Yoga For You
Ray Madigan and Shelley Choy
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COURTESY MANOA YOGA CENTER
For Parsvottanasana -- Stage 2, when bent over the leg, work to keep the back lengthened, not rounded.
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Parsvottanasana
Stage 2 » 1. Stand with the feet together (Tadasana). With an exhalation, swing the arms behind the back and join the palms with the fingers pointing upwards. This is Paschima Namaskarasana. If the shoulders or wrists are too stiff, then hold the elbows. Roll the shoulders back to open the chest.
2. With an exhalation, jump the legs three to four feet apart.
3. Turn the left foot in about 45 degrees and turn the right leg out 90 degrees. Straighten the legs fully and keep the knees tight.
4. Without disturbing the legs, turn the trunk to the right. Pay attention to keep both sides of the hips, chest and shoulders facing evenly over the right leg. Squeeze the outer hips in and keep the right hip aligned with the right foot.
5. Inhale deeply, and lift the chest as you roll the shoulders back and down.
6. Stretch the head back and gaze up between the eyebrows. Note that the neck should not feel crunched. To avoid this, move the upper spine in and take the elbows back. Draw the buttocks down and tailbone in so that the lower back remains lengthened. This is Stage 1 of the pose.
7. With an exhalation, extend the trunk over the right leg and bring the abdomen to the thigh, then chest to thigh and, finally, chin to the shin. Work to keep the back lengthened, not rounded. Keep the legs tight and do not let them shake or bend. Observe that the sacrum stays level; do not let the hips tilt.
8. Keep the chest open and shoulders back.
9. Inhale as you lift and extend the chest to come up to Stage 1 again. Do so without bending the legs.
10. Repeat on the other side.
Ray Madigan and
Shelley Choy are certified Iyengar Yoga teachers and co-direct the Manoa Yoga Center at Manoa Marketplace. Visit
www.manoayoga.com or call 382-3910. Manoa Yoga Center, the authors and the Star-Bulletin take no responsibility for any injury arising from the practice of these yoga postures. Readers should seek a doctor's approval before commencing this yoga practice.