Parsva bakasana (aka, parsva kakasana) is not one of those “out of the box” poses—meaning, you don’t usually stick this arm balance on your very first try. Although there are plenty of exceptions to that statement (such as men with excellent upper body strength), us mere mortals will need a few things in place before […]
Asana tip sheet #36: Pincha Mayurasana
Pincha Mayurasana (“feather of the peacock” pose) is named for the lift of a peacock’s tail feathers before they spread open. Hold this image in your mind as you play with this pose to help you embody this beautiful creature and increase your success with this arm-balance inversion. This stunning Indian native with its iridescent […]
Asana Tip Sheet #35: Setu bandhasana
I learned setu bandhasana in my very first yoga class EVER. It was a revelation to me back then to think of my spine as a string of pearls lifting one by one as I pressed my feet into the mat. My spine was badly compressed at that point from various childhood injuries so I […]
Need an awesome supine sequence to complete your practice?
On Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to a ridiculously early conditioning class that’s been running for about 30 years. It’s so popular that I have to leave my house at 5am to get a spot in class. By the time I set up my weights and other workout paraphernalia, I still have about 35 minutes […]
Asana tip sheet #33 – Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Crazy posture! That’s what Guruji (Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the father of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga) called parivrtta parsvakonasana. He had put parivrtta parsvakonasana into the Ashtanga standing poses in the late 80s because his Maui students loved it. So why DID Guruji call parivrtta parsvakonasana “crazy pose”? I’m guessing here, but this is a pose that […]
