6 VIRASANAHero Pose
From hands and knees, bring your knees together and sit
between your feet, heels to the outside of your hips. If this
causes pain or pressure in your knees, or you can’t get your
sitting bones to the floor, sit on a block. Make sure all 10
toes face straight behind you. Interlace your fingers, and
on an inhalation, reach your arms overhead, turning your
palms toward the sky. This pose stimulates digestion, re-
centers your pelvis, lengthens your waist, and activates your
arches and opens the tops of your feet. Stay for 3–5 min-
utes, sitting with the resistance as it arises. (That resistance
shouldn’t be felt in your knees.) Exhale to release your arms
and come out.7 HANUMANASANAMonkey God Pose, a.k.a. the splits
From Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog
Pose), step your right foot forward into a lunge, then lower
your left knee to the floor. Flex your right foot, and gradu-
ally slide your heel forward. Press your right thigh down and
draw your outer right hip back. Start to straighten your leg.
Extend your legs only as far as you can without pain—
if you go too far, you risk a hamstring tear. To modify, place
one block or blanket under your right thigh, near your hip
and high enough that you can relax and comfortably lift
your hands off the floor, or use firm blocks under your
hands and alongside your hips. For the first few moments,
you should feel comfortable. After that, resistance will come
up. Try to stay for 20 breaths. Even with proper support,
people commonly want to exit this pose early. Remain in
the posture, letting the initial layers of inner dialogue pass.
Eventually, there will be a release into the asana in which
the body begins to let go of gripping. To release, gently
push back to Down Dog and switch sides.
6
7
61
february 2017yogajournal.com