Sphinx Pose : Yin Style
If you are like many practitioners or students of yoga, the idea of practicing backbends frays your edges. The idea of holding a backbend has likely never entered your mind. BUT back-bending is important for the health of the spine. We are as young as our spine is flexible. Sitting for hours at a desk in an office chair, pouring our energy into our computer screen, socially connecting via text message or snuggling into the recliner at the end of the day leaves our spine depleted of healthy movement. Here is a pose to counter our daily spinal abuse: sphinx pose, Yin style.
1. lay on down on your belly (yes! we all love to lay down)
2. put the tops of your feet on the floor, toenail side down
3. bring your elbows directly under your shoulders, propping your upper body up on the
elbows
4. your hands can rest, palms down, in front of you or you may bring your hands together
into prayer position (keep elbows below the shoulders)
5. breath deeply and relax, eventually bringing your lower ribs closer to the earth.
6. you will likely feel some compression in the lower back - this is normal. Breathe through
this sensation as it begins to dissipate. Hold this pose for 3-5 minutes.
7. Modifications:
A. less intensity: bring the elbows forward a bit
B. more intensity: elevate the elbows by placing them on a pillow or bolster
C. more intensity - 2: with the elbows on the floor and a wall behind you, bend the knees
and place the shins against the wall
D. WOW - your back is doing swell!: combine B and C
Happy back-bending!
TRIANGLE
Triangle pose relieves stress as it strengthens and stretches various parts of the body including the thighs, hamstrings, calves, ankles, chest, shoulders and hips. Triangle pose is an ideal pose for the entire body.
Triangle pose sends energy through all of the limbs in all directions. We move into triangle from the pelvis – energy moves from the pelvis down into the legs, which strengthens our roots (apana). Energy also moves from the pelvis up through the torso to the crown of the head (prana). As in tadasana we root down through the core and legs in triangle in order to rise through the crown of the head.
At the heart center, energy extends through each arm and out of the fingertips, grounding through the bottom fingertips while rising up through the top fingers. In this way, triangle opens the chest, opens the heart.
Imagine this energetic flow enlivening the pose. While inhaling open the chest, open the heart and extend the fingertips away from each other. While exhaling ground into the legs while holding the expansion of the inhale.
You are limitless. You are boundless. You are infinite.
Practicing Triangle:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Begin in Tadasana.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->Open the feet wide, spreading the arms shoulder height out to your sides. The ankles should be close to under the wrist for a wide stance.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Feet should be parallel, toes pointing forward.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->Pick the right heel up and turn it in toward the center line of the body. Pick up the right toes and turn them out. The left foot remains in its original position.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->With the arms still lifted, look over the right middle fingers.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->Release the shoulders away from the ears – relax, it is only yoga J
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7. <!--[endif]-->Tuck the tailbone slightly to feel a firming or toning of the belly.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8. <!--[endif]-->Exhaling, simply tilt the right hand down towards the right leg. The left hand will raise towards the sky. The palm faces the same direction as the chest.
NOTE: it is not important that the right hand comes all of the way to the floor. Let the hand rest above or below the knee, keeping the chest open. You will know if you’ve gone too far if the chest turns towards the earth.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9. <!--[endif]-->Inhaling, reach the fingertips away from each other, feeling the crown of the head reaching forward.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->10. <!--[endif]-->Exhaling, feel the belly tone and the legs strengthen into the earth.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->11. <!--[endif]-->Feel free to turn the head to face the right foot, keep a neutral gaze or look up to the right thumb.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->12. <!--[endif]-->Be here for several breaths before inhaling to come up, switching to the other side.
Tadasana
In this pose we root to rise by grounding the four corners of the feet into the earth while extending the crown of the head into the sky. As a mountain stands firm in stillness and integrity, we stand tall, deeply connecting to our Being. As a mountain peak soars into the clouds, we realize our potential.
From Tadasana we begin every other pose. It is the basic foundation of our practice. It is in Tadasana that we can begin to align the body and the mind, creating intention for our practice. We can ask ourselves where there is misalignment in our posture and in our lives, working to create greater awareness and alignment. Tadasana offers the opportunity to move from a firm foundation and into our true potential.
Taken off of the mat, Tadasana is how we hold ourselves in the grocery line, while washing the dishes or while chatting with a friend. It is the essential beginning. It is how we stand in our Truth.
Define your dream in Tadasana. Stand firm and root yourself into this dream. Then create a burning desire to realize it as your soar into the clouds.
Practicing Tadasana
Stand at the front of your mat. Center yourself by being attentive to your breath. Begin to focus inwardly, preparing for the pose.
- Begin with the feet hips width apart, arms at the sides.
- Working the right foot first, transfer weight onto the left foot, and gently lift the right heel, pressing the right big toe mound into the mat.
- Lifting the toes of the right foot, begin grounding the inner heel into the mat while the outer edge of the right foot is still lifting.
- Working diagonally across the foot, ground the pinky mound into the mat.
- Lastly, ground the outer heel into the mat. Keeping the toes spread and lightly touching the mat.
- The four corners of the right foot are now rooted. Repeat steps 2-5 on the left.
- Distribute your weight evenly through the feet – heels to balls of the feet and inner to outer edges of the feet.
- Activate the legs by activating the feet. Pull up on the toes and the quads will lift. Keep them lifted with the toes still spread and lightly touching the mat. When the knees lift, the tops of the thigh bones will be better able to move back. This action is key to make the pose therapeutic for your lower back.
- Activate the core by tucking the tailbone forward slightly, while pulling the sides of your waistline back.
- Lift the shoulders towards the ears until the tops of the shoulders are in line with where the neck meets the trapezious. This will help you breathe better and help you feel lighter in your body. It also helps to ease neck tension and create a softening in the throat.
- Bring the head of the shoulders back and feel a steady contraction between the shoulder blades. The chest is now open and you can feel the dignity of the pose, confident with both a sense of calm determination and an openness to wisdom.
- Bring the chin down a little until you can feel the base of the skull lift. This literally lengthens your spine. Then press the base of your skull back an increment and notice how your eyes can soften, the base of your sternum can lift and you breathe with a feeling of self honoring.
- Now focus on a still point in front of you. This is called ‘Drishti’ and it helps to calm the mind. The yogi’s understood how wandering eyes lead to a wondering mind. Keep the mind still and you will know who you are.
- Feel the balance between effort and surrender in your pose. Feel the strength of your legs wrapping the skin and muscles onto the bones while your bones root through the floor. Energy rebounds from the earth and rises into the pelvic core. The effort of the pose contributes to the freedom of the pose. The shoulder blades firm on your back as the chest lifts and swells with the joy of each breath.
- Enjoy your breath and deepen your pose by applying these same principles to every other pose that you do while returning to Tadasana regularly.
- Return to it on and off the mat.
