Selected aSelected asanas̄̄sanas Selected aSelected āsanas̄sanas
Being in the posture: refined work- Lift your left inner ankle and the left outer
ankle slightly. - Keeping your left big toe on the floor, lift your
left inner knee and thigh. - Bring your left sitting bone down, and the right
sitting bone forwards. - Balance your right inner and outer ankle, your
right inner and outer knee. - Keeping the right big toe and the inner heel on
the floor, shift more weight onto the right outer
foot. - Move your sacrum and tailbone in.
- Maintaining the neutral lumbopelvic position,
lift your side ribs and your sternum; move the
shoulder blades inwards. - From your upper sternum extend your arms to
your thumbs, from the inner shoulder blades to
your little fingers. - Extend both arms through the middle fingers,
the left more than the right. - Slightly shift the head on the upper cervical
spine backwards; relax your throat and neck,
to get the optimum balance for the head, and
length for the spine. - Relax your face and look at your right hand
with an inner smile and your eyes relaxed.
Finishing the posture
Hold the posture for 5–10 breaths. With an inha-
lation straighten your right knee and turn your
feet parallel; if necessary, relax your arms. Repeat
on the left side. After finishing both sides come
back to Tā āsana, and stay calm for a few breaths.Suggestions for modifications
using props
• Stand with your back against a table. Rest
your hands on the table while you build up the
posture (Figure 7. 9 ). At the end extend your
arms horizontally in line with the shoulder
girdle.• Stand close to a wall or a column on your right
side. To help control the stability of the bent
knee, hold a brick between the upper right
shin and the wall or column, as shown for
Vīrabhadrāsana I (see Figure 7.24). Repeat on
the left side.
• Have a long belt around the left foot and the
upper right thigh (Figure 7.10); perform both
sides.Figure 7.9Figure 7.10