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december 2018 / january 2019yogajournal.com.sgA home practice for
Stamina and
self-discovery
BY KRISTIN CALABRIA
PHOTOS: ZEV STARR-TAMBOR; MODEL: KRISTIN CALABRIA; HAIR/MAKEUP: ASHLEY SMITH; CLOTHING: MODEL’S OWN
HOME PRACTICE
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1 SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA
VARIATION Reclining Bound Angle Pose
Lie on your back, about midway down your
mat. Bring the soles of your feet together to
touch, and allow your knees to fall open like
pages in a book. Take a few cycles of breath
to settle into the shape of your body, the
present moment, and your higher Self. (If you
need support, use one block under each knee
or thigh.) Let heavy hands fall to the ground,
palms down, next to your hips. Firming up
your feet against each other, inhale, and lift
your hips a few inches off the ground. Exhale,
and release back to the earth. Focus on
maintaining the width of your knees rather than
the height of your hips. Repeat for 5 breath
cycles.2 URDHVA PRASARITA PADASANA
VARIATION Leg Lifts
Use your hands to draw your knees to your
chest. Extend your legs straight up to the sky,
and activate your feet by pointing or flexing
them. Press your palms into the earth on either
side of your hips. With your lower back glued
to the ground, breathe in. Breathe out, and
lower your legs one-third of the way to the
ground, keeping them straight. Inhale, then
exhale, lowering your legs another third of
the way to the floor. Inhale again. Exhale, and
hover your feet 2 inches from the earth. Inhale,
and lift your legs back to perpendicular with the
floor. Repeat for 10 full cycles.3 VASISTHASANA VARIATION
Side Plank Pose
Hug your knees to your heart. Rock up and down
the length of your spine. Cross your ankles,
and roll over your feet to Tabletop. Practice
Marjaryasana-Bitilasana (Cat-Cow Poses) to warm
up. Inhale, extend your right leg back, and tuck
your toes near the edge of your mat. Exhale.
Spin your right heel to the floor with the outer
edge of your foot rooted firmly to the ground.
Extend your right arm overhead. Lift up and
out of your left shoulder by engaging your left
oblique. Keep your core active: Pull your navel
toward your spine, and knit your ribs together.
Hold for 3 breaths.4 PARIGHASANA VARIATION
Gate Pose
Grounding down through the outside edge
of your right foot, zip your thighs together.
Inhale, and use your obliques to sweep your
left fingertips up and over. Slide your right hand
down the side of your right leg. This should feel
similar to a Peaceful Warrior side-body stretch
on your left oblique. Exhale back to Side Plank
Pose variation. Inhale to Gate Pose and exhale
to modified Side Plank 5 times.WE ALL HAVE THE ABILITY to navigate
change and challenge with grace. One way
we learn to do this in yoga is by using our
breath—a powerful tool that helps get us
through difficult transitions by linking different
poses with its consistency. Yoga also helps
build physical and mental strength. As you shift
your weight in a pose—and particularly as you
move through transitions—fear, doubt, and
instability can show up. Successfully navigating
these moments requires a strong body and
belief in yourself.
One method for finding strength is
by using your core. When you’re fully
immersed in your yoga practice, core is about
more than just muscles. Engaging it means
tapping into who you are, what you believe,and what you stand for. In short, yoga can help
you find stability and rootedness at the core of
your identity.
This challenging practice works with the
physical body, but its benefits go further. Try
engaging with feelings of discomfort (not
pain) to identify how you respond to transition
and change—moment to moment, breath
to breath. The journey to a single-leg pistol
squat, like the one to any advanced asana,
will involve falling, failing, rising up, and trying
again. Stay rooted in your breath, anchored by
your center. Discover strength, mobility, and
trust in your physical and mental stamina. This
flow will fire up your core, elicit lower-body
burn, and teach you to meet challenges with
ease.