Here I show lots of movement throughout my spine as I try to get my wriggle-on and lengthen my spine from bottom to top as much as possible to come into a standing backdrop that lengthens rather than squashes my spine and so feels delightful.
I wriggle up...
and up...
and up...
And my up takes me back...
And down, but in an up kind of way!
When practicing backbends it is important the spine does not feel tense. It is important to feel light and free. It is important that your whole body is smiling from the inside.
Well, that's how I like to practice.
This video is not intended for anyone to copy. Such poses are learned from a teacher. It is more for my students to have a look at how when you keep wriggling up you can also come down. A bit like a slinky.
Happy and safe practicing and hope to see you soon. We will be practicing outdoor yoga in the sun from now on so protect yourself however you need. See you in Canberra or Sri Lanka for my upcoming retreat (October 1-4 2015).
It has taken me a long time to get to a full mayurasana like this one. Scroll down to the end of the post to see a cool video of how to transition out of gomukhasana via mayurasana, which we practice in my current sequence.
The funny thing is less than six months ago I was trying this pose in the park and I could not extend my legs fully.
The only way I could do the pose was to have bent knees or put them into a bind like padmasana. Below is a photo taken of me earlier in the year that shows my best effort.
On that day in February it seemed to me unlikely, perhaps even impossible, that I would manage a fuller variation of the posture.
So what changed?
Did I start practicing mayruasana every day?
Actually, no. I don't remember doing mayurasana very much or at all since then.
The main difference, and what I perceive has made the most difference, is in my last sequence (just finished) I mixed up my surya namaskar slightly.
I like to introduce a little change each sequence--not so much in the poses themselves but the transitions between them or how long we hold them for.
The last sequence I worked with holding my high planks for longer, then incorporated a double push-up with good technique (on my knees most of the time) before lowering to the ground for a shalabhasana variation (prone extension with hands by side).
There were no mayurasanas in my last sequence so there is no doubt that my improved mayruasana was not due to practicing mayurasana.
I am reminded of the time I stopped practicing padmasana because I could not come into it without using my hands.
Instead I worked with good technique in standing postures and one day I decided to try padmasana without hands again and to my surprise I was able to do it.
So it happened today that I tried mayurasana and realised, hey, my legs are straight here!
Mayruasana is a challenge for a lot of women, who tend to be bottom heavy.
In my understanding that is why it is easier for women (but not easy) to come into the pose with knees wide and bent.
The variation I show in my video might work for those who can come into gomukhasana and then perhaps transition to the other side using a gomukhu-mayurasana pose.
This posture is strong on the wrists and you need to have developed a good ability to hold your body weight on your hands without straining the wrists before you try.
I will run through this in class and at my upcoming retreats in Sri Lanka and Bali (www.artofliferetreats.com), but, for now, watch the video and note the placement of elbows somewhere just below the navel, the distance of the knees from the hands, that I am pressing strongly with my fingertips, and that I am maintaining a sense of ease and comfort within a challenging posture.
Forearm balancing, when done well, is a great way to release tension in the spine, which includes the neck since it is part of the spine. It also includes the shoulders. That means you are in the wrong pose if you practice this posture and have a sense of tension or strain anywhere but especially around the neck or shoulders.
This is the pose I recommend you be able to complete before making efforts to do a headstand.
In this posture, which we call horn stand (your hands are clasped except for your baby finger which is sticking out to form a horn) there is no weight on the head at all.
To do it you must have adequate strength and mobility around the shoulder joint complex while your feet are both on and off the ground.
As in many postures, the preparation is more difficult than the final posture.
In this post I share a few tips about preparing to come into this balance. This includes my thoughts on the use of the wall and how I use it in a limited fashion, along with common errors and how to use a block to help you prepare.
First, here is a video of me free balancing so you get an idea of the final posture.
I practiced on the grass today since I was matless and sleeveless and the concrete was too scratchy on my elbows.
Now, to get there I recommend a few stages of specific preparation (as distinguished from the non-specific just general stability and strengthening and movement you do through my classes).
Base preparation
Number one is to get the horn. See the picture below.
The 2-4 digits are interlaced. The palms are pressed together. The thumb and baby finger are free. The baby fingers point out like a horn. The horn is going to help you balance in the final posture, with the weight shifting between horn and elbows.
The elbows are about shoulder width apart but I prefer to try a bit narrower since the tendency is for them to splay out on tight shouldered people.
Then get the lower ribs high up away from the ground and get your head and neck so you are looking to your navel. The upper and middle back will feel rounded. The lower back is lengthened, not arched.
When you get your lower ribs far away from the ground your head will come away from the ground. You cannot see it in the photos because there is so much hair tumbling down. In the first video I kept my head forward so you could see it is not on the ground.
In the wall video I kept it looking to navel and then moved it back and forth a bit so you can see it there as well.
I am firming my tummy in a way that I can still breathe. If you don't know how to do this you need to look back at previous posts or come to class. It is important.
I push my horn and wrist downward and feel as though I am pushing my elbows forward. I can't show a picture of those things. They are 'secret' internal actions.
Beware the sinking shoulders
Sinking the chest and into the shoulders is one of the common errors in this posture. See the example of sinking shoulders from the side and front views, below.
Compare this with the lower ribs lifted into lower back in the next picture. You can see that the wrinkles in my t-shirt have ironed themselves out.
And sinking with the knees raised...
Versus lifting with the knees raised...
Again, you see how many wrinkles in the shirt appear around the lower back in the sinking version.
Get strong!
With the base set, I start some strengthening and mobility practice.
I take my knees just a tad from the floor. Enough so an ant or grasshopper could go underneath without being squished.
Move slowly and do not sink into your shoulders or drop the ribs.
This should create postural firmness in the tummy in a way you can breathe if it was not there already (and if you had not sucked it all in).
You can go a bit higher so a little puppy could run under your knees.
I go slowly up and down. I make sure I do not drop in my shoulders. I keep horn pushing down, elbows pushing forward, neck free, tummy can breathe (but firm).
I can come higher and perch on the very tips of my toes. I try to get off the balls of my feet. If you have weight going through the balls of your feet you won't get enough weight through the arms.
You just stay there and breathe. Make a few jokes to passersby. Be firm but relaxed and calm.
If you can, you take a knee into chest, heel to bottom. But you go slowly and make sure you do not collapse into one shoulder or drop the chest.
Take note. If this feels tough it is because THIS IS REALLY HARD!
It is really hard to go through these stages without sinking into your shoulders and feel comfortable.
Stay here and keep practicing at this level until you can at least feel comfortable for more than 30 seconds I say. That's not science but hopefully you get the picture.
Block practice
The video below shows my block practice.
I go to the blocks in class sometimes to help people get an idea of what it can feel like to be upside down.
You don't need to kick up to do this so as long as you have some good strength around shoulders and core it should be accessible.
If you are not strong enough you will find it difficult to get a leg off the ground so go back to the first (ground) practice.
I push the ball of one foot into the block and then the other foot starts to come up. Alas, most of the important parts to see are in shadow in the photo below!
You can just hover a little away from the ground or start to bring knee to chest.
And finally take the leg directly up.
The head is down and looking towards the navel. It feels really great if you are in the correct position.
A word of caution about block practice is that it can feel so good you might like to take both feet off. I don't advise trying. Mainly because if you crash down you are going to smash your feet into the block. Ouch.
Wall practice
Ok, so I really don't use the wall for any of the inversions. All of my students will know how I sort of begrudgingly take us over there only on very rare occasions! The video below shows how I use the wall if I use it.
You can see I missed the first two times because I was trying to lightly kick up.
One of the reasons I have developed a no wall practice is because I think people go to it too early. They try to build strength at the wall when you need to build strength on the ground. It is actually much harder to do the first position that I described (ground version) than it is to do either the block or wall variation. Perhaps that is why people go to the wall!!
Anyway, if you are going to a wall, psychologically you will know it is there. Most people will therefore just over-kick or not worry about refining their kick because we know the wall is there to catch us. People who spend too much time at the wall seem to take longer to learn to free balance.
Thus, if you use it do so sparingly I say! And, if you must, then perhaps try this way.
I show using the wall with just a toe tip touching. I try and take one leg straight up and be on the other toe tip. I then figure out where that up leg needs to be to help me find my centre of gravity. I can also learn to 'play' with the weight between horn and elbows. You should find that if you are on a toe tip and you press through the horn that the toe tip starts to float away from the wall.
So for me the lesson of the wall is to learn about how to play with and find your centre of gravity upside down. But this is a refining technique to try once you have built the strength!
Summary
Look for lifting not sinking. Firmness but calmness. Lightness not heaviness. This is a great way to practice all postures, but especially for these inversions.
This is the same approach I take to handstand so you can apply these ideas on ground, block and wall but just with the arms straight!
Happy and safe practicing! Remember, these videos and posts are intended for students who come to my classes and who can ask questions and interact with a real person about their own bodies. Learning from the internet is not recommended.
This is the type of thing I teach in my classes and which we regularly workshop in retreats. Join us if you like!
Parsvakonasna: A forward bending, side bending, twisting, backbend
If I could only give one instruction in class it would be something like, find lift in your postures. Find lightness.
Okay, that's two, but that's what guides me through my self-practice reflection whenever I encounter and practice moving and postures.
That said, I encourage students to be mindful that they are not collapsing in their postures.
People who are very flexible often collapse out of habit, especially if they have not developed strength to balance their flexibility.
People who are stiffer might do it to try and get deeper into an image of a pose they think they should be in, often with some strain.
I have little slips and sinks and collapses that I still need to think of myself! It is an ongoing work.
In standing poses there is always the possibility of sinking into the hips. In arm balancing poses there is the possibility of sinking into the shoulders. In backbends it tends to be sinking into the lower back.
In this post I look at a way to try parsvakonasana without sinking into the front hip.
I describe the key actions that give strength and stability to this pose and which help develop mobility.
I pay particular attention to some key spinal actions that will help you develop a strong and mobile core.
I have included two videos. One has more slow and detailed visual instructions. The other highlights the difference between lifting and sinking in the front hip.
I have also included step-by-step visual and written instructions, breaking down the pose into key leg, spinal, and upper body actions.
As with all my posts, I really write these for my students to practice outside of class. If you are not a student of mine I encourage you to come to class or find a suitably qualified teacher who can help you better understand the feeling of these actions in your body!
Perhaps watch the key actions video first. Then review the step-by-step instructions. Then watch the difference between sinking and lifting.
Key actions video
This video shows me using my mime skills to show you how to come into the posture.
Perhaps the highlight of this video comes around 1 minute 50 seconds when a little boy (not in the screen shot) says 'I need to do a poo'. A conversation ensues between the family members and the boy, discussing where he can do a poo, and culminates with dad's joking comment, 'well, you can't do a poo in the lake'. As you can see, that brought a big smile to my face!
Key actions step-by-step instructions
Parsvakonasana, spinally speaking, is essentially a forward bending, side bending, twisting, backbend. Is that what you are doing when you practice? I deconstruct it below.
1. Sitting bones down, top of pelvis back, lengthens lower back and unsquashes front of groin.
2. Spinal forward bend. This means firming the tummy in a way you can still breathe into it. I do this by keeping top of pelvis back, leaning forward, and trying to move my hips forward without them actually moving. I lean forward without letting my butt stick up and start to take my leg back.
3. Toe down then heel down.
4. Check sitting bones down and top of pelvis back.
5. Check front thigh is rolling out. You could do this by thinking of how to roll it out. You could do it by turning your front heel out slightly so outer foot points straight ahead then try gripping the heel back in without moving it.
6. Check back thigh is rolling in. You can allow your back pelvis to also come in if that helps. In fact, these actions should help unsquash your lower back. I have outer back foot lifting towards outer ankle.
7. Stretch the ground with your feet. That means pushing the front foot down and forward and the back foot down and backward.
8. Lower ribs move back to middle back to help bring softness to your middle and upper back.
9. Spinal side bending. That means you try and move the front of bottom pelvis forward and up towards bottom side front rib. In the picture you see me drawing those two points together. Make sure the lower ribs stay back and don't pop out.
10. Take top arm overhead. Push armpits forward and up as though trying to bring your underarms towards your nose. Outer armpit is rolling towards your face. This enhances the side bend.
11. Turn from your navel level of spine towards the top pelvis. Try not to move your top pelvis or move anything else. This is just a spinal twist. Many people move the whole pelvis here but you want to make this a spinal movement.
12. Keep turning your spine progressively towards the sky. In the photo I show turning the chest. Again, try to keep this a spinal movement. Also, watch that the lower ribs do not jut out.
13. You can put your bottom arm wherever it goes without changing the preceding actions. Here is the point where many people might just collapse in their front hip in an effort to reach the ground. But in this photo you can see that I have kept the front hip exactly as it was in the preceding photo. I come to the ground with my arm because I enhance the spinal side bend. Wherever that bottom arm ends up, you don't sink into it either. I am just lightly pressing my hand into the ground and mainly doing an action of moving that armpit towards the hips to enhance the spinal side bend.
14. From there I add the last action. This is a lengthening of the front of the spine. I touched my upper chest in the photo (although the action comes from the navel). I get a little lift which sort of feels like a little back bend in my upper back. From there my head comes into place. Many people will not feel comfortable with their head in this position. It is better that you find your own comfortable position for your head and neck. My head position is throat forward, chin up, combined with a little twist where move the top ear away from the top shoulder slightly. I cannot show or explain this well here so I just suggest you move your head and neck gently and find your own comfortable spot.
15. Here I stay firm but calm. My tummy is firm but I can feel the movement of the breath there. I am content and at peace. I feel like I am doing something and I am getting warm from this posture. It is about 10 degrees celcius in this photo yet I don't feel cold even in this crop top because I had been practicing for a little while and using active movements in such a way that I tensed less, stretched less and just enjoyed moving. This is self-evident when you can see me laugh and smile as I hear the jokes of the people around me.
Difference between sinking and lifting
In this video you can see me first coming into the posture so that I do not sink into the front hip. In the second version I just sink into the front hip.
In the second way I do not do spinal side bending. It is more just hip flexion. Because of this I feel very passive. I am not getting warmth and I am not moving energy through my spine effectively.
Ultimately how you come into postures is your choice.
Be happy and content. Practice safely, mindfully, and peacefully. When you practice like this people want to be around you. You inspire movement in others. As I was filming these sequences today I had at least 4 strangers come up to me, including two children who just wanted to do tricks with me (handstands and arm balances), all wanting to talk about what I was doing and how it just made them feel good. I am certainly not the most elegant, strongest, most flexible person. But I really enjoy doing what I do. Happy with where I am. When that happens I do believe you can have a powerful influence on helping others towards finding their own inner happiness too.
This is the type of thing I teach in classes, workshops, and retreats in Canberra, Sri Lanka, and Bali. Hope to see you somewhere soon!
In this post I show videos and step by step instructions on how to help unsquash the front of hips and lengthen lower back. They are great tips for people who spend a lot of time sitting, which is most of us in general.
Key Instructions
I have a limited repertoire of what I consider some basic instructions.
No matter what sequence I teach these instructions repeat themselves over and over.
They repeat themselves over and over in single class.
Sometimes I wonder why people keep coming back since I do say the same thing over and over again!
I like to think that it is perhaps my wit and good humour that brings people back.
But I am pretty sure it is because while these instructions sound simple, they are actually tricky to apply, to apply consistently, and to apply in different orientations to gravity.
One of those instructions is "sitting bones down, top of pelvis back, lengthen lower back."
For people who have tight lower backs, and even people who do not, this instruction feels amazing on the lower back.
However, I could also say, "sitting bones down, top of pelvis back, unsquash front of hips."
You see, depending where you focus, or perhaps where you feel more tightness, the same instruction can help in two places.
Most people live a lot of their lives squashing the front of hips. Well, those that sit for most of the day do.
So this instruction is a great way to help unsquash.
It is particularly useful to apply in forward bending postures.
I keep the front of groin open (unsquashed) when I practice forward bending postures.
It is the opposite of what many people practice--either deliberately or incidentally.
It means you work on spinal forward bending then hip flexion rather than just hip flexion, which often happens.
Some Thoughts Before You Watch And Practice
For me yoga is a spinal movement practice. In order to maintain the health of your spine you need to learn how to move it, and move it safely. Unsquashing is key. Being able to create firmness in they tummy in a way you can still feel the movement of the breath there while mobilising the spine are also key.
In the videos I chose a modified chandra namaskar to show the differences between squashing and unsquashing. One video shows me showing what squashing looks like versus unsquashing. The other video just shows a smooth unsquashing practice.
I have also taken still shots so you can compare the two side by side.
Perhaps watch unsquashing versus squashing first. Then look at the still shots. Then watch the unsquashing so you are left with a clear impression of unsquashing.
When watching these videos please consider that I mainly post things for my own students who come to me and whom I can watch carefully. Practicing from videos is a not the best, especially if you have pre-existing issues.
Also note that in the videos below I create firmness in my tummy in a way I can still breathe into it. I have written about this a lot before so please refer to those posts. Whenever I bend forward from the spine I create firmness first. I am trying to have core stability with mobility. Much of what I show will not work if you suck your tummy in tightly (using muscles of forced exhalation) because this will stiffen the spine.
Squashing Versus Unsquashing: The Video
This video shows me trying to highlight squashing versus unsquashing in the same poses.
Squashing Versus Unsquashing: The Still Shots
Below I show the shot of being squashed on the left and unsquashed on the right.
In the squashed shots I performed the actions of moving the top of my pelvis towards the front of thigh and pushing my sit bones up into the air.
In the unsquashed shots I performed the actions of moving my sitting bones down and top of pelvis back.
You can see I put my hand to the place that I am concentrating on. One finger is at top of front of pelvis and the other on the thigh bone.
In most shots you can see the 'air' in the unsquashed variation. You can also see that my lower back lengthens or is less 'archy'.
In all forward bends I try to firm my tummy in a way I can still breathe. I also feel that I am pushing both hips forward without actually moving them.
Unsquashing: The Movie
Here I show the whole sequence with just the unsquashing version.
The End
That's it from me today.
Happy and safe practicing. This is the type of thing I teach in classes, workshops, and my retreats in Canberra, Sri Lanka, and Bali. If you are around I would love to teach you.
