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Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana 1

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A look at how to do Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana 1 in the Iyengar method.

Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana 1

What is Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana 1

An advanced backbend, this pose works well towards the end of a backbend sequence, as it works deeply into the whole back rib cage, as well as the hips and groins. It starts to even out the two sides of the pelvis and in that way actually begins to release unintended imbalances from the previous poses. While common to many poses, here, releasing and giving over to the pose is essential.

When and how to do Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana 1

This pose works deeply into the hips and the whole back rib cage. For advanced students, it can be a release for stiffness in the shoulders and neck as the dorsal spine moves deeply into the body and the shoulder blades are drawn towards the buttocks.

The lumbar spine benefits from the extension. The pose teaches us to release and soften even in the most intense of poses, as only by doing this does the pose come.