PHOTOS: CAVEMAN COLLECTIVE; MODEL: AADIL PALKHIVALA ; WARDROBE: MODEL’S OWN
ONE OF THE FOUR PILLARS, or petals,
in Purna Yoga is safety and align-
ment-based asana. This first step,
learning the poses, is a way to train
your body and mind for what’s to
come as you move deeper into yoga:
a life full of sincerity, humility, dis-
cernment, integrity, and serenity.
Asana teach us how to live off the
mat. Their purpose is to open up our
bodies and make them strong,
vibrant, and prepared to receive life.
On the following pages, you’ll
learn to practice asana the PurnaYoga way. As you move through this
short sequence, which is designed
to release stress in your spine, notice
what emerges physically, mentally,
and emotionally. Start to trust your
intuition about what feels right or
what feels like it needs adjusting. You
can practice these poses daily on their
own—there is one from each major
category of asana (one standing pose,
one twist, one backbend, etc.)—or
add them to a longer sequence. Then
end with a Heartfull Meditation to
open the doorway to your soul.The Yoga of Integrity
Purna Yoga
co-founder Aadil
Palkhivala shares
asana that will help
you align your
body and mind.97
august 2017yogajournal.comMASTER CLASS
practice well