Yoga Journal USA - July-August 2017

58

august 2017

yogajournal.com

Root your forearms, lift your shoulders,

curl your chest open, and extend through your

spine and legs as you move step by step into

Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana.

Setu Bandha

Sarvangasana

modifi cations, page 54

Setu Bandha

Sarvangasana,

page 53

YOGAPEDIA

practice well

Benefits

Opens your shoulders, chest, and upper

back; strengthens your legs and upper

body; stretches your front body, the thigh

of your grounded leg, and the hamstrings

of your lifted leg; increases energy

Instruction

1 From Urdhva Dhanurasana, slowly

re-bend your elbows, keeping them

directly over your wrists, and place the

crown of your head on the floor without

bearing too much weight on your head.

Pause and draw your shoulder blades

back, then lower your forearms to the

floor one at a time with your fingers

pointed toward your heels and your

elbows shoulder-distance apart. Interlace

your fingers behind your head, tucking

your outer pinkie finger in, as you did in

Dolphin Pose.

2 Firm your outer arms in and lift your

shoulder heads away from the floor.

Press down through your inner elbows,

forearms, and outer wrists, and firm your

shoulder blades into your back ribs as

you raise your head off the floor. Then

lift your heels, keeping your shins

parallel, and release your inner thighs

down toward the floor before lengthen-

ing your tailbone and lowering your

heels back down. Extend out through

your spine and press your sternum

forward. Take a few rounds of breath.

3 When you’re ready, strongly press the

four corners of your left foot down into

the mat, shifting your weight to your left

leg, and bring your right knee up and in

toward your chest. Keep your chest lifted

as you spread your right toes, and slowly

start to straighten your right leg toward

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