Monday 6.30p Asana 1 — Week 42 (November 9, 2009)

Focus: Leg actions in standing and sitting poses from the Purvis workshop. Dandasana based on the teachings of Geeta Iyengar’s 7-3-09 PM Advanced Class.

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Upavistha Konasana
a. Take the front thighs towards the back thighs to bring both the inner and outer knee into contact with the floor.

b. Extend the back thighs towards the heels, and, then, dig the heels down to prevent shortening the Achilles tendons. Keeping the heel strongly fixed, gripping the floor, which provides resistance, then extend the balls of the big toes and forefeet forward into a slight plantar flexion. This further opens up the backs of the knees, but provides length without hyperextension.

c. Extend from the inner ankles towards the inner heels. From the heels towards the toes, extend.

d. Spread the toes. Broaden the forefeet, from the big toes towards the baby toes, to help lift the sacroiliac region and bring the outer thighs in. It centralizes the body, and, thus, lifts the spine

2. Parsva Upavistha Konasana

3. Baddha Konasana

4. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Left leg: Stamp down the outer heel, abduct from the inner thigh towards the outer thigh, and then turn the left groin out. Resist the ball of the big toe down to prevent hyperextending the knee.

b. Right leg: Move the buttock bone in line with the trunk. Press down the ball of the big toe down to prevent hyperextending the knee.

5. Dandasana
a. Palms down, fingers facing forward, open the fingers and knuckles. Press the palms down, extending the arms into the body with the shoulders rolling back.

b. Biceps turn open and lift upward out of the elbows to straighten the arms and lift the chest.

Shoulders roll back, trapezius down towards the tail bone, clavicles widen, and armpit chest forward to lift the front body.

c. Descend the shoulder blades. Then retract the bottom tips of the shoulder blades towards each other and take the shoulder blades into the back body. Additionally, take the dorsal spine in, and the sacrum in, both towards the front body. These actions support the opening of the front body.

d. Although the buttock bones are contacting the floor, press the palms down and lift the biceps up — as in handstand — to lift the weight of the pelvis and trunk up, off of the buttock bones. Make the arms like a staff.
[Similar to Geeta Iyengar, 7-3-09 PM Advanced Class.]

6. Salamba Sirsasana
Interlace and grip the webbing of the first two digits, press the thumb pads into the back of the head without gripping the fingers.

7. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Salamba Sarvangasana

b. Ekapada Sarvangasana

c. Halasana

8. Savasana