Category Archives: Pose Descriptions

Uttanasana/ Standing Forward Bend

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The classic standing forward bend, Uttanasana is used as a transitional pose in most classes, but can be rewarding all on its own. Like all seemingly simple poses in yoga, there are actually a few things to consider.

Begin in Tadasana. The hands can stay on the hips or you can reach them overhead on an inhale. As you exhale, lengthen the torso as you begin to bend from the hips. Keep as much space as possible between the hips and the sternum until you reach you limit of flexibility. Only then can you bend at the waist a bit (and only a bit) and bring the hands down. Eventually, take the hands to the outside of the feet. It this is not possible, the hands can come to a block or you can simply hold on to opposite elbows as you hang. The knees can also bend if needed.

As you ground through the feet, try and press equal weight into all corners of both feet. At the same time, lift the sit bones toward the ceiling to lengthen the back of the legs. Try and spread the sit bones by rolling the upper thighs lightly inwards.

Keep the neck relaxed so that the head releases to gravity and the spine stays nice and long. Tune in to the breath as you hold in the pose. On the inhale, try and lengthen the spine while on the exhale you can relax more fully into the pose.

Hold as long as you like and feels comfortable. To come out, take an inhale and lengthen the spine. As you exhale, take the hands to the waist, then inhale again to come all the way up.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

High Lunge

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Oddly, given how often this pose shows up in most yoga classes, the high lunge has no agreed upon Sanskrit name. No matter, it is still a highly beneficial pose that you will come back to time and time again.

Begin in downward dog. On an inhale, reach your right leg behind you, pressing the floor away with your hands and lengthening your spine. As you exhale, take your right foot in-between your hands. Take a moment to connect to the floor through the feet. Then, as you inhale again, reach the arms overhead with the palms either facing each-other or lightly touching. Keep a slight bend in the left leg as you tuck the tailbone and lengthen through the spine. It should feel like you are drawing length up the front side of the body, from the left quad into the hips, up through the belly and chest, all the way through the shoulders and out through the finger tips. This is a back bend that should come not by leaning back, but from lifting up and over.

Make sure you have as much weight in the right heel as the right big toe mount. You should be able to feel the hamstring engage as well as the quad. Keep the hips square and check that the right thigh and the right foot both point straight forward. As you hold, let the breath flow through the pose to take you deeper. (i.e. notice the way the body shifts with the breath and then use that to gently open a little further).

Hold for as long as feels comfortable, then bring the hands down, step back to downward dog, and repeat on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Side Runners Stretch

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A fairly straightforward adductor stretch, I often think of this as the one-legged side splits. There are a few different ways to take this and you can feel free to experiment around and find what works best for you.

To begin, step the feet about 3 feet apart and turn the toes out. Bend the right leg and keep the left leg straight. Ideally, the right heel is on the floor so you might need to widen the stance a bit. Check in with the feet and make sure that they are turned out to match the angle of the thighs. Feel free to turn the left toes to face up toward the ceiling and roll the left leg out a bit. Alternately, you can keep the toes on the floor as you keep the thigh somewhat inwardly rotated. This simply changes the angle of the stretch in the legs. Find what works for you.

It is important to make sure the knee joint is not put under any unnecessary strain. If you feel tension at the joint, experiment with the rotation of the thigh or simply back out until you no longer feel strain. We want the sensation to occur in the belly of the muscle, not the joints.

There are a couple of options for the hands. You can keep them on the floor, bring them up in front of the heart, or even reach the right arm around the front of the shin while taking the left arm around the back for a bind. You can use the right arm to gently press the right leg open a bit, deepening the stretch.

Hold as long as you like, then switch sides.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Wide Legged Squat

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A great way to open the inner hips, this is a pretty straightforward pose, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

To begin, from Tadasana, step the feet out about to the width of your mat (closer if you are really open in the ankles and inner hips) and turn the feet out about 45 degrees or so. Drop the sit bones to the floor as you lean forward in the torso to bring the hands to the mat. Once you feel steady, bring the palms together in front of the heart with the outer arms very lightly pressing back on the legs (or more accurately, pressing the torso forward). You can step the feet further out to the sides to get the whole foot to the floor, or take a blanket underneath the heels if necessary. Making sure the heels press into something (floor or blanket) is important for gradually developing ankle flexibility.

Check in with the feet. They should be as close to the angle of the thighs as possible. This will help keep strain out of the knee joint. Try to move the knees forward until you find equal weight to heels and toes. Lengthen the spine by lifting the crown of the head to the ceiling. Stay broad across the front of the shoulders and bring the shoulder blades comfortably down the back. Hold for as long as you like.

A great way to really sink into the pose for longer periods of time is to take the squat with your back against a wall for a little support.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Padangustasana/ Big Toe Pose

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From Tadasana, hop or step the feet hip-width distance apart. Bring the hands to the waist and taking an inhale lift the crown of the head, lengthening the spine. As you exhale fold forward from the hips, keeping a straight spine and maintaining width across the collar bones. Reaching down, take the big toes in the index and middle fingers with the palms facing in. You can bend a little bit at the waist, but not too much. If you need to, bend the knees to reach the feet. Bending too much at the waist in forward bends can compress the lower spine leading to disc bulging and other problems.

Once you have the toes, take another inhale to lengthen the spine again, then exhale and fold forward. Check in with the feet. Notice if you tend to bring more weight to either side of the foot or into the toes or heels. Distribute your weight evenly while still lifting the inner arch. Draw the inner thighs in and up while spreading the sitbones wide and up.

If the elbows bend, let them bend out to the sides so that the collar bones stay open. Draw the shoulder blades up away from the ears and engage the quads, lifting the kneecaps up toward the hips. Check in to make sure you haven’t tensed the lower abdominals. Keep the lower belly soft and the torso relaxed. Don’t rely too much on the hands to pull yourself further into the forward bend. Instead, use the breath to lengthen the spine and use the hands simply to stabilize yourself in the pose.

To come out, inhale and lengthen the spine. As you exhale, bring the hands back to the waist and bend the knees slightly. Inhale and come all the way back up.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Samakonasana/ Side Splits

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Samakonasana is a simple, yet wonderful stretch that lengthens the adductors, which per their name adduct the legs (bringing them toward the mid-line) as well as laterally (externally) rotating them in relation to the pelvis.

To begin, start in Dandasana, then extend the legs out to the side as far as they will go. Unlike Upavista Konasana, this is NOT a forward bend, so the torso stays upright. We are looking to maintain a neutral relationship between the pelvis and the spine, keeping the sitbones grounded and both the knees and toes pointed straight up toward the ceiling. Bring the hands together in front of the heart and breath into the inner thighs.

Just like Upavista Konasana however, your experience in the pose will be drastically different depending upon your relative flexibility. For those with tight hamstrings, getting the torso to stay upright can be a struggle. If this is the case for you, bring a little height underneath the hips or place the hands behind the legs to support you as you lengthen the spine, sitting as upright as is possible for you.

On the other hand, those with very open hamstrings might be tempted to lean forward to releases the adductors a bit by laterally rotating the leg in relation to the pelvis. Try and keep the sit bones grounded so the legs stay in neutral. Keeping the torso upright can also help prevent the knees rolling in slightly which has a tendency to place strain on the knee joint when the legs are very wide apart. If you feel the stretch in the joint of the knee instead of the inner thigh, check in with the the pelvis and if that doesn’t fix it, back out of the pose or ask your teacher for help.

Stay in the pose for as long as you like (I love to take a gentle version of this pose whenever I’m watching a movie, holding for 15 minutes or even more, though obviously you can take the pose for a much shorter length of time if you prefer). To come out, simply slowly bring the legs together, shaking them out a bit if needed.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana/ Half Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend

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Essentially the same pose as it’s cousin, Ardha Baddha Padma Pashimottanasana, just standing instead of seated.

Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana is a forward bend that stretches both the hamstrings (of the front leg) and the thigh (quads and adductors of the back leg). Like all lotus and half lotus poses, take your time and be gentle with the knees. Trying to force your way into the poses can lead to problems down the road.

Starting from Tadasana, bend the right leg to bring the knee toward the chest and the right heel toward the sitbone. Swing the knee out to the side, externally rotating the hip while keeping the thigh and calf pressed tightly together. By first releasing the adductors in this way, you reduce the stress on the knee in the final pose. Point the right foot and then bring the right heel in toward the naval (as close as you can get it) and the toes in toward the hip with the sole of the foot facing upwards. The higher up in the hip you can get the foot (while still keeping the thigh and calf together), the easier it will be to find the bind (spending time in Virasana can help to lengthen the quads, making this much easier). Now as you drop the right knee toward the floor, rotate the right thigh inward Keep the left leg straight.

Extend the right arm overhead, then on an exhale reach around the back with the right palm facing back. Take ahold of the big toe with the index and middle finger. Don’t force the bind. It is better to continue working in other poses to open the hips and shoulders then to try and force your way into the bind, potentially damaging the knee ligaments. Be patient. You can always take the foot into half lotus without the bind and bring both hands down as an alternative.

If you can comfortably take the bind, bring the right knee down toward the floor at about a 45 degree angle. Extend the femur out away from the hip socket and make sure that knee isn’t strained. Inhale and reach up with the left arm. Square the hips and the shoulders to the extended left leg and with an exhale fold forward and bring your hand to the outside of the left foot or to a block. Bend first at the hips keeping a straight spine, then you can bend a little at the waist, making sure not to strain the lower back. Try and reach the belly over the right foot. Keep the sitbones level and spread and draw the shoulder blades lightly down the back.

Stay for at least 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Camatkarasana/ Wild Thing

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Wild Thing (sometimes referred to as flipping the dog) is a backbend that opens the front side of the body with a freedom that most people find quite enjoyable.

From Downward Dog, lift your right leg on an inhale and then stack the right hip over the left. Bring your weight into your left hand and open up the front of the body as you bring your right foot to the floor behind the left leg. Try and keep the left leg straight, even as you bend the right leg at the knee. As you flip over, you will roll to the outside of the left foot. Lift the hips high up away from the floor.

As you begin to open the front side of the body, pay special attention to the front of the thighs and the hips (quads and iliopsoas respectively). This will help you to keep the tailbone firmly tucked and the lower back free from compression. Once you have found length in the legs, continue lifting the hips and open the front of the chest in a backbend, reaching out through the right arm. The shoulder blades should press into the back of the rib cage to accentuate the opening of the chest.

For those that are quite flexible, some people like to flip all the way over to Urdhva Dhanurasana, though I find the asymmetry of Camatkarasana to be a welcome change and worth exploring even if you can make it all the way over.

Stay for as long as you like, then repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Utthan Pristhasana/ Lizard Pose – Outer Hip Variation

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Lizard pose is one of my favorite hip stretches. This is the outer hip variation. For the inner hip variation, see here.

From Downward Dog, take an inhale to lift the left leg behind you. As you exhale, bring the left foot just to the outside of the left hand. Keep the toes of the left foot pointed straight forward. You have two options here – drop the back knee or keep it lifted. If you keep it lifted, strongly extend through the leg and lift the back of the knee up toward the ceiling.

Let the left knee drop to the side as you roll to the outside of the left foot. This is similar stretch to pigeon except that the hips are floating and the foot is a bit further forward. As the left knee moves to the side, sink the torso down towards the floor. Depending on flexibility, you can walk the hands forward and bend the elbows a bit, while some of you might come all the way down on to the forearms. If you come down to the forearms, bring the left forearm down first to really sink into the left inner hip, then bring the right one down. The tendency in this pose is for the right hip to drop significantly lower than the left and this can help to even that out a bit. Try and develop an awareness of how the pelvis is oriented in this pose.

Lengthen the spine by extending the sternum forward to the front of the mat, while at the same time drawing the shoulder blades comfortably down the back. Close the eyes and study the sensations of the pose, especially around the hips. Stay for as long as you like, then repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Utthan Pristhasana/ Lizard Pose

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Lizard pose is one of my favorite hip stretches. With a simple adjustment, you can make this either a deep inner hip stretch (described below) or an outer hip one.

From Downward Dog, take an inhale to lift the left leg behind you. As you exhale, bring the left foot just to the outside of the left hand. Keep the toes of the left foot pointed straight forward. You have two options here – drop the back knee or keep it lifted. If you keep it lifted, strongly extend through the leg and lift the back of the knee up toward the ceiling. Sink the torso down to the inside of the left thigh.

Depending on flexibility, you can walk the hands forward and bend the elbows a bit, while some of you might come all the way down on to the forearms. If you come down to the forearms, bring the left forearm down first to really sink into the left inner hip, then bring the right one down. The tendency in this pose is for the right hip to drop significantly lower than the left and this can help to even that out a bit. Try and develop an awareness of how the pelvis is oriented in this pose.

Squeeze the left knee in toward the left shoulder, making sure to keep as much weight on the inside of the foot as the outside. If you have the right knee down on the floor, one of my favorite things to play around with is to press into the top of the right foot into the floor to engage the quad. Notice how the stretch at the hips changes.

Lengthen the spine by extending the sternum forward to the front of the mat, while at the same time drawing the shoulder blades comfortably down the back. Close the eyes and study the sensations of the pose, especially around the hips. Stay for as long as you like, then repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!