244 • PART III: YogA foR EduCATIng foR SElf-REgulATIon And EngAgEmEnT
includes lunges, twisting lunges, chair poses, twisting chair poses, side angle poses, and
arm balances, like Crow Pose. See Chapter 10 for a review of this section and an integration
with the principles.
lunge Pose
The Lunge Pose is a strengthening pose (Harper, 2013). It helps build strength in the legs,
core, and arms. This pose also stretches the hip flexor of the extended leg. It requires sub-
stantial effort and can trigger resistance for students who struggle with feeling uncomfort-
able in challenge. This pose can be modified by dropping the back knee to the floor or
stabilizing with a chair at the front of the mat. To add challenge, ask the students to reach
through the crown of their heads and twist, opposite elbow to opposite knee (shown with
a dropped knee). For more of a challenge and a balance, ask the students to try Warrior III
(Harper, 2013). They can find Warrior III from Lunge Pose by pressing into the forward foot
and lifting the back leg up parallel to the floor. Hands can meet at the chest palms together,
or reach forward, gaze forward.
PoSE 11.12 lungE PoSE
Pose Lunge
Instruct From Downward Facing Dog, step your left foot forward in
between your hands. Step onto the ball of your back foot, press
both feet into your mat, engage your legs and belly, and come
to standing, reaching toward the ceiling with your arms. Engage
your entire body from your feet, to legs, to core, to arms, to
fingers. Press down into your mat, pull into your belly, to reach
and look up.
Anchor Point Your feet, belly, and hands. The focal point is upward between
your hands.
Breath Work Breath should be steady, deep, and intentional.Photograph by Madison Weber; model Kayla Tiedemann.
Source: Gillen & Gillen, 2007; Harper, 2013; Walsh, 2008.