pt4xix

{ the art of asana }
Deepen Your
Practice
with
Rod Stryker
Text by Rod Stryker
Photographs by Lois Greenfield

{Art of Asana}
Urdhva dhanurasana (upward-facing bow) is an expression
of the joy and fearlessness that is the hallmark of a successful
yoga practice. This pose opens the body and awakens the mind.
Upward-Facing Bow
(Urdhva dhanurasana)
The ancient masters saw the body as a bridge to the infinite.
Their exploration of how it can be used to access Spirit’s
sublime beauty and power is what we know today as hatha
yoga. The approach of these masters was based on two key
insights: all the forces of nature are contained in our physical
form, and fulfillment—both material and spiritual—follows
effortlessly as we develop mastery over these forces within
the body.
We often judge our practice by what our body can or can’t
do: the number of sun salutations, how deep we are in a pose,
how long we can hold it, even which cross-legged seat we use
for meditation. None of these are true barometers of practice.
While the body is indeed where the journey of yoga begins
for many of us, perfection of the body is not the goal. In yoga
your body is a means, not the end.
I am often asked how to measure the quality of a yoga
practice. “How do I know that the practice I am doing is the
best one for me?” The answer: by its effect. The quality of your
practice is ultimately measured by its effect on the quality of
your life. In other words, mastery in yoga is mastery of life.
Urdhva dhanurasana, like all poses, benefits our body,
mind, energetic systems, and emotions in unique ways. By
encapsulating the essence of backbending, the pose propels us
toward the ultimate embodiment of yoga: fearlessness and joy.

Sukha, the Sanskrit term for ease,
happiness, or pleasure, literally means “good
space.” The masters tell us we suffer (duhkha)
because “stuff” overshadows the inherent goodness
of our inner space. It settles between cells,
organs, vertebrae, along medians, and in our
fields of perception. The glory of backbends is
their ability to disperse this “stuff,” thus revealing
our natural state of ease.
Urdhva dhanurasana increases the vital force
around the heart (pran), as well as the distributive
force (vyana) throughout the body, thus
increasing the breadth of courage and awareness.
The pose stimulates both mind and body—the
net result is exultation, awakening radiance,
delight, and compassion.
This pose is the culmination of backbends,
and so is beyond the reach of many students.
Those who can do it often experience pain or
harm their lower back or shoulders. Thus, the
challenge is to move toward accomplishing the
pose safely and effectively.
The principles of sequencing (vinyasa krama)
require us to systematically prepare the body
for the most challenging pose in a practice (the
apex). Poses that prepare us for the apex have
a similar physical, mental, and energetic action,
but are simpler and more accessible. Methodical
sequencing has four steps: First, identify the
apex. Then analyze the focal points—the areas
of the body most involved—in terms of flex ibility,
stability, and correct actions. Next, choose
the appropriate preparatory poses, and, finally,
place them in order.
The focal points for urdhva dhanurasana
include flexibility along the front body, specifically
in the quadriceps, hip flexors, intercostal muscles,
shoulders, wrists; and strength and stability
in the sacrum, arms, shoulders, wrists. Correct
actions include internal rotation of thighs, upper
arms, and the engagement of the hamstrings.
The postures pictured here address many
of these focal points. I consistently use them
(or variations) to prepare students for deep
backbends. They should be part of a complete
practice that includes sun salutations, standing
postures, arm strengthening, and counterposes.
Asana practice enhances physical well-being,
but its greatest effect is on the mind and pranic
(energy) body. Upward-facing bow and the postures
that build toward it inspire us to reach for
greatness and increase our capacity and passion
for life.
CHAIR POSE (utkatasana) is an
excellent preparation for backbending.
It strengthens the lower
back, opens the chest and shoulders,
and establishes the correct action
to stabilize the sacrum: tailbone
draws into the body (pelvic tilt),
while upper arms externally rotate
and draw down into the shoulder
sockets.
Hint: On inhale, lift chest and
collarbones. On exhale, tailbone
tilts toward the heels.
1
COBRA VARIATION (bhujangasana)
deepens the lumbar curve, engages
lower abdominal lift, promotes
expansion of intercostals and
lengthening of the upper spine.
Hint: Keep the legs active: shins in,
inner thighs engaged, and spiral
toward the ceiling. Arm draws down
into the shoulder socket. Exhale,
navel toward spine.
4

SIDE-ANGLE POSE (parshvakonasana)
is a dynamic stretch for the intercostals
and shoulders.
Hint: Stretch the back body and front body
equally. Back leg muscles engage, draw
tailbone into the body, expand the kidneys.
WARRIOR I VARIATION
(virabhadrasana I) builds on
the pelvic tilt of chair pose
by deepening the opening
of the chest. It dynamically
stretches the hip flexors and
quadriceps.
Hint: Inhale, lift collarbones.
Exhale, expand and flatten
lumbar spine, tailbone toward
the front heel. Powerfully,
internally rotate the
back thigh.
2 3
BOW (dhanurasana) enlivens the
action of the legs, chest, and pelvis.
Its similarity to urdhva dhanurasana
(in action and shape) make it an ideal
preparation because its action and
even its shape are practically identical
to the apex pose, but it is more
accessible.
Hint: Draw the tailbone through the
thighs toward the floor.
ONE-LEGGED CAMEL (ekapada
ushtrasana) deepens the action of
warrior I, in particular deepening
the release for front thighs and
pelvis.
Hint: Engage the inner thigh by
lifting and contracting the muscle
toward the femur. Maintain the
internal rotation on the back leg.
Lift lower abdomen and collarbones.
The front knee is over the heel.+
© Lois Greenfield
5
6

{Art of Asana}
Urdhva mukha shvanasana (upward-facing dog) is an exhilarating, majestic pose that
will boost your self-confidence, expand your mind, and open your heart.
Upward-Facing-Dog
(Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana)
WHAT IS YOGA? My first teacher had a simple answer: “Yoga is life,”
a way of being fully and vibrantly alive. Yoga practice, it follows, should
empower us to see both our internal
and external circumstances with clarity
and wisdom, and to con stantly respond
to them in the best and most pro ductive
way.
Yet hardly a week goes by when I
don’t hear about someone who has hurt
themselves practicing yoga—which is
odd, since asana is supposed to remedy
and prevent aches and pains, not cause
new ones. But the simple truth is that
yoga, when performed incorrectly,
can harm you.
Some asana-related injuries have
simple causes. A momentary lapse
of attention, misjudgment about our
preparedness for a particular pose or
practice, or a basic misstep is sometimes
all it takes. Although these injuries
can set us back, they can
also teach us. They can help our practice
evolve by providing invaluable
feed back about how we should (and
shouldn’t) practice.
A more subtle type of injury occurs
when we choose to ignore pain, or practice
through an injury. Injuries of this
type occur as we repetitively practice
in ways that are either uninformed or
inappropriate. They often do the most
long-term harm. But here’s the good
news: they are also the most preventable.
Almost any pose, if performed
in correctly enough times, can cause
problems. Urdhva mukha shvanasana—
a powerful, exhilarating backbend
that is part of many, if not most, yoga
classes—is, I believe, a major contributor
to the increasing number of
lower back injuries occurring in yoga
classes today. The source of the injury,
however, may have less to do with the
backbend itself than with the way we
are practicing it.

Safe and effective asana practice is a
tapestry woven with two vital threads.
The first is correct mechanics, including
proper alignment. The second relates to
how those mechanics are applied. This
involves both the attitude we bring to
our practice and vinyasa karma (“wise
progression,” or proper sequencing).
Sequencing determines our overall experience
of a given practice, as well as the
extent to which our practice addresses (or
neglects) our individual needs and capacities.
Vinyasa karma is critical because it
shapes not only the overall effectiveness
of our practice, but also its impact on our
long-term health.
Upward-facing dog benefits us on
many levels. It strengthens the arms
and legs. As it stretches the front of the
body (hip flexors, abdomen, and chest),
the pose dramatically increases the curve
in the lumbar spine, tonifying and stimulating
both the kidneys and adrenals.
It is mentally expansive and invigorating;
it increases self-confidence and aspiration.
And because upward-facing dog activates
many of the qualities and energies
we need to meet the demands
of our fast-paced lives, it’s no wonder
that it is a common denominator in so
many classes.
Upward-facing dog is a part of several
different forms of the sun salutation,
making it common for it to be the fourth
pose we do in a class. For many backs
that’s very little preparation for a fairly
deep backbend. Along with adho mukha
shvanasana (downward-facing dog) and
chaturanga dandasana (four-limbed staff
pose), it is also often used as a dynamic
transition linking other postures, which
means that upward-facing dog can be
repeated many times in a single class.
Unless students stay mindful, the speed
and frequency of these transitions can
make their lower backs vulnerable to
compression.
Rod Stryker has taught tantra, meditation, and
hatha yoga for more than 25 years. He is an initiate
and teacher in the tradition of the Himalayan masters.
For more information, visit pureyoga.com.
WARRIOR I (virabhadrasana I)
is the standing prototype for backbends.
Work the outer edge of the back foot
toward the floor; internally rotate the
back thigh; and draw the tailbone down
into the body, as you lift the kidneys
and inner ribs.
Hint: Inhale, increase the buoyancy
of the upper body. Exhale, expand the
kidneys and flatten the lower back.
1
3
LOCUST VARIATION (shalabhasana) As you lift the legs and
the chest, draw the tailbone into the body. Gradually work the
legs together and squeeze the upper arms toward each other.
Keep the back of the neck long. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.
Hint: Internally rotate the thighs. Inhale, lift the torso. Exhale,
lift the inner thighs.

FOUR-LIMBED STAFF POSE (chaturanga dandasana)
establishes correct leg action and builds upper body strength.
Place the feet 4 to 6 inches apart; powerfully draw the shins in.
Engage the inner thighs and lift them toward the sky. Point the
tailbone toward the heels. Lengthen the heels away from the top
of the head. Gradually bring the forearms and upper arms to a
90-degree angle. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.
Variation: Hold with the elbows straight.
2
4
BOW POSE (dharanasana) Move as high as you comfortably
can into the pose; then press the shinbones back. At
the same time, press the breastbone forward.
Hint: Inhale, enliven the chest. Exhale, draw the tailbone
into the body and move higher into the pose.
The primary focal point of upwardfacing
dog is the lumbar spine—the least
stable part of the spine and the location
for the vast majority of back problems.
This asana particularly stresses the
junction where the sacrum and lumbar
spine meet. To be able to fully explore
the pose while minimizing our chances
for injury, we should prepare for it by
doing the following:
• Building stability in the spine.
• Creating more vertebral space in the
lower back.
• Performing poses that gradually
increase the lumbar curve.
• Using simpler poses that establish similar
action required to do the finished
pose safely.
The way I avoid potential problems
associated with upward-facing dog is to
treat it as a deep backbend instead of as
a warm-up pose. This means I often
sequence it later in the class, and teach
postures to prepare for sun salutations.
After the body has been sufficiently
pre pared, I use poses (like those pictured
here) to stretch the hip flexors, chest, and
abdomen; to draw the tailbone down and
in toward the body; and finally to engage
the arms, legs, and erector spinae muscles
before doing the final pose. If you’ve
properly prepared for it, upward-facing
dog can be held for 10 or more breaths,
allowing you to fully exalt in it and relish
all that this majestic pose has to offer.
(A complete practice should also include
poses that expand the waist and chest
and appropriate counterposes.)
Yoga, by definition, is holistic—it
must simultaneously address the needs
of the body, mind, and soul. As soon
as our hatha practice fails to do so (or
worse, when it begins to impair or limit
our ability to thrive), then we have lost
our link to the spirit of yoga. Sometimes,
retaining the “yoga” (read: “thriving”)
in our practice requires only minor
adjustments. Applying these refinements
is a yoga in itself, one that becomes the
ongoing basis for discovering a lifetime
of freedom and joy.

Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose
(Parivritta Janu Shirshasana)
“How will I ever master that pose?” Anyone who has practiced yoga has
asked themselves a similar question one time or another. I recall two occasions,
both of which occurred in my 20s when I
was at the height of my flexibility. The first
was at a performance of Cirque du Soleil.
The second was watching a contortionist on
the boardwalk in Venice, California. Despite
the number of advanced postures I could do,
I felt a kind of hopelessness about the future
of my asana practice on both occasions. If
you’ve seen someone do something with
their body that seemed utterly out of reach,
you may have had similar doubts about your
ability to attain mastery. These doubts compel
us to examine the relationship between
mastery of asana and extreme flexibility and/
or strength. Before we assume we’ll never
attain mastery in asana, let’s look at what it
really means.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is the most illuminating
text on the science of yoga. Revered
through the ages, its sublime and comprehensive
teachings are contained in 196 aphorisms.
Asana is only mentioned in four, a fact
which sheds light on the place of the poses in
the larger context of yoga.
Asana is first mentioned early in the
second chapter as one of the eight limbs
of ashtanga yoga. The last mentions are in
sutras 2.46–48, where we find the teaching
on its practice. Sutra 2.46 offers a basic
definition and practice guidelines: “Asana
is a steady or motionless (sthira) posture
accompanied with a sense of ease or comfort
(sukha).” But it is the last two sutras that
address our question about mastery. Here
Patanjali is crystal clear: while doing your
asana (with sukha and sthira), “loosen effort
while meditating on the Infinite (ananta).”
That’s it. There is no mention of
becoming a master once you can, say, put
your leg behind your head. Mastery doesn’t
depend on feats of flexibility or strength
but is sourced through communion with
the Infinite.
Awareness of the Infinite is unquestionably
a state of mind, yet certain postures
more readily open the door. Some of the
most direct are lateral poses—parivritta
janu shirshasana chief among them. This
powerful, radiant pose delivers an immediate
>>
experience of the boundless.

{ the art of asana }
Revolved head-to-knee pose generates an experience of freedom and ease, awakening
a sense of the boundlessness of our true nature.

What does it mean to be boundless physically?
The answer may surprise you: bodiless.
That’s right—the culmination of asana is to
no longer identify with your body. This idea is
not as lofty as it may sound. In fact, it’s something
we all aspire to. It’s called being healthy.
Nothing reminds us more of having a body
than physical suffering—the tiniest splinter
brings us right back to our mortal coil. On
the other hand, when nothing ails us we live
joyously and spontaneously, even spaciously,
unaware of the container called “my body.”
Therein lies one of the great paradoxes
of yoga practice. The ultimate achievement
in asana is to experience the Infinite—“no
body.” Yet the very process of working on the
body day after day to build physical precision
and control often makes us more absorbed
in it. That is the risk of seeing asana as a predominantly
physical practice. The more we do
it, the more absorbed we become in the very
thing we are meant to move beyond.
So how does one get beyond the body?
The answer, at least through asana, lies in the
postures that move energy up—namely, backbends
and laterals. Lateral postures are particularly
effective. While elongating the spine,
they create space in the intercostal, quadratus,
adductor, shoulder, and abdominal muscles,
as well as in the pelvis, lungs, and heart. They
also stretch the kidneys, which, according to
the Taoist tradition, frees stagnant energies
that settle there as a direct result of unresolved
fear. Finally, at the pranic level, laterals
increase both prana and vyana, which activate
the qualities of lightness and ascension.
The postures on these pages illustrate—
with one exception—the main types of laterals:
standing, open frame (arm balance),
kneeling, and sitting (the “apex” pose on
the previous page). The supine open-frame
type is not pictured. The five poses here are
sequenced to provide maximum preparation
for parivritta janu shirshasana, the apex pose
of the sequence. A complete lateral practice
should also include sun salutations, additional
standing, sitting, and lying postures that have
a backbend emphasis, as well as the appropriate
counterposes.
The key to effective and safe lateral stretch-
Rod Stryker has taught tantra, meditation, and hatha
yoga for more than 25 years. He is an initiate and teacher
in the tradition of the Himalayan masters. For more
information, visit pureyoga.com.
TRIANGLE POSE VARIATION (trikonasana) prepares us for the deeper laterals.
Grounds the legs to help anchor the hips. Emphasizes the extension of the
waist and the spine—not the shoulder. The back body is on the same plane as
the backs of the legs; the shoulders stack. Draw the top arm into the shoulder
and activate the inner body to reach toward the top of the head.
Hint: Inhale, the spine lengthens. Exhale, move the navel toward the spine while
rotating the chest toward the sky.
1
VASISTHASANA III is a classic lateral arm
balance. Shins in, shoulders stack. Lift and
press the inner thighs back while hugging
the sacrum into the body.
Hint: Inhale, broaden the collarbones while
drawing the waist and the ribs away from the
hips. Exhale, the navel rotates toward the sky.
3

STANDING HAND-TO-TOE POSE
(utthita hasta padangushthasana)
is an adductor stretch that activates
the secondary action of the
laterals. Press into both heels.
Both sides of the waist lift. While
pressing the inner thigh of the
lifted leg forward, rotate the torso
in the opposite direction.
Hint: Inhale, expand the back body.
Exhale, stabilize the standing leg
and the sacrum.
2
ing is stabilizing the hips and then, while
rotating the torso, maintaining length in the
spine. Avoid overarching the lower back,
collapsing the chest, or insufficient rotation.
Proper alignment and maintaining a balance
among stability, rotation, and elongation
allow us to create a deep and dynamic
lateral stretch. If necessary, go halfway in
any or all of the postures in order to maintain
that specific intention and to get the
most benefit.
What is the result of doing asana masterfully?
Patanjali mentions nothing about
physical accomplishment. According to
yoga’s greatest sage, the culmination of
asana is that duality (good/bad, happiness/
disappointment, success/failure) no longer
affects us. Asana done in the right spirit
leads to being less and less at the mercy of
the ups and downs of everyday life. Thus,
the ultimate achievement in asana is boundless
freedom—a state of being so present
and at ease with who we are that we are able
to masterfully shape destiny itself.
LATCH POSE (parighasana) is deepened by
emphasizing its asymmetrical component. To
do this, expand the upper-side body (i.e., arch
the upper-side waist, the intercostals, and the
lung toward the sky).
Hint: Inhale, lengthen the side, the back, and the
front bodies. Exhale, draw the tailbone into the
body, applying enough rotation so that the shoulders
are stacked.
HEAD-TO-KNEE POSE (janu shirshasana)
stretches the back for the sitting twist: parivritta
janu shirshasana. Press the inner thigh toward
the floor and the extended heel forward. Externally
rotate the inner thigh of the bent knee—
gradually working that knee away from the
straight leg. Elongate both sides of the waist.
Hint: Inhale, lengthen the sides and lift the collarbones.
Exhale, flatten the lower back.
4 5

{ the art of asana }
Maha mudra challenges us to master our vital energy, which is the real key to deepening the practice of yoga.
Here is a sequence that will prepare you for the physical mechanics of the pose… and its subtler dimensions.

Great Seal
(Maha Mudra)
Yoga has changed. Have you noticed? During my three decades of teaching
I have watched the yoga that we practice in the West become physically
harder and harder. On one hand, that’s positive. It means that while many
of us are seizing the opportunity to challenge
ourselves, we are also enjoying the benefits
of one of the most complete and effective
forms of exercise ever developed. On the
other hand, it causes us to make assumptions
about yoga that are simply inaccurate.
We assume that the more we advance in
our practice, the more vigorous and complicated
it should be. Accomplished practitioners
are expected to relish physical intensity,
but according to yogic adepts, just the opposite
is true. As practice evolves it becomes
less, not more, physical. True adepts require
less and less effort to attain the higher states
of yoga. From their perspective, the most
profound practices are ones that provide
access to the subtlest dimensions of the self.
Compared to asana, these methods link us
more directly to yoga’s ultimate goal—selfrealization.
What are these techniques, and
how are they organized?
Classic texts describe four practices—
asana, bandha, pranayama, and mudra—that
are arranged in a hierarchy; each builds on
the ones before it. Asanas (postures) steady
the body and mind, preparing them for
deeper practices; bandhas (locks) help us
retain vital energy; pranayama techniques
(breathing practices) build and regulate
energy; and mudras (subtle techniques of
internal control) allow us to direct and channel
it. Together, these techniques create an
internal alchemy—a transformation affecting
every level of the self.
Among the most revered of these methods
is maha mudra. Like other mudras, it is
a practice that arranges the body so that its
outward form (its “gesture or attitude”—
literal meanings of the word mudra) contributes
to the awakening of a new spiritual perspective.
Inwardly, maha mudra combines
asana, bandha, and pranayama to create a
kind of seal (yet another meaning), preventing
internal energies from being dissipated.
By both activating the body’s subtle forces
and teaching us how to contain them, maha
mudra quietly deepens concentration and
creates a powerful bridge between body,
mind, and spirit.

HALF LATERAL BEND (ardha parshvottanasana)
strengthens the lower back and elongates the spine. The
front knee is slightly flexed. Move in and out of the pose
5 times (exhale into the pose, fold, inhale up). Then hold
for 5 breaths.
Variation: Do with both arms by your side.
Hint: Begin your inhalation by filling the
chest and upper back. Begin your
exhalation by contracting the abdomen.
ROTATED TRIANGLE (parivritta
trikonasana) frees the hips and
initiates the twisting motion of
maha mudra. Keep the feet
parallel and the back leg straight.
Variation: Bend the front knee.
Hint: Exhale, contract the navel,
and rotate toward the sky.
1 2
EMPTY LAKEBED SEAL (tadaka
mudra) The legs and the spine
stretch in opposite directions.
Take slow, complete breaths.
Engage the root and chin locks.
If comfortable, pause after exhalation
and draw the abdomen
back and up. Hold tadaka mudra
for 1–5 minutes.
Hint: Relax the abdomen before
inhaling. Maintain the root lock
throughout.
ABDOMINAL LIFT (uddiyana bandha)
While exhaling, contract the abdomen toward the
spine. Expel the rest of the air through the mouth.
Hold the breath out and slowly draw the
internal organs back and up. Release
the abdomen slowly before inhaling.
Hint: Lower your chin to avoid
discomfort in the throat.
4a
4b

BRIDGE POSE (setu bandhasana
sarvangasana) elongates the
upper spine and develops the
openness in the chest that is
necessary for the chin lock. The
chest opens expansively while the
mind rests. The base of the neck
is off the floor.
Hint: Press your outer upper
arms into the floor.
3
THREE-ANGLED LEG-FACING FORWARD BEND
(trianga mukhaikapada pashchimottanasana) increases
the flexibility of the legs and the lower back. The knees
should be two or three inches apart. Internally rotate
both thighs. Keep the spine straight. The shoulder
blades slide down the back.
Variation: Sit on folded blankets to help with tight
hamstrings.
Hint: Avoid rounding the spine. Inhale, create more
length. Exhale, flatten the lower back.
5
At first glance, maha mudra (literally, the “great
seal”) looks much like any other pose. But a closer
inspection reveals why it is so profound: it integrates
many levels of the self. Physically, it challenges us to
bend forward from the hip joints, not the lower back.
This means keeping the spine aligned and the torso
elongated through the crown of the head.
As you practice, draw the upper body back and do
not allow the upper spine, neck, or shoulders to round.
Counter your effort in the upper body by lengthening
the back of the extended leg. This will challenge the
lower back, so work slowly and do not let your back
collapse. Flex the foot and reach through the heel to
deepen the stretch. The combination of leg and upper
body work in this mudra generates a tremendous
amount of energy.
Next, apply two locks: mula bandha (the root lock)
and jalandhara bandha (the chin lock). To apply the
root lock, contract and draw the center of the pelvic
floor upward. To apply the chin lock, lengthen the
back of the neck and tip the chin toward the notch
below the throat. These locks act as seals, containing
energy along the spinal column.
Then, become aware of the flow of your breathing.
Maintain the root lock while deepening and
relaxing your breath. This will quiet your nervous
system and provide a natural focus for your mind. In
more ad vanced stages of practice, breath retention is
practiced, along with a third lock, uddiyana bandha (the
abdominal lift). It is essential to work with a teacher at
this stage of practice. Over time, the combination of all
these techniques will slowly awaken dormant energies
at the base of the spine. As a result, your meditation
posture improves, your concentration deepens, and
you bring more spontaneity to daily life.
As with any posture, you can access maha mudra
more effectively with proper preparation. Create a practice
sequence that prepares you both for the physical
mechanics of the pose and its subtler dimensions. The
techniques pictured here are ones I consistently include
when I lead a class that features maha mudra. In addition
to these poses, you will also want to include sun
salutations and a variety of other standing, preparatory,
and counter poses that elongate and stabilize the spine.
I hope this will give you a glimpse of the more subtle
dimensions of yoga—dimensions that you can begin
to explore yourself. As the sages tell us, the body is a
vessel, sustained by living energy. Learning to master
that vital energy is the key to deepening our practice—
and to living a more joyful life.
Rod Stryker has taught tantra, meditation, and hatha yoga for more
than 25 years. He is an initiate and teacher in the tradition of the
Himalayan masters. For more information, visit parayoga.com.

{Art of Asana}
This powerful seated twist cultivates equanimity and inner illumination—
two qualities that help us unlock our vast potential and reach yoga’s ultimate aim.
Bharadvaja’s Twist II
(Bharadvajasana II)
What should you expect from yoga? Even if you’ve never done it, you are probably familiar
with its benefits: a healthier, more flexible body, reduced muscular and mental tension, improved
vitality, clearer thinking, deep relaxation, and perhaps even a better, more fulfilling sex life.
But before we conclude that’s all there is to yoga,
let’s consider it in a larger context. Throughout the
ages there have been accounts of masters who cultivated
abilities most of us would describe as fantastic:
the capacity to be in more than one place at the same
time; to consume poison with no ill effects; to foresee
the future; to materialize objects out of thin air; and
even the capacity to affect fate. So…which is it? Does
yoga simply offer a better quality of life or does it have
the potential to expand our capacities in ways that
few of us can even imagine? The answer is: both. It all
depends upon what you practice and how.
The ancient teachings consistently remind us that
siddhis (miraculous powers) are at best distractions
from the deeper purpose of life, and are not goals
worth pursuing in and of themselves. Yet they can
serve as beacons, reminders that hidden within each
of us are great mysteries to solve and unfathomable
possibilities to unlock.
We all come into this world with similar faculties.
Both a sage and a salesman have a mortal body,
five senses, access to prana (the vital force), consciousness,
and a soul. So what determines how
much of our vast potential we will unlock or, more to
the point, how far yoga can take us? The scriptures
are very clear: The key to unlocking our infinite
capacities and fulfilling yoga’s ultimate promise is
the mind. More specifically, we must cultivate two of
the mind’s inherent qualities: equanimity and inner
illumination.
The hatha yoga tradition describes specific practices
that awaken dormant capacities. Yet before we
tackle these advanced techniques we must be firmly
rooted in qualities first cultivated through asana.
Some of the most effective for increasing equanimity
and inner illumination are twists, particularly when
they are held for longer periods of time.
Bharadvajasana II is a powerful seated twist that
builds both these qualities. Like all twists, it releases
contraction in musculature as well as con nective
tissue, while improving visceral processes: the liver,
spleen, kidneys, and particularly the digestive and
eliminative functions are strengthened. At a more
subtle level, twists build samana, the “equalizing
force.” Stored in your abdomen, samana is one of
ten types of prana in the body. Its specific role is to
engender mental and physical stillness, as well as
assimilative capacity. Your capacity to slow down,
rest deeply, and process what you take in, is determined
by your supply of samana.

According to ayurveda, assimilation is
the cornerstone of physical well-being. In
simple terms, assimilation is the process
of transforming what we ingest into nourishment.
On the mental level assimilation is
the process of transforming our experiences
into life lessons that nourish us and help us
grow. Strong mental assimilation allows us
to efficiently extract what all experience—
both good and bad—is meant to teach us.
As the force behind assimilation, samana
is a form of subtle fire which, at the mental
level, ignites our capacity to “digest” or
burn our psychological patterning. As samana
increases, it fuels the inner light that
removes the darkness of spiritual ignorance.
Twists are the most effective postures for
building samana.
The key to twisting is the relationship
between the hips, shoulders, and head.
The mechanics of a twist require us to
stabilize at least one of these three areas.
For example, in a lying twist the shoulders
remain relatively stable, while the hips and
(sometimes) the head rotate. In sitting
twists we stabilize the hips while rotating
the shoulders. In the case of bharadvajasana
II, the head and shoulders rotate in opposite
directions, while the hips remain stable.
There is a natural progression to
twisting that we should follow to maximize
safety and effectiveness. In general, proceed
from standing, to lying, to seated twists.
The last of these are “fixed”—in other
words, the hips are immobilized. Seated,
fixed twists are the most powerful and
require the greatest amount of preparation
and caution.
The focal points that facilitate twisting
are flexibility and/or stability in the hips,
shoulders, and neck. The postures pictured
here address most of these focal points.
They should be part of a complete prac -
tice that includes sun salutations, standing
postures that emphasize hamstring
and hip flexibility, at least one or two lying
twists, and counterposes. Since twists are
asym metrical (one side is doing something
SPREAD-LEGGED STANDING FORWARD BEND (prasarita
padottanasana) affects flexibility in hips and hamstrings, increas -
ing our ease in twists. Rotate thighs internally, inner arches lift.
Soften the space between the shoulder blades, release them down
the back.
Hint: On inhale, lengthen the front body and spine. On exhale,
abdomen softly contracts. Soften the spine and upper body deeper
into the pose.
1
HALF-BOUND STANDING FORWARD BEND (ardha baddha
padottanasana) can be done with both hands on the floor. Slightly
flex the standing knee, if necessary, to avoid hyperextension.
Draw standing shin in to balance the weight on the standing foot.
Hint: Exhale, flatten lower back, releasing contraction in hamstring,
hips, and back. Draw shoulders away from ears, keep neck long, base
of the skull floats.
Rod Stryker has taught tantra, meditation, and hatha
yoga for more than 25 years. He is an initiate and
teacher in the tradition of the Himalayan masters.
For more information, visit pureyoga.com.
3

REVOLVED TRIANGLE (parivritta trikonasana)
is deepened when the hips are stable.
While sacrum remains parallel to the floor
shoulders rotate. Navel initiates the action
of the twist. Draw shins in. Inner thighs
lift and move back.
Hint: Inhale, lengthen spine, broaden the
collarbones. Exhale, navel moves into the
body and twists toward the sky.
2
different than the other), symmetrical forward
bends are ideal counter poses. Twists
are contra-indicated for serious disc issues.
Those with excessive thoracic curvature or
very tight hips should either avoid seated
twists or practice them cautiously. Finally,
it is important to ground the sacrum and
engage the inner thighs in all twists in order
to maintain and even increase lower back
stability.
As with all poses the deeper effects of
twisting unfold during longer holds. A
min imum of one to two minutes in the
pose is required before subtle forces are
signifi cantly affected. At the same time,
longer holds challenge us to steady our
mind, providing an opportunity to mentally
cul tivate pranic force. This yogic approach
to twisting—with mind, body, and breath
synergistically engaged—enlivens us with
balance, ease, and the subtle force of inner
fire. Once established in these qualities we
can dissolve our impediments to a fully
illumined life and thus set the stage to
realize ourselves, which is yoga’s boundless
promise.
ROTATED HERO (parivritta virasana) opens quadriceps
and ankles for bharadvajasana II. With hips fixed,
emphasize navel center as the source of rotation.
Hint: Inhale, elongate spine, lift collarbones. Exhale, draw
tailbone into the body, navel toward spine, and deepen the
rotation of the shoulders.
HALF-SEATED SPINAL TWIST (ardha matsyendrasana)
variations include straightening knee on the floor,
back hand can wrap or bind. Increases the rotational
flexibility of the spine, inner body, and hips.
Hint: When twisting to the left, spread right side of the
back away from the spine. Inhale, lengthen. Exhale,
contract abdomen to deepen the twist.
4
5

presents
the Art of Asana Master Class series.
In the first of its master class series, Yoga International has teamed
up with Rod Stryker, the founder of ParaYoga, to help readers apply the
timeless teachings of yoga to their daily practice. Rod Stryker is widely
considered to be one of the preeminent yoga and meditation teachers in
the United States. He is renowned for his depth of knowledge, practical
wisdom, and unique ability to transmit the deepest aspect of the teachings
and practices to modern audiences and students from all walks of life. Rod
has taught for more than 30 years, training teachers and leading corporate
seminars, yoga retreats, and workshops throughout the world.
For more ways to deepen your practice, log on to yogainternational.com.
For information about Rod Stryker and ParaYoga, visit parayoga.com
©2012 by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner without permission is prohibited.
All photographs © Lois Greenfield; Used with permission; all rights reserved.