The Dance Master: Natarajasana

I've obsessed over this pose too over the last little while. Here's a breakdown of the how-to's and a sequence to help get you there...

Sequence

1. Supta Virasana
2. Matsyasana - supported on a wood block with straight legs
3. Supta Padangustasana
4. Adho Muhka Virasana
5. Adho Muhka Svanasana
6. Uttanasana
7. Eka Prasarita Padottanasana
7. Utthita Hasta Padangustasana I, and II
8. Parivrtta Hasta Padangustasana
9. Natarajasana
10. Uttanasana variation, buttocks against wall, hands clasping elbows
11. Bharadvajasana I
12. Marichyasana I
13. Upavista Konasana - forehead supported on bolster
14. Savasana

Recipe for Natarajasana:

1. Keeps your hips in square and in line even if this makes your pose feel smaller
2. Ensure the knee of the raised leg stays in line with the hip. Draw the leg straight back
3. Open the chest and lengthen forward and up to curve the spine without strain
4. Keep the shoulders square and broaden the collar bones
5. Grab the pinky side of the foot of the bent leg with the palm up. To do this, turn and point the foot out to the side
6. Rotate the lifted arm so the elbow eventually points forward and the palm faces down towards the floor

* Step 6 is my nemesis. The rotation of the arm never ceases to challenge my strength in my shoulder and tends to be the reason I have to eventually end the pose. It's a good thing though..

7. Don't think of using your arm to lift the leg but rather use your hip adductors

And remember: it isn't if you will fall but when. You will fall. Accept it and you'll enjoy working with this pose even more.

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A Crane Gone Sideways: Parsva Bakasana

I used to think Sideways Crane was ambitious. Talk about negative thinking. I became midly obsessed, working on it daily until everything clicked. There were many face plants and failed takoffs, I assure you. Now this pose is as familiar to me as some of the other simplier balancing poses, like Bakasana. Here's a how-to including a sequence and pose recipe:

Sequence:

1. Jathara Parivartanasana
2. Marjaryasana
3. Adho Mukha Svanasana
4. Uttanasana
5. Jump to Adho Muhka Svanasana and back to Uttanasana. Repeat x5
6. Chaturanga Dandasana
7. Malasana
8. Pasasana
9. Bakasana
10. Parsva Bakasana
11. Paschimottanasana
12. Savasana

Recipe for Parsva Bakasana:

1. Crouch as if going into Malasana (Garland Pose)

2. Twist to the right and get the back of your left arm (tricep) to come as far over to the outside of the outer right thigh and as far up to the hip as possible

3. Place your left palm on the floor "locking" the left arm on the right thigh. Place your right palm on the floor making sure your hands are shoulder width apart. This is a CRUTIAL TIP. If your hands are too narrow, you won't have the broadness in the upper back necessary for this pose. If you're unsure, think of going slightly wider to broaden your stance with your hands. This was an essential step for me

4. Bring your weight forward into your hands and off your feet. Look ahead

5. Think of rounding your back, engaging your core, and compacting your legs. Think: suck the outer thighs in, suck your inner thighs together, and keep your feet touching. Another TIP: Feel as if your bottom right leg is helping to lift your top left leg

6. Take the weight completely off your feet, be brave, and voilà! You're in Parsva Bakasana

7. Most importantly: If it doesn't come, practice again and again. When it does come, you'll be perfectly perched in this beautiful pose

"Knowledge has no ends." - B.K.S. Iyengar

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Hands Down: Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Coming soon..

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Moksha Calgary and Power of Movement

I visited the new Moksha Yoga Calgary studio in SE Calgary to meet Erin Moraghan, Senior Development Officer of the Arthritis & Autoimmunity Research Centre (AARC) Foundation and Founder of Power of Movement, a national fundraiser for arthritis research. I became involved in Power of Movement the year before and was meeting Erin to discuss ways to improve the 2010 Calgary mega-session event. Erin was also the guest teacher that evening at the Moksha studio that evening.


For more information on Power of Movement and how to become involved, visit thir brand spanking new website at http://www.powerofmovement.ca

As far as the class is concerned, and I'm not simply saying this because I know and like Erin, it was wonderful. The studio is beautifully zen and spacious in it's decor and layout, frankly a joy after the packed-in-like-sardines experience at Hot Yoga on 17th the previous night.

The yoga class and it's sequence stayed closer to what I would call traditional hatha yoga with some Surya Namaskars or Sun Salutations added into the mix. The asanas or poses weren't named differently just for the sake of being different. The pace allowed for longer holds of the poses and frankly, made this Moksha class more of a challenge physically for me then the Bikram-esque class I attended the night before. Not because of the heat but because the sequence of poses didn't allow for unneccesary breaks in the flow of the class. Demonstrations and cues were clear and and easy to follow. The class was well-rounded in it's inclusion of poses from each group (i.e., standing, twisting, forward bends, and backbends). The final Savasana or Corpse Pose was lengthy enough to allow for a proper relaxation period as the end fo it all. Surprisingly, students were told to come out of Savasana when ready but I always prefer to be guided out. A small criticism but one which I think it's important as how you practice Savasana sets the tone for how one feels after class.

Regardless, I would recommend any yogi check out the Moksha Yoga Calgary studio. A true gem in SE Calgary.

http://www.mokshayogacalgary.com

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105 Degrees

My first visit to a Traditional Hot (aka Bikram) yoga class came when a friend invited me to join her. A practical newbie to yoga, she had started going to the studio a couple of weeks before. And why not? The studio was located only a couple of blocks away from her place. Lucky girl. The studio in question: Hot Yoga on 17th in Calgary, AB. A relatively new location, the studio has been open for less than a year. I had heard a great deal about it, not surprising as hot yoga has become all the rage, and the temptation to go proved too much. Not to mention I was in a bit of a funk the evening we went and some hot, sweaty yoga was hopefully just what the doctor ordered.

First impressions: the studio is beautiful. Modern decor and dim lighting entice you in, that is of course once you get in!! The parking situation is horrendous. I counted my lucky stars for having my little Mini Cooper able to park in the tightest of spots. But I digress..

Back to the beatiful studio. I remember thinking to myself it would be hard for other older studios in town to compete with this new class of studio based on environment only. I felt like I was at a posh spa instead of a yoga studio. I took mental notes for the redesign of my bedroom.

I had heard Hot Yoga on 17th was popular and this was obvious as soon as I entered the tiny loby. The place was packed. For the second time that night I counted lucky stars for having reserved a spot for the class in advance online. It would have been frusturating to drive across town, fight for a parking spot, only to be denied entry into the class. A definite thumbs up to the studio for having the online resvervation system in place.

The changing area was a plus, although also packed. Having only two toilets for a room full of women seemed inadequate.

We enter the sole studio before class, the heat hitting us like we just got off the plane in India. Not a bad thing. I quickly realize my concern of being turned away was unwarranted because I don't think anyone is ever turned away. The studio was packed to capacity.

The sequence: even after over a dozen years of practicing and teaching yoga, it never ceases to amase me how many different takes their are on the yoga postures and their sequecing. Traditional Hot (TH) yoga was the biggest diversion from the "norm" I'd experienced yet. The names of the postures left me a little lost. The poses were challenging for the seasoned practitioner and I could quickly see how people would get hooked on this style of yoga. A novice however could easily walk away from a class with muscle strain and back pain, as my friend did after her first class. There was little guidance given to those students who needed variations due to limitations in their bodies, even though it was supposed to be an all-levels class. Maybe it's the therapeutic teacher in me coming out but I think portions of the TH sequence lack some consideration for the bodies of a novice practioner. I even found portions of the class hard on my body. The transitions back and forth between savasana and seated poses were jarring and the continuous sit-ups directly from savasana left my back feeling strained.

The sequence never changes either. You can attend the class over and over and you'll always get the same 26 postures in the same order. This definitely allows for someone to quickly become confortable in the class as they know what to expect. But when do you get to progress? I need to leanr more about how the Bikram system works I guess.

Overall, I left the class feeling refreshed. My skin felt wonderfully soft the next day. Nice perk! I personally was not sore in the days following. I'd go back, hopefully on a day where the studio was a little less busy.

Follow Up: Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

To come..

My following visit to the same class, same studio, a week later wasn't nearly as successfull.

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