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february / march 2018yogajournal.com.sg5 ANJANEYASANA
Low Lunge, variation
Unwrap your arms and interlace your fingers,
cupping the back of your skull with your hands.
Keeping your elbows wide, plug your shoulder
blades into your heart and lift your heart to the
sky. As you arch your back, allow the weight
of your head to fall into your hands. This will
help open your chest and reverse the hunched-
forward posture most of us unconsciously
slip into when we’re stressed. If you feel any
pinching in your low back, bend your back
leg and tuck your tailbone down toward the
earth to find a neutral spine. Stay here for 5–10
breaths.6 PARIVRTTA ANJANEYASANA
Revolved Lunge Pose
Lift your chest so it’s directly over your hips,
and bring your hands to Anjali Mudra (Prayer
Pose) in front of your heart. Lean your chest
halfway forward and twist your left elbow to
the outside of your right thigh. Drive your left
heel back and press your left thighbone up
toward the ceiling; this is your anchor and will
keep you balanced. Stack your elbows so you
can press your palms together. You can also
raise your top arm skyward and move your
bottom-arm fingertips to the mat, or take a
bind. Push the tips of your shoulder blades into
your heart as you stay here for 5–10 breaths.7 PLANK POSE
Release your hands to the mat and step your
front foot back to come to High Plank: Place
your feet hip-width apart and push your heels
toward the wall behind you. Spin your inner
thighs up toward the ceiling, keeping your
hips level with your shoulder blades. Stack
your wrists under your shoulders and push the
earth away from you while broadening your
chest so you’re not rounding in the shoulder
blades. Finally, pull the crown of your head
forward as you tuck your tailbone toward your
heels and engage your lower belly. Stay here
for 5–10 breaths.11 ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Keep your feet hip-width apart and bend
your knees to lift your hip creases toward
the sky. Lengthen your lower back, knit your
ribs in toward one another, and maintain the
length in your spine as you spin your inner
thighs toward the wall behind you and press
your heels toward the mat. Keep your head
and neck relaxed, spread your fingers wide,
and then press them into the mat. Hug your
triceps back toward your ears and allow your
shoulders to relax and drop away from your
ears. Stay here for 5–10 breaths. From here,
come back to Tadasana and repeat poses 2–10
on the left side, finishing in Downward-Facing
Dog.12 ADHO MUKHA VRKSASANA
Handstand with Eagle Legs
From Down Dog, step your feet forward 1–2
feet, gaze between your hands, and, as you
inhale, lift your right leg skyward. On your
next inhale, come onto the ball of your left foot
and then gently hop off your left foot. As your
left heel comes off the mat, bring it in close to
your butt. Once balanced, cross your legs just
as you did in Garudasana. If you’re practicing
with a wall behind you, plant your hands about
2 feet away, and maybe even bind your legs.
Then slowly begin to remove your foot from
the wall by pressing away with your toes.13 SUKHASANA
Easy Pose with a Twist
After playing with Handstand, come
to a comfortable cross-legged position
(Sukhasana). Take the peace-sign fingers of
both hands and grab your big toes, pulling
them forward and out so that your feet stay
wide. Sitting up tall, plant your right hand
about 6 inches behind your right hip, and
inhale your left hand up to the sky. As you
exhale, bring your left hand to the outside of
your right knee to move into a twist. On each
inhale, feel yourself growing taller; on each
exhale, twist a little deeper. Once you’ve taken
about 8 breaths, come back to center, switch
the cross of your legs, and twist to the other
side for 8 breaths.