Yoga Journal USA - July-August 2017

53

august 2017

yogajournal.com

PHOTOS: IAN SPANIER; MODEL: MEAGAN MCCRARY; STYLIST: MATTHEW PERIDIS; HAIR/MAKEUP: LAURA DEE SHELLEY; TOP: KIRA GRACE; BOTTOMS: CYNTHIA ROWLEY

YOGAPEDIA

practice well

Setu Bandha

Sarvangasana

modifi cations, page 54

Eka Pada Viparita

Dandasana prep,

pages 56–57

Eka Pada Viparita

Dandasana,

pages 58–59

Setu Bandha

Sarvangasana

Poses of the month

How to move from Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

to Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana

By Meagan McCrary

DON’T clench your butt cheeks

or push your inner groins

toward the ceiling, which strains

the low back. Instead,

hug your inner knees toward

one another and release your

inner thighs down toward the

floor before lightly lengthening

your tailbone toward the

backs of your knees.

DON’T let your feet turn out,

which closes off the space in

your low back. Instead, keep the

outer edges of your feet parallel

to the outer edges of your mat.

Benefits

Opens your shoulders and chest; strengthens your back, glutes, and hamstrings;

stretches your hip flexors and thighs; increases flexibility of your spine; calms your mind

OUR PRO Teacher and model Meagan McCrary is a yoga teacher in Los Angeles and author of Pick Your Yoga Practice: Exploring and Understanding

Different Styles of Yoga. To learn more, go to meaganmccrary.com.

Instruction

1 Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat, hip-

width apart, heels directly below your knees. Leave

your upper arms on the floor and bend your elbows

alongside your ribs, pointing your forearms and fingers

toward the ceiling. Turn your palms to face one another.

2 Press your elbows and shoulder heads down into

the floor, lift your chest, and bring your shoulder blades

onto your upper back, wrapping your outer arms

toward the floor. Keep your gaze straight up.

3 Press into your feet and slowly send your knees

forward, wrapping your outer hips toward the ceiling;

then lift your buttocks away from the floor. Lengthen

your tailbone toward the backs of your knees.

4 Straighten your elbows and interlace your fingers

underneath you, drawing your shoulder blades deeper

into your upper back, keeping the tops of your shoul-

ders in line with the base of your neck.

5 Gently press the center of the back of your head

into the floor. Broaden your collarbones and lift your

chest, bringing your sternum toward your chin. Lightly

reach your chin away from your chest, keeping space

between the back of your neck and the floor. Simul-

taneously extend out through your knees as you lift

your sternum. Take a few rounds of breath here.

6 To release, unlace your fingers and slowly lower

your torso back to the floor.

setu = bridge · bandha = building or lock · sarva = all · anga = limbs · asana = pose

Bridge Pose

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

}