Australian Yoga Journal — July 2017

ModifyVirasana if needed

to find safe alignment in your body.

83

july 2017

yogajournal.com.au

YOGAPEDIA

your practice

If you experience pain

in your knees ...

TRY supporting your buttocks with a block
or blanket. Find the height of support that
allows you to have a sense of stretching in
your thighs and knees without any pain or
sharp se
reduce th
over tim
flexibility

If your feet cramp up ...

TRY kneeling on two bolsters laid

horizontally and pressed together, so that

your feet and buttocks hang off the back

edge Support your buttocks with a block.

akes pressure off your feet and also

s to

be

nee

e.

If the stretch in your

ankles is too intense ...

TRY placing a rolled-up hand towel

or thin blanket under the fronts of your

ankl l f h l h l l h

the

mo

Most of us know the word karma. But perha ma, which means order or sequence.

For instance, this Yogapedia column presents a krama, or a sequence of asanas, with each asana preparing us for the next one in the

series. Keeping this in mind can intensify a practice and help us move as deeply as possible into each pose; it maximises the benefits

of each posture and transforms the asana from mere physical exercise into a vehicle for developing a more focused mind and a

refined level of awareness. In other words, this approach turns your asana practice into a meditation in action.

Supta Padangusthasana

Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose, variation

Benefit

Stretches the hamstrings; strengthens the abdomen;

increases hip flexibility

Instruction

Lie on your back with both knees bent, heels near your sitting

bones. Raise your left knee toward your chest and catch your

left foot with both hands. Extend your left leg upward, stretching

your hamstring from the buttock to the knee, and draw your

quadriceps muscles from the knee toward the hip. If you can’t

straighten your leg while holding your foot with your hands,

loop a strap around your foot. Tighten your kneecap and press

your femur toward the back of your thigh. Maintain that action

as you pull your leg toward your torso. Exhale, lift your trunk,

and bring your forehead toward your shin. Stay here for 15–20

seconds, with normal breathing. Lie back, release your left leg,

and change sides.

Stretch your hamstrings and tone

your abdominals in these prep poses

for Krounchasana.