Garudasana

Eagle Pose (also. Twisted Pose)

“At the center of life’s storms I stand serene.”

Ga-ru-daa-sa-na Garuda = the eagle sacred to Vishnu

Instructions

From tadasana, shift your weight onto your left foot. Fix your gaze on a stationary point on the floor or on the wall in front of you. Bend your left knee slightly/ bring your right foot in front of your left foot, and wrap your right leg around the left as far as possible, keeping your left leg bent.

Bend your left arm 90° and bring it up in front of you, forearm vertical at the midline of your body. Wrap your right arm underneath and around your left arm, with the inside of your right elbow under your left elbow, palms together. Keep your chest lifted, pelvis facing forward.

Breathe smoothly and naturally as you hold the pose and affirm mentally, “At the center of life’s storms I stand serene.”

To exit, release your arms, then inhale and spread your arms wide to the sides. On the exhalation, release your right leg and return to tadasana.

Pause to integrate the effects of the pose, then repeat to the other side.

Yin yoga targets connective tissue, specifically ligaments and tendons in the joints and spine. Over time, practice of yin yoga can lengthen these tissues, increasing range of motion. To convey the role that connective tissue plays in determining range of motion, muscles account for about forty percent of the resistance against the body’s flexibility, while connective tissue accounts for about fifty percent [1]. The intensity and physical benefits of the practice depend on two variables, duration of the asana and the temperature of the muscle.

Duration of Asana

In order to lengthen the connective tissue, the practitioner holds an asana, engaging in static stretching. This applies stress, in the form of tension, to the muscle and connective tissue in the targeted region. The muscle, more elastic than the connective tissue, responds immediately, lengthening to its limit. When the muscle is fully stretched, the stress reaches the connective tissue, which is not elastic and does not immediately lengthen. In order to affect the connective tissue, stress must be applied for several minutes at a time. In yin yoga, asanas are usually held for three to five minutes, but can be held for as long as twenty minutes. Because of the long duration of asanas, one of the key values cultivated in the practice of yin yoga is patience.

Temperature of Muscle

If the muscles are cold, they will be less elastic, and more stress will be transferred to the connective tissue. For this reason, it is recommended that yin yoga be practiced earlier in the day, before physical activity that warms the muscles and increases their elasticity. However, some note that practicing yin yoga after a strenuous day is psychologically soothing.

Yin Asanas

Yin asanas are almost entirely passive and do not usually include what would usually be classified as standing asanas or balance poses. During the asana, muscles are relaxed to avoid tetany, which will result from engaging muscles for long periods of time. There are only about thirty-five asanas that are taught by most yin yoga teacher, though this number will vary from source to source, and most poses have one or more variations. However, Master Paulie Zink teaches hundreds of yin postures.”

So the bottom line difference between Yin and Yang (our usual practice) is that the focus is on the connective tissues, rather than the muscles. I think you’ll like the Yin practice I have planned. Yin needs to be balanced with Yang for a yoga practice that will address the entire physical body.

Our pose this week is a Standing Backward Bend. This is the counter pose for Padahastasana. So, one should follow the other to protect your back.

(Standing) Backward Bend

“I am free! I am free!”

Instructions

From tadasana, step your left foot straight back about 2-3 feet. Turn your left foot out very slightly, and bring your left hip forward so your entire pelvis faces forward. Tuck your pelvis to protect your lower back.

Bend your right knee and bring it directly over your right ankle. Tuck your pelvis. Keeping your lower body stationary, inhale and circle your arms out to your sides and overhead/ lengthening your spine and lifting through your heart into a gentle backward bend. Bring your palms together. As you exhale, soften your elbows and relax your shoulders down away from your ears, shoulder blades releasing down your back. Lead the bend with your heart, opening your chest and shoulders while keeping your pelvis tucked and shoulder blades apart.

Keep your neck long, bending it no more than the rest of your spine (i.e., don’t tilt your head way back). Keep your shoulder blades apart, and shoulders relaxed. Gaze softly upward.

Breathe smoothly and naturally as you hold the pose and affirm mentally, “I am free! I am free!”

To exit, on an inhalation, straighten your right leg and lengthen your spine back to vertical as you stretch upward through your arms. On the exhalation, circle your arms slowly back down to your sides, maintaining openness in your chest. Step your left foot forward into tadasana.

Pause to integrate the effects of the pose, then repeat to the other side.

See you Monday nite!

Tadasana