Standing poses: fun, challenging and strength building.With all standing postures, please engage the core and lift from the inner thigh. Legs should be straight without sinking into the quad. Watch weight distribution into the hips. Most importantly, the posture should feel good.
Bird of Paradise. Follow along.
   
The Bird of Paradise is so named after the beautiful flower. The "trick" to this pose is to remember stability then mobility. Always pause at the various steps while you are learning a posture and stay there a little while. There is no need to speed ahead past your current ability. there are 6 steps, take them one at a time then move on until you can combine them all. Virabhadrasana has many modifications, here is the three point balance option as we keep the fingers to the floor. Draw the hands to heart center when you are ready.
The hands can be placed behind the back in reverse namaste or clasping the elbows. Draw the lifted leg back and down to allow the hips to even out.
This balancing posture allows a level of weightlessness and a sensation of rising the body up of you allow the obliques to "puff."
Begin with balancing on the left foot and drawing the right foot up and out in front of you. Bend the knee and grasp the right foot, draw the foot to the top of the left thigh. Reach tall through the spine and take the right hand around the back to grasp the toes. Adding in the fold is the second step, it can be approached in steps. Slowly lower yourself as you shift your gaze to a new focal point to maintain your balance.
Settle in and press the front knee forward and squeeze to open toward the outer side of the foot. Lift through the heart and drop down through the pelvis simultaneously.
There are four steps, each held for 5 breaths. A: Foot out to the frontB: Foot out to the sideC: Foot the front with the head to kneeD: Foot out to front suspended
Return from standing poses (balances) to yoga poses and beyond |
