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{ the art of asana }<br />
Deepen Your<br />
Practice<br />
with<br />
Rod Stryker<br />
Text by Rod Stryker<br />
Photographs by Lois Greenfield
{Art of Asana}<br />
Urdhva dhanurasana (upward-facing bow) is an expression<br />
of the joy and fearlessness that is the hallmark of a successful<br />
yoga practice. This pose opens the body and awakens the mind.<br />
Upward-Facing Bow<br />
(Urdhva dhanurasana)<br />
The ancient masters saw the body as a bridge to the infinite.<br />
Their exploration of how it can be used to access Spirit’s<br />
sublime beauty and power is what we know today as hatha<br />
yoga. The approach of these masters was based on two key<br />
insights: all the forces of nature are contained in our physical<br />
form, and fulfillment—both material and spiritual—follows<br />
effortlessly as we develop mastery over these forces within<br />
the body.<br />
We often judge our practice by what our body can or can’t<br />
do: the number of sun salutations, how deep we are in a pose,<br />
how long we can hold it, even which cross-legged seat we use<br />
for meditation. None of these are true barometers of practice.<br />
While the body is indeed where the journey of yoga begins<br />
for many of us, perfection of the body is not the goal. In yoga<br />
your body is a means, not the end.<br />
I am often asked how to measure the quality of a yoga<br />
practice. “How do I know that the practice I am doing is the<br />
best one for me?” The answer: by its effect. The quality of your<br />
practice is ultimately measured by its effect on the quality of<br />
your life. In other words, mastery in yoga is mastery of life.<br />
Urdhva dhanurasana, like all poses, benefits our body,<br />
mind, energetic systems, and emotions in unique ways. By<br />
encapsulating the essence of backbending, the pose propels us<br />
toward the ultimate embodiment of yoga: fearlessness and joy.
Sukha, the Sanskrit term for ease,<br />
happiness, or pleasure, literally means “good<br />
space.” The masters tell us we suffer (duhkha)<br />
because “stuff” overshadows the inherent goodness<br />
of our inner space. It settles between cells,<br />
organs, vertebrae, along medians, and in our<br />
fields of perception. The glory of backbends is<br />
their ability to disperse this “stuff,” thus revealing<br />
our natural state of ease.<br />
Urdhva dhanurasana increases the vital force<br />
around the heart (pran), as well as the distributive<br />
force (vyana) throughout the body, thus<br />
increasing the breadth of courage and awareness.<br />
The pose stimulates both mind and body—the<br />
net result is exultation, awakening radiance,<br />
delight, and compassion.<br />
This pose is the culmination of backbends,<br />
and so is beyond the reach of many students.<br />
Those who can do it often experience pain or<br />
harm their lower back or shoulders. Thus, the<br />
challenge is to move toward accomplishing the<br />
pose safely and effectively.<br />
The principles of sequencing (vinyasa krama)<br />
require us to systematically prepare the body<br />
for the most challenging pose in a practice (the<br />
apex). Poses that prepare us for the apex have<br />
a similar physical, mental, and energetic action,<br />
but are simpler and more accessible. Methodical<br />
sequencing has four steps: First, identify the<br />
apex. Then analyze the focal points—the areas<br />
of the body most involved—in terms of flex ibility,<br />
stability, and correct actions. Next, choose<br />
the appropriate preparatory poses, and, finally,<br />
place them in order.<br />
The focal points for urdhva dhanurasana<br />
include flexibility along the front body, specifically<br />
in the quadriceps, hip flexors, intercostal muscles,<br />
shoulders, wrists; and strength and stability<br />
in the sacrum, arms, shoulders, wrists. Correct<br />
actions include internal rotation of thighs, upper<br />
arms, and the engagement of the hamstrings.<br />
The postures pictured here address many<br />
of these focal points. I consistently use them<br />
(or variations) to prepare students for deep<br />
backbends. They should be part of a complete<br />
practice that includes sun salutations, standing<br />
postures, arm strengthening, and counterposes.<br />
Asana practice enhances physical well-being,<br />
but its greatest effect is on the mind and pranic<br />
(energy) body. Upward-facing bow and the postures<br />
that build toward it inspire us to reach for<br />
greatness and increase our capacity and passion<br />
for life.<br />
CHAIR POSE (utkatasana) is an<br />
excellent preparation for backbending.<br />
It strengthens the lower<br />
back, opens the chest and shoulders,<br />
and establishes the correct action<br />
to stabilize the sacrum: tailbone<br />
draws into the body (pelvic tilt),<br />
while upper arms externally rotate<br />
and draw down into the shoulder<br />
sockets.<br />
Hint: On inhale, lift chest and<br />
collarbones. On exhale, tailbone<br />
tilts toward the heels.<br />
1<br />
COBRA VARIATION (bhujangasana)<br />
deepens the lumbar curve, engages<br />
lower abdominal lift, promotes<br />
expansion of intercostals and<br />
lengthening of the upper spine.<br />
Hint: Keep the legs active: shins in,<br />
inner thighs engaged, and spiral<br />
toward the ceiling. Arm draws down<br />
into the shoulder socket. Exhale,<br />
navel toward spine.<br />
4
SIDE-ANGLE POSE (parshvakonasana)<br />
is a dynamic stretch for the intercostals<br />
and shoulders.<br />
Hint: Stretch the back body and front body<br />
equally. Back leg muscles engage, draw<br />
tailbone into the body, expand the kidneys.<br />
WARRIOR I VARIATION<br />
(virabhadrasana I) builds on<br />
the pelvic tilt of chair pose<br />
by deepening the opening<br />
of the chest. It dynamically<br />
stretches the hip flexors and<br />
quadriceps.<br />
Hint: Inhale, lift collarbones.<br />
Exhale, expand and flatten<br />
lumbar spine, tailbone toward<br />
the front heel. Powerfully,<br />
internally rotate the<br />
back thigh.<br />
2 3<br />
BOW (dhanurasana) enlivens the<br />
action of the legs, chest, and pelvis.<br />
Its similarity to urdhva dhanurasana<br />
(in action and shape) make it an ideal<br />
preparation because its action and<br />
even its shape are practically identical<br />
to the apex pose, but it is more<br />
accessible.<br />
Hint: Draw the tailbone through the<br />
thighs toward the floor.<br />
ONE-LEGGED CAMEL (ekapada<br />
ushtrasana) deepens the action of<br />
warrior I, in particular deepening<br />
the release for front thighs and<br />
pelvis.<br />
Hint: Engage the inner thigh by<br />
lifting and contracting the muscle<br />
toward the femur. Maintain the<br />
internal rotation on the back leg.<br />
Lift lower abdomen and collarbones.<br />
The front knee is over the heel.+<br />
© Lois Greenfield<br />
5<br />
6
{Art of Asana}<br />
Urdhva mukha shvanasana (upward-facing dog) is an exhilarating, majestic pose that<br />
will boost your self-confidence, expand your mind, and open your heart.<br />
Upward-Facing-Dog<br />
(Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana)<br />
WHAT IS YOGA? My first teacher had a simple answer: “Yoga is life,”<br />
a way of being fully and vibrantly alive. Yoga practice, it follows, should<br />
empower us to see both our internal<br />
and external circumstances with clarity<br />
and wisdom, and to con stantly respond<br />
to them in the best and most pro ductive<br />
way.<br />
Yet hardly a week goes by when I<br />
don’t hear about someone who has hurt<br />
themselves practicing yoga—which is<br />
odd, since asana is supposed to remedy<br />
and prevent aches and pains, not cause<br />
new ones. But the simple truth is that<br />
yoga, when performed incorrectly,<br />
can harm you.<br />
Some asana-related injuries have<br />
simple causes. A momentary lapse<br />
of attention, misjudgment about our<br />
preparedness for a particular pose or<br />
practice, or a basic misstep is sometimes<br />
all it takes. Although these injuries<br />
can set us back, they can<br />
also teach us. They can help our practice<br />
evolve by providing invaluable<br />
feed back about how we should (and<br />
shouldn’t) practice.<br />
A more subtle type of injury occurs<br />
when we choose to ignore pain, or practice<br />
through an injury. Injuries of this<br />
type occur as we repetitively practice<br />
in ways that are either uninformed or<br />
inappropriate. They often do the most<br />
long-term harm. But here’s the good<br />
news: they are also the most preventable.<br />
Almost any pose, if performed<br />
in correctly enough times, can cause<br />
problems. Urdhva mukha shvanasana—<br />
a powerful, exhilarating backbend<br />
that is part of many, if not most, yoga<br />
classes—is, I believe, a major contributor<br />
to the increasing number of<br />
lower back injuries occurring in yoga<br />
classes today. The source of the injury,<br />
however, may have less to do with the<br />
backbend itself than with the way we<br />
are practicing it.
Safe and effective asana practice is a<br />
tapestry woven with two vital threads.<br />
The first is correct mechanics, including<br />
proper alignment. The second relates to<br />
how those mechanics are applied. This<br />
involves both the attitude we bring to<br />
our practice and vinyasa karma (“wise<br />
progression,” or proper sequencing).<br />
Sequencing determines our overall experience<br />
of a given practice, as well as the<br />
extent to which our practice addresses (or<br />
neglects) our individual needs and capacities.<br />
Vinyasa karma is critical because it<br />
shapes not only the overall effectiveness<br />
of our practice, but also its impact on our<br />
long-term health.<br />
Upward-facing dog benefits us on<br />
many levels. It strengthens the arms<br />
and legs. As it stretches the front of the<br />
body (hip flexors, abdomen, and chest),<br />
the pose dramatically increases the curve<br />
in the lumbar spine, tonifying and stimulating<br />
both the kidneys and adrenals.<br />
It is mentally expansive and invigorating;<br />
it increases self-confidence and aspiration.<br />
And because upward-facing dog activates<br />
many of the qualities and energies<br />
we need to meet the demands<br />
of our fast-paced lives, it’s no wonder<br />
that it is a common denominator in so<br />
many classes.<br />
Upward-facing dog is a part of several<br />
different forms of the sun salutation,<br />
making it common for it to be the fourth<br />
pose we do in a class. For many backs<br />
that’s very little preparation for a fairly<br />
deep backbend. Along with adho mukha<br />
shvanasana (downward-facing dog) and<br />
chaturanga dandasana (four-limbed staff<br />
pose), it is also often used as a dynamic<br />
transition linking other postures, which<br />
means that upward-facing dog can be<br />
repeated many times in a single class.<br />
Unless students stay mindful, the speed<br />
and frequency of these transitions can<br />
make their lower backs vulnerable to<br />
compression.<br />
Rod Stryker has taught tantra, meditation, and<br />
hatha yoga for more than 25 years. He is an initiate<br />
and teacher in the tradition of the Himalayan masters.<br />
For more information, visit pureyoga.com.<br />
WARRIOR I (virabhadrasana I)<br />
is the standing prototype for backbends.<br />
Work the outer edge of the back foot<br />
toward the floor; internally rotate the<br />
back thigh; and draw the tailbone down<br />
into the body, as you lift the kidneys<br />
and inner ribs.<br />
Hint: Inhale, increase the buoyancy<br />
of the upper body. Exhale, expand the<br />
kidneys and flatten the lower back.<br />
1<br />
3<br />
LOCUST VARIATION (shalabhasana) As you lift the legs and<br />
the chest, draw the tailbone into the body. Gradually work the<br />
legs together and squeeze the upper arms toward each other.<br />
Keep the back of the neck long. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.<br />
Hint: Internally rotate the thighs. Inhale, lift the torso. Exhale,<br />
lift the inner thighs.
FOUR-LIMBED STAFF POSE (chaturanga dandasana)<br />
establishes correct leg action and builds upper body strength.<br />
Place the feet 4 to 6 inches apart; powerfully draw the shins in.<br />
Engage the inner thighs and lift them toward the sky. Point the<br />
tailbone toward the heels. Lengthen the heels away from the top<br />
of the head. Gradually bring the forearms and upper arms to a<br />
90-degree angle. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.<br />
Variation: Hold with the elbows straight.<br />
2<br />
4<br />
BOW POSE (dharanasana) Move as high as you comfortably<br />
can into the pose; then press the shinbones back. At<br />
the same time, press the breastbone forward.<br />
Hint: Inhale, enliven the chest. Exhale, draw the tailbone<br />
into the body and move higher into the pose.<br />
The primary focal point of upwardfacing<br />
dog is the lumbar spine—the least<br />
stable part of the spine and the location<br />
for the vast majority of back problems.<br />
This asana particularly stresses the<br />
junction where the sacrum and lumbar<br />
spine meet. To be able to fully explore<br />
the pose while minimizing our chances<br />
for injury, we should prepare for it by<br />
doing the following:<br />
• Building stability in the spine.<br />
• Creating more vertebral space in the<br />
lower back.<br />
• Performing poses that gradually<br />
increase the lumbar curve.<br />
• Using simpler poses that establish similar<br />
action required to do the finished<br />
pose safely.<br />
The way I avoid potential problems<br />
associated with upward-facing dog is to<br />
treat it as a deep backbend instead of as<br />
a warm-up pose. This means I often<br />
sequence it later in the class, and teach<br />
postures to prepare for sun salutations.<br />
After the body has been sufficiently<br />
pre pared, I use poses (like those pictured<br />
here) to stretch the hip flexors, chest, and<br />
abdomen; to draw the tailbone down and<br />
in toward the body; and finally to engage<br />
the arms, legs, and erector spinae muscles<br />
before doing the final pose. If you’ve<br />
properly prepared for it, upward-facing<br />
dog can be held for 10 or more breaths,<br />
allowing you to fully exalt in it and relish<br />
all that this majestic pose has to offer.<br />
(A complete practice should also include<br />
poses that expand the waist and chest<br />
and appropriate counterposes.)<br />
Yoga, by definition, is holistic—it<br />
must simultaneously address the needs<br />
of the body, mind, and soul. As soon<br />
as our hatha practice fails to do so (or<br />
worse, when it begins to impair or limit<br />
our ability to thrive), then we have lost<br />
our link to the spirit of yoga. Sometimes,<br />
retaining the “yoga” (read: “thriving”)<br />
in our practice requires only minor<br />
adjustments. Applying these refinements<br />
is a yoga in itself, one that becomes the<br />
ongoing basis for discovering a lifetime<br />
of freedom and joy.
Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose<br />
(Parivritta Janu Shirshasana)<br />
“How will I ever master that pose?” Anyone who has practiced yoga has<br />
asked themselves a similar question one time or another. I recall two occasions,<br />
both of which occurred in my 20s when I<br />
was at the height of my flexibility. The first<br />
was at a performance of Cirque du Soleil.<br />
The second was watching a contortionist on<br />
the boardwalk in Venice, California. Despite<br />
the number of advanced postures I could do,<br />
I felt a kind of hopelessness about the future<br />
of my asana practice on both occasions. If<br />
you’ve seen someone do something with<br />
their body that seemed utterly out of reach,<br />
you may have had similar doubts about your<br />
ability to attain mastery. These doubts compel<br />
us to examine the relationship between<br />
mastery of asana and extreme flexibility and/<br />
or strength. Before we assume we’ll never<br />
attain mastery in asana, let’s look at what it<br />
really means.<br />
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is the most illuminating<br />
text on the science of yoga. Revered<br />
through the ages, its sublime and comprehensive<br />
teachings are contained in 196 aphorisms.<br />
Asana is only mentioned in four, a fact<br />
which sheds light on the place of the poses in<br />
the larger context of yoga.<br />
Asana is first mentioned early in the<br />
second chapter as one of the eight limbs<br />
of ashtanga yoga. The last mentions are in<br />
sutras 2.46–48, where we find the teaching<br />
on its practice. Sutra 2.46 offers a basic<br />
definition and practice guidelines: “Asana<br />
is a steady or motionless (sthira) posture<br />
accompanied with a sense of ease or comfort<br />
(sukha).” But it is the last two sutras that<br />
address our question about mastery. Here<br />
Patanjali is crystal clear: while doing your<br />
asana (with sukha and sthira), “loosen effort<br />
while meditating on the Infinite (ananta).”<br />
That’s it. There is no mention of<br />
becoming a master once you can, say, put<br />
your leg behind your head. Mastery doesn’t<br />
depend on feats of flexibility or strength<br />
but is sourced through communion with<br />
the Infinite.<br />
Awareness of the Infinite is unquestionably<br />
a state of mind, yet certain postures<br />
more readily open the door. Some of the<br />
most direct are lateral poses—parivritta<br />
janu shirshasana chief among them. This<br />
powerful, radiant pose delivers an immediate<br />
>><br />
experience of the boundless.
{ the art of asana }<br />
Revolved head-to-knee pose generates an experience of freedom and ease, awakening<br />
a sense of the boundlessness of our true nature.
What does it mean to be boundless physically?<br />
The answer may surprise you: bodiless.<br />
That’s right—the culmination of asana is to<br />
no longer identify with your body. This idea is<br />
not as lofty as it may sound. In fact, it’s something<br />
we all aspire to. It’s called being healthy.<br />
Nothing reminds us more of having a body<br />
than physical suffering—the tiniest splinter<br />
brings us right back to our mortal coil. On<br />
the other hand, when nothing ails us we live<br />
joyously and spontaneously, even spaciously,<br />
unaware of the container called “my body.”<br />
Therein lies one of the great paradoxes<br />
of yoga practice. The ultimate achievement<br />
in asana is to experience the Infinite—“no<br />
body.” Yet the very process of working on the<br />
body day after day to build physical precision<br />
and control often makes us more absorbed<br />
in it. That is the risk of seeing asana as a predominantly<br />
physical practice. The more we do<br />
it, the more absorbed we become in the very<br />
thing we are meant to move beyond.<br />
So how does one get beyond the body?<br />
The answer, at least through asana, lies in the<br />
postures that move energy up—namely, backbends<br />
and laterals. Lateral postures are particularly<br />
effective. While elongating the spine,<br />
they create space in the intercostal, quadratus,<br />
adductor, shoulder, and abdominal muscles,<br />
as well as in the pelvis, lungs, and heart. They<br />
also stretch the kidneys, which, according to<br />
the Taoist tradition, frees stagnant energies<br />
that settle there as a direct result of unresolved<br />
fear. Finally, at the pranic level, laterals<br />
increase both prana and vyana, which activate<br />
the qualities of lightness and ascension.<br />
The postures on these pages illustrate—<br />
with one exception—the main types of laterals:<br />
standing, open frame (arm balance),<br />
kneeling, and sitting (the “apex” pose on<br />
the previous page). The supine open-frame<br />
type is not pictured. The five poses here are<br />
sequenced to provide maximum preparation<br />
for parivritta janu shirshasana, the apex pose<br />
of the sequence. A complete lateral practice<br />
should also include sun salutations, additional<br />
standing, sitting, and lying postures that have<br />
a backbend emphasis, as well as the appropriate<br />
counterposes.<br />
The key to effective and safe lateral stretch-<br />
Rod Stryker has taught tantra, meditation, and hatha<br />
yoga for more than 25 years. He is an initiate and teacher<br />
in the tradition of the Himalayan masters. For more<br />
information, visit pureyoga.com.<br />
TRIANGLE POSE VARIATION (trikonasana) prepares us for the deeper laterals.<br />
Grounds the legs to help anchor the hips. Emphasizes the extension of the<br />
waist and the spine—not the shoulder. The back body is on the same plane as<br />
the backs of the legs; the shoulders stack. Draw the top arm into the shoulder<br />
and activate the inner body to reach toward the top of the head.<br />
Hint: Inhale, the spine lengthens. Exhale, move the navel toward the spine while<br />
rotating the chest toward the sky.<br />
1<br />
VASISTHASANA III is a classic lateral arm<br />
balance. Shins in, shoulders stack. Lift and<br />
press the inner thighs back while hugging<br />
the sacrum into the body.<br />
Hint: Inhale, broaden the collarbones while<br />
drawing the waist and the ribs away from the<br />
hips. Exhale, the navel rotates toward the sky.<br />
3
STANDING HAND-TO-TOE POSE<br />
(utthita hasta padangushthasana)<br />
is an adductor stretch that activates<br />
the secondary action of the<br />
laterals. Press into both heels.<br />
Both sides of the waist lift. While<br />
pressing the inner thigh of the<br />
lifted leg forward, rotate the torso<br />
in the opposite direction.<br />
Hint: Inhale, expand the back body.<br />
Exhale, stabilize the standing leg<br />
and the sacrum.<br />
2<br />
ing is stabilizing the hips and then, while<br />
rotating the torso, maintaining length in the<br />
spine. Avoid overarching the lower back,<br />
collapsing the chest, or insufficient rotation.<br />
Proper alignment and maintaining a balance<br />
among stability, rotation, and elongation<br />
allow us to create a deep and dynamic<br />
lateral stretch. If necessary, go halfway in<br />
any or all of the postures in order to maintain<br />
that specific intention and to get the<br />
most benefit.<br />
What is the result of doing asana masterfully?<br />
Patanjali mentions nothing about<br />
physical accomplishment. According to<br />
yoga’s greatest sage, the culmination of<br />
asana is that duality (good/bad, happiness/<br />
disappointment, success/failure) no longer<br />
affects us. Asana done in the right spirit<br />
leads to being less and less at the mercy of<br />
the ups and downs of everyday life. Thus,<br />
the ultimate achievement in asana is boundless<br />
freedom—a state of being so present<br />
and at ease with who we are that we are able<br />
to masterfully shape destiny itself.<br />
LATCH POSE (parighasana) is deepened by<br />
emphasizing its asymmetrical component. To<br />
do this, expand the upper-side body (i.e., arch<br />
the upper-side waist, the intercostals, and the<br />
lung toward the sky).<br />
Hint: Inhale, lengthen the side, the back, and the<br />
front bodies. Exhale, draw the tailbone into the<br />
body, applying enough rotation so that the shoulders<br />
are stacked.<br />
HEAD-TO-KNEE POSE (janu shirshasana)<br />
stretches the back for the sitting twist: parivritta<br />
janu shirshasana. Press the inner thigh toward<br />
the floor and the extended heel forward. Externally<br />
rotate the inner thigh of the bent knee—<br />
gradually working that knee away from the<br />
straight leg. Elongate both sides of the waist.<br />
Hint: Inhale, lengthen the sides and lift the collarbones.<br />
Exhale, flatten the lower back.<br />
4 5
{ the art of asana }<br />
Maha mudra challenges us to master our vital energy, which is the real key to deepening the practice of yoga.<br />
Here is a sequence that will prepare you for the physical mechanics of the pose… and its subtler dimensions.
Great Seal<br />
(Maha Mudra)<br />
Yoga has changed. Have you noticed? During my three decades of teaching<br />
I have watched the yoga that we practice in the West become physically<br />
harder and harder. On one hand, that’s positive. It means that while many<br />
of us are seizing the opportunity to challenge<br />
ourselves, we are also enjoying the benefits<br />
of one of the most complete and effective<br />
forms of exercise ever developed. On the<br />
other hand, it causes us to make assumptions<br />
about yoga that are simply inaccurate.<br />
We assume that the more we advance in<br />
our practice, the more vigorous and complicated<br />
it should be. Accomplished practitioners<br />
are expected to relish physical intensity,<br />
but according to yogic adepts, just the opposite<br />
is true. As practice evolves it becomes<br />
less, not more, physical. True adepts require<br />
less and less effort to attain the higher states<br />
of yoga. From their perspective, the most<br />
profound practices are ones that provide<br />
access to the subtlest dimensions of the self.<br />
Compared to asana, these methods link us<br />
more directly to yoga’s ultimate goal—selfrealization.<br />
What are these techniques, and<br />
how are they organized?<br />
Classic texts describe four practices—<br />
asana, bandha, pranayama, and mudra—that<br />
are arranged in a hierarchy; each builds on<br />
the ones before it. Asanas (postures) steady<br />
the body and mind, preparing them for<br />
deeper practices; bandhas (locks) help us<br />
retain vital energy; pranayama techniques<br />
(breathing practices) build and regulate<br />
energy; and mudras (subtle techniques of<br />
internal control) allow us to direct and channel<br />
it. Together, these techniques create an<br />
internal alchemy—a transformation affecting<br />
every level of the self.<br />
Among the most revered of these methods<br />
is maha mudra. Like other mudras, it is<br />
a practice that arranges the body so that its<br />
outward form (its “gesture or attitude”—<br />
literal meanings of the word mudra) contributes<br />
to the awakening of a new spiritual perspective.<br />
Inwardly, maha mudra combines<br />
asana, bandha, and pranayama to create a<br />
kind of seal (yet another meaning), preventing<br />
internal energies from being dissipated.<br />
By both activating the body’s subtle forces<br />
and teaching us how to contain them, maha<br />
mudra quietly deepens concentration and<br />
creates a powerful bridge between body,<br />
mind, and spirit.
HALF LATERAL BEND (ardha parshvottanasana)<br />
strengthens the lower back and elongates the spine. The<br />
front knee is slightly flexed. Move in and out of the pose<br />
5 times (exhale into the pose, fold, inhale up). Then hold<br />
for 5 breaths.<br />
Variation: Do with both arms by your side.<br />
Hint: Begin your inhalation by filling the<br />
chest and upper back. Begin your<br />
exhalation by contracting the abdomen.<br />
ROTATED TRIANGLE (parivritta<br />
trikonasana) frees the hips and<br />
initiates the twisting motion of<br />
maha mudra. Keep the feet<br />
parallel and the back leg straight.<br />
Variation: Bend the front knee.<br />
Hint: Exhale, contract the navel,<br />
and rotate toward the sky.<br />
1 2<br />
EMPTY LAKEBED SEAL (tadaka<br />
mudra) The legs and the spine<br />
stretch in opposite directions.<br />
Take slow, complete breaths.<br />
Engage the root and chin locks.<br />
If comfortable, pause after exhalation<br />
and draw the abdomen<br />
back and up. Hold tadaka mudra<br />
for 1–5 minutes.<br />
Hint: Relax the abdomen before<br />
inhaling. Maintain the root lock<br />
throughout.<br />
ABDOMINAL LIFT (uddiyana bandha)<br />
While exhaling, contract the abdomen toward the<br />
spine. Expel the rest of the air through the mouth.<br />
Hold the breath out and slowly draw the<br />
internal organs back and up. Release<br />
the abdomen slowly before inhaling.<br />
Hint: Lower your chin to avoid<br />
discomfort in the throat.<br />
4a<br />
4b
BRIDGE POSE (setu bandhasana<br />
sarvangasana) elongates the<br />
upper spine and develops the<br />
openness in the chest that is<br />
necessary for the chin lock. The<br />
chest opens expansively while the<br />
mind rests. The base of the neck<br />
is off the floor.<br />
Hint: Press your outer upper<br />
arms into the floor.<br />
3<br />
THREE-ANGLED LEG-FACING FORWARD BEND<br />
(trianga mukhaikapada pashchimottanasana) increases<br />
the flexibility of the legs and the lower back. The knees<br />
should be two or three inches apart. Internally rotate<br />
both thighs. Keep the spine straight. The shoulder<br />
blades slide down the back.<br />
Variation: Sit on folded blankets to help with tight<br />
hamstrings.<br />
Hint: Avoid rounding the spine. Inhale, create more<br />
length. Exhale, flatten the lower back.<br />
5<br />
At first glance, maha mudra (literally, the “great<br />
seal”) looks much like any other pose. But a closer<br />
inspection reveals why it is so profound: it integrates<br />
many levels of the self. Physically, it challenges us to<br />
bend forward from the hip joints, not the lower back.<br />
This means keeping the spine aligned and the torso<br />
elongated through the crown of the head.<br />
As you practice, draw the upper body back and do<br />
not allow the upper spine, neck, or shoulders to round.<br />
Counter your effort in the upper body by lengthening<br />
the back of the extended leg. This will challenge the<br />
lower back, so work slowly and do not let your back<br />
collapse. Flex the foot and reach through the heel to<br />
deepen the stretch. The combination of leg and upper<br />
body work in this mudra generates a tremendous<br />
amount of energy.<br />
Next, apply two locks: mula bandha (the root lock)<br />
and jalandhara bandha (the chin lock). To apply the<br />
root lock, contract and draw the center of the pelvic<br />
floor upward. To apply the chin lock, lengthen the<br />
back of the neck and tip the chin toward the notch<br />
below the throat. These locks act as seals, containing<br />
energy along the spinal column.<br />
Then, become aware of the flow of your breathing.<br />
Maintain the root lock while deepening and<br />
relaxing your breath. This will quiet your nervous<br />
system and provide a natural focus for your mind. In<br />
more ad vanced stages of practice, breath retention is<br />
practiced, along with a third lock, uddiyana bandha (the<br />
abdominal lift). It is essential to work with a teacher at<br />
this stage of practice. Over time, the combination of all<br />
these techniques will slowly awaken dormant energies<br />
at the base of the spine. As a result, your meditation<br />
posture improves, your concentration deepens, and<br />
you bring more spontaneity to daily life.<br />
As with any posture, you can access maha mudra<br />
more effectively with proper preparation. Create a practice<br />
sequence that prepares you both for the physical<br />
mechanics of the pose and its subtler dimensions. The<br />
techniques pictured here are ones I consistently include<br />
when I lead a class that features maha mudra. In addition<br />
to these poses, you will also want to include sun<br />
salutations and a variety of other standing, preparatory,<br />
and counter poses that elongate and stabilize the spine.<br />
I hope this will give you a glimpse of the more subtle<br />
dimensions of yoga—dimensions that you can begin<br />
to explore yourself. As the sages tell us, the body is a<br />
vessel, sustained by living energy. Learning to master<br />
that vital energy is the key to deepening our practice—<br />
and to living a more joyful life.<br />
Rod Stryker has taught tantra, meditation, and hatha yoga for more<br />
than 25 years. He is an initiate and teacher in the tradition of the<br />
Himalayan masters. For more information, visit parayoga.com.
{Art of Asana}<br />
This powerful seated twist cultivates equanimity and inner illumination—<br />
two qualities that help us unlock our vast potential and reach yoga’s ultimate aim.<br />
Bharadvaja’s Twist II<br />
(Bharadvajasana II)<br />
What should you expect from yoga? Even if you’ve never done it, you are probably familiar<br />
with its benefits: a healthier, more flexible body, reduced muscular and mental tension, improved<br />
vitality, clearer thinking, deep relaxation, and perhaps even a better, more fulfilling sex life.<br />
But before we conclude that’s all there is to yoga,<br />
let’s consider it in a larger context. Throughout the<br />
ages there have been accounts of masters who cultivated<br />
abilities most of us would describe as fantastic:<br />
the capacity to be in more than one place at the same<br />
time; to consume poison with no ill effects; to foresee<br />
the future; to materialize objects out of thin air; and<br />
even the capacity to affect fate. So…which is it? Does<br />
yoga simply offer a better quality of life or does it have<br />
the potential to expand our capacities in ways that<br />
few of us can even imagine? The answer is: both. It all<br />
depends upon what you practice and how.<br />
The ancient teachings consistently remind us that<br />
siddhis (miraculous powers) are at best distractions<br />
from the deeper purpose of life, and are not goals<br />
worth pursuing in and of themselves. Yet they can<br />
serve as beacons, reminders that hidden within each<br />
of us are great mysteries to solve and unfathomable<br />
possibilities to unlock.<br />
We all come into this world with similar faculties.<br />
Both a sage and a salesman have a mortal body,<br />
five senses, access to prana (the vital force), consciousness,<br />
and a soul. So what determines how<br />
much of our vast potential we will unlock or, more to<br />
the point, how far yoga can take us? The scriptures<br />
are very clear: The key to unlocking our infinite<br />
capacities and fulfilling yoga’s ultimate promise is<br />
the mind. More specifically, we must cultivate two of<br />
the mind’s inherent qualities: equanimity and inner<br />
illumination.<br />
The hatha yoga tradition describes specific practices<br />
that awaken dormant capacities. Yet before we<br />
tackle these advanced techniques we must be firmly<br />
rooted in qualities first cultivated through asana.<br />
Some of the most effective for increasing equanimity<br />
and inner illumination are twists, particularly when<br />
they are held for longer periods of time.<br />
Bharadvajasana II is a powerful seated twist that<br />
builds both these qualities. Like all twists, it releases<br />
contraction in musculature as well as con nective<br />
tissue, while improving visceral processes: the liver,<br />
spleen, kidneys, and particularly the digestive and<br />
eliminative functions are strengthened. At a more<br />
subtle level, twists build samana, the “equalizing<br />
force.” Stored in your abdomen, samana is one of<br />
ten types of prana in the body. Its specific role is to<br />
engender mental and physical stillness, as well as<br />
assimilative capacity. Your capacity to slow down,<br />
rest deeply, and process what you take in, is determined<br />
by your supply of samana.
According to ayurveda, assimilation is<br />
the cornerstone of physical well-being. In<br />
simple terms, assimilation is the process<br />
of transforming what we ingest into nourishment.<br />
On the mental level assimilation is<br />
the process of transforming our experiences<br />
into life lessons that nourish us and help us<br />
grow. Strong mental assimilation allows us<br />
to efficiently extract what all experience—<br />
both good and bad—is meant to teach us.<br />
As the force behind assimilation, samana<br />
is a form of subtle fire which, at the mental<br />
level, ignites our capacity to “digest” or<br />
burn our psychological patterning. As samana<br />
increases, it fuels the inner light that<br />
removes the darkness of spiritual ignorance.<br />
Twists are the most effective postures for<br />
building samana.<br />
The key to twisting is the relationship<br />
between the hips, shoulders, and head.<br />
The mechanics of a twist require us to<br />
stabilize at least one of these three areas.<br />
For example, in a lying twist the shoulders<br />
remain relatively stable, while the hips and<br />
(sometimes) the head rotate. In sitting<br />
twists we stabilize the hips while rotating<br />
the shoulders. In the case of bharadvajasana<br />
II, the head and shoulders rotate in opposite<br />
directions, while the hips remain stable.<br />
There is a natural progression to<br />
twisting that we should follow to maximize<br />
safety and effectiveness. In general, proceed<br />
from standing, to lying, to seated twists.<br />
The last of these are “fixed”—in other<br />
words, the hips are immobilized. Seated,<br />
fixed twists are the most powerful and<br />
require the greatest amount of preparation<br />
and caution.<br />
The focal points that facilitate twisting<br />
are flexibility and/or stability in the hips,<br />
shoulders, and neck. The postures pictured<br />
here address most of these focal points.<br />
They should be part of a complete prac -<br />
tice that includes sun salutations, standing<br />
postures that emphasize hamstring<br />
and hip flexibility, at least one or two lying<br />
twists, and counterposes. Since twists are<br />
asym metrical (one side is doing something<br />
SPREAD-LEGGED STANDING FORWARD BEND (prasarita<br />
padottanasana) affects flexibility in hips and hamstrings, increas -<br />
ing our ease in twists. Rotate thighs internally, inner arches lift.<br />
Soften the space between the shoulder blades, release them down<br />
the back.<br />
Hint: On inhale, lengthen the front body and spine. On exhale,<br />
abdomen softly contracts. Soften the spine and upper body deeper<br />
into the pose.<br />
1<br />
HALF-BOUND STANDING FORWARD BEND (ardha baddha<br />
padottanasana) can be done with both hands on the floor. Slightly<br />
flex the standing knee, if necessary, to avoid hyperextension.<br />
Draw standing shin in to balance the weight on the standing foot.<br />
Hint: Exhale, flatten lower back, releasing contraction in hamstring,<br />
hips, and back. Draw shoulders away from ears, keep neck long, base<br />
of the skull floats.<br />
Rod Stryker has taught tantra, meditation, and hatha<br />
yoga for more than 25 years. He is an initiate and<br />
teacher in the tradition of the Himalayan masters.<br />
For more information, visit pureyoga.com.<br />
3
REVOLVED TRIANGLE (parivritta trikonasana)<br />
is deepened when the hips are stable.<br />
While sacrum remains parallel to the floor<br />
shoulders rotate. Navel initiates the action<br />
of the twist. Draw shins in. Inner thighs<br />
lift and move back.<br />
Hint: Inhale, lengthen spine, broaden the<br />
collarbones. Exhale, navel moves into the<br />
body and twists toward the sky.<br />
2<br />
different than the other), symmetrical forward<br />
bends are ideal counter poses. Twists<br />
are contra-indicated for serious disc issues.<br />
Those with excessive thoracic curvature or<br />
very tight hips should either avoid seated<br />
twists or practice them cautiously. Finally,<br />
it is important to ground the sacrum and<br />
engage the inner thighs in all twists in order<br />
to maintain and even increase lower back<br />
stability.<br />
As with all poses the deeper effects of<br />
twisting unfold during longer holds. A<br />
min imum of one to two minutes in the<br />
pose is required before subtle forces are<br />
signifi cantly affected. At the same time,<br />
longer holds challenge us to steady our<br />
mind, providing an opportunity to mentally<br />
cul tivate pranic force. This yogic approach<br />
to twisting—with mind, body, and breath<br />
synergistically engaged—enlivens us with<br />
balance, ease, and the subtle force of inner<br />
fire. Once established in these qualities we<br />
can dissolve our impediments to a fully<br />
illumined life and thus set the stage to<br />
realize ourselves, which is yoga’s boundless<br />
promise.<br />
ROTATED HERO (parivritta virasana) opens quadriceps<br />
and ankles for bharadvajasana II. With hips fixed,<br />
emphasize navel center as the source of rotation.<br />
Hint: Inhale, elongate spine, lift collarbones. Exhale, draw<br />
tailbone into the body, navel toward spine, and deepen the<br />
rotation of the shoulders.<br />
HALF-SEATED SPINAL TWIST (ardha matsyendrasana)<br />
variations include straightening knee on the floor,<br />
back hand can wrap or bind. Increases the rotational<br />
flexibility of the spine, inner body, and hips.<br />
Hint: When twisting to the left, spread right side of the<br />
back away from the spine. Inhale, lengthen. Exhale,<br />
contract abdomen to deepen the twist.<br />
4<br />
5
presents<br />
the Art of Asana Master Class series.<br />
In the first of its master class series, Yoga International has teamed<br />
up with Rod Stryker, the founder of ParaYoga, to help readers apply the<br />
timeless teachings of yoga to their daily practice. Rod Stryker is widely<br />
considered to be one of the preeminent yoga and meditation teachers in<br />
the United States. He is renowned for his depth of knowledge, practical<br />
wisdom, and unique ability to transmit the deepest aspect of the teachings<br />
and practices to modern audiences and students from all walks of life. Rod<br />
has taught for more than 30 years, training teachers and leading corporate<br />
seminars, yoga retreats, and workshops throughout the world.<br />
For more ways to deepen your practice, log on to yogainternational.com.<br />
For information about Rod Stryker and ParaYoga, visit parayoga.com<br />
©2012 by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA. All rights reserved.<br />
Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner without permission is prohibited.<br />
All photographs © Lois Greenfield; Used with permission; all rights reserved.