Balance Pose of the Week Crumpled Moon

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Cultivating Healthy Posture with a Simple Restorative Pose Rerun

by Timothy

Poor posture is a common problem that people of any age can have but it is one that tends to worsen over time. Particularly common is the rounding of the upper back into a C-shaped curve, aka Slumpasana. People often hold their heads several inches forward of the body’s plumb line, which can lead to neck and upper back discomfort, among other problems. I’m just back from teaching workshops on therapeutic yoga at Kripalu and the Himalayan Institute and several of the people I worked with—some despite years of yoga practice—still had this postural habit. So I thought today I’d share with you a simple technique that in a number of cases has proved helpful for improving posture.

You might not think poor posture would be a factor is serious health problems, and we certainly weren’t taught much about it in medical school. But if you read medical textbooks and search out relevant studies, you will see that poor posture can contribute such problems as carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoporotic fractures, and even heart disease and depression. From a yogic perspective, this combination of slumping posture and the less-than-ideal breathing that accompanies it is also believed to contribute to anxiety, insomnia, digestive difficulties, etc.

When your back rounds, your lower ribs compress the top of the abdomen so it’s not possible to fully move your diaphragm, the major muscle of breathing, and take a full breath. As a result, people take shallow breaths, primarily bringing air into the upper parts of the lungs. Such a breathing pattern is not as efficient in bringing oxygen into the body, and more importantly for many health concerns, is agitating to the nervous system. I won’t go into the physiology here, but suffice it to say that I have repeatedly seen that improving your posture in a way that allows you to take slower, deeper breaths can lead to an improvement in overall health and well-being.

When you’ve had a long-term habit of slouching, however, it may not just be as simple as remembering to sit up straight or to pull you shoulders back when standing. Long-term slouching leads to shortening of muscles in the front of the upper body, as well as of the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and interpenetrates the muscles, and which can limit movement. It’s said that longer holds of poses are necessary to help lengthen the fascia, and while people differ on what the ideal holding time is, I believe staying in a pose for a few minutes may be ideal. That’s hard to do in most regular asana, particularly the backbends, which open up the back. The pose described below is a supported backbend, which like a regular backbend helps correct the postural problem, but because it’s restorative, it’s easy to stay long enough to have the desired effect on the fascia.

To do the pose, you’ll need one blanket and something to place under your head. Take a standard folded yoga blanket and unfold it once, so that you’ve got a long rectangle. Roll the blanket from the longer edge into a thin cylinder. Place the cylinder sideways on your mat a couple of feet from the head of the mat, sit in front of the blanket, and lie back so that rounded edge comes to your mid-thoracic spine.

Thoracic Spine, the portion of your spine to which your ribs attach—
between your cervical spine (neck) and lumbar spine

You can play with the placement, maybe a little higher or lower to get the region of your upper back that seems the most stubborn. Most people, particularly those who tend to slouch, need a pillow or folded blanket under the back of their heads, so that the chin can be more or less at the level of the forehead or slightly lower.

This photo uses a bolster in place of a rolled blanket, but you get the idea...

Once you’ve got your props in place, come to a supine Mountain pose with your back on the blanket roll, your head on the head support, and the tops of your shoulders on floor between the head support and the blanket roll. Now, take your arms out to your sides in a T-position, externally rotating your upper arms so your palms face the ceiling, which will help counteract the tendency of most slouchers to internally rotate them. Engage your leg muscles and lightly flex your feet. After  you’ve established your alignment, let go of all effort and lie back into this restorative backbend and let the blanket do all the work. Your only job is to remain mindful, trying to breathe slowly and deeply for the next several minutes. Titrate the time you stay to your comfort levels and schedule. For most people, I’d recommend starting with a minute or so then working up to 5-15 minutes a day. The longer you hold it (as long as you remain comfortable), and the more regularly you do it, the better the results!

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Balance Pose of the Week I Felt the Earth Move

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In Praise of Gomukhasana Cow Face Pose

by Nina

Because this is turning out to be the almost all-Nina week (don’t worry, all the other regulars will be back soon), I thought today I’d just share with you some more of the beautiful artwork from the current exhibit Yoga: The Art of Transformation at the Smithsonian Museum.

As I was looking through the book, I noticed something surprising to me. While most of the yoga poses we currently do in our yoga classes and in our home practices were developed during the twentieth century (see Authentic Yoga), there are several poses—mostly seated poses—that are quite old. The artwork in this exhibit that portrays yogis in action allows us to see which ones they were. Of course, there are many examples of the classic seated position that we all picture from the past, Lotus pose (Padmasana). But I also noticed how many of these works of art portrayed yogis in a seated position similar to Cow-Face pose (Gomukhasana) legs.

It just happens that this is a pose I practice frequently myself (though not as a meditation pose) because I received advice that stretching my piriformis muscle would help me regain some mobility in my right hip, and Cow-Face pose is one of the best poses for stretching this muscle. And, as it turned out, practicing this pose on a regular basis did increase my hip mobility (see How to Stretch).

Baxter finds this pose stretches the deep hip muscles in a different way than Sukasana (Seated Crossed Legs), Padmasana (Lotus pose), Baddhakonasana (Cobbler's pose) and Firelog pose, so it can be helpful for those with tight hips who want more mobility. And Shari recommends stretching your piriformis muscle to keep your sacrum happy and healthy. So it was quite amazing for me to see what a common seated poses this for ancient yoga practitioners. And as we haven’t yet taken photographs of one of us doing the pose, I’m so pleased to have some visual examples to show you.

While most of these paintings show the practitioner sitting on the heel of the bottom foot, many of us who aren’t used to this pose may find this uncomfortable. In that case, sit with your hips on a prop, such as a folded blanket, and your bottom foot alongside your hip.

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Featured Pose Hunting Dog Pose

by Baxter and Nina

A deceptively simple-looking pose, Hunting Dog pose is a surprisingly effective pose for strengthening your entire body. When you lift both your arm and leg, you’re strengthening shoulder, arm, and leg muscles, as well as upper and lower back muscles and pelvic and core muscles. Because the pose is so strengthening for the lower back, Baxter teaches it regularly to those with lower back pain. The pose also provides a gentle way to strengthen arms and wrist bones, as you’re bearing some of your weight on your hands. And because balancing on one knee and one hand takes mental concentration, it improves coordination and balance. The three variations make the pose accessible to most people, and can be used as warm-ups for the classic pose. 

Baxter prescribes this for:

• reducing back pain
• improving balance
• fatigue (when standing poses are too tiring)
• right/left coordination
• mental concentration
• back, hamstring, core, upper body and arm strength
• bone strength

Timing: If you are an experienced practitioner, hold the pose for 1-2 minutes (or until your muscles become shaky). If you are new to the practice, start with holds of 30 seconds and work your way up to 1-2 min holds. Rest in Child’s pose for a few moments before moving on.

Cautions: If you are having lower back pain, start with versions 2 and 3, and progress from there. If you have wrist pain, don’t rest your hands flat on the ground. Instead, try fists or fingertips, or rest each forearm on a block (not shown). 

1. Classic Version  

To set up for the pose, place a folded blanket across the middle of your mat. Then come onto your hands and knees, with your knees on the blanket, and the tops of feet and your hands on your mat. Maintaining a neutral spine from tailbone to the crown of your head, strengthen your arms. Then mindfully lengthen your right leg behind you, so your leg is straight, with toes turned under and the ball of your foot on floor. 

Keep your pelvis and lower back stable (no tip, tuck, or turn), and raise your right leg until it is about parallel with the floor, but no higher. Firm your right arm and as you press down into your right hand lift your breastbone away from the floor. Then lift your left arm forward and up so it is parallel to the floor. Once you’re in the pose, focus on maintaining good alignment of your spine and keeping your raised leg and arm strong. 

To come out of the pose, lower your left hand and right knee back to the floor. Then lift up your right hand and shake out your right hand and wrist. Repeat the pose on the second side.

2. Foot on Floor 

This version is a good starting pose for those who are too weak to do versions 1 or 4, as it’s a very gentle version of the pose, which still strengthens many of the areas listed above, but to lesser extent than the classic version. People who have active low back pain should give this version a try, as it’s less demanding for the back muscles than the versions with the lifted leg. 

Follow the instructions for the classic pose for setting up, coming onto your hands and knees, and lengthening your right leg behind you. With your foot lightly touching the floor, avoiding the tendency to let your chest sag towards the floor by pressing down into both hands as you lift your breastbone away from the floor. Once you’re in the pose, focus on maintaining good alignment of your spine and keeping your back leg and arms strong. 

To come out of the pose, bring your right knee back to the floor. Then one at a time shake out both hands and wrists. Repeat the pose on the second side.  

3. Arm Only 

(sorry, no photo)

This version is a good starting pose for those who are too weak to do the classic version, as it provides all the upper body strengthening and some of the balance benefits in a more accessible form. People who have active low back pain that worsens with versions, 1, 2, or 4 should give this version a try. 

Follow the instructions for the classic pose for setting up and coming onto your hands and knees. Maintaining a neutral spine from tailbone to the crown of your head, strengthen your right arm, pressing down into your right hand as you lift your breastbone away from the floor. Then lift your left arm forward and up so it is parallel to the floor. Once you’re in the pose, focus on maintaining good alignment of your spine and keeping your arms strong. 

To come out of the pose, bring your left hand back to the floor. Then lift your right hand up and shake out your right hand and wrist. Repeat the pose on the second side.  

4. Leg Only 

This version is a good starting pose for those who are too weak to do the classic version, as it provides all the lower body strengthening and some of the balance benefits in a more accessible form. People who have shoulder pain in versions 1 and 3 should give this version a try.

Follow the instructions for the classic pose for setting up, coming onto your hands and knees, and lifting your left leg. Maintaining a neutral spine from tailbone to the crown of your head, strengthen your arms, pressing down into both hands as you lift your breastbone away from the floor. Then lengthen from the crown of your head to your right heel. Once you’re in the pose, focus on maintaining good alignment of your spine and keeping your raised leg strong.

To come out of the pose, bring your right knee back to the floor. Then one at a time shake out both hands and wrists. Repeat the pose on the second side.

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Featured Pose Upward Bound Hands Urdva Baddha Hastasana

by Baxter and Nina

This simple pose allows you to stretch and strengthen your shoulders, arms, hands and wrists, providing the perfect antidote to working with your arms down by your sides all day. Raising your arms overhead with bound hands reverses the effect of gravity on your arms and reestablishes the full range of motion of your collar blades and shoulder blades.

This pose releases muscular tension in your shoulders and upper back from sitting, driving, and/or traveling, and builds strength in your shoulder girdle muscles. It is also helpful for people who tend to develop swelling in forearms or hands, or those who have undergone cancer treatments with removal of lymph nodes.

Version 1, in which your palms are turned up toward the sky, takes your wrists into extension, which is a good is a counter-pose for people who are working with their hands all day, whether typing at a computer or using tools for your job. In addition to releasing the wrists, this version stretches the inner surface of your forearms, which could be beneficial to people with golfer’s elbow (inflammation at the inner elbow).

Version 2, in which your palms are facing the floor, you get a good stretch on the opposite side of your forearm, which could be helpful for people who have tennis elbow. Because the yoga practice typically requires a lot of wrist extension (think Downward-Facing Dog pose, Cat/Cow pose, and Plank pose), Cat Cow, Version 2 of this pose is an effective counter-pose for yoga poses where you bear weight on your hands. 

Because both versions of the pose are beneficial in different ways, we recommend you practice both of them, either on the same day or alternating them. This pose takes up very little space, which is why we’re including it in our office/travel yoga practice. If standing isn’t possible, you can do the arm position from a seated position.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

• upper back shoulder and arm stiffness
• as a counter-pose for kyphosis (Dowager’s hump)
• elbow conditions, such as tennis or golfer’s elbow
• carpal tunnel syndrome (or prevention of)
• arthritis of shoulder, elbow, wrist or finger joints
• dullness of mind or fatigue, (it is slightly stimulating)
• weakness in the shoulder girdle area (it strengthens the shoulder and arm muscles)

Instructions:

Version 1: Start by standing in Mountain pose, with your feet about hips-width apart (or sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor). Now, interlace your fingers and turn your palms toward your feet. Strengthen your legs, pressing from your hips into your feet. Then, on an inhalation, bring your arms forward and up. Lengthen your spine and lift your collarbones as your lift your shoulder blades. Move your arms toward a vertical position, keeping your head in a neutral position. Once you encounter resistance in your shoulders or upper back, resist the impulse to take your arms further back. Stay in the position for about one minute, possibly working up to two minutes.

To come out of the pose, lower your arms forward and down before releasing the clasp of your hands. Pause for a few minutes and notice the effects of the pose on your whole upper body (hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders).

Version 2: Start by standing in Mountain pose, with your feet about hips-width apart (or sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor). Now, interlace your fingers and keep your palms upward. Strengthen your legs, pressing from your hips into your feet. Then, on an inhalation, bring your arms forward and up. Lengthen your spine and lift your collarbones as your lift your shoulder blades. Move your arms toward a vertical position, keeping your head in a neutral position. Once you encounter resistance in your shoulders or upper back, resist the impulse to take your arms further back. Stay in the position for about one minute, possibly working up to two minutes.

To come out of the pose, lower your arms forward and down before releasing the clasp of your hands. Pause for a few minutes and notice the effects of the pose on your whole upper body (hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders).

Cautions: If you have rotator cuff injury, approach this pose cautiously to be sure you don’t aggravate the injury. And even though this pose can be helpful for tennis elbow, golf elbow, and arthritis, please practice cautiously to be sure you don’t aggravate those conditions. Because this pose can potentially raise your blood pressure, if you have a history of high blood pressure, heart conditions, or strokes, move dynamically rather than keeping the arms overhead. Raise your arms up with an inhalation and then down with an exhalation.

Because this pose creates a backbend in the thoracic spine, those with osteoporosis or osteopenia should be cautious and aware as you go into the pose that it does not precipitate pain. Those with thoracic outlet syndrome should either skip this pose or do the dynamic version, moving in and out of the pose with your breath.

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Friday Q A To Roar or Not To Roar Lion Pose

Q: I am a devoted Swedish yogini and also a physiotherapist, and I am following your posts with great interest. I was searching for the "roaring lion pose" but did not find any on your site. I understand that there are a lot of benefits to this yoga exercise and I am interested to know how you think about it. I am really into yoga "as medicine" and I am very devoted learning about yoga so I can inspire and help people. So what do you think about the pose? When would you apply it in a sequence? What are the contraindications?

A: Thanks for such a great question! We have not yet talked about Lion pose (Simhasana) on our blog, but your inquiry gives us the perfect opportunity to tackle this interesting and somewhat whimsical pose. I personally like this pose, but I keep in mind that it is the modern version, with its roar, that I particularly like. In its earliest form, in the first books on hatha yoga (the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita), the roar is not mentioned. And, unlike the two versions of the pose found in B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Yoga (version 1 has the ankles and shins crossed underneath the thighs and version 2 has the legs in Lotus pose, then rolling onto the tops of the knees into a backbend), the original texts are not so clear on the leg position.

To give you a bit more historical context, the author of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika considers Simhasana to be in his top four of the fifteen poses he mentions in this text. According to Richard Rosen’s Original Yoga: Rediscovering Traditional Practices of Hatha Yoga (my top pick for Christmas yoga books this year!), the Hatha Yoga Pradipika author “praises the pose by saying its honored, even worshiped by the “best yogis.”” In addition to the lack of the roar being mentioned in our two old texts, neither one mentions sticking the tongue out either. The mouth is to be open wide, and one of the books mentions tipping chin to chest in the Jalandhara Banda chin lock or Net-Bearing Bond.

Richard cites another text that may explain the absence of the tongue and roar of modern times.This text suggests:

 “the traditional pose represents a condition of alert readiness often seen in cats, in which the “lion is sitting quietly, waiting for something to happen. This is the mental attitude the mind has to adopt in order to enter deep meditative states.””

In Light on Yoga, Iyengar shares a colorful myth regarding Vishnu helping out a devotee being tortured by a demon by appearing as a creature half lion on the upper half and man on the lower half. This modern teacher claims the benefits of the pose to include curing foul breath and cleaning the tongue. With regular continued practice, speech becomes clearer, so he recommends it for stammerers. It is also supposed to help master the three bandhas, even though they are not described as being activated in his instructions. However, he is pictured with his head tipped in Jalandhara Bandha in the book.

I tend to include the pose in a sequence if I am using a theme that it would work nicely with, such as finding one’s voice or working with power or anger or some such focus. I also include it in practices where sound is being utilized. I usually sequence the pose in the middle of a practice.  Or, I will put it at the start of group of sitting poses that could be placed near the end of a full practice.

As far as contraindications, they would be mostly regarding keeping the knees, ankles and feet safe as you try the first and second variations from Light on Yoga, especially the second, which utilizes Lotus (Padmasana—quite a challenge for most adult’s knees. As an alternative to both legs options, you can do the pose in Vajrasana legs, with the shins under the thighs without crossing the ankles. A blanket is always a welcome addition for comfort under the shins. 

Be sure to read more in both Original Yoga and Light on Yoga. And have fun cattin’ around!

—Baxter

Featured Pose Downward Facing Dog Variation Chair Version

by Baxter and Nina

Like Puppy pose, which we featured last week, this variation of Downward-Facing Dog is also a good variation for upper body strengthening if you have wrist and hand issues because the angle between your hand and forearm is minimized and you have a choice of two different hand positions. Placing your hands on the seat of the chair takes some of the weight off your hands (though not as much as Puppy pose) and keeps your wrists in a more neutral position.

From the hands to the hips, this pose is similar to Puppy pose so you build upper body strength while also increasing flexibility in the shoulders. Downward-Facing Dog with a chair activates the triceps muscles in the backs of your arms and the stabilizing muscles of your shoulder blades. As a side effect, if you keep your spine neutral, you also strengthen your front abdominal muscles (and who doesn’t love that). And, compared to Puppy pose, you may find that with your knees off the ground, you get a better spinal elongation. Other benefits not provided by Puppy pose include leg stretching and strengthening, which help move you toward the full pose, and increased upper body strengthening because you are bearing some weight on your hands.

Because this version is easier than a full Downward-Facing Dog pose, it is suitable for someone who is still building up enough strength to do the full pose. It is also wonderful for someone who can’t easily get up and down from the floor, or just isn’t dressed for it. Yes, it’s an excellent office or travel pose. Airport chair that is bolted to floor, anyone?

Instructions: Before coming into the pose, place your chair against the wall, with the back of the chair touching the wall so the chair doesn’t move when you come into the pose.

Start by standing in Mountain pose about two feet from the front edge of the chair. Bend your knees slightly and take an easy forward bend from your hips. Place your hands either on the chair seat with the heel of the hand catching the front edge (not dropping down below it) or with the base of your thumb on the seat and your fingers wrapped around the fingers around the sides of the seat, whichever feels best on your wrists.

Next, keeping your knees bent and your hands pressing firmly into the seat of the chair, walk your legs back, keeping your hips over your feet, until you create an even diagonal line from your arms, to your torso, and to your hips. Those of you who are tighter in the hips, hamstrings, or ankle joints, may want to walk your feet further back than your hips (like Baxter, here).

Keep your knees bent initially, and work your hands, arms and shoulders. Press your hands down and forward on the chair as you allow your rib cage to move away from your hands. Bring a sense of firmness to the muscles around your shoulder blades. Those of you who are more flexible in the legs can then straighten your legs and allow your heels to drop toward the floor (or onto it).

If you have tight shoulders, be aware of the tendency of your front lower ribs to drop or your lower back to arch dramatically to compensate. Focus instead on maintaining your torso in Mountain pose (Tadasana) alignment.

Stay in the pose for six to eight breaths and, with practice, work your way up to 1 minute.

To come out of the pose, bend your knees and slowly walk forward toward the chair. When you are a foot or two from the chair, bend both knees and moving from your hip joint come up to standing.

Cautions: If you have rotator cuff injury or a history of dislocation of the shoulder, keep your chest lifting from the floor rather than pressing down toward the floor. Back off if you feel any pain. If you have lower back problems, make sure you keep your lower back neutral (not overly arched or rounded) in the pose.

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Featured Pose Eagle Pose Arms Garudasana

by Baxter and Nina

This pose from our office yoga series is a wonderful stretch for your middle and upper back and for your neck, which are areas where you may hold a lot of tension. Even thought some of us who are slumped over our computers appear to have wideness in the upper back, you may have noticed there is still quite a bit of tension there. The pose also increases mobility in your shoulders and releases tension from certain parts of your shoulder joint. It moves your shoulder blades on your rib cage into upward rotation, encouraging an important, functional movement for healthy shoulders and arms. It may also build strength in your pectoralis as well as some of the other chest muscles.

Because your hands are typically at elbow height or lower, raising your hands toward eye level helps reverse the effects of gravity (such as, swelling or stiffness of hands and wrists). And if you’ve been hiking all day in the heat with your hands at your sides, the effects of raising your hands to eye level are even more dramatic.

Although it’s a relatively simple pose, that can be done anywhere in almost any attire, it’s a strong, distinct stretch that engages your mind, bringing your attention to the present moment. It’s an excellent pose to do while traveling, and you can do it sitting as well as standing, even in an airplane seat. We’re showing the basic pose today, but you can do variations of this pose by moving your clasped hands either to the left or right of center.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

•    weak but tight upper backs
•    limited mobility or range of motion in the shoulders
•    rotator cuff injuries (for some people)
•    tight neck muscles
•    upper body strength (in particular, weakness in the chest)
•    numbness in the hands, such as in carpal tunnel syndrome

Instructions: Start by standing in Mountain Pose with your feet hips-width apart. Inhale and bring your arms out in front of you until they are parallel to the floor, with your palms facing one another. Cross your arms over one another, with the right arm on top and your elbow joints stacked on top of each other. Now bend your arms at the elbows to 90 degrees. Bring your left (bottom) hand across your face and bring your fingers onto the palm side of the right (top) hand. Have your thumbs pointing toward your face if possible.

If you can’t clasp your hands, keep your wrists straight up and your palms facing away from each other. If you can’t even cross your arms over your elbows, bend your right elbow and use your left hand to grab onto your right upper arm. Then use your left hand to encourage your right elbow toward the left side of your chest.

Now lift your elbows up until your upper arms are parallel with the floor. Keep your shoulders relaxed away from your ears. If you wish, push your elbows forward an inch or so away from your chest. You will probably feel an increase in sensation between your shoulder blades. Breathe into that space to enhance the feeling of opening your back body. Look straight forward and keep your head and neck even and in line with your spine.

You can also push up with your bottom elbow as you push down with your top elbow and you’ll feel additional muscle groups around the shoulders strengthening and stretching.

For the most benefits, stay in the pose for 90 seconds, if you can. When you’re done, carefully release your arms. Bring your arms to sides and let go of the tension in your arms before moving on to the second side.

Cautions: This is a relatively safe pose. However, if the pose causes pain in any of your joints, try one of the modifications. If that doesn’t work, talk to your teacher for advice. People with a history of shoulder dislocation should be careful with this pose (as with all poses the involve the shoulders).

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Featured Pose Easy Sitting Pose

by Baxter and Nina

This extremely versatile pose allows you to sit comfortably on the ground for meditation, breath practices, and between other seated poses, and teaches you how to sit with good posture in your other seated yoga poses and in everyday life. In addition, the pose strengthens the back muscles needed to support your spine in a healthy position and stretches several of your hip muscles. The two variations of Easy Sitting pose with support make the pose accessible to almost everyone.

Baxter prescribes this for:

• Weak spine and poor posture
• Tight hips
• Stress reduction
• Breath practice position
• Meditation position
• Resting position between other seated poses

Timing: If you are an experienced practitioner, you can hold the pose as long as you’re reasonably comfortable in it (meditations sessions can last 20 minutes or much longer). If you are new to the practice, start by holding this pose 1-2 minutes to build up your back strength and stretch your hip muscles, working up to longer holds over time.

Cautions: This is a generally a safe pose. But if you have knee pain or hip pain in the pose and you’ve tried all four versions of it, try Hero pose instead. And if you can’t get comfortable sitting on the ground for meditation or breath practice, sit on a chair instead.

1. Classic Version 

To come into the pose, sit on your mat with your legs stretched out in front of you and fingertips on the floor by your hips. Now, fold your legs into crossed-legs position with your right shin in front of your left, and your shins parallel with the front edge of your mat. Press your hands into the floor as you lengthen up from your sitting bones to the crown of your head, creating an “inner lift, ” and tip your hips a bit forward to encourage the normal curve of your lower back. Now, using your back and core muscles to maintain your inner lift, rest your hands on your knees, relax your should blades down, widen your collarbones, and align your head with your spine. Release your knees toward the floor, ideally below your top hipbones.

Once you have settled in, keep your awareness on maintaining your inner lift. If you are meditating or doing a breath practice, you can start now. If not, bring your awareness to your breath.

To come out of the pose, place your fingertips on the floor by your hips for support, lean back slightly, and extend your legs out in front of you. If you have held the pose for 2 minutes or less, repeat the pose on the second side by changing the cross of your legs. Otherwise, alternate the cross of your legs from day to day.

2. Supported Hips and Knees 

This variation is for anyone who cannot sit with good alignment in the classic pose. This includes people who cannot sit flat on the floor with their knees below the waist and/or who cannot maintain good posture with an inner lift without support.

To come into the pose, sit with your sitting bones near the front edge of your prop. (Experiment with with the height of the prop or blanket stack for your hips to find the height that allows you to experience the inner lift and spinal alignment described for classic version). Then place the blocks under your outer thighs so they fully support your thighs, using the height that allows you to relax your hip muscles and avoid any knee or hip pain.

Once you are comfortable, follow the instructions for the classic version for alignment and focus. To come out of the pose, remove the props supporting your thighs, and then follow the instructions for coming out of the classic version.

3. Back to the Wall 

This variation provides support for anyone who has weak back muscles or is generally fatigued, especially newer practitioners, and is also an excellent option for long sessions of seated meditation where you might want extra support. You can either use props as in version 2 or sit flat on the floor.

To set up for the pose, if you are using a prop for your hips, place it against the wall. Now sit down on the floor or prop, with the back of your pelvis and shoulder blades against the wall, your lower back off the wall, and your legs out in front of you. Then follow the instructions for the classic pose for coming into and aligning yourself in the pose. As you create your inner lift, keep your pelvis and shoulder blades against the wall, your lower back slightly away from it, and your head over your spine.

Once you are comfortable, follow the instructions for the classic version for finding your focus. To come out of the pose, follow the instructions for the classic version or version 2, if you’re using props.

4. Forward Bend 

This version stretches the muscles and fascia around your hips and along the sides of your spine. Because it’s a forward bend, this version can be quieting and calming, helping reduce your stress levels. This version, however, is not suitable for meditation or breath practice.

To come into the pose, start in either version 1 or 2. Then, maintaining your straight back and inner lift, tip forward from your hips and place your hands or fingertips on the floor in front of you. When your hips stop rotating forward, you can allow your lower spine to round a bit. Come forward gradually until you feel a good stretch in your hips, along your spine, or both. If you feel any pain in your knees, hips, or lower back, try coming slightly out of the pose until the pain disappears. Once you are comfortable, bring your awareness to your breath.

Stay in the pose for 1-2 minutes or until your muscles begin to shake. To come out of the pose, walk your hands back as you lift your spine back into an upright position. Then change the cross of your legs and repeat the pose on the second side. 

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