We will take a very close look at many of the most basic points of our practice. Sometimes, they’re deceptively simple and we tend to quickly start taking them for granted. We’ll be returning to the same actions over and over, pausing to draw conclusions and discuss them in more detail. This session will be very helpful to practitioners who are looking to see how to better teach some of these basic actions, such as for example, how to jump the feet out to transition from Tadasana to Trikonasana or other standing poses.
Begin as usual in Supta Virasana, then shift into Virasana Forward. Release the thighs down. Throughout this practice, we will pay attention to this too: to how we can release the muscles downwards when they get bunched up. First, let’s explore this in Virasana Forward by going into the pose repeatedly. After several repetitions, sit up for the invocation.
In this class, there will be several mini-lectures on the different points of the practice, including the invocation, to give you a better understanding of how you can approach them yourself and also how you can teach them to your students if you’re a teacher.
Stand up and fold forward into Uttanasana. Walk out into Adho Mukha Svanasana. Focus on the heels, knees, and hips. Pay attention to the actions. Shift back into Virasana Forward before coming back into Adho Mukha Svanasana, approaching it slightly differently.
Stand up in Tadasana. We’ll do a few shoulder-opening arm exercises here: Urdhva Baddanguliyasana, Urdhva Hastasana, and Urdhva Namaskarasana.
Go up in Adho Mukha Vrksasana, then Pincha Mayurasana, then come down and release that in Virasana Forward.
Next, we will practice transitioning from Tadasana into other standing poses by jumping our feet out to the side. During the class, we discuss the subtleties of this seemingly simple action and the points where most people actually struggle with it. For example, a lot of people mistakenly jump their feet out on the exhale. As a result, the landing can be quite hard. To add lightness and bounce to this transition, try jumping your feet out on the inhale. Notice how the air almost makes you lighter as you jump, filling you up like a balloon and adding buoyancy to the action. What does this lesson tell you? Is there anywhere else you could apply it in your yoga practice?
We will also look in great detail at the minute actions in transitions where turning is involved. So, for example, you’ve jumped your feet out; now you still need to turn your feet so that they’re facing the right way for the next pose you’re going to do. In this case, we’ll have a look at turning the feet out for Trikonasana. We will go through several repetitions. See how even the most straightforward actions are actually not all that straightforward once you start looking closely enough. That is the nature of advanced practice.
After Trikonasana, go into Utthita Parsvakonasana. Then, stand back up in Tadasana, jump out and turn your feet for Virabhadrasana 1. Study the transition closely. Then, take your arms out to the side and rotate your torso for Virabhadrasana 2.
Go into Ardha Chandrasana. Then, from a standing position, do a few repetitions of a dynamic twist into Parivritta Trikonasana (sort of like a windmill). Finish this, parallel your feet, and fold forward in Prasarita Padottanasana. We’ll make this pose dynamic too. Here, you’ll alternate between having your feet on the floor and lifting them up to your hips.
Lie down over a bring into supported Supta Virasana.
Then, go up in Sirsasana and come down into Virasana Forward to release.
Go up into Sarvangasana, come down into Halasana and finish in Karna Pidasana with the arms hugging the backs of the legs to intensify the stretch.
Go into Virasana Forwards and then lie back in Savasana.
Video stills from this sequence
