YOUR 6-WEEK YOGA GUIDE TO BUILD STRENGTH YOGAJOURNAL.COM 59
Let your mind be undisturbed,
like a lotus leaf in murky water.Pankajam is one of the many
Sanskrit words for “lotus,”
and means “that which is
born out of the muck or mud.”
The lotus flower grows in the
swamp but rises above it, sit-
ting on top of the mire so that
it is not sullied by the swamp
it came from.That something so beautiful
and pure can rise above its ori-
gins makes the lotus a symbol
of kaivalyam, or “liberation.”Kaivalyam is synonymous with
freedom from suffering, which
is the ultimate goal of yoga.The lotus leaf does not absorb
that which falls on it; water
beads up and slips off, leaving
the leaf unaffected. So we, too,
should strive for the mind to
be undisturbed by whatever it
comes into contact with. No
matter what our background is
or the circumstances we are
born into, we all have the
potential to blossom.
KATE HOLCOMBEconsider this
5
5 UPAVISTHA KONASANA
(WIDE-ANGLE SEATED
FORWARD BEND)
BENEFITS Creates flexibility in the
inner thighs and orients the femurs
toward external rotation
Roll to one side and sit in Dandasana
(Staff Pose) with your legs stretched
in front of you. Bring your arms
behind you, lean back, and open
your legs toward a 180-degree
angle. Flex your feet, press your
thighs down, and rotate them out-
ward so the kneecaps face the ceil-
ing. Place your hands on the floor in
front of you. Inhale to lengthen your
spine. Exhale, and walk your hands
forward without rounding the mid-
dle or lower back. (If your back
rounds, sit on a folded blanket or
cushion to elevate your seat.) Press
through your heels, lengthen and lift
the inner thighs toward the ceiling,
and press the femurs toward the
floor. Stay here for 6 to 8 breaths.
Inhale to come up.