vīrabhadrāsana I – part one

Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?
~Tao Te Ching [1]

vīrabhadrāsana I (warrior I pose) and other warrior poses present wonderful opportunities for us to incorporate “static” practice into our daily yoga.

“There are two ways of practicing an āsana. The dynamic practice repeats the movement into the āsana and out again in rhythm with the breath. In static practice we move into and out of the pose in the same way as with the dynamic practice, but instead of staying in continual movement with the breath, we hold the pose for a certain number of breath cycles, directing our attention toward the breath, certain areas of the body, or both, depending on the goals we have for performing that particular āsana. Dynamic movements allow the body to get used to the position gently and gradually.” [2] Then, when your body is warm, you can practice static poses for strength, stability, and focus.

Complete several rounds of sūrya namaskāra (sun salutation) as a dynamic prelude to practicing vīrabhadrāsana I. As you come into vīrabhadrāsana I, notice your body and your breath, adjust to find a strong and steady stance, soften your gaze (drishti), hold the pose, and breathe. Be the warrior waiting, steady, ready, and unmoving as you wait for the mud to settle, the water to clear, and the right action to arise of itself….

Phonetic pronunciation: veer-rah-buh-drah-suh-nuh [3]

vīrabhadrā = Name of a fierce mythical warrior
āsana = Pose

Execution of the Pose [4]
• From tadāsana, step your left foot back 4 to 4 ½ feet or 1 ½ times the length of one of your legs;
• Turn the left foot 45° forward/in;
• The heel of the right foot should be in line with the heel of the left foot;
• Bend the right knee so your leg is at 90° angle and the knee is directly over your ankle;
• Inhale bringing both arms forward, up, and overhead (next to the ears) with palms facing each other;
• Keep the shoulders relaxed;
• Lengthen the spine by lifting from the floor of the pelvis;
• Engage the lower abdominal muscles;
• Press into the outer edge of the back foot, keeping the arch active and the inner left thigh muscles firm and lifted;
• The back foot is straight and actively engaged;
• Continue to lengthen upward through the spine, and keep the chest lifted and open;
• Find your drishti and maintain your relaxed gaze and your relaxed deep, quiet, smooth breath for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or longer….
• Added option: When you are ready lift the toes of both feet and drop the midline of the body lower --- this action stabilizes the ankles and the knees even more by strengthening the muscles around them, giving added focus to correcting the alignment of these joints;
• To exit, simply straighten the front leg as you step the back leg forward, lowering the arms, into tadāsana;
• Repeat on the other side.

Benefits
• Strengthens the muscles of the feet and knees
• Stabilizes the knee and ankle joints
• Stretches the hip flexors and calf muscles
• Improves balance and concentration
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[1] Translation by Stephen Mitchell, Verse 15.

[2] T.K.V. Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga, Developing a Personal Practice (Inner Traditions International, 1995), p. 29.

[3] Stick figure instructions, pronunciation and translation provided by Mikelle Terson, Asana Learning Deck, http://www.yogablossom.com/

[4] Combined, summarized, and slightly modified from my own personal practice: Sandy Blaine, Yoga For Healthy Knees (Rodmell Press), pp. 55-56 and Olivia H. Miller, Essential Yoga, an Illustrated Guide to Over 100 Yoga Poses and Meditations (Chronicle Books, 2003), p. 64.

hands and knees - part one

Hands and knees pose is a foundation pose for many warm up poses and vinyāsas.

In our practice of Yoga, it’s important to pay attention to 1) engaging the entire body with ease; 2) maintaining a neutral spine when we aren’t intentionally working an area of the spine in a specific way (for example, backbends and twists); 3) breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the nose and generally coordinating our breath with our movements.

This deceptively simply pose can build arm strength, leg strength, strength in the lower abdominals; and, precisely because the pose is simple, it allows us the opportunity to get a sense of what it means to engage the entire body in a pose. If you come to hands and knees and your body is not engaged, it’s not a yoga pose, it’s just hands and knees. But, when we engage our entire body and begin to breathe in through the nose and out through the nose, sensing the breath traveling the full length of the spine as it flows in and out; and, when we push our hands and knees into the earth and draw the energy of the earth up through our hands and knees, that’s a yoga pose. So, you get the idea….

* Place your hands under the shoulders/shoulder directly over the wrists
* Your fingers should be spread wide with middle fingers pointing forward
* Place your knees directly under the hips/hips over the knees
* Push into the earth with your hands
* Engage the arms
* Rotate the upper arms in so the eyes of the elbows face each other
* Though subtle, rotate the lower arms outward (this movement asks the hands to do their part in supporting the upper body in this pose)
* Engage the lower abdominal muscles
* Push the knees into the earth engaging the thighs
* Option: Turn the toes under to engage the feet and lower legs
* Crown of the head is reaching forward (not looking down and not looking up --- sensing that neutral curve of the neck)
* Sense that, at this point, you have a neutral spine from the tailbone to the crown of the head

Now close your eyes and breathe. Breathing in through the nose, the breath travels the length of the spine to your tailbone; and, breathing out through the nose, the breath travels the length of the spine back to the crown of your head. Breathe several rounds of breath until you begin to feel the energetic work of your arms and legs.

You can also sense, as you breathe in, that your hands are pulling new energy from the earth into your body, traveling up your arms, down the length of your spine, down your thighs, through the bend in your knees, down the calves, into the feet; and, on your exhale, the breath travels back the way it came and the energy goes back into the earth for recycling.

Enjoy your practice and let me know how it goes.

“The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.” ~Robert Louis Stevenson
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Thank you to my teacher, Shari Friedrichsen, for collaborating with me on how to best describe the mechanics of this pose.