yoga

30

december 2018 / january 2019

yogajournal.com.sg

4 Wrap your left forearm around your right

shinbone, and swing your right arm behind your

back—clasping your right fingers with your left (or,

if possible, your right wrist with your left hand).

The tighter and more compact you make the clasp,

the more lift and freedom you will find in your

torso and inner body. On an inhalation, lift your

trunk, roll your shoulders back, and expand your

chest. Turn your head to gaze over either shoulder.

(Looking over your right shoulder will require

a more complete spinal rotation.) To maintain

balance, it’s essential to keep a strong hand grip.

Hold an upward stretch through your hips and side

waist, lifting and broadening your chest. Stay for

20–30 seconds. Release the clasp, slowly unwind,

and repeat on the other side.

ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA, VARIATION

If extending, wrapping, and binding your arms around your bent leg isn’t

possible, go to a wall. Sit with your right leg outstretched and parallel to the

wall. Bend your left leg, and sit on your left foot. (You can also place a blanket

between your buttocks and foot.) Bend your right knee, and place your right

foot at the outer edge of your left thigh. Exhale, turn your trunk to the right, and

bring the left side of your trunk toward your right thigh. Fix your left upper arm

against the outer edge of your right leg. Keep your elbows bent, and place your

palms on the wall. Pull your hands down the wall, and lift your inner body.

YOGAPEDIA

rti ll

Teacher and model Lara Warren is a senior certified teacher at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York, Kula Yoga Project, and Chelsea Piers Fitness in Brooklyn. She started

practicing Iyengar Yoga while living in London in her teens, and she has been going to India regularly to study with the Iyengar family since 2003. For more information on

her daily classes, monthly workshops, yearly retreats, and ongoing teacher trainings, go to yogawithlara.com.