Yoga Journal USA – June 2017

54

june 2017

yogajournal.com

YOGAPEDIA

practice well

Bharadvajasana II

modifi cations

Tolasana,

pages 6o–61

Bharadvajasana II,

page 53

Modify Bharadvajasana II

to fi nd safe alignment in your body.

If your Padmasana knee doesn’t touch the floor ...

FOCUS ON FOUNDATION

B.K.S. Iyengar translates Yoga Sutra II.46—sthira

sukham asanam—as “asana is perfect firmness

of body, steadiness of intelligence, and benevolence

of spirit.” Keep this sutra in mind while practicing

asana, especially when approaching poses with

Padmasana legs. When we cultivate a firm founda-

tion in our yoga poses, we can control our move-

ments and create mobility. Work methodically, step

by step, with a steadiness of intelligence to safely

move deeper into poses. Approach your practice

with a benevolence of spirit—be kind to yourself

so you can benefit from the practice of yoga. As

Iyengar wrote in Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patan-

jali, “Performance of the asana should be nourishing

and illuminative”—not damaging and distracting.

Tolasana prep,

pages 56–58

If your hips and knees are tight ...

If you can’t grab your Padmasana

foot with your hand ...

TRY supporting it with a block.

Use the lowest height possible

while still keeping your knee

safe and pain free. Your ultimate

goal is a neutral line or down-

ward slope from hip to knee.

Breathe and soften your inner

groin to your inner knee. Roll

your inner knee to your outer

knee, and draw your outer

knee into your outer hip. Come

out if you feel any knee pain.

TRY sitting on 3–5 folded blankets

with your Padmasana leg and both

buttocks elevated on the blankets,

and your Virasana shin on the mat.

Sit back far enough that your entire

Padmasana leg rests on the blankets

and your knee is pain free. Place your

Padmasana sole either near your left

inner thigh, or, if you’re able, at the

hip crease. Never force a tight knee

into Padmasana: With practice, the

hip will open, the groin will

soften, and the knee will

become suppler.

TRY using a double-folded belt. Loop

the belt around the middle of your

Padmasana foot and place the ends

behind you on the floor. Reach your

Padmasana arm around your back

and grab the belt ends, then walk

your hand down the belt toward

your Padmasana foot. Grip the belt

where you can still get spinal exten-

sion and rotation.