Last month I added to my yoga practice as a way to help increase my leg strength and balance. My thought was to get comfortable with that yoga posture and then move onto Ardha Chandrasana (are-dah chan-DRAHS-anna) or Half Moon Pose. Well, I had the best intensions and actually did add that pose into my asana practice twice each week. But, as we all know, eight 3 minute practices of a pose, especially without a teacher to help with corrections and form does not lead to perfection. What I did gain was a progressive improvement in my balance as the month progressed and a strong appreciation for those who can get those hips leven in this pose. I’m going to continue practicing this posture every week but I’ll also add in Ardha Chandrasana since that was my original goal.
According to B.K.S. Iyengar regular practice of Ardha Chandrasana (are-dah chan-DRAHS-anna) enhances your span of concentration. It also improves coordination and motor reflexes. The intense stretch it gives to the spine strengthens the paraspinal muscles, keeping the spine supple and well-aligned.
Yoga Journal’s website gives this description on how to move into Ardha Chandrasana
- Perform Utthita Trikonasana (oo-TEE-tah trik-cone-AHS-anna) (Extended Triangle Pose) to the right side, with your left hand resting on the left hip. Inhale, bend your right knee, and slide your left foot about 6 to 12 inches forward along the floor. At the same time, reach your right hand forward, beyond the little-toe side of the right foot, at least 12 inches.
- Exhale, press your right hand and right heel firmly into the floor, and straighten your right leg, simultaneously lifting the left leg parallel (or a little above parallel) to the floor. Extend actively through the left heel to keep the raised leg strong. Be careful not to lock (and so hyperextend) the standing knee: make sure the kneecap is aligned straight forward and isn’t turned inward.
- Rotate your upper torso to the left, but keep the left hip moving slightly forward. Most beginners should keep the left hand on the left hip and the head in a neutral position, gazing forward.
- Bear the body’s weight mostly on the standing leg. Press the lower hand lightly to the floor (or block), using it to intelligently regulate your balance. Lift the inner ankle of the standing foot strongly upward, as if drawing energy from the floor into the standing groin. Press the sacrum and scapulas firmly against the back torso, and lengthen the coccyx toward the raised heel.
- Stay in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then lower the raised leg to the floor with an exhalation, and return to Trikonasana. Then perform the pose to the left for the same length of time
BSK Iyengar’s great book on basic yoga poses B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health
Great book for learning yoga postures Hatha Yoga Illustrated
It hit me today. I think I’m becoming a yoga junkie. If today’s decision making on my next week’s schedule is any indication – then I finally need to admit it – I’m addicted to yoga.
I’ve got to go onto Hilo (our “big town”) next week to sign some papers so I made the appointment so I could attend an hour yoga class in the morning before the meeting. But wait, there’s another class I could attend in the evening that’s 90 minutes so I switch everything around to fit that schedule. Perfect.
I’ve got to be at work in town two afternoons next week also. I decide since I’m in town I should attend yoga class. I decide which classes to attend and then schedule my work around those classes. Perfect.
There are two charity yoga events next week that I could attend. I like being able to show how I appreciate how much yoga has given me by giving back in the name of yoga to someone in need. I’ll attend the all-day charity event on Sunday – 5 hours of yoga. Perfect and maybe I’ll go to the other one also…….
Saturday is my usual restorative yoga class down by the ocean. I love that class. Won’t miss that one.
My husband mentioned that there is a yoga class in our community this week. Oh- I’m excited about that. I’ve been trying to find a local place to do some yoga closer to home. I’ll definitely be there.
Just got an email from a friend who’s going to be teaching Iyengar yoga, my kind of yoga, twice a week for the next month. I definitely need to attend to support her.
So right now I’m thinking of my husband’s trip to the mainland next month. We’ve got to book those tickets this weekend. If he flies out of Kona (2 hours away) and I bring and pick him up from the airport I can attend classes at Big Island yoga Center in Captain Cook. I’ll have to look at their schedule and see what’s going on and then try and convince him to fly out and in on certain days so I can attend………………….
OK, now what about the week after next.
During May I began my personal focus on the yamas by starting with the first yama, ahimsa, which is concerned with nonviolence, or, in other words love. This month I will put my attention on the second yama, satya, which concerns truthfulness.
I tend to look at this yama, truthfulness from two different angles. The first is from the perspective of concrete actions and words. I think most of us, and myself included, are usually pretty truthful in general. What we may fall into is habits of embellishments, minimization, omission, rationalization, exaggeration and so on. But by giving considerable attention to speaking and living the truth we can little by little drop these old habits. Again, as I did with ahimsa last month, I will try and bring in thoughts of satya into my thoughts first thing when I wake up and into my daily yoga asana practice. At the very end of practice after the namaste I like to sit and live for a minute in the wonderful calmness I am feeling. Just before standing I like to bring into my mind the thought of gratitude and now I will add the thought of satya also.
The other way I look at practicing truthfulness is from the perspective of being true to yourself. I think I am being true to myself but down deep I know there are traits, thoughts, ideas and desires that I suppress probably out of fear. I need to let go and treat myself honestly. I need to let go and share myself honestly with those around me. I image that truly opening yourself up can be hard but can also give moments of startling freedom, a freedom from that constraining bit of falseness we have wrapped our true self in.
“Ultimately our truth becomes all there is. Truth becomes our essence and our reality, our deepest desire and the air we breathe.”1
1.Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga
I’ve been thinking about what new yoga pose I wanted to focus on and add to my practice this month and I must admit my ego was saying handstand or scorpion. Those are hard inversion poses that take strength, balance and concentration – and I’m thinking to myself that it would be pretty cool to be able to do them. However, the truth of the matter is that after 10 months of practicing yoga, and in particular Iyengar Yoga which emphasizes performing each yoga asana correctly, I have a lot of other postures that are more important to focus on at this time. I know my weakness lies in my flexibility and at times my balance so these are the areas where I should put extra focus on.
With that said I decide my new yoga pose for June would be Virabhadrasana 3 (veer-ah-bah-DRAHS-anna) or Warrior 3. Warrior 3 develops the strength and shape of the legs and abdomen; it also gives you agility, poise, better concentration and improved balance.While the pose will challenge me, I will still be able to concentrate on my breathing and the mind-body connection.
I have been doing Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior pose 1) and Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior pose 2) consistently in my home yoga practices for the past 6 months and have become adept at both. I still have a ways to go before each is Iyengar perfect but that will take some time since my lack of the precise alignment is partially due to some real tight muscles. Warrior 3 is a natural addition to the sequence I already do and my goal is to move onto a wonderfully balanced and perfectly aligned Ardha Chandrasana (are-dah chan-DRAHS-anna) or half moon pose and Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (revolved half moon pose).
These are the instructions I will be following to get into Warrior pose 3:
- Assume Warrior 1, then lean forward slightly, slowly straightening front legs as the back leg is lifted.
- Extend arms in front with palms together looking towards the floor (or towards your hands). Work towards bringing arms and lifted leg perpendicular to the floor
For complete instructions on how to do Virabhadrasana 3 click this link to Yoga Journals step by step guide.
A great sequence that includes all the Warrior poses is:
1. Tadasana
2. Virabhadrasana 1
3. Virabhadrasana 3
4. Virabhadrasana 2
5. Trikonasana
6. Back to Tadasana
Sources:
Great Book Hatha Yoga Illustrated
Great Book Yoga: The Iyengar Way
Book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga Illustrated, 4th Edition
Yoga is the practice of celebrating what is. Rolf Gates
Book by Rolf Gates Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga
