Australian Yoga Journal - April 2018

ModifyUtthita Parsvakonasana as needed

to find safe alignment in your body

61

april 2018

yogajournal.com.au

YOGAPEDIA

your practice

If your hamstrings or glutes are tight,

or if you feel wobbly ...

TRY bringing your front elbow to your front thigh instead of putting
your hand on the mat. From a wide stance, with your front heel in
line with your back heel and your front knee over your front ankle,
inhale and reach your arms up, creating length in your side body.
Exhale and allow your pelvis to rotate. Sidebend over your front leg
and place your front elbow on your front thigh. Putting your elbow
on your thigh will allow you to more easily keep your legs active,
helping you to balance.

If you struggle to keep your

back heel down ...

TRY putting your back foot against a wall. It’s important to keep
your back foot down with the outer edge of your foot anchored
to the mat. This helps you keep your core active in the pose.
Set up your mat against a wall. Place your back heel against the
wall, and as you move into the posture, keep pressing your back
heel against the wall. This also wakes up the inner thigh of your
back leg. As you stand here, concentrate on lifting and engaging
that leg.

If you’re unable to place your hand on

the floor (and you want to move your right

arm lower than your thigh) ...

TRY bringing your front hand to a block on the outside of your

front foot. This allows you to keep the alignment of the posture

while developing a new range of mobility, particularly if taking

your elbow to your thigh does not feel challenging enough for

you. The block is for balance, but don’t press firmly into it. Instead,

gently rest your hand on the block and keep length in your spine

and energy in your legs.

Find your truth

Your yoga practice can help you become

more aware of your patterns—both physical

and psychological. Notice where you hold

tension, and pay attention to thoughts that

keep emerging. I started practicing yoga

during law school, and it helped me to

understand that my choice to become a

lawyer was driven by my kleshas

(dvesha and abhinivesha). I had been rock

climbing for a few years and loved

it, but my fears kept me from thinking

that it would ever be a feasible career. The

more I practiced yoga, the more I knew that

becoming a professional rock climber was

part of my dharma, or life purpose.

When you know what your priorities are,

it can give you the strength to make life

choices that are more true to you.