycles, then repeat it for the left leg.
Common mistakes and how to correct them:
1. Lower back flexion.
To protect the waist from overexertion and strengthen the hip joints, tuck the tailbone and pull the straight leg stronger.
2. Neck flexion.
Do not tilt your head back not to allow a neck flexion, so as not to disturb the blood and energy flow.
3. Weak arms.
The arms in Virabhadrasana I must reach actively upward, but without creating tension in the neck. The spine will be stretching due to the arms stretch.
4. Open hips.
If the hips are open while performing the asana, put the feet on parallel straight lines instead of putting them on one line.
Benefits
- Stretches the chest the shoulders and back;
- Tones the ankles and knees, heals the neck tension;
- Reduces subcutaneous deposits in the pelvic region;
- Opens the hip joints and prepares them for Padmasana (Lotus pose);
- Opens the chest.
Contraindications:
- Knee injuries;
- High blood pressure;
- Heart problems.
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose)
Instructions:
Put the feet wide apart (1.2-1.3 meters, depending on your height) and align them, turn the right foot outwards by 90 degrees and your left foot inward by 5 degrees. Keep the hips open, legs strong, tailbone tuck. Stretch your arms parallel to the floor above your feet. With an exhale, bend your right knee at 90 degrees keeping it above the heel, so that the shin is perpendicular and the thigh parallel to the floor. The feet should be firmly pressed to the floor, the toes are extended, the knee of the left leg is straight and taut, as in Tadasana. The torso should be perpendicular to the floor, the tailbone tuck, gaze at the right arm. Keep the pose for 5-7 breathing cycles, then repeat it for the left leg.
Common mistakes and how to correct them:
1. Straight leg position. The straight leg must remain straight and taut with the knee strong, as in Tadasana, and the turn of the hips in relation to each other is 90 degrees, as in Trikonasana. The pose will not do you any good, if the leg is bent and relaxed. Try to press the foot of the straight leg to the floor harder and focus on its extension.
2. Arms position. Arms should be on the same level and stretched in a direction from each other. As a rule, at the very beginning of practice, it may be hard to observe all the details of the posture, for instance, the arm that is above the extended leg can fall below. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the arms position more carefully, keeping attention in the back of the torso.
3. Torso leaning forward. The vertical position of the spine is crucial for this asana. Imagine that someone is pulling your arms back, and you will feel how the spine changes its position. Also, press the tailbone slightly inward, so that the waist does not bend.
4. Closed hips. In Virabhadrasana II, your pelvis should be open. To control it, or learn how to do the asana, you can, as in the previous positions, perform an exercise at the wall. Stand facing the wall, about 10 cm away, with the hips, shoulder blades and tops of the shoulders pressed against it. Do the asana in both directions and then repeat it without leaning on the wall.
5. Feet not aligned. Just like in Trikonasana, the feet in this pose must be aligned in order not to lose balance.
6. Bent knee falling inwards. The bent knee should be located clearly above the heel; knee falling inwards can be traumatic for the joint. Turn the bent knee backward, opening the hips.
Benefits:
- Makes the body strong and enduring;
- Strengthens the muscles of the legs and arms;
- Tones the knees and ankles;
- Opens the hips and chest;
- Strengthens the muscles of the back and abdomen;
- Trains coordination;
- Excellent for cardiovascular apparatus;
- Increases the lung volume due to the chest opening;
- Helps to lose weight in the hips area and relieves pain in the lower back;
- Increases strength and endurance;
- Makes neck and shoulders more flexible;
Contraindications:
- Knee injuries;
- High blood pressure;
- Heart problems;
- Exacerbation of arthritis or osteochondrosis.
Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III Pose)
Instructions:
Stand in Tadasana, exhale and reach your arms upward joining the hands, realease the shoulders freeing the neck. Lean on the right leg. With an exhale, make your torso parallel to the floor with your left leg going up in the air, align the arms, left leg and torso. The knee of the supporting leg must be strong and taut. Keep the pose for 3-5 breathing cycles, then repeat it for the left leg.
Common mistakes and how to correct them:
1. Bent legs and arms. If you can not do the asana with your limbs straight, then try to master its light variations. The simplest option is when you work only with your legs, and your hands rest under your shoulders on the floor or on the support blocks. In this position, you can intensively pull your legs and watch the hips close. The second option is when your hands rest on the hip of the supporting leg. The third option is when the foot of the leg which is parallel to the floor rests against the wall. The fourth option is when the arms are stretched along the body, reaching to the sides, or joined in ‘Namaste’ in front of the chest. Adjust the pose correctly to avoid skew in the hips and spine.
2. Neck flexion. When performing Virabhadrasana III your eyes gaze at the floor with your head between the shoulders, so the neck is free and aligned with the spine.
Benefits:
- Strengthens the arms and legs;
- Tones the knees and ankles;
- Opens the hips and the chest
- Improves coordination and balance;
- Tones the abdomen;
- Increases stamina and mobility;
- Revives the body and mind.
Contraindications:
- Knees injuries.
- High blood pressure.
- Heart problems.
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
Stand in Tadasana, extend the toes. Firm your leg muscles and lift the knee caps. Pull your shoulders back and down, stretch the spine upward. With an inhale, lift your arms from the sides joining them in an elbow lock, and with an exhale, bend forward and down from the hip joints. Relax the abdomen, back and neck. If the stretch is sufficiently intensive, stay in this position. If you want to deepen the pose, then untwist your hands and lower your fingertips to the floor under your shoulders. Stretch your back upwards and, with an exhale, lower your hands with palms touching the floor and fingers pointing forward. If you easily pressed your hands to the floor, move them to or behind the feet and continue stretching. The back should remain straight and the knees strong and tight. First, lower your stomach to the thighs, then the chest to your knees and then the forehead to the middle of the shins. Keep the asana for 5-7 breathing cycles.
Common mistakes and how to correct them:
1. Rounded back The bend in Uttanasana should be performed from the hip joints and with an entirely straight back. If the back is rounded when you bend down, then do a light version with the elbow lock. Also, if you do not reach the floor with your hands, rest them on yoga blocks.
2. Weak knees. Do not bend your knees when performing asana, make your legs strong.
3. Neck flexion. To avoid neck flexion, perform a light Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock) and press the top to the feet.
4. Bend with the help of hands. The bend in Uttanasana should be from the hip joints and with the stretch in the back of the legs. There exists such a variation of the asana in which it is allowed to pull the torso with the hands to the legs, while gripping the shins. But! Be very careful when performing this variation. If your abdomen area does not touch the hips in the bend, then we do not recommend pulling yourself too much forward with your hands, so as not to damage your lower back. A more harmonious and ‘humane’ variant of performing Uttanasana with the grip of the shins by the hands will be the following: bend the knees, press tightly the abdomen and chest to the hips and, keeping this contact, try to straighten the knees. You will feel an intensive stretch in the back of the legs, but at the same time the loin will be protected from hyperextension and trauma.
Benefits:
- Stretches the spine;
- Relives abdominal and menstrual pain;
- Stimulates the work of the kidneys, liver and spleen;
- Rehabilitates spinal nerves;
- Stretches the hips, calf muscles, the back of the thighs;
- Improves digestion;
- Eliminates depression;
- Calms the brain.
Contraindications:
- High and low blood pressure;
- Disturbance of blood supply to the head;
- Waist and knees injuries;
- Disturbance of cerebral blood supply;
- Pregnancy.
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Sides Angle Pose)
Stand in Virabhadrasana II with the right leg bent. With your thighs turned outwards, exhale, place the right hand on the floor at the inside of the right foot, extend your left arm over the head aligning it with the right, anchor the foot of the straight leg to the floor and open the pelvis and chest. Turn the palm, elbow and shoulder of the left arm to face toward your head and, with an exhale, lower the hand over the head so that the left foot is aligned with the fingertips of the left hand. Further turn your head to the left and gaze upwards from under your arm. Keep the pose for 5-7 breathing cycles, then repeat it for the left leg.
Common mistakes, and how to correct them:
1. Shoulder and hips not aligned. If your legs and hip joints are not flexible enough yet, the line from the heel to the fingertips will resemble an arc or a broken line rather than a straight line. To get the asana right, it is necessary to perform its light version. For example, the lower arm can be placed on a support block at the inside of the foot or you can bend the elbow and place the forearm on the thigh just above the knee joint.
2. Upper shoulder falling inwards closing the chest. To learn how to do this asana properly, try to perform it at the wall, pressing the shoulder blades and hips to it. This will eliminate the spine curvature.
3. Relaxed extended leg. Keep your extended leg straight, and the knee cap pulled up.
4. Bent knee forming a sharp angle with thigh and extending beyond the foot line. The angle between the shin and the thigh which is less than 90 degrees is traumatic for the knee; try to keep the shin perpendicular to the floor and do not let the knee go beyond the foot line.
Benefits:
- Tones the ankles, knees and hips;
- Liberates the chest;
- Beneficial for the digestive system;
- Corrects defects of calves and thighs;
- Reduces fat deposits in the waist and hips;
- Eliminates sciatica and arthritis.
Contraindications:
- Back problems;
- Diseases of internal organs at the stage of exacerbation;
- In case of neck injuries, do not turn your head up.
Parshvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch Pose)
Instructions:
Stand in Tadasana on the front edge of your mat. Make a wide (about 1 meter) step back with your left foot. Keep the hips closed, the feet pressed tightly to the floor, the toes stretched, the kneecaps tightened and the legs strong. Inhale and raise your arms from the sides, exhale and lean the torso forward and down over the thigh. Press your fingertips or hands to the floor on either side of the right foot. Inhale and look forward and up, stretch your back, pull in the shoulder blades and release your shoulders freeing your neck. With an exhale, lean the torso deeper down, first lowering the abdomen on the thigh, then the chest closer to the knee, and, finally, the forehead to the middle of the shin. Keeping your legs straight, knees tightened, and chest open, distribute the weight of your body between your hands and your left leg (the one behind). Shift the weight from the right foot and pull the right hip back, while pushing the left hip forward, thus squaring the pelvis even more. The neck remains relaxed and extended. Keep the pose for 5-7 breathing cycles, then repeat it for the left leg.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them:
1. Open hips. In Parshvottanasana, the pelvis must be squared. If your legs and hip joints are not flexible enough to close the hips when the feet are aligned, then it will be easier for you if you put your feet on parallel straight lines.
2. Rounded back and neck flexion. If you round your back and the shoulders squeeze your neck and chest, then support your hands on a pair of blocks or on the lower leg under the knee or on the thigh. This will allow you to do the pose correctly with no tension in the chest, spine and neck. The bend should go from the groins, not by rounding the back.
3. Weak knees. In order to protect the knee joints from inflexion and injuries, be sure to keep your legs strong by pulling your knee cups up.
Benefits:
- Calms the mind;
- Returns flexibility to the legs, hip joints, spine and wrists;
- Stimulates the spine;
- Effectively restores the blood supply to the feet;
- Strengthens the leg muscles;
- Tones the organs of the abdominal cavity;
- Therapeutic for arthritis;
- Eliminates stiffness in the neck, shoulders, elbows, hands;
- Eliminates stoop;
- Removes congestion in soleus muscles and hamstrings.
Contraindications:
- Injuries to the muscles of the hamstrings and lower back;
- Sciatic nerve inflammation.
Prasarita padottanasana (Wide-Legged Forward Bend) Step your feet apart, approximately at 1.3-1.4 meters, strengthen your legs like in Tadasana, anchor your feet to the floor and tuck the tailbone. Put your hands on your waist, pull your shoulders back, joining the shoulder blades, as if you wanted your elbows to touch. Keeping the legs strong, lean your torso forward parallel to the floor. Put your fingertips on the floor so that your hands are under the shoulder joints. Stretch forward with your head top, and, without rounding your back, completely lower your hands to the floor. Bend your elbows in the direction towards the hips and lower the head to the floor. If it seems too easy for you, put the feet a little closer to each other and repeat the bend. Keep the pose for 5-7 breathing cycles. Straighten your arms, bring your torso parallel to the floor. Put your hands on your waist and, with an inhale, tuck the tailbone and, lengthening your back, rise to the vertical position without bending your lower back. Bring the legs together.
Common mistakes, and how to correct them:
1. Rounded back. If you round the back when doing the asana, it is necessary to straighten your arms once again and stretch forward, and then return to bending with a straight back. It is also possible to support the head with a yoga block, chair or bolster to experience what a back and legs stretch, and rest your head and mind.
2. Bent knees. Knees must always be kept strong as in Tadasana, and thighs should be slightly turned inwards, this will help to rotate in the hip joints and get into a deeper bend.
3. Body weight on the head. When your head goes down to the floor, do not lean on it and do not carry the weight of the body to your head, so as not to hurt your neck, and do not lean forward. Keep your body weight on the heels.
Benefits:
- Stretches the back, inner side of the legs, hamstrings;
- Relaxes the lower back;
- Improves blood flow to the head;
- Strengthens hip joints;
- Improves the work of the digestive system;
- Gives courage, helps to fight depression;
- Stretches the inner side of the thigh, creates expansion inside the pelvis and abdomen, which is very useful for women's health;
- Eliminates fatigue caused by standing poses;
- Helps to cope with a headache.
Contraindications:
- Exacerbation of problems with the lower spine.
Garudasana (Eagle Pose)
Instructions:
Stand in Tadasana, bend your knees slightly, cross your right leg over the left so you can hold the left shin with right toes. Keep your back straight. Stretch your arms straight forward, bend them and cross the elbows so that the left one is above the right. Tangle your arms so that your palms join, the thumbs point toward your head. If the pose is easy for you, try to sit down slightly deeper, lowering the stomach to the hips. Keep the asana for 5-7 breathing cycles, and then repeat it, with arms and legs reversed.
Common mistakes and how to correct them:
1. Hips skew and back deflection. At first, it may be difficult to grasp all the movements of Garudasana. So try to learn how to build a pose step by step. First, work with your arms and observe the sensations in the back and the area between the shoulder blades. Then perform an asana for the legs. Not to skew the pelvis, lower the thigh of the upper leg, and try not to bend your back and keep it straight. If you lose balance before you have time to level the pelvis, try to hold the wall.
Benefits:
- Builds the ankles, strengthens the muscles of the legs;
- Relieves tension in the feet joints;
- Relaxes the shoulders;
- Relieves backaches;
- Teaches to manage stresses (by straining one group of muscles and at the same time relaxing the other);
- Helps with lumbosacral radiculitis, rheumatism of hands and feet;
- Develops balance;
- Prevents pelvic diseases;
- Removes cramps in the calf muscles;
- Helps to soar over vanity.
Contraindications:
- Knees, elbows or wrists injuries.
Remember, you can practice yoga anywhere and anytime! It is not necessary to wait for favorable circumstances, astrological secret signs, or to search for an ideal place in the forest and wait till 5 AM to perform Surya Namaskar in a blessed place in the early hours to the singing of forest birds and the first rays of the sun... Of course, it all matters, BUT the most important thing here is your motivation, understanding what yoga can give you if you practice regularly and how it will affect your life. It is quite likely that if you wait for the ideal yoga environment for a very long time, you will never live to see them, but life is here and now! Over time, you will find a good place for yourself, and choose a convenient time for practice. Start practicing now, and you will quickly see how the changes inside you change the reality and the world around you.
Have a great practice!
OM