Yoga as Therapeutic Exercise: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

7

Chapter

Selected āsanas for integrating the aims and principles

Selected asanas̄ Selected āsanas

Selected asanas̄ Selected āsanas

2. V k āsana (Figure 7.3)

Meaning of the āsana and its name

Vka means tree in Sanskrit. In all cultures, reli-

gions, and many fairy tales, the tree is a symbol of

life. Vkāsana particularly teaches you to find your

balance and stay concentrated even if you are moved

around, and to combine stability and flexibility in

growing from solid roots.

Getting into the posture

1. Stand in Tā āsana.


2. Lift your pelvis away from your legs.
   3. Shift more weight into the left foot and make
   the left leg firm.
   4. Maintaining the lifting of the pelvis, bend
   your right knee, keeping the tips of your toes
   on the floor, and externally rotate your right
   leg as far as you can, keeping your left leg and
   pelvis in line.
   5. Move your right foot up to the inside of your left
   thigh as high as possible; hold around the ankles
   with your right hand to move the foot higher on
   your inner left thigh.
   6. Moving your lower abdomen inwards and
   upwards, lift your chest and raise your arms
   over your head so that the palms come together
   and the elbows are stretched.

Being in the posture: basic work

1. Lift from the arches of the left foot.


2. Keep your left knee firm.


3. Push the right foot into the left inner thigh,
   resisting with the left thigh.


4. Keep the pelvis lifted and neutral; move the
   right sitting bone slightly forwards.


5. Keep the thorax lifted and the arms
   extended.


6. Balance the head between the chin and the back
   of the head.


7. Breathe naturally.

Being in the posture: refined work

1. Keeping the right big toe and the ball of the
   foot firmly in contact with the left thigh, press
   the outer edge of the right foot more into the
   left thigh.


2. The inner right thigh moves away from the groin
   slightly.


3. Move the upper outer right thigh towards the
   right hip joint.


4. Keeping the hips at the same level, slightly move
   the lower abdomen inwards and upwards; feel the
   effect of this action on the lifting of the spine.
   Figure 7.3 5. Lift the side ribs.