DAILY You may wish to begin by sitting upright in Baddha Konasana, with knees bent, soles of feet pressing together, close to groin. If there are knee issues, and or hips are tight and knees are in the air, place blocks under outside of knees for support. The ‘Supta’ or sleeping part of this asana is to lie back while keeping soles of feet together, and knees supported ~if necessary. If you have lumbar or sacral issues, keep spine supine on the mat, otherwise this is wonderful with the chest opened and lifted by placing a block, rolled blanket, or bolster under thoracic spine. Don’t tuck the sacrum For deep restoration, sit up and place a belt around lower back/hips, bring it over the thighs, and loop around, under, and outside of feet. Pull the belt tight once in place. Lie back with eyes soft, breath long. Use a kumbaka breath if you want to create more internal space. This pranayama has a short kumbak, or hold, at the end of each exhale and inhale, bringing consciousness and stillness to the breathing process. By lifting arms overhead on to the floor, you can expand and elongate the abdomen, taking pressure off the pelvic floor. This is helpful for incontinence. The pose also awakens prana/energy in chest area, relaxes reproductive organs in women, softens stiffness during menopause or PMS, and alleviates fluid retention because legs and lower body are stimulated. My favorite ‘mudra’ or hand placement is to put left palm on the heart, and right palm on the belly, connecting emotion and heart energetically. This feels like a mudra of listening, waiting for the the intuitive body to expand. I have experienced it as very healing, supporting me through many a dark night. Try it. You’ll like it.
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Baddha Konasana
Cobbler’s Pose Asana: Baddha Konasana/Cobbler’s Pose. Sit on the floor, drawing the feet closely into the groin, soles together, knees on, or toward floor. Lengthen spine, and gaze ahead, or close eyes. Hands can rest on knees, or come into any mudra desired. You can also lengthen spine up and over legs, and restore while stretching spine. Health Notes: This is a calming, restorative pose, wonderful for and before meditation, and Pranayama. It is also beneficial for relieving sciatica, and urinary disorders, as blood is stimulated to flow easily to kidneys, bladder, ovaries, and prostate. It helps prevent hernia, assists when there is irregular menses, and eases pain of childbirth, if practiced regularly beforehand. It also helps prevent varicose veins in a pregnancy.
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Happy Baby Asana: Ananda Balasana/Happy Baby. As you lie there, staring at the sky, feet and knees pulled back, tail bone pressing into the earth. Rock side to side and consider the Universe in which you find yourself . Let awareness flood the body for all that you are learning, all that you have to be happy about, all that lies ahead, all you have already become. Bow to the mother who agreed to connect her soul to yours. Bow to the soul within. Health Notes: Lengthens spine, opens groins, and when smiling, beckons contentment and gratitude, creating the healthiest bodies.
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Crossbow Balance Asana: A great pose of strong polarity where we are tethered to earth, yet lift off and ‘fly high’ through the power of holding the center. You can come at this from Utkatasana, (or tripod headstand.) The easier is from Utkatasana: Feet together, extend arms up, bend knees, lift Bandhas, lengthen back, drop tailbone. Now, lift R shin across L thigh, R knee opens to the side, flex R foot. You are in ‘Number 4.’ Reach both arms forward until hands are on the floor, elbows parallel. Bring the R shin across back of both elbows, (R toes pointing same direction as hands). Release your weight into the arms and begin to extend and lift L leg back. If this is too much, keep L leg bent and close to torso. Release, by bringing feet to floor, or jump back into Chaturanga, or slowly tilt forward into Tripod Headstand, and lift both legs up. Yogi’s choice. Health Notes This pose is good for abdominal muscles, and it massages internal organs. It strengthens wrists, arms and neck, and as always, being up side down, or sideways, is an opportunity to change a POV.
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Head to Knee Pose Begin seated and draw the R foot in as high on inner L thigh as possible. If R hip is unhappy with this, place a pillow or block under R knee. You can also sit on a blanket or pillow to lift sitts bones, offering more mobility. Inhale, extending spine up, exhale release forward from the groins, keeping L leg parallel. Place hands on side of L leg or foot, or add more of a twist to pose and reach R hand over to outside of L foot, but don’t collapse the back to do this. Maintain spine as straight and long as possible. When done, repeat on other side…contemplate your breath. Health Notes: This is a lovely stretch for spine, hamstrings, and hip. It stimulates kidneys and liver, therefore improving digestion, and helps with menstrual discomfort. It quiets the mind, helping with insomnia, depression, fatigue, anxiety, and headaches. If done regularly, helps high blood pressure.
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Reclining Hero Pose Asana Supta Virasana-Reclining Hero Pose. This is not a pose for the stiff kneed, bad back, or faint of heart. There’s a reason it’s named a hero. Begin on your knees, allowing hips to settle down between the feet. This is Virasana Pose. Keep knees as parallel and close to each other as you can, with feet turned over– top of feet on floor. From here, lower back toward the floor behind you, leaning on hands, then forearms. If this is your first time out, ask a friend to support your back or place a block under the spine. Slowly release lower back and buttocks and stretch spine out on block or floor. Keep ribs soft, not extended up, and lengthen lower back by pulling belly in for support, this also helps thighbones to soften more deeply into the hip sockets. Breathe deeply from the belly, stay as long as possible. Return to upright position by pressing forearms against floor, and slowly lifting into Virasana. Don’t lead with your head. * This pose can also be used restoratively with the use of bolsters and blankets. Place the bolster, or two, lengthwise-behind the hips so that when you lie back the spine is totally supported and comfortable. A rolled blanket can be placed behind the head if needed. It is important that the body be totally at ease, willing to open and relax. Lengthen the breath, and make the exhale 3 counts longer than the inhale. Health Notes: Thighs, knees, ankles, abdomen, and hip flexors are extremely stretched. One is totally open and very vulnerable in this pose. Because of that vulnerability, be very careful the ego does not push too hard or fast for accomplishment. It can be helpful for asthma, and respiration, digestion and intestinal issues, high… Read more »
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Fire Log Pose This is a pose easy for those with open hips. It’s a killer accomplishment for those without. It’s a simple pose of sitting and breathing your desire to become more hip-open, and it’s helpful if you can sit on padding. Sit tall, bringing L foot under R thigh, outside hip line. Stack R leg on top of L, leaving R ankle outside L knee, (sole perpendicular to floor) with L heel beside R hip. Ergo the fire log look of the pose, an open cross-legged stack. Depending on hip flexibility, move legs forward, away from hips, maintaining their stack. You can forward fold on exhale, but don’t drop into the belly. Lengthen lower back and belly up and out in seated stretches. <strong>Health Notes:</strong> This is primarily a hip and groin opener, but it can lead to a stronger back if you sit for longer periods. It can be helpful for Sciatica, and spine, insomnia and stress, unless you are stressed by not being able to sit in the pose, then give it up and find another, happier way in to opening your hips until the day comes –you conquer, and honor this acomplishment. <strong>HIP PRIMER</strong>: (All of the following poses, with full directions, some with drawings, can be found under YOGA, then hit POSES, then Stretches, on the website.) When hips are tight, tackle this pose in tiny bites by conquering other hip openers first. Start by sitting simply with legs crossed in <strong><em>Sukhasana</em>, Sweet or Easy Pose,</strong> or with soles of feet together pulled in toward groin, <strong><em><a title=”Baddha Konasana” href=”https://dailybreathjournal.com/2010/01/baddha-konasanacobblers-pose/” target=”_self”>Baddha Konasana</a></em></strong><a title=”Baddha Konasana” href=”https://dailybreathjournal.com/2010/01/baddha-konasanacobblers-pose/” target=”_self”>. </a><strong><em>Janu Sirsana</em>na</strong> is another good hip primer, or lie on back to ‘<strong>thread the needle’</strong>. Placing L foot over R knee, pulling R knee back toward chest. Then there is… Read more »
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Asana: Goddess Pose. Standing with legs wide, feet open out, take a breath and as you exhale, descend, bending knees, open thighs back, keeping knees over feet. Drop tailbone down, lift belly up and stay in pose for 10 breaths. You can do Pranayama/breath work here, and form beautiful mudras within which to contemplate life. Health Notes: Legs, particularly thighs are strengthened, Standing in Goddess for longer and longer periods of time creates stamina, patience, and the will to endure.
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