Yoga Journal Singapore — April-May 2017

29

april / may 2017

yogajournal.com.sg

ModifyVirasana if needed

to find safe alignment in your body.

If you experience
pain in your knees ...

TRY supporting your buttocks
with a block or blanket.
Find the height of support
that allows you to have a
sense of stretching in your
thighs and knees without
any pain or sharp sensation.
Gradually reduce the support
over time to increase
flexibility in your knees.

If the stretch in

your ankles is too

intense ...

TRY placing a rolled-up

hand towel or thin blanket

under the fronts of your

ankles to lift them slightly.

Play with the height of

the roll to find the perfect

amount of stretch for you.

BE PRESENT

Most of us know the word karma. But

perhaps fewer of us are familiar with the

term krama, which means “order” or

“sequence.” For instance, this Yogapedia

column presents a krama, or a sequence

of asanas, with each asana preparing us

for the next one in the series. Keeping this

in mind can intensify a practice and help

us move as deeply as possible into each

pose; it maximizes the benefits of each

posture and transforms the asana from

mere physical exercise into a vehicle for

developing a more focused mind and a

refined level of awareness. In other words,

this approach turns your asana practice

into a meditation in action.

If your feet cramp up ...

TRY kneeling on two bolsters
laid horizontally and pressed
together, so that your feet and
buttocks hang off the back
edge. Support your buttocks
with a block. This takes pres-
sure off your feet and also
works to relieve ankle pain—
and it can be combined with
the knee-pain modification
above.

Virasana,

page 28

Virasana

modifications^

Krounchasana

prep, pages 30-31

Krounchasana,

page 32

YOGAPEDIA

r ti ll