The holidays are upon us, the winter solstice is almost here, and some of us have begun to feel a bit more like chickens running around with our heads cut off (please excuse the less-than-yogic reference).  So in order for us to reconnect to our center, we have [...]]]>

Tarasana (Star/Diamond Pose) by Dharma Mittra

The holidays are upon us, the winter solstice is almost here, and some of us have begun to feel a bit more like chickens running around with our heads cut off (please excuse the less-than-yogic reference).  So in order for us to reconnect to our center, we have chosen Tarasana or Star pose which helps gently open our hips and brings us into a forward  bend, allowing us to internalize our awareness and ground us.

To come into Tarasana start in a seated position and bring the soles of your feet together about 1 1/2 feet in front of you (so further than you would for Baddha Konasana/Bound-Angle Pose), letting your knees open into the shape of a diamond.  With an exhale begin to fold over your legs, take your time—you can always move slower—allowing your focus to be on sealing in your energy.  Allow the back to round, the shoulders and head to relax.  The head may rest in the pillow of your feet, or, if it doesn’t, perhaps use a block, or other prop under the forehead to help the neck relax, gently keeping the shoulders away from your ears.  Fresh circulation will move from your heart to your head.  Close your eyes if you can and direct your awareness to the back of your heart or anahata chakra.  The rear gate of our heart chakra takes care of self-love and worth. Imagine breathing in and out of this place, feeling the rise and fall of the ribs. Focus on lengthening your exhales, perhaps holding out the breath for a count before inhaling (Please do this only if it feels comfortable and completely natural).  On an inhale, begin to come out of the pose with the same attention as you moved into it.

Try to let go completely of any judgements of yourself physically and mentally in this posture (any jokes from the instructor about being a Star), keep your focus, keep your breath.

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

To come into wheel, start by lying on your back.  Then walk your feet in towards your hips, keeping the feet hip distance apart.  Raise the arms over the head, then proceeding to [...]]]> Our pose of the month at Hosh is Urdhva Dhanurasana translated as Upwards Bow Pose, but  also often referred to as Wheel.

To come into wheel, start by lying on your back.  Then walk your feet in towards your hips, keeping the feet hip distance apart.  Raise the arms over the head, then proceeding to bend the elbows and place the hands beside the ears with the fingers pointing towards the feet.  Be mindful that the hands are no wider than shoulder-width apart, and that you keep the elbows in line with the wrists, not allowing them to flap out to the side like chicken wings.

Now comes for the lifting.  Try to resist any tendency to push with the legs, and instead imagine that the trunk is being pulled upwards.  First feel the 4 corners of your hands and feet solidly pressing into your mat.  Then as you exhale lift through the inner thighs, hips and abdomen, coming to rest on the crown of the head.  Take a couple breaths here.

Exhaling again, lift the abdomen so that your weight comes to rest only on the soles of the hands and feet.  Make sure that the shoulder blades are adducting and drawn onto the back and that the space between them is relaxed.  Once you are up, press in to the index finger and start to straighten the arms, pressing into the big toe mounds start to lengthen the legs.  Be mindful of the tendency for outward rotation of the thighs and the feet.  Keep thinking of the internal rotation of the legs, this will help to create length in the hips.  Too much activation of the gluts can cause external rotation of the thighs to occur, which can put pressure on the lower back.

For a better stretch and to create more openness in the back, you can lift the thighs up even further bringing the heels up off the floor.  Now extending the chest, tuck the tailbone to create length in the low back and tautness in the abdomen, then release the heels to the floor.  Another way to achieve this lengthening is to relax the hips a bit, tuck the tailbone, then extend the chest.  For those with mild knee pain in the pose, this can help to take some of the pressure of the knees as well.

When you have held the pose for anywhere from 5 seconds to a minute, look up to the ceiling, and as you exhale  lower yourself to the floor by bending the knees and elbows.  Roll slowly down the spine, allowing each vertebra to descend one by one.

Because the body is fully extended into a inhale posture, taking grand deep breaths here can feel restrictive and frustrating,  instead concentrate on maintaining a relaxed steady breath.  If the pose is demanding more oxygen than the body can provide, check your alignment premises, see what adjustments you can make within your body to create a more efficient pose.

From practicing Urdhva Dhanurasana you may find that it helps to increase energy and counteracts depression, especially as most of the actions we do all day are more related to forward bending.  It is one of the deepest backbends and allows us to stretch the chest and lungs while simultaneously strengthening our body from wrist to toe.  Since Wheel Pose is also an inversion, its practice helps to stimulate the thyroid and pituitary.  Let this energetic and heart-opening pose bring you into the spirit of Fall.

Inhale.  Exhale.  Repeat.

To come into this mouthful, start by standing in Tadasana, the lower abdomen is engaged, the spine is lifted.  We want [...]]]> Yes, it’s a long name, but don’t let that intimidate you.  It is more of an instruction, describing each action of the pose: Parivrtta—Revolved; Utthita—Extended; Hasta—Hand; Padangusthasana—Big toe pose, revolved, extended hand-to-big toe pose.

To come into this mouthful, start by standing in Tadasana, the lower abdomen is engaged, the spine is lifted.  We want to maintain this Tadasana feeling as we move into this balancing pose, without compromising the length of the spine.  Exhale, bringing the right leg in towards the chest taking hold of the knee in the right hand and let the hip drop.  Weakness in the leg or hip may cause the hip to want to hike up—try to resist.  Then transfer the right arm to the inside of the right knee, taking your first 2 fingers around your big toe in yogi-toe-lock.  Bring the left hand onto the left hip, breathing and finding your balance here.  Again be mindful of hip hike.  Exhaling begin to extend the right leg forward—but only as far as you maintain a neutral extension of the spine.  That is keep the right leg bent as much as you need to to maintain an upright position in the trunk.  Allow the standing left leg to be straight and actively press it into the floor.  Here we’re in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana—now for the revolving part.  Bring the left hand forward and underneath the right hand, taking hold of the outer edge of your right foot.  Inhale here, lifting through the abdomen.  As you exhale, slowly release your grip with your right hand, and, turning your torso to the right, extend the right arm out and back.  Let your gaze rest on the extended right hand.

In this pose the stabilizing action of the abdominal muscles, the twisting action of the trunk, and the taut arms create a reduction in the volume of the breath. Relaxing into its extension will allow for you to maintain the necessary oxygen flow to sustain the pose, without compromising the balance.

To come out exhale your right arm back to the right foot, taking it from the inside.  Then bend the knee into your chest, and exhale release the leg and arms.  Stand in Tadasana.

In addition to strengthening our standing leg’s stabilizer muscles, the muscles of the trunk, and opening the hip and hamstring, this pose also teaches us to move with mindfulness and graces—something we can apply into our lives in both physical and emotional realms.   When practiced with awareness, this pose can also aid in digestion, and ease sciatica and lower back pain.

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

A reclining version of this pose, which puts less pressure on the leg joints, can also be practiced with a strap.