Australian Yoga Journal — July 2017

85

july 2017

yogajournal.com.au

Stay safe

Your body speaks to you constantly. Although it is always

important to be alert to what it says, pay exquisite

attention when moving in ways that test your limits.

Your knees and back can be particularly vulnerable in

Krounchasana. To protect your back, continuously

lengthen your spine upward. To protect your knees, set

your pride and ambition aside and take support from

props until you no longer need it. Ahimsa (nonharming)

is the cornerstone of every yoga practice, so respect the

shouts, sighs, and whispers your body sends.

5 Pull against your raised foot and spread your elbows
sideways to lift the sides of your body and keep your trunk
upright. Staying on the left sitting bone, exhale, move your
head and torso forward, and simultaneously stretch your
left leg up and draw it back. Keep your knee firm and move
your thighbone toward the back of your leg. If possible, rest
your forehead on your left shin. Relax your eyes and soften
your temples. Release any tension in your neck and throat.
When you pacify your senses, this pose can bring you to a
state of deep quiet and profound inner awareness. Hold for
20–30 seconds, release, and switch sides.

krouncha = heron · asana = pose

Heron Pose

Krounchasana