Bikram Yoga Pose: Standing Separate Leg Stretching (Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimotthanasana)

Our teacher Jodi rockin' this Bikram pose!Who has trouble with this pose? Just about everybody. So first, know the benefits so you can be excited about doing it!

•    Prevents sciatica by stretching and strengthening the sciatic nerves and leg tendons
•    Improves abdominal organ function, especially in the small and large intestine
•    Improves muscle tone
•    Improves flexibility in thighs, calves, pelvis, ankles, hips, and last five vertebrae of the spine

I don’t think there is another posture in the whole Bikram series that is so totally dependent on relaxation as the separate leg stretching pose. First you are going to feel your legs stretching, then your hips, then your spine.

Beginners Start Here:

When you are new, and stiff, simply hanging upside down, letting your spine lengthen is excellent.
If you have trouble grabbing your feet, try grabbing the backs of your calves or your ankles, trying to pull your forehead closer to the floor. You can also try moving your feet in or out, more or less, and then trying to grab your feet, even if it is just the tip of your finger under your foot. You can always at first open your legs more and more, get your hands on the floor in front of you to get your legs stretching.

You’ve got your heels and you want more?

If you can step on all five fingers under your heels, you really must pull to help bring your spine straight down towards the floor.  As you exhale, make sure your knees are locked throughout the posture and roll forward like a wheel, body weight on the toes and try to touch your forehead to the floor between your feet.

Enjoy where you are at with every Bikram pose as the struggles you are experiencing are making you stronger, smarter, and healthier in the process. Enjoy the journey, see you on the mat!

xo Amanda

Hi Everyone!

Let's start off the new year with a kick!  Bikram has been around a long time, and he has been saying the same things over and over, he has not faltered in his convictions!  Look at what great shape he was in in the 7o's, thought you may like this for a laugh!  And to remember, the beginner's postures can do wonders for you if you stick to it and make it part of your lifestyle, you never lose it!

xo

Amanda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv0eVb_RyWU&feature=related

 

Standing Bow Pulling Pose - Dandayamana-Dhanurasana

Standing Bow Pulling pose is the sixth posture in the Bikram Yoga series. It is directly after Standing Head to Knee Pose, so before you set up, breathe deeply to recover and prepare for the demands of this posture.

The set up is vital in all the Bikram postures but in Bow the set up is often the most challenging aspect. Many students have difficulty reaching their foot and bringing the knees together to start. This is most often due to tight hip flexors and/or quadriceps. These muscles are commonly tight on athletes and non-athletes alike; so don’t be discouraged if you have difficulty. Remember that you should “never build a house on a weak foundation”. Be patient and set the posture up properly.

The most common error I see in Bow is students allowing their ego to get the best of them. Leave your ego at the door and do the posture with your best form and alignment; depth will come with time.  Bikram says, “Take the time to get yourself firmly grounded and set on your standing leg before you bring your body forward and down. When you begin to move, take your time and stay in control. The most important advice I can give you here is don’t be in a hurry to dive into this position.”

When you enter the posture, stretch forward and kick back equally and simultaneously 50/50. “In one solid piece from the hips to the fingertips, roll forward like a wheel until your abdomen is parallel to the floor.”  Lock your standing knee and “let the power of the kick do the work”. Watch for your bent knee in the mirror. If you see it peek out to the side of your body, bring it back into alignment, straight back and up. Do not let your knee “wing” out to the side. If you can see your knee it should be above your head in the mirror. Most humans will be happy to see their foot above their head but make sure it is in the centre of your head when you see it. Stretch your fingers forward toward the mirror and try to “touch your eyebrow, not your chin, not your nose”. Encouraging words from Craig Villani.

If you fall out of Bow (and sometimes you will), try to get back into the posture, but be sure to set it up again from the beginning. Don’t rush! Personally, I use the first set for endurance, adjustments and alignment, so I don’t try for my “edge” in the first set. In the second set, I push myself to that “edge” and work on greater depth.

Benefits of the Bikram Standing Bow Pose:

•    Standing Bow moves the blood from one side of the body to the other, then back again.
•    It develops balance, increases the size and elasticity of the rib cage and firms the abdominal wall and upper thighs.
•    It improves the flexibility and strength of the lower spine.
•    Standing Bow builds patience, determination and concentration.

Enjoy Bow Pulling Pose! ~Todd

There are always layers to work through in your Bikram yoga practice.

Physical, emotional and spiritual.

When you practice, something important to remember is that you are working towards creating balance in all of these parts of you. This yoga practice is a type of healing exercise, but it can be overdone or under done like anything else in your life.

I have noticed some of you may be either feeling stuck...

• like you have hit a plateauor
• or you are cramping too often
• or your practice simply does not seem to be improving as fast as you would like or expect

Let us offer words of advice.

Go back to the breath

In every Bikram posture, concentrate on breathing in slow and exhaling slow so you continuosly develop a connection to your life force, your lungs, as you move in and out of posture. This is a process of mastery, and over time with practice, you will feel tremendous results in all levels of your practice.

If you are consistently having trouble with a certain posture, applying more breath awareness will help you to overcome. We as people have a hard time believing that it can be that simple. We have been conditioned that life is difficult, hard work, push harder. The tricky part is that you and your mind are constantly fighting, and surrendering to working on breath may seem like not doing enough. Little do we know that is what it is all about.

Your breath is the link, the power that connects all of your system's intelligence together. Just think of it -  if you stop breathing, you die. How powerful is that! How we have underestimated the power of breath.

By focusing on your breath, you will learn to quiet the mind. By quieting the mind, you will hear the answers you seek.

Concentration, determination, self- discipline, faith and trust. All of these levels of self-realization will develop within you, if you simply, apply the breath:)

namaste,
Amanda

Image source: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net