Pose of the Day - Dandasana (Staff Pose)

We spent a good portion of the weekend focusing on Dandasana, as the first active seated pose in the Ashtanga Yoga series.

It's easy and very complex at the same time. It's also great to balance all of our chair sitting. It's a handy pose to learn because you can do it almost anywhere, in any clothing, and it's not very noticeable. It's perfect to sneak into your workday or while watching TV.

Sit comfortably on the floor. You don't even need a mat but being barefoot is good. Stretch your legs out in front of you and bring them pressing into each other.

Ground your sitbones firmly into the floor and let the backs of your legs extend to push your heels away from you. Now bring your feet active, halfway between pointed and fully flexed. Let space spread your toes apart.

Firm your thighs and the tops of your knees. If you have shorts on, you'll actually be able to see your kneecaps firm. Roll your legs inward toward each other and press the backs of your legs toward the floor, pressing your inner knees toward the floor. (If your hamstrings are tight, you might not touch the floor. That's fine. Just get the feeling of that pressing action only to the edge of discomfort and not past it into discomfort or pain. If it hurts, breathe and ease back a fraction!)

Bring your hands flat on the floor alongside your body. Press through your hands to lift your torso and roll your shoulders back and down from your ears. Let your sacrum tilt up through your back toward your navel. This will lift your chest and heart.

Relax your neck and bring your chin gently forward and halfway down to your chest. Imagine creating a little catcher's mitt out of the curve of your throat. (If you care, that's activating Jalandhara Bandha, or throat lock position.) As you breathe, feel the energy move up your spine into that mitt and then back down your spine to the ground.

Up and down. Breathe in and out.

That's Dandasana.

Today's Pose - Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Bridge is a mild inversion pose. Because it inverts our normal orientation, it gives the body a gentle break from gravity and relaxes the mind.

Come lying comfortably on your back with your feet firmly on the ground about foot length away from your butt. Arms come along your sides with palms up. Open your chest and root your shoulder blades into the ground, rolling your upper arms out.

Now use your hamstrings (back of legs) to draw your thigh bones toward the ground as your pelvis lifts. Lift through your pelvis and spine as your chest continues to expand and relax. Breathe deeply and comfortably.

Hold the pose, letting your heart move ever closer to your chin and throat. Heart higher than head, pelvis higher than heart, knees higher than pelvis. Your face, chin, throat, shoulders, neck and arms are completely relaxed.

If you like, you can support yourself in this pose with a block or firmly rolled towel below the sacrum (end of your backbone). Play with different heights. Play with letting yourself relax against the support. See how long the pose is comfortable for you. Can you feel your hips relax open as you breathe? Can you feel the inversion of fluids nourishing your heart, face and mind?

Namaste

Yoga Focus on Monday

During the past week, I've been noticing my waist.

Specifically, I've become aware that I tend to be slumpy in my sides. Like most of us who spend hours seated and bent towards a computer, I tend to collapse a bit forward.

In almost every asana, beautiful extension appears when I remember to create that open space all along my ribcage and between ribs and pelvis.

Especially in my beloved Trikoasana (Triangle pose), I catch myself crunching into my lower side. Much too droopy. So this week, I'm all about giving myself some length and strength, moment by moment.