Trikonasana 3 Ways

It has been a long time between postings.  We have still been out there practicing our yoga together and here is something we are thinking about in our current sequence.

The video below shows our practice of trikonasana in three variations.

Fundamentally the major actions are the same in all three variations.  It is just that as I progress to 'closer to the ground' options I make sure I bring my back leg pelvis around.

Bringing the back leg pelvis around means I am progressively bringing the pelvis more towards the front leg.

Hand on back leg pelvis to show I have turned it more

If you practice this way you will feel how bringing your pelvis around helps to 'free up' the front hip joint and you can move your torso more freely.

In each of the variations I am doing many key things, ones I will mention here are:

• I start this one from gadjastan (elephant stance).  This puts my hips in external rotation (they are rolling out).
• I turn the 'front leg' foot out some more to match the rolling out of the front thigh.
• I turn the whole back thigh in, allowing my pelvis to come with me as it needs so that I don't feel strain on my inner thighs and so my front thigh is not struggling to roll out.
• I 'stretch the ground' with my feet.
• I lift up and out over my front leg with my torso in a way that my spine is not drooping to the floor and my side waists stay long.
• I let me bottom hand go down wherever it goes to without drooping the spine to the floor.
• I keep my pelvis where it is and turn my navel, ribs, and chest towards the sky.
• I reach up with my top hand if that feels comfortable.
• I put my head and neck in a comfortable position.
• I do a gentle backbend along my spine.

As I progress from one posture to the next my legs stay in place but I start to allow my pelvis to turn even more, which allows me to place my bottom hand further down my leg as it pleases.  

Hand on sternum to show I am thinking about lengthening the spine

In the final variation I do a 'wrap'.  Most people will not be able to do this wrap.  Often they will try to take their bottom hand underneath the front leg by bringing their whole spine forward and so end up losing the alignment of the spine in this position.  If you watch the video you can see that when I wrap and bind I do not go into a forward bend of the spine.  In the video I touch my sternum so you can see that I am emphasising lengthening rather than shortening of the front of the body.  

Happy and safe practicing.   It is better to practice with a teacher present.  

Merry christmas and a happy new year to all!