Posts Tagged ‘yoga props’
Friday, December 9th, 2011
As part of her year-long series, Annie Carpenter continues her column “Basics” in the December 2011 issue of Yoga Journal with Chair Pose (Utkatasana). While simple in appearance, Chair Pose is one that demands more than meets the eye: flexible shoulders, a stable core, and strong legs. We are reminded of the fundamentals of the pose in its root word, utkata, meaning “fierce” or “powerful,” although Annie tells us it is just as much to keep a cool mind. With deep breathing and a release of tension you will find a stronger sense of focus.
Focus is certainly central to the success of Chair Pose, as it requires quite a bit of it. All at once you must lift your chest, engage your core, lengthen your lower back, and keep weight in your heels. Annie gracefully reminds us with her patient perspective, that the point of Chair Pose is “[learning] to handle many actions all at the same time for what feels like way too long.”
With Annie’s helpful advice there are means of preparation before conquering the full pose. Before adding the arms you can first focus on mastering the right angle of your knees, channeling particular concentration toward shifting your weight onto your heels. Standing tall in Mountain Pose (Tadasana), which was the focus of Annie’s first blog of the “Basics” series, will keep your arms extended straight and your back from overarching. When you’re ready, Annie tells us to unite the whole of the pose by bringing awareness to the torso.
“The pose is teaching you,” Annie says, “its most important lesson and key concept in yoga: steady practice over time is better than occasional, intense spurts.” She includes three modifications by using the wall as a prop: powering up your lower body with squats, and aligning your upper body with chest and shoulder openers.
With a dedicated daily regimen, Annie reminds us of the deep satisfaction that results from perseverance and determination in this challenging pose. The Sanskrit word for dedicated practice, abhyasa, reminds us that focusing on the practice itself rather than achieving the goal results in effortlessness. ”Consistency in yoga yields deep, lasting results.”
Tags: Annie Carpenter, asana practice, Basics, chair pose, ergonomic yoga blocks, Mountain Pose, three minute egg, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga journal, yoga props
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Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
So you say you are having six Three Minute Eggs for Thanksgiving dinner?Well, whatever you have for this yearly feasting day, no doubt your belly will end up full. Sometimes when our bellies get very full, we suffer from indigestion, or worse even, heartburn. As one might expect, yoga offers relief.Most intermediate yogis will be able to perform full Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero’s Pose), the classic posture for moving food out of the belly. However, that pose is not accessible to many people due to the deep fold of the knee, combined with short quadracep muscles, which then often puts strain on a our lower back.Enter the Three Minute Egg®.
My very favorite yoga pose to aid in digestion and restoration, I call Suspended Supta Baddha Konasana. This pose uses all six of my Eggs and is so lovely that every joint, the diaphragm, and every major blood vessel are relaxed, open and flowing freely.
How to perform Suspended Supta Baddha Konasana:
1. Begin by placing two Eggs side by side under you mid-chest. Place another egg flat under your head. Check to be certain that (more…)
Tags: Asheville, digestion, ergonomic yoga blocks, Iyengar yoga, reclined hero's pose, supta baddha konasana, supta virasana, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
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Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
Recently I had the opportunity to catch up with much beloved Iyengar Yoga instructor, Joan White, for an interview about her life as a yoga teacher and 3ME Signateur. What a privilege this was! Joan is one of the most senior Iyengar yoga teachers in the U.S., having studied with the Iyengar family since 1973. She is winding down her 2011 tour, which included India (twice), South Africa, Germany, Denmark and numerous cities across the U.S. With just a couple weeks before her last workshop of the year, Joan afforded us this opportunity to learn more about her.
3ME: Great to catch up with you, Joan. Tell us, in the midst of your global travels and experiences, how did you first encounter the Eggs?
Joan: Well, it was a windy day in the hot sands of Joshua Tree, California, at Bhakti Fest when I was assigned to teach yoga in an outdoor tent with a dirt floor to an Iyengar yoga class. The only thing between my students and the coarse sand was their yoga mat. Little did I know that there were Three Minute Eggs being sold only 50 yards away from where I was teaching.
Someone from my previous class appeared before me. He told me of a man who could lend me 150 Eggs so I could have props for my students. There was only one condition: (more…)
Tags: back injury, BKS Iyengar, ergonomic yoga blocks, Iyengar yoga, Signature Egg, three minute egg, travels, workshops, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
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Monday, November 14th, 2011
“Intellectuals tend to be arrogant. Intelligence, like money, is a good servant but a bad master. When practicing pranayama, the yogi [makes] himself humble and without pride in his intellectual attainments.”—B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life
Where To
- Under sitting bones — Lotus Booty or Reverse Lotus Booty (V-shape Eggs)
- Under knees, thighs or calves (rounded side up)
- Between shins –(upper leg supported by an Egg resting on lower leg)
Why To
- Many people find it difficult to maintain a straight spine when crossing their legs. Sitting on the Eggs in Lotus Booty raises your pelvis so that your hips are higher than your knees, alleviating a posterior tilt, making extension possible.
- Ultimately we want to find spinal-extension from our tailbone to base of the skull, while simultaneously allowing the thighs to soften and release.
- Unlike a blanket (which can be too soft to offer sufficient support) the Eggs provide the right combination of comfort and resistance to allow you to ground through your sitting-bones while maintaining a straight spine.
- Using Eggs to support the legs allows the inner thighs and hip flexors to release without fear of straining the knee.
Tags: back pain, beginner yoga, ergonomic yoga blocks, hip opener, hip pain, knee pain, Pranayama, seated meditation, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
Posted in Andasanas -- Egg Postures | 1 Comment »
Monday, November 14th, 2011
“If your right leg is stretching and your left leg is not, you believe that the left leg is in ahimsa and the right leg in himsa…. You think that the stretching is himsa and non-stretching is ahimsa. In both cases, you are creating himsa. If one is a deliberate aggression, the other is non-deliberate. At the moment when both legs are equally stretch or equally relaxed, there is neither violence nor non-violence. This is how you have to study the ethics in asana.”—B.K.S. Iyengar, Yoga Wisdom & Practice
Where To
- Under the sitting-bones
- Behind the knees
- Under the hands
- Under the forehead (optional passive posture)
Why To
- Placing Eggs under the sitting-bones facilitates freedom of movement and better rotation of the pelvis, minimizing strain on the hamstrings.
- Placing the Eggs behind the knees protects them from hyper-extension.
- Supporting the knees with Eggs, even when hips are still grounded on the floor, makes hinging from the hips easier.
- Using the Eggs under your hands encourages you to lengthen through all four sides of your torso. This will help you move deeper into the pose while maintaining a flat back.
How To
- Sit on the Eggs in Lotus Booty (you can sit on more Eggs if you need more height, but be mindful of how this impacts the Egg-placement under your knees).
- Place 1-2 Eggs under each knee.
- Engage your quads, to draw your kneecaps toward your groin.
- Internally rotate your thighs.
- Toes and knees should be pointed up toward the ceiling.
- Press your thigh bones down toward the ground.
- Inhale to find space between your pubic bone and naval.
- Take an Egg in each hand, and leading with your heart, maintain that space as you walk your hands forward, folding from the hip-crease.
- Utilize the shape of the Eggs to roll back and lift out of your lower spine. This will help you move your shoulder blades down the back.
- Remain here for several breaths.
- On an exhalation, step the Eggs forward, deepening the posture slightly.
- Try this in three phases each time you do the pose. If you find your spine rounding, take a step back, lift out of your lower spine, and focus on extending the torso and lifting out of the lower back. Maintaining a flat back is more important than going deep into the pose.
- If you want to experience a more passive forward fold, try stacking one or more Eggs on your legs. Gently allow your back to round, and rest your head on the Egg in your lap. Bring your hands to your shins, ankles, or feet and enjoy this restorative variation.
When Not To
- If back pain persists even after elevating the sitting-bones, return to an upright position, and approach the forward fold pausing when you begin to feel pain.
- If you have a hamstring injury consult a physician before engaging in forward folds.
Tags: anxiety calming, back strengthener, ergonomic yoga blocks, hamstring stretch, headache reducing, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
Posted in Andasanas -- Egg Postures | No Comments »
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
“Sometimes, legs may ache, and the mind might say, ‘Skip yoga!’ But an intelligent mind has to find out why they are paining and work out how to remove that pain. One finds a means to escape, but to persist and pursue needs a strong mind. Practice is like using a pin to remove a splinter in the hand. In the same way, one has to learn to use the intelligence to practice to remove the so-called pains and reform the practices so that these pricks do not occur at all.”—B.K.S. Iyengar, Yoga Wisdom & Practice
Where To
- Under the sitting-bones
- Under or between the hands
Why To
- For people with discomfort in the knees, or difficulty finding lift in the spine, using an Egg under the hands can both relieve some of the tension in the knees and encourage a sense of lightness from lifting out of the lower back.
- If there is strain in the knees due to flexion, sitting on Eggs creates space behind the knee joint, alleviating discomfort.
- Pressure or discomfort on the tops of the feet can be an issue for many people. This is often due to tightness in the quadriceps or insufficient mobility in the foot. Sitting up on Eggs adds space between the sitting-bones and the floor, thus alleviating some, if not all, of this pressure.
- Placing an Egg between the hands encourages broadening across the collar bones and protects the wrists.
How To
- Come to hands and knees and place 2 Eggs flat or round side up between your calves. If you need more height you can stack the Eggs, Lego Style, under your sitting-bones.
- Keeping your knees hip-distance apart, sit back on the Eggs.
- Bring the ankles as close to the hips as possible, tops of the feet pressing into the floor, to help reduce torque in the knee.
- Press your sitting-bones into the Eggs to encourage the heads of your femurs to descend towards the ground.
- Gently rotate your thighs inward.
- Inhale, and lift up out of your lower back as you lengthen your front body.
- Encourage your lower back ribs to move away from your pelvis as you extend through all four sides of your torso.
- Pressing your hands into the Egg, allow your shoulder blades to be drawn down the back as you broaden across the collarbones.
- Keep the lower front ribs soft.
- Bringing your gaze forward, draw your chin slightly in toward the spine and up, lengthening the cervical spine.
When Not To
- If knee pain persists in spite of the elevated sitting position, consult a physician before continuing kneeling poses.
- If you are suffering from an ankle injury, avoid this pose.
- If you experience mild pain in the top of your foot, place a rolled up hand towel between the top of your foot or front of your ankle and the floor.
Eggsperiments
- If you are sitting on a tall stack of Eggs, and still feel pressure in your knees, try placing an Egg in each hand and grounding into the Eggs on either side of your hips. Lift out of your lower back.
Tags: beginner yoga, ergonomic yoga blocks, hyperextension, intermediate yoga, knee discomfort, lower back lift, meditation, wrist protection, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
Posted in Andasanas -- Egg Postures | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
“The gateways for human health are the respiratory and circulatory systems. When you do Setubandha Sarvangasana the lungs expand automatically. In this asana, the breathing process increases indirectly even without the knowledge of pranayama. That is why patients find relief as there is no strain. The chemicals of the blood change, which gives them health.”—B.K.S. Iyengar, Yoga Wisdom & Health
Where To
- Between the thighs
- Between the feet
- Under the tailbone
Why To
- To maintain the knees hip distance apart placing an Egg between the thighs .
- To maintain alignment and engage the arches of the feet place an Egg between the feet
- To release tension in the lower back use an Egg under the tailbone to make bridge a passive posture
Tags: alignment, back pain relief, back strengthener, engage feet arches, leg strengthener, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
Posted in Andasanas -- Egg Postures | No Comments »
Monday, October 31st, 2011
“Like all forward bending asanas, Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana is quieting to the mind and body. It does not require the strength of an arm balance but rather the inner strength of will to hold the pose even when it is difficult for the legs and hips. This strength of will must not be confused with an aggressive pushing of the body beyond its limits… Instead, inner strength of will means a fine balance between letting go of the rigidity that keeps one from expressing the beauty of the pose, while maintaining the one-pointed concentration necessary to refuse to move in the face of discomfort.” – Judith Lasater, Yoga Journal September/October 1983
Where To
- Under Sitz bones
- Behind knee of straight leg
- Under hands
Why To
- To allow the pelvis to move freely and alleviate tension on the hamstring of the straight leg raise the Sitz Bones on Eggs
- Lifting the Sitz Bones up on Eggs decreases the strain in the bent-leg knee, allowing you to press the top of the bent leg foot into the floor, keeping the knee in proper alignment.
- To protect the knee of the straight leg from hyper-extension bring an Egg behind it
- Placing your hands on Eggs encourages extension of the front body as well as lifting and strengthening of the lower back.
How To
(more…)
Tags: alignment, back strengthening, hamstring stretch, knee pain, quadricep stretch, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
Posted in Andasanas -- Egg Postures | No Comments »
Sunday, October 30th, 2011
“With this asana, the hamstring muscles are fully developed, while blood is made to flow to the trunk and head. Those who cannot do Sirsasana (headstand) can benefit from this pose, which increases digestive powers.” – B.K.S. Iyengar
Where To
Why To
- Using the Eggs under the hands adds extension to the arms so that you can bring more attention to the rotation of the pelvis and the alignment of the spine.
Tags: alignment, pelvis rotation, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
Posted in Andasanas -- Egg Postures | No Comments »
Monday, October 24th, 2011
“When you are ready to do Uttanasana, have you ever studied the movement of energy? You only know that you are bending forward and your hands are going down. But how do the energy and consciousness spread in the body?… Do you ever observe whether your consciousness expands from the back towards the sides, or do you only observe the vertical downward movement? When every asana is multi-petaled, why do you ever make it single-petaled?”—B.K.S. Iyengar, Yoga Wisdom & Practice
Where To
- Under hands
- Under feet
- Between the thighs
- Between the feet
Why To
- Using the Eggs under the hands allows you to find grounding and focus more on the actions of the pelvis. This encourages the lengthening of the spine from the tailbone to the base of the skull.
- Holding your Eggs in your hands in the high position allow less flexible people to maintain a flat back and more easily fold from the hip crease.
- With an Egg between the upper thighs it is easier to maintain the internal rotation of the thighs without collapsing in the knees. This affords more space around the sacrum for rotation of the pelvis.
- Keeping an Egg between the thighs also helps to maintain the hip-distance alignment.
- An Egg between the feet helps maintain hip-distance alignment of the legs and engage the inner arches of the feet.
- An Egg under the feet gives the benefit of added extension for those who are very flexible and want the release of gravity to deepen the pose.
Tags: back pain, back strengthening, hamstring stretch, hip alignment, three minute egg, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
Posted in Andasanas -- Egg Postures | No Comments »
