Yoga Journal USA – June 2017

53

june 2017

yogajournal.com
PHOTOS: IAN SPANIER; MODEL: KOREN PAALMAN; STYLIST: MATTHEW PERIDIS; HAIR/MAKEUP: LAURA DEE SHELLEY; TOP: KIRA GRACE; BOTTOMS: OLD NAVY

YOGAPEDIA

practice well

Bharadvajasana II

modifi cations, page 54

Tolasana prep,

pages 56–58

Tolasana,

Bharadvajasana II pages 6o–61

Poses of the month

How to move from

Bharadvajasana II to Tolasana

By Koren Paalman

DON’T let your Padmasana leg lift off the floor. When it

hangs unsupported, you risk injury to your hip, knee, and ankle.

Instead, add support (see page 54) or come out of the pose.

DON’T let your Virasana leg decentralize or stray

too far from the centerline of the pose. To protect

your knee from injury, keep it in line with your hip.

Benefits

Brings flexibility to your knees, ankles, and feet; increases mobility in your

shoulders and spine; focuses awareness on your core

OUR PRO Iyengar Yoga instructor Koren Paalman studied with B.K.S. Iyengar and his daughter Geeta, and has been teaching yoga since 1995 to both adults

and youths in a variety of settings. In 2007, Paalman founded Conscious Grieving, a grief-support service that combines yoga with other modalities in indi-

vidual consultations and workshops nationally. Learn more at korenyoga.com.

Instruction

1 Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose), extending

out through your inner heels and bringing

your mid-thighs down toward the floor.

Lift your chest and roll your shoulders

back and down. Take your right hand to

the inside of your right knee and move

your knee out to the side. Lean forward and

carefully place your right foot at your left

hip crease in Ardha Padmasana (Half Lotus

Pose). Extend from your right inner groin

to your right inner knee, roll your inner knee

toward your outer knee, then draw your

outer knee toward your outer hip. Your over-

all goal is exterior rotation of the right thigh.

2 Lean to the right and bend your left leg

back into Virasana (Hero Pose) so that your

inner left calf touches your left outer thigh.

Roll your left calf flesh out to bring your

thighbone and shinbone closer together.

Lift and move your right buttock closer to

your left buttock. Keep your left knee in line

with your left hip and then, if possible, man-

ually position your right leg so that the knee

aligns with its own hip.

3 As you inhale, lift your abdomen and

chest. As you exhale, turn to the right, and

place the back of your left hand on your

right outer knee. Tuck your fingers under

your knee, pointing your fingers to the left.

4 Exhale and reach your right hand behind

your back to clasp your right foot. Inhaling,

lift your abdomen and chest again. Exhaling,

turn to the right and gaze forward, or look

over your right shoulder as much as you

can without straining your neck.

5 Stay here for 30 seconds to a minute.

To come out, carefully bring your right leg

to the floor and then extend both legs back

to Dandasana. Repeat on the other side.

Bharadvaja = a Vedic sage · asana = pose

Bharadvaja’s Twist II

Bharadvajasana II

}