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december 2014yogajournal.comsvarga = paradise · dvija = twice born · asana = poseBird of Paradise PoseSvarga Dvijasana
(^4) Open the chest and extend the lifted leg to the side,
being careful not to swing the supporting hip out to the side.
You’re aiming to find stability and ease in equal measure.
Open your chest proudly, engaging the muscles across your
back to hold your heart high. If you start to teeter, revert to
a bent left leg and regain stability in the right leg by pressing
evenly into all four corners of the standing foot and vis ual -
izing a line down the middle of the body that you are
hugging into.
(^5) Fix the drishti straight ahead or over the right shoulder
and stay for 5–10 deep breaths, embodying the beauty,
stability, and vibrancy of the Bird of Paradise flower.
Stay safe
If the central axis of the body becomes dis-
placed, you may compromise the knee and hip
joints. Aim to keep the supporting foot facing
forward, toes spread, with the knee over the
ankle, and the supporting hip plugged into the
midline. Keep the quadriceps on both legs con-
tracted, allowing the standing leg to support you
more fully and the hamstrings on the extended
leg to open further without strain.
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Svarga Dvijasana
prep, pages 38-39 Svarga Dvijasana
LEARN MORE
For more step-by-step
pose instruction, visit
yogajournal.com/yogapedia