Utthita Parsvakonasana Extended Lateral Angle Posture

38 australian life • september - november 2013 Extended Lateral Angle Posture

1.1 Atha yoganusasanam

Now begins the disciplined practice The second sutra tells us, yoga is the aches and pains. The back, hips, of yoga. process of stilling the movements and knees, neck, and shoulders all gain We begin with the standing postures: fluctuations of the mind that disturb strength and mobility through their not only the physical practice of yoga our consciousness. Everything we do practice. Standing poses introduce , but our whole yoga journey. in yoga is concerned with achieving the principles of correct movement. Patanjali elucidated an eight fold path this incredibly difficult task. If we As such, various standing poses to self knowledge. This path is not achieve it the goal and fruit of yoga form the first fundamental group of linear. We do not start by mastering will be within our grasp. From one’s postures to be learnt. yamas (yogic restraints) and then very first in one’s very Utthita Parsvakonasana is a primary move progressively through each step first class, one is embarking on this standing pose that involves sideways to samadhi (unified state). Rather we task. If one perseveres and refines, bending and sideways rotation. As begin with the gross physical body, gaining strength and clarity, always and through the prism of , the penetrating from the initial practice, the top arm reaches over, there is subtler aspects of yoga manifest. then the techniques of body and an intense stretch from the back heel to the fingertips, hence its name argues that asana breath that yoga offers will lead Extended Lateral Angle Posture. It trains, educates, and cultivates the us to the great goal that Patanjali is a co-ordination of the movements organs of action, senses of perception, has set…” of (Triangle Pose) and the external mind. It connects In the practice of asana we and II (Warrior them to the internal organs, which synchronise the understanding II Pose). The posture should be are the inner mind, intelligence, and of the mind and body. Through consciousness. This internalisation most of our waking hours we are practiced dynamically with full causes the external senses to stop on our feet and rarely pay heed to extension of the limbs and trunk. interfacing with the objects of the correct method of standing. The asana promotes and develops the world, to connect with the The proper upright stance is the willpower, activity, alertness, internal senses, and move closer to foundation of posture. Ideally attentiveness, and determination in the seer (atman). when standing, the body doesn’t the practitioner. Through practice Through the study of asana, the lean forward or back and so when of Utthita Parsvakonasana, the other facets of yoga are perceived. kept within this plane, the skeleton, sadhaka (student/seeker) learns the BKS Iyengar illustrates the point in organs and soft tissue are aligned. sense of movement and mobility and his book, Light on Life, “… Yoga is The standing poses are invigorating, perceives extension, rotation, and something you do. So what do you do? refreshing the body and eradicating spreading actions.

Cautions Tips • Do not do Utthita Parsvakonasana if suffering • Learn to observe the whole body with an internal glance and from high blood pressure or heart conditions. to observe and feel your reaction to the actions of the asana. • Walk the feet out to the side into Utthita • Make your maximum your minimum, and then move Parsvakonasana rather than jumping, if beyond it. suffering from knee or back injuries or if • Work gradually and systematically with props. The props are pregnant. there to help you access the benefits of the pose and lead you • If you have cervical spondylosis, do not turn to the final form of the asana. the head or look up in the pose. • Don’t practice the asana in isolation. Use it in a rounded • Avoid the pose during menstruation. sequence that includes the other standing poses. • Do what you know, not what you don’t know. • Use repetition as a tool for building perception in the pose.

australian yoga life • september - november 2013 39 Extended Lateral Angle Posture

2.46 Sthira sukham asanam 1

Asana is perfect firmness of body, balanced over the arches. Keep steadiness of intelligence and the kneecaps lifted and the front benevolence of spirit. thighs pressing back. Keep your Refer image 1 chest open and your spine lifted. When practicing an asana, Roll the shoulders back as you it should not distort the natural lift your shoulder blades onto the structure of the anatomical body. chest; keep your arms stretching The joints and muscles must be down. Keep the head straight kept in their natural shape and and gaze forward. Breathe calmly form. The role of the sadhaka is to through your nostrils. study the body as a whole in the Refer image 2 2 pose, observe the distortions as From Tadasana, exhale and jump they occur and correct them. This into Utthita Hasta Padasana is the theory of integrated action. It (Extended Hands to Feet Pose) dictates that your mind needs to be with your feet wide apart and involved in the process, focused to parallel. Keep your knees lifted the point that every particle of the and thighs pressing back. Lift the body feels this awareness. Asana trunk and chest. Extend the arms is dynamic meditation. through to the fingertips at the height of the shoulders. Press your Shape shoulders down and the shoulder On a base formed by the legs blades in. Turn the entire right leg and feet, the laterally held trunk 90 degrees to the right. Turn the 3 revolves upwards aided by the left heel back and firmly press it arms. Utthita Parsvakonasana into the floor. Keep the right heel involves the actions of Tadasana, aligned to the centre of the left Trikonasana, and Virabhadrasana arch. As the front leg rotates, resist II. It involves creating a strong the trunk following by revolving the focus of the median line of the abdomen from right to left. Keep body, with a sense of space and the centre of the torso vertical and 4a spreading away from that centre lift both sides of the trunk evenly. line. The shapes and actions of Refer image 3 those poses have to be respected Exhale and bend the right leg to and maintained in the final form. a right angle into Virabhadrasana By focusing on those actions, you II. Keep the right knee in line with will begin to understand how to the right ankle. The right shin is study the body as a whole in the perpendicular to the floor with final posture. the left leg straight and the left 4b foot pressing firmly down into the Direction floor. With arms extended fully at The direction of the pose is from shoulder height, turn the head and the back foot to the extended gaze evenly over the right hand. fingertips. There should be a Refer images 4a, 4b and 4c strong awareness when doing the Exhale and move into Utthita pose of the extension from the Parsvakonasana and take the right 4c base of the back foot to the raised hand to the floor, to the outer edge fingers and beyond. of the right heel. Keep your chest open to the front. Bend from the The practice hips not the waist. Extend the left Stand upright in Tadasana with the arm dynamically to the ceiling, feet together and the body weight elbow locked, palm open and

40 australian yoga life • september - november 2013 Extended Lateral Angle Posture

5 fingers reaching further up. Turn press the outer edge of the back the head up and gaze past the foot down. Keeping the knee firm, left thumb (refer image 4a). Turn stretch the leg up and away from the entire length of the left arm the foot. from the shoulder socket (refer Maintain a single extension from 6 image 4b). Keeping the left arm the back foot to the raised hand. absolutely straight, reach the arm Focus on energetically revolving over the head in line with the left the top hip and trunk upward to ear. Gaze up and past the left the ceiling. The structure of the thumb. Stretch the left side of chest has to remain broad. Learn the body towards the fingertips to stretch both sides of the trunk (refer image 4c). Relax the face evenly. While extending the topside and breathe calmly through the of the trunk from hip to armpit, 7a nostrils. Stay for 20 to 30 seconds. lengthen the bottom side of the Inhale to lift up into Utthita Hasta trunk and bring it forward. Take Padasana and repeat the posture the arm to the inner thigh to give on the left side. leverage to open the chest (refer image 5). Lengthen both sides of Working in the pose the torso and keep the legs firm. Be observant that the space Maintaining this focus, take the between the legs is not too short or arm behind the leg and extend it too wide. When the front leg bends, down to the floor. Focus on the top  the knee should be perpendicular arm. Learn to open the armpit and to the front heel. Keep your hip bring more emphasis into rotating sockets level and your tailbone in. the arm. Keep the entire length of 7b Lift the pelvic floor and keep your the arm firm as you open the palm abdomen compact. Keep the feet and stretch the fingers. full of life and actively pressing into Keep the back body alert. The the floor. Focus on pressing the sacrum and dorsal spine press outer edge of the back foot into the in. The shoulders need to be floor. Observe that the kneecap on back and the shoulder blades to the back leg remains gripped and penetrate onto the chest. Press lifted. Don’t put dead weight on the the outer edge of the back foot bent leg. Press the front foot firmly down. Create a continuous stretch  into the floor and suck the head of right through the back leg, the the shinbone in as you bend the side of the trunk, the top arm, and knee as well as sitting the buttock into the hand. Blocks down on the thigh. Directionally, Place a block under the lowered the sitting bone should release Working with props down to the floor, not towards the hand. This is helpful for people who bent knee. cannot reach the floor and adds an Wall element of steadiness. Be cautious Keep the inner knee of the bent Lean the back body against a wall. that you don’t sink into the bottom leg lifted and in line with the The support of the wall reduces hand. Keep it active (refer image 6). inner heel; roll the thigh from the fatigue and enables the pose to inside out and resist this by be held for longer. Another way of Mirror moving the outer upper thigh and using the wall is to press the outer Stand in front of a full length buttock inwards. edge of the back heel into the wall mirror and observe the planes Learn to stretch the toes apart which stabilises the leg and helps of the body. Use the mirror to on the back foot and to lift the focus rolling the outer edge of the correct misalignment (refer images inner ankle, as you simultaneously heel into the floor. 7a and 7b).

australian yoga life • september - november 2013 41 Extended Lateral Angle Posture

Preparatory asanas • Tadasana with Urdhva Hastasana (upward or lifted) arms • Trikonasana and Virabhadrasana II References • (Chair Pose) Iyengar, BKS. Core of the Yoga Sutras. Harper Thorsons, 2012, Benefits pp.147-154. • Utthita Parsvakonasana is a • It makes the hip joints and spinal Iyengar, BKS. Light on Life. great tool for relieving stiffness column supple and relieves sciatic and Rodale, 2005, pp.108-11. of the neck and shoulders and arthritic pain. It brings strength to Iyengar, Greeta S. Yoga in Action. emphasises stretching the upper the feet, legs, and knees, particularly YOG, 2000, pp.22 -32. body to increase mobility. With strengthening the hamstring muscles. regular practice, the neck and • The posture is said to promote the Iyengar, BKS. Yoga: The Path to shoulders will become stronger health of the abdominal organs. It Holistic Health. Dorling Kindersley, and more supple, gradually reduces fat on the waist and hips. It 2001, pp.60-63; 176-177. realigning to a more anatomically stretches and tones the abdominal and Mehta, Mira. Yoga Explained. Kyle correct position. Pain and pelvic organs. Cathy Limited, 2004, pp. 38-57. discomfit should diminish. • An asana is not a posture that is assumed • With such a powerful effect on mechanically. It involves a thoughtful Tim Bosworth is a certified the upper body it is not surprising process at the end of which a balance of Iyengar yoga teacher. He is Utthita Parsvakonasana enhances movement and resistance is achieved. It a director of the Clifton Hill lung capacity and tones the is in that balance that the practitioner Yoga Studio in Melbourne. muscles of the heart. glimpses the goal. www.iyoga.com.au

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42 australian yoga life • september - november 2013