Tadasana - Mountain Pose

by Yoga Journal



Stand with the bases of your big toes touching, heels slightly apart (so that your second toes are parallel). Lift and spread your toes and the balls of your feet, then lay them softly down on the floor. Rock back and forth and side to side. Gradually reduce this swaying to a standstill, with your weight balanced evenly on the feet.

Firm your thigh muscles and lift the knee caps, without hardening your lower belly. Lift the inner ankles to strengthen the inner arches, then imagine a line of energy all the way up along your inner thighs to your groins, and from there through the core of your torso, neck, and head, and out through the crown of your head. Turn the upper thighs slightly inward. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and lift the pubis toward the navel.

Press your shoulder blades into your back, then widen them across and release them down your back. Without pushing your lower front ribs forward, lift the top of your sternum straight toward the ceiling. Widen your collarbones. Hang your arms beside the torso.

Balance the crown of your head directly over the center of your pelvis, with the underside of your chin parallel to the floor, throat soft, and the tongue wide and flat on the floor of your mouth. Soften your eyes.

Tadasana is usually the starting position for all the standing poses. But it's useful to practice Tadasana as a pose in itself. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing easily.

A new look for your eyes

By Jeanne Ricci

Often the first part of the body to show signs of aging, the skin around the eyes has few sebaceous glands to produce oil and keep the skin supple. But with a little Ayurvedic knowledge, you can fend off some unsightly problems.

Dark circles. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that poor eating habits are reflected in the face, especially in the undereye area. Mary Jo Cravatta, an Ayurvedic practitioner in San Rafael, California, says eating too quickly, consuming a lot of caffeine and cold drinks, and skipping breakfast can stress the digestive system, making it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients. Dark circles can also be caused by anemia and lack of sleep, says Monisha Bharadwaj, author of Beauty Secrets of India (Ulysses Press, 2000).

Internal solution: Consume warm foods and beverages, and eat at least one tablespoon of ghee or olive oil every day to aid digestion, Cravatta says. Eating, exercising, and going to sleep at the same time each day will help regulate bodily functions and improve general health. Cravatta also recommends sleeping or meditating with a hot-water bottle on the abdomen to soothe the digestive organs.

External solution: Bharadwaj recommends putting slices of raw potatoes or apples on the area for 15 minutes every other day. She says the starch in potatoes and the potassium, B and C vitamins, and tannin in apples all help fade dark circles.

Puffiness. "Puffiness around the eyes occurs when the process of digestion is disturbed," Cravatta says. If you regularly eat in front of the television or computer, chances are that you aren't chewing and digesting food properly. Puffiness can also be caused by allergies, fluid retention, and the accumulation of overly emollient night creams, Bharadwaj says.

Internal solution: Chew your food thoroughly. To reduce fluid retention, limit your salt intake. Bharadwaj also recommends drinking a glass of hot water in the morning to kick-start the kidneys and draw retained water from the tissues.

External solution: Stimulate the tissues around your eyes with this self-massage recommended by Cravatta: With your ring finger, apply light pressure on the inside corner of your eye socket. Move your finger in a circular motion up to the area below the brow, then around and down below the eye, staying on the bone of the eye socket. Make five rotations.

Crow's feet. Squinting, dry skin, and sun damage can cause the fine lines at the corners of the eyes known as crow's feet.

Internal solution: Avoid excessive alcohol consumption, which is dehydrating.

External solution: Wear sunglasses to avoid squinting and to protect the delicate skin around the eyes from harmful UV and UVA rays. Also, you can try dabbing almond oil gently on the skin at the corners of your eyes.

Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch)

By Richard Freeman



Stand with your feet about one leg-length apart. Turn the right foot out 90 degrees and the back foot in 20 to 60 degrees. The back foot should be angled just enough to maintain all three of its arches (the transverse, inner, and outer arches) and to allow for the rotation and counter-rotation required to milk the internal essence of the posture. Line up the heel of your front foot with the heel of your back foot. Square your hips in the direction of your leading foot, and tone the thigh muscles of the back leg. Next, press the palms together in Prayer Position behind the heart. To do this, roll the shoulders completely forward, crawl the hands up the lower thoracic spine with the palms turned out, and then roll the shoulders back to bring the palms together. Now inhale, toning both legs and body as if preparing for a backbend. Exhaling, fold forward, stretching the chin out over the spreading toes of the right foot. Gradually work the chin toward the shin without straining or compressing the upper portion of the neck at the base of the skull.

Notice the two intertwined rotations, or spirals, in the front leg in Parsvottanasana: the primary spiral, which you have to do to get into the pose, and the counterspiral, which you add in order to balance the pose and bring your awareness inside. The counterspiral doesn’t destroy the primary spiral; it wraps around it. Once both are set, you squeeze them into each other. The primary spiral is the external spin at the head of the femur, which takes the outer edge of the hip joint back; the counterspiral is the internal spin that grounds through the inner edge of the foot and the root of the big toe.

Next, draw the kneecaps up while micro-bending the legs to keep the hamstrings toned. This action draws the pubic bone back while simultaneously keeping the coccyx curling down into the perineum. This switches on the pelvic floor, which almost feels as if it were humming, giving you more refined control over your joints and creating integration and harmony throughout your body.

When the hip joint of the leading leg is fully drawn back, you’ll use your abdominal muscles (the external obliques and rectus abdominis) to create the final, crowning action: Twist the kidney area on the left side down and around toward the inner knee of your right leg. At the same time, apply an external rotation in the back leg as a complement to its primary inward spiral. Doing this will activate the pelvic floor while you release the palate. Refine the posture for at least five breaths. Inhale to come out. Pause for a breath or two before you do the pose on the left side with the same care as on the right.

Head to knee forward bend (Janu Sirsasana)

by Yoga Journal

1. Sit on the floor with your buttocks lifted on a folded blanket and your legs straight in front of you. Inhale, bend your right knee, and draw the heel back toward your perineum. Rest your right foot sole lightly against your inner left thigh, and lay the outer right leg on the floor, with the shin at a right angle to the left leg (if your right knee doesn't rest comfortably on the floor, support it with a folded blanket).

2. Press your right hand against the inner right groin, where the thigh joins the pelvis, and your left hand on the floor beside the hip. Exhale and turn the torso slightly to the left, lifting the torso as you push down on and ground the inner right thigh. Line up your navel with the middle of the left thigh. You can just stay here, using a strap to help you lengthen the spine evenly, grounding through the sitting bones.

3. Or, when you are ready, you can drop the strap and reach out with your right hand to take the inner left foot, thumb on the sole. Inhale and lift the front torso, pressing the top of the left thigh into the floor and extending actively through the left heel. Use the pressure of the left hand on the floor to increase the twist to the left. Then reach your left hand to the outside of the foot. With the arms fully extended, lengthen the front torso from the pubis to the top of the sternum.

4. Exhale and extend forward from the groins, not the hips. Be sure not to pull yourself forcefully into the forward bend, hunching the back and shortening the front torso. As you descend, bend your elbows out to the sides and lift them away from the floor.

5. Lengthen forward into a comfortable stretch. The lower belly should touch the thighs first, the head last. Stay in the pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Come up with an inhalation and repeat the instructions with the legs reversed for the same length of time.

Savasana

By Andrea Ferretti, sequence by Sarah Powers

Come into Corpse Pose with your palms facing up or with your hands resting on your abdomen. Place the legs wider than the hips and relax your buttocks, legs, and feet. Invite ease in your mind and body, making this the most nourishing posture of all.

Full forward bend

By Andrea Ferretti, sequence by Sarah Powers

Gently bring your legs back together. Bend forward at the hips, curving your spine into a forward bend. If you have sciatica or if your hips tilt backward, eliminate this pose and lie on the floor with your legs up the wall.

Dragonfly

By Andrea Ferretti, sequence by Sarah Powers

Bring your legs into a straddle, exhale, and bend forward from the hips. Place your hands on the floor in front of you, or rest on your elbows or on a support like a bolster or folded blanket. If it feels natural, come all the way down onto your belly. If your knees are unstable, back off the pose and engage the quadriceps from time to time. Attempt to hold this pose for 5 minutes or more.

Half Dragonfly

By Andrea Ferretti, sequence by Sarah Powers

Sit on a blanket or cushion with your right leg outstretched and the sole of your left foot pressing into your inner right thigh. Move your left knee back a few inches. If the knee does not rest on the floor, place a cushion under it. As you exhale, bend your spine over your right leg, placing your hands on either side of it. Do both sides before moving on.

Child Pose

By Andrea Ferretti, sequence by Sarah Powers

When it feels appropriate to move again, place your hands under your chest, and on an inhalation, lift your upper body away from the floor. As you exhale, bend your knees and draw your hips back toward your feet in Child’s Pose.

Seal

By Andrea Ferretti, sequence by Sarah Powers

This pose is similar to Sphinx but creates more of an arch in the lower back. Begin on your belly, propped up on your hands with your arms straight. Place your hands about 4 inches in front of the shoulders. Turn the hands out slightly, like seal flippers. Distribute your weight evenly across your hands to avoid stressing your wrists. If it’s tolerable, relax the muscles in the buttocks and legs. If not, contract them from time to time to relieve the intense sensations. Your ability to remain muscularly soft may take a few months of practice. Be patient, but do not endure sharp or electrical sensations. Stay for 3 to 5 minutes. On an exhalation, lower yourself down slowly. Remain still and breathe into the whole spine as you rest.

Sphinx

By Andrea Ferretti, sequence by Sarah Powers

Lie on your belly with your legs outstretched. Place your elbows on the floor shoulder distance apart and about an inch or so ahead of the shoulder line. Place your hands straight forward or hold on to your elbows. Rest here without slumping into your shoulders or lifting them up. Let your belly and organs drape toward the floor as you relax your buttocks and legs. If your back feels sensitive, engage your outer buttocks and inner legs all or part of the time to lessen the strong sensations.

Saddle

By Andrea Ferretti, sequence by Sarah Powers

Sit on your shins and lean back on your hands. (If this is already too much for your knees, skip this pose.) Lower yourself slowly onto your back, keeping your lower back in an exaggerated arch. If your quadriceps feel strained, rest your shoulders and head on top of a bolster or a folded blanket. Otherwise, come down onto your elbows or upper back, allowing your knees to spread apart if you need to. If there is too much pressure on your ankles, place a folded towel or blanket underneath them. To come up, place your hands where your elbows were. Engage your abdominal muscles and inhale as you lift yourself up.

Butterfly Pose

By Andrea Ferretti, sequence by Sarah Powers

Sit on a blanket or cushion. With your weight on the front edge of your sitting bones, bend your knees, press the soles of your feet together, and let your legs drop out like butterfly wings. Take your heels at least a foot away from your hips. With your hands on your ankles, bend forward from the hips to your appropriate edge, then relax your upper spine and let it round. Rest your head in the arches of the feet, on top of the stacked fists, or cupped in the hands while the elbows rest on the feet. If you can, stay for 3 to 5 minutes in all of the poses in this sequence. Inhale as you come up, then stretch your legs forward and lean back on your hands. Pause for a few moments in a neutral position after each pose.

Neat Feat

By Julie Gudmestad

Question: What do you have when one or both feet are off the ground? Answer: A balance pose. And what happens to the foot (or feet) when relieved of the primary duty of bearing weight? No longer needed to form the foundation, the nonweight-bearing foot is, sadly, often forgotten as the practitioner focuses on balancing. A forgotten foot loses its vitality, becoming a limp appendage instead of forming the icing on the cake of a beautiful, strong pose.

Yoga, of course, presents us with a wide variety of balance poses, whether they are arm or standing balances, which help keep our centering and balancing reflexes sharp. (Note: If both arms are on the floor, it's an inversion or arm balance. If one foot is on the floor, it's a standing balance. If one foot and one hand are on the floor, it could be either. For example, Vasisthasana [Side Plank Pose] is an arm balance, while Ardha Chandrasana [Half Moon Pose] is a standing balance.) In any case, the more challenging the pose, the more likely the student's attention will be totally focused on balancing, with no attention to spare for the details of alignment. Therefore, teachers are wise to start early balance pose work with the easier poses, such as Ardha Chandrasana, rather than the very challenging arm balances. Then bring awareness of the NWB (nonweight-bearing) foot into the pose as soon as the student can balance for more than a few seconds.

Get the Feel

There are several tools teachers can use to train students to bring vitality into their feet. Since you know that students can't see their feet in most balances (Sarvangasana, or Shoulderstand, and the feet-forward arm balances are among the few exceptions), it's helpful to have them practice good, balanced foot alignment in a position that allows them to see their feet. This will link the kinesthetic knowledge (learning by feel) with the visual (what the proper alignment looks like).

One good way to do this is to start by sitting, either in a chair or on the floor, with one or both feet stretched out in front. Point the toes strongly, and notice that the calf and Achilles tendon (which joins the big calf muscles to the heelbone) are short and compressed, while the front of the ankle is stretched. Now reverse the action, pushing out on the heel and pulling the toes back, and note that the Achilles and calf are lengthened and stretched, while the muscles and tendons on the front of the ankle and shin are shortened and contracted. In a well-balanced foot, neither the front nor the back of the ankle should feel compressed or stretched. Rather than going to one extreme or the other, the middle position is optimal. Imagine that you're pressing out evenly into all four corners of the foot, which are the bases of the big and little toes (anatomically the first and fifth metatarsal heads) and the inner and outer heel.

This exercise is wonderful for teaching balance between the heel and ball of the foot, and it should be practiced more than once to cement the kinesthetic knowledge. However, the pronation/supination balance may need a little more attention, as it's the harder piece for most students to learn.

Learned Activity

While standing, your foot supinates when the medial (inner) foot, including the arch, lifts up, and the lateral (outer) foot is heavy. Pronation is just the opposite, with the arch dropping and the lateral foot lifting. A normal NWB foot tends to supinate when relaxed, so students need to learn to actively pronate their feet in balance poses. While they are sitting, looking at their feet, ask them to press out the base of the big toe and inner heel so the big and little toes are the same distance away from the hip. The main muscle that counters the natural supination of the NWB foot is the peroneus longus, which originates on the fibula (next to the tibia, or shinbone, on the outer calf) and sends a long tendon across the outer ankle and under the sole of the foot to attach to the medial arch. One of its attachments there is on the first metatarsal base (opposite the metatarsal head), so it has the power to press the metatarsal head down into the floor while standing. Trying this while sitting will give students a feel for what their bones and muscles can accomplish in standing poses. After spending most of their time wearing shoes, many students need reminders and frequent practice to learn how to engage the peroneus longus.

Integrate Your Awareness

After devoting undivided attention to the balance and alignment of the feet, it's time to integrate that awareness into balance poses. Try this yourself: When you're balanced and stable in your pose, visualize and feel that you're sending energy out through your leg to the four corners of each foot, and then out beyond each corner. Your leg strength will help you balance as you press out, and you may notice an increased lift out of the pull of gravity. That's energy that brings vitality to every cell, wakes up your feet, and helps you engage just the right muscles to balance the front and back ankles and inner and outer foot. At that point, your pose becomes fully alive and whole, with your awareness touching every cell.