Salamba Sarvangasana ~ Supported Shoulderstand

Sarvangasana literally means "all limbs pose," and that says a lot about what's involved in doing this wonderful inversion. While the shoulders and arms provide the base, you need a strong upward thrust of energy through your legs and core to lift fully into shoulderstand. For this reason you might think of it as "rocket-launcher pose." The benefits of sarvangasana are so many it could also be called "The Great Healer." This pose stretches the neck, shoulder and upper back muscles, strengthens the legs and upper body, and opens the chest. It increases circulation to the head and upper chest while draining used blood and toxins from the legs, pelvis and abdominal area. Consequently it helps treat colds, digestive problems, menstrual disorders and respiratory ailments. Shoulderstand stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows the heartbeat and calms the mind. So it counteracts nervousness, tension headaches and insomnia. And this asana has a special connection with the visuddha or throat chakra, where the thyroid and parathyroid glands are located. By promoting the balanced functioning of these glands, which control metabolism and hormonal activity, salamba (supported) sarvangasana gives you a calm energy that nourishes body and soul. For this reason, it is known as the "Mother" pose, the Queen of the asanas. Whenever you need a lift, put yourself in this healing inversion and let the Great Mother take care of you.

Practice Tips:

Shoulderstand requires a lot of flexibility in the neck and shoulders. Therefore it's best to first warm up with shoulder rolls, spine flexes, forward bends, twists and perhaps a sun salutation. If you have injuries or structural problems in the neck or shoulders, you'll want to avoid this pose and instead try an alternative. These include half shoulderstand (hips resting in the hands with legs extended overhead at an angle), tranquillity pose (balancing on the upper back and shoulders with the legs overhead and supported by extended arms), or viparita karani (lying with the hips raised on a block or bolster and legs extended up against a wall). Also, because it is a rather strong inversion, shoulderstand is contraindicated if you have high blood pressure, heart problems, or eye problems like glaucoma or a detached retina. And you should not do this pose while menstruating or if you feel uncomfortable pressure in the head, ears, eyes or chest while practicing it.

If you're new to shoulderstand or tight in the neck and shoulders, you'll find it helpful to practice with the shoulders elevated a few inches off the floor. You can do this by using two or three stacked blankets, gym pads, or other broad yet firm surface that's at least as wide as your shoulders and deep enough so your elbows fit on it too. This will cause less stress on the neck, help you to keep both the shoulders and the elbows grounded, and make it easier to lift the neck vertebrae (especially C7 - the knobby bone at the base of the neck) and thoracic spine away from the floor. This in turn will enable you to better align the shoulders, hip joints and ankles in a vertical line, and that will enable you to hold the pose longer with less strain.

Beginners will find it best to ease into this pose by working with a wall. Lie on the floor with your legs up the wall and your sitting bones against it. Note where your shoulders are. Then stack your blankets or pad so the front edge is the same distance from the wall as your shoulders. I like to sandwich my mat between or under the blankets then over the top so I have a smooth edge where my neck will be and a non-slip surface to keep my arms and elbows in place. You might want to put a towel under your head rather than a sticky mat to provide more comfort and to keep the head from getting stuck and jamming the neck as you lift up.

Once you've set up your "launching pad," lie on it so your shoulders are on the support but the back of the head is off it, and have the soles of your feet on the wall. Pull the shoulders a bit away from the hips so they are level, not sloped down, and at the edge of the raised mat. Lift the hips a bit, extend the arms (interlacing the fingers if you can), roll the shoulders under and wriggle the shoulder blades toward each other. With an inhale, tuck the pelvis, press the feet into the wall, push your arms down and lift the hips up until they are above the shoulders. Walk the feet up the wall to where the shins are parallel to the floor. Keep stretching the tailbone up, lifting through the torso, rooting the shoulders down, and lifting the cervical vertebrae away from the floor as the top of the breastbone comes toward your chin. Take three to five deep breaths, then lower the hips down.

If that felt ok, you can take it up a notch. Otherwise, try lifting the hips less high next time and hold there for a few breaths, or do one of the alternative poses suggested above. If you're going further, after you lift the hips to vertical as before, walk the feet up the wall until the legs are quite straight. Press the toes into the wall and lift the heels away as you stretch the tailbone toward the toes. Bend the elbows and bring the palms of the hands to your back with the fingers pointing up, taking care to keep the elbows from splaying out. Press the upper arms down evenly from shoulders to elbows and keep lifting the spine as you relax the neck and draw the palette (roof of the mouth) back away from the chin. Hold for five to eight breaths, then release the hands and lower the hips.

After a few resting breaths, if you feel like going on, check your position on your base to make sure everything is where it should be. Then lift up and align as you did the first time you went up, with the shins parallel to the floor. Bring the hands to the back, keeping the elbows in line with the shoulders (you can use a strap around the upper arms if you can't keep the elbows from splaying). Keeping a strong lift through the spine, take one foot away from the wall and extend it straight up. Make sure you keep pulling the abdominals in and rooting the tailbone in and up to keep the pelvis from tipping backward. Contract the buttock and thigh muscles to lift the back of the pelvis up. Then extend the other leg up. Let the legs separate a bit and turn them strongly inward (inner thighs rolling to the back of the legs), then stretch the tailbone up and squeeze the inner thighs together. Keep stretching up strongly through the spine, hips, inner legs, heels and balls of the feet - keep launching your "rocket" - as you ground down through the shoulders and elbows. After eight to ten deep breaths, bend one knee at a time to bring the feet to the wall, then release the hands and lower the hips. Roll off your base to the right side, and rest for a few breaths.

Once you're comfortable holding shoulderstand for a minute or two (10 to 20 breaths), you can try getting into it away from the wall. Position your launching pad farther away from the wall, lie on it with the shoulders aligned as before, lift the feet off the floor, then flip them up over your head as you lift the hips up so your legs hang back over your face in an easy plow pose. Interlace your fingers and roll the shoulders under, then bring the hands to your back, and "launch your rocket" by lifting your feet up to the sky. Keep grounding down into your base and lifting up through the torso and legs as you work the upper arms toward each other. The upper palette in the mouth is the energy center for sarvangasana. So as you draw the palette back and work the pose, you might want to think of yourself as a fountain shooting energy back up from the roof of the mouth and out the soles of your feet.

Because shoulderstand compresses the front of the throat and upper chest, it's advisable after you've held the pose a while to do a counter pose to open those areas. Fish pose (matsyasana) is typically done after sarvangasana. A simple version of fish is to lie with the feet extended, lift the hips a bit, and place the hands palms down under the buttocks. Then, keeping the legs strong, press into the elbows and lift the chest and head up. Drop the head back to open the throat, then ease the head back and down so you are pressing into the back or top of the head, your elbows, and sitting bones as you open your heart center to the heavens. After five to ten breaths, lift the head a bit, tuck the chin, and lower back down to lie flat. Alternatively, you can sit in an easy cross-legged position, place your hands behind your hips with the fingers pointing forward, arch the chest up and stretch the head back. Or you can come into an easy forward bend, place your hands on the shins, and lift the head up as you pull the shoulders back and the chest forward.

Because shoulderstand is so calming, it's great to then lie back in savansana (corpse pose), rest, and let the healing benefits of this soothing pose take effect.

SALAMBA SIRSANSA ~ SUPPORTED HEADSTAND

Aahhhh! Hail Headstand, King of the Asanas! This pose is truly majestic. By reversing the flow of blood and lymph in the body, it floods the brain with oxygenated blood, stimulating the nervous system and clearing the mind. This also activates the pituitary and pineal glands in the head, which rule the endocrine system that controls the body's chemical and metabolic processes, thereby improving mental and physical functions. By draining venous (used) blood from the legs, pelvis and lower torso, headstand rejuvenates those areas. And by reversing the pull of gravity on the organs, especially the intestines, it helps to cleanse them and overcome problems of the liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines and reproductive system. Sirsasana increases gastric fire and produces heat in the body. Mentally, it helps us overcome fear and develop focus - if your mind wanders in this pose, you'll be out of it in a flash. Structurally, it strengthens the back, legs, shoulders, arms, diaphragm and abdominal muscles. When done properly, headstand helps the spine become properly aligned, improving posture, facilitating good breathing and reducing muscular stress. In other words, it's very good for you! Practice it daily, and you'll feel positively royal.

Practice Tips:

Since headstand is such a strong inversion, it's best to be warmed up (but not tired) and to prepare for it by first doing a less intense inversion, such as downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana) or dolphin pose (hands in headstand position, head on the floor, hips lifting, but toes still on the floor). Headstand is contraindicated if you have high blood pressure, or problems with the heart, neck, or eyes, including glaucoma or a detached retina. And you should not do this pose if you are menstruating or feel pain in the neck or uncomfortable pressure in the head, ears, eyes or chest while practicing it.

Begin on your hands and knees. If you're new to the pose, you might want to practice near a wall to reduce the fear of falling forward over your head. With the palms turned up and forearms parallel, place the hands and forearms on a sticky mat or towel so they don't slide apart and there is some padding for your head. Make sure your elbows are directly beneath your shoulders (many people start with the elbows too wide) and in line with each other. Interlace the fingers tightly (right up to the webbing) and bring whichever little finger is on the bottom in to be parallel with the other little finger, so it doesn't get crushed. Let the tips of the thumbs touch each other. Place the crown of the head (just in front of the bump at the top of your skull) on the floor, with the back of the head against the thumbs. Make sure the bones of the wrists are on top of each other, and that the wrists are not rolling in or out. This is the base of your pose.

Before you go further, lift the triceps and pull the shoulders vigorously up away from the ears and back as you bring the heart forward. Hollow the armpits by pulling them toward the hips and bring the shoulder blades toward each other as you dig their inner edges into the back. Keep this action going in the arms and shoulders the whole time you're in the pose. Lift the knees, straighten the legs and walk the feet in toward the elbows until your torso is as vertical as you can get it. When you go up into the pose, you'll want to have your weight distributed about two-thirds into the arms and one-third into the head (even less if you're just starting out), so keep pressing the inner elbows, wrists and fingers down as you lift the shoulders up. Stretch up strongly through the spine and hips, then pause.

Check to make sure you haven't splayed the elbows, dropped the shoulders or rounded the upper back. If you like, you can stop here and hold for a few breaths, then drop the knees, stack the fists under your forehead (to get the head above the heart), and rest back in child's pose. Or you can stay in position, energize the legs, and try to lift the toes a bit off the floor a few times - even if it's only for a second - then come out and rest. You might want to repeat this preparation a few times until you're comfortable with it.

If you feel ready to lift into the pose, come to where the torso is vertical and your toes are on the floor. Maintain the lift through the torso and hips, bend the knees, and with an inhale lift the feet up to where the thighs are horizontal. Then continue raising the thighs to vertical, with the feet hanging back toward the hips. Keeping the arm and shoulder actions mentioned before, contract the abdominal and buttock muscles, take the kidneys back and bring the tailbone in and up to stretch through the lumbar spine. To avoid arching the lower back, pull the ribs in toward the spine while you bring the spine in and up.

If this is enough for you, release after four or five breaths, bringing the knees toward the chest and the feet to the floor so you can come down and rest in child's pose. If you want to go all the way, stretch the legs up, soles of the feet toward the sky. Rotate the thighs inward, take the groins back, and bring the tailbone and sacrum forward. Squeeze the thighs together and stretch up vigorously through your core, from the top of the head up through the spine and inner legs, then out the heels and balls of your feet. Shoot a stream of energy up like a fountain from the upper palate of your mouth (the energy focal point in this pose) as you ground down through the arms and head. Let your gaze be soft, looking at the floor or just past the tip of your nose. Keep the ankles, knees, hips and shoulders in line. When you find the right alignment and balance, you'll feel light and easy in the pose. Hold for five to eight breaths, then come down and rest in child's pose.

Eventually, you'll want to hold the pose a minute or two (10 to 20 breaths) and even longer. And once your back muscles get strong, you'll be able to lift up and come out of the pose with straight legs. When that becomes easy, you can begin to experiment with the many variations of headstand, such as that with the legs opened wide to the side (upavista konasana), with the soles of the feet together (baddha konasana), or with one leg extended forward and the other back (hanumasana). (See Iyengar's Light on Yoga for more about headstand variations.)

When you're upside down in headstand, it can be difficult to know whether you're aligned properly in the pose. So it helps to have a practice partner or teacher give you feedback. You can also practice in a corner so you'll learn if you're tilting to one side or another, dropping the shoulders, or arching the back.

Because sirsasana is so stimulating and requires a strong contraction in the neck and shoulder muscles, it's advisable to practice shoulderstand after you do headstand. Shoulderstand helps to calm the nervous system and release the neck and shoulder muscles, so you'll be feel more balanced and happy, instead of tight and firey. Like Shiva and Shakti, headstand and shoulderstand are a divine couple whose union produces the fullness of being. Give homage to the king and queen of asanas, and they will bestow great blessings upon you.

SETU BANDHASANA ~ BRIDGE BUILDING POSE

Like a true construction project, bridge pose has various stages of completion. This enables almost everyone to do it at some level. In the initial stage, called dwi pada pitha (two-legged platform pose) it's a wonderful way to open the front of the thighs, hips and shoulders, stretch the inner thighs and abdomen, and relieve tension in the lower back. In the finished stage, with the legs fully extended and the hands supporting the lower back (setu bandha sarvangasana), this is an intense backbend requiring great strength in the legs and buttocks, much openness in the chest, abdomen and shoulders, and great flexibility in the back, wrists and thighs. And because it is a mild inversion, in all stages this asana improves circulation and energy flow, strengthens the back and thighs, stretches the neck and tones the nervous system. So let's lie down and get to work.  

Practice Tips:

Begin by lying on your back, bending your knees and bringing the heels under the knees with your feet parallel and hips-width apart. Wriggle from side to side and roll the shoulders under to flatten out the shoulder blades, taking care to keep the shoulders square and not pulled down toward your hips. Extend the arms alongside the torso, palms down. Tilt the pelvis slightly forward to hollow the groins and get a slight arch in your lower back. With an inhale lift the hips up a bit and stretch your tailbone toward your heels. Press down into the front of the heels and begin to stretch your knees toward the wall in front of you as you lift the thighs. Keep the energy moving forward from the upper palette (the energy center for this pose) through the knees and tailbone as you lift the hips higher. Make sure the knees don't splay out and that you don't press the back of the neck down, losing its natural arch.

In the initial stage (dwi pada pitha) stop when you've built a diagonal platform from the knees to the shoulders, with the knees higher than the pubic bone, the pubic bone higher than the navel, and the navel higher than the sternum. Take 5-8 deep, smooth breaths, then lower the hips down. If that felt good, do it again, this time perhaps stretching your arms overhead, shoulder width apart and palms up, or with elbows bent and in line with the shoulders, forearms perpendicular to the upper arms. These variations help to open the shoulders and collarbones.

If you'd like to go further, start like before, then begin to lift the chest up and toward the chin as you raise the hips higher. This will start to create a bridge-like arch in the back. Again, hold 5-8 breaths, then lower the hips. To intensify the back-bending work, once you go up to the initial stage you can lift the heels and walk the feet back or walk the shoulders forward a bit. Keeping the shoulders rolled under, interlace your fingers behind your back and press the hands down into the floor, or simply grab the ankles. Press the shoulders, arms and inner feet down as you lift into a higher arch, trying to bring the pubic bone and navel level with each other. So you don't overarch the back, stretch into this backbend by bringing the sternum toward your chin as you take the shins forward. Lower after several breaths.

If this is comfortable, you can go a little deeper by supporting the back with your hands, thereby deepening the stretch on the abdomen and upper back. To do this, lift up to the previous stage, then shift your weight to the left side, bend the right elbow, and bring the hand underneath the right hip, with the fingers out to the side. Then shift to the right and bring the left hand to the left hip. You may have to lift up on you toes to create enough height to do this. Keep the elbows working toward each other as you press the shoulders and feet down. If this is easy, bring the hands from the hips to the lower back, with the fingers up toward the hips. Breathe into the stretch, keeping the energy moving forward and up. If you want more work (go easy - this can be hard on the lower back and sacral joints) lift one knee and extend the foot toward the sky. Then switch. Come back to the pose, then lower and rest.

To go to the final stage, come to the position where your hands are supporting the lower back. Begin to straighten the legs by inching them forward one at a time and pressing strongly into the inner feet. Eventually you'll bring the feet and legs together. To come out, walk the feet back a bit, remove the hands, and lower down.

An alternative way to get into the final stage is from shoulderstand (see description for this asana). Keeping your hands on your back, drop one leg toward your face as you lower the other one forward, bending the knee and placing the foot on the floor. Then lower the other leg. (You can lower both legs at a time, if you prefer.) Lift up on the toes, stretch the hips and spine forward, and, if necessary, reposition the hands and elbows for good alignment. Then lower the heels and stretch one leg forward at a time, as above.

To keep the knees from splaying out and to stretch the inner thighs more as you practice the initial stages of setu bandhasana, place a block between the thighs and hug it as you go into the pose. Similarly, if the shoulders splay out too much, you can place a strap around the arms above the elbows

When you're done building your bridge, you may want to do a counter-stretch for the lower back, such as tucking the thighs toward your chest. Dropping the knees to one side, then the other, in a simple reclining twist also helps release the lower back and hips. As a counter-stretch for the neck and upper chest, you may wLike a stop at a desert oasis, camel is a wonderfully refreshing pose. This exhilarating backbend, which resembles the hump of a camel, is a powerful opener for the front of the body, especially the chest, shoulders and throat. It therefore improves breathing, increases circulation and helps to lengthen the spine. Also, because ustrasana requires the muscles of the legs, hips and back to work hard, it strengthens these areas while stretching the thighs and groins and releasing tension in the upper back. The result is a strong flow of energy that wells up through the legs and shoots out of your heart center like a fountain dancing toward the sky. Plus, with care, almost everyone can do camel to some degree. So if you're feeling a little bent over or down from dealing with the dust and heat of life, ride this invigorating pose to a renewed sense of wonder and well-being. ant to do some version of fish pose (hips and head down, heart up). When everything feels comfortable, lie back and enjoy the connections you have built between your feet and your head, your lower spine and upper spine, the mundane world and the sacred.

USTRANSANA ~ CAMEL POSE

 Like a stop at a desert oasis, camel is a wonderfully refreshing pose. This exhilarating backbend, which resembles the hump of a camel, is a powerful opener for the front of the body, especially the chest, shoulders and throat. It therefore improves breathing, increases circulation and helps to lengthen the spine. Also, because ustrasana requires the muscles of the legs, hips and back to work hard, it strengthens these areas while stretching the thighs and groins and releasing tension in the upper back. The result is a strong flow of energy that wells up through the legs and shoots out of your heart center like a fountain dancing toward the sky. Plus, with care, almost everyone can do camel to some degree. So if you're feeling a little bent over or down from dealing with the dust and heat of life, ride this invigorating pose to a renewed sense of wonder and well-being.

Practice Tips:

Start by kneeling with the knees hip's width apart, shins parallel, and tops of the feet on the floor. For greater comfort, you may want to do this on a doubled yoga mat, blanket or thick rug. Energize the legs by drawing the muscles toward the bones and pulling that energy up into the pelvis. Rotate the inner thighs and groins back and bring the lower abs in as you pull the navel up. Keeping the groins hollowed back, firm the buttocks, stretch the tailbone down and move the sacrum in. Draw the thighs toward each other (without actually bringing them together) and press the knees, shins and tops of the feet firmly down. These actions will provide the base or "legs" needed to support your camel hump.

Keeping the legs and hips active, lift the shoulders up and back, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and bring the hands to the back of your hips, fingers pointing down. Keep the shoulders opening back and the elbows moving toward each other. With an inhale, stretch up out of the pelvis, and as you exhale, start to arch up and back, leading with your sternum or heart center. Keep the spine long by pushing down into the knees while lifting up from the crown of your head. Work in the pose for four or five breaths, pushing the thighs forward to keep them as vertical as you can. Then lift up with an inhale by pressing strongly down into your knees and feet. With an exhale, bend the knees and sit back on your heels, or fold forward slowly into child's pose, resting your forehead on stacked hands.

If this felt good, you're ready to go deeper. If it was difficult or hard on your lower back, try lifting up more out of the pelvis and arching back less when you try it again. If you want to intensify, one way is to work kneeling up against a wall. Keep pressing the thighs and pubic bone into the wall and drawing the thighs toward each other as you lift up and arch back. This will really make the legs work hard.

Another is to start as before (or up against a wall) and go into the back arch. When you've gone as far as you can with the hands on your hips, begin to gradually slide them down the back of your legs so you can increase the backbend. Just be sure to keep your tailbone down, your sacrum pressing forward, your groins moving back, and your legs squeezing toward each other. This will help you keep the spine long so you don't collapse and strain the lower back.

Again, after five breaths or so, lift up and out of the pose and rest. If you feel now like you want to go all the way into the pose, start like before, but this time slide your hands all the way down to put your fingertips or palms on your heels. If they easily reach that far, push down into the hands to help lift your heart toward the heavens. If the hands are almost there but not quite, try curling your toes under to lift the heels higher and bring them more in reach. Alternatively, try turning a little to one side, so you can look at the foot there and reach down to take hold of it. Then turn back to center and reach down with the other hand, which you will now probably be able to get all the way to the foot.

Once you're in camel pose, keep the kidneys moving back and up as you press the spine into your back and pull it out of the pelvis to prevent overarching the lower back. Lift your head so it's facing straight up and stretch out from the knob at the base of the skull to pull the hyoid bone at the front of the throat back and up. Then, sliding the sides of the throat back, open the throat and stretch the head back as much as comfortable. Pressing into your knees and hands, and keeping the thighs moving forward, let the energy spring up higher and higher through your heart. After five breaths or so, come up as before, rest in child's pose, and enjoy the revitalizing flow of energy within you.

GOMUKHASANA ~ COW  FACE  POSE

When you first look at this pose, you might wonder, as I did, what its name has to do with crossed knees, a lifted elbow and hands clasped behind the back. But if you use a little imagination, you might find not just one, but two cow faces in it.

You can see one of them from the front, especially in the version where the feet are close together and the hands are placed in front on the top knee rather than clasped behind. The pose then has a triangular form, broad at the top and narrow at the bottom, like the face of a cow. The crossed knees might even look like the lips of the cow's mouth. A classical Indian instrument, the gomukh, shares a similar triangular shape and name. You can see the other cow face by looking down at your legs when you sit in the version where the feet are out to the side, in what is sometimes called samkatasana or tight pose. Then the knees look like the top of the cow's head with your legs and feet as its horns or ears.

Whatever its relationship to the face of a cow, this pose is one of the best stretches you can find for the outer thighs, hips and buttocks. And because it's one of the few that stretches the piriformis muscle of the outer hip, which lies on the sciatic nerve, it's very effective at alleviating sciatica caused by having a tight piriformis press the nerve. Gomukhasana also relaxes the abdominal muscles, tones the lower pelvis, and alleviates hemorrhoids and constipation. And when the hands are clasped behind the back and the elbows are raised alternately, the pose expands the chest, frees and stretches the shoulders, and makes breathing easier. So make this "face" with your body, and you'll feel open and relaxed, like a sacred cow enjoying siesta.

Practice Tips:

Since gomukhasana has several versions requiring different degrees of openness in the hips, knees and shoulders let's start with the "easy" one where you sit between the feet. To get into this position, start on all fours, lift your left knee, and bring it behind the right. Slide the left foot out a little to the right as you slide the right foot out slightly to the left. Sit between the feet, with the right knee on top of the left and the heels in as close as comfortable to the hips. If necessary use a block or folded blanket to elevate the hips so both sitting bones are grounded and there is no strain in the knees or hips. If you prefer, you can get into the pose by first bending the left knee back, then bringing the right leg around and bending it back so the right knee is over the left.

Once you're seated between the feet, you can simply rest your hands on your knees with the right hand on top of the left, sit tall, and let the sitting bones be heavy. Lift the shoulders up and back, drop your chin to your chest and breathe in the pose for five to eight breaths. With the arms in this position, the pose is called gomukhasana A in the Ashtanga second series.

Alternatively, you can lift the right arm up, bend the elbow, and walk the fingers down the middle of your back, as if you had an itch you wanted to get to but couldn't quite reach. If you're stiff, you can push the right elbow back gently with your left hand to help stretch the triceps and armpits, so your right hand goes further down the back. Next, extend your left arm out, turn it strongly inward to pronate it, and reach down and back as you bend the elbow and bring the back of the hand up the middle of your back - ideally to where you'll be able clasp the right hand or wrist. Then sit tall, look straight ahead, and gently stretch the elbows away from each other by pulling on the clasped hands. This is version B of the pose in the Ashtanga series. (Note that in the Iyengar system, the left elbow would usually be lifted if the right knee were on top.)

If you can't hook the fingers or clasp the hands, have a strap or towel over your right shoulder. Then you can hold it and pull on it to stretch the elbows away from each other. Also, you might find it easier to clasp the hands behind the back if you first pronate your left arm and bring the back of the hand up the middle of the back. Then reach back around with your right hand to grab the left elbow and gently pull it toward the center of the back as you stretch the hand further up. Try to keep the shoulders square, the top of your arm bones back, your shoulder blades on the back, and the upper arms rotating externally. Also, keep lifting the heart and expanding internally as you breathe mindfully in the pose.

Whatever you do, be careful with these arm movements, especially if you have rotator cuff tendonitis, bursitis, or other shoulder problems. But if the arm stuff is easy and you want more stretch, pull the stomach in and bend forward, chin toward the knees or beyond them, keeping the hands clasped and elbows pulling apart. This position helps to open the nasal passages and alleviate headaches, but for most of us, it's quite intense.

If you want more stretch in the hips and thighs, start as before, but sit with the left heel between the buttocks. Bring the right foot as close to the left thigh as possible. Then do either version of the arms. For still more stretch, do the full out final version with the legs. Start by bringing the left heel under the right buttock, toes pointing straight back. Then bring the right knee over the left and draw the right foot close to the left, so the right heel is under the left buttock and the toes as straight back as possible. Sit on the heels (or try to - when I attempt this, the stiffness in my knees and thighs keeps me from sitting fully down). Again, do the arm thing. After you're done with the pose on one side, do the other, with the hands or elbows in the opposite position.

Because cow face pose stretches a lot of areas in a way you may not be used to, you may want to do a downward dog after each side to even things out. Alternatively, come to all fours and stretch one leg back at a time, first flexing the foot, then twirling it in and out a few times. Then just sit for moment and let your mind and body - as well as your face - become as open and easy as the face of a happy cow.

URDHIVA DHANURASANA ~ UPWARD  FACING  BOW

Because urdhva dhanurasana is so strenuous, it is not recommended for people with heart problems, high blood pressure, detached retina or glaucoma, or severe headaches. Also, those with spinal, shoulder or wrist problems should avoid this pose. And because up-bow requires considerable openness in the shoulders, front of the thighs, and hips - as well as lots of flexibility in the spine - it's best to warm up first with asanas that gently stretch and open these areas. Sun salutations, shoulder openers and less intense backbends such as bhujangasana (cobra), setu banda sarvangasana (bridge), ustrasana (camel) or dhanurasana (bow) are good ways to get ready for this strong backbend. 
Practice Tips:

Once you've warmed up, lie back, bend the knees and draw the feet toward the hips so the ankles are under the knees. Make sure the feet are parallel, with the heels and knees about hips width apart. Take your arms up overhead, bend the elbows, and place the hands palms down (fingers pointing toward your hips) at the top of the shoulders. If you're just starting out, you'll find it easier to have the hands somewhat wider than shoulder width apart. Just make sure the index fingers are parallel. Tilt the pelvis forward a bit so you have a natural arch in your lower back and so the groins drop down and in. Then, scoop your tail bone forward and up toward the pubic bone without losing the arch.

With an inhale, press into the front of the heels (about two inches from the back), push the top of the shins forward toward the wall in front of you, and let the hips rise up a bit. Pull your arm pits back and in toward the ribs. Still pressing into the front of the heels, push into you hands and lift with an inhale to the top of your head. Pause. If it was a struggle to get this far, stay on the top of the head and press into the hands and feet for several breaths, or lift up as much as you can. To come down, tuck the chin, lower yourself onto the back of the shoulders, then lower the hips. Take several resting breaths, then repeat - or not, if that was enough.

If getting to the top of the head was easy, you can try lifting into the full pose. Before you do, check to see that the arm pits are still pulling back and in. Then with an inhale, press into the hands and extend the arms to lift up into the bow. Instead of simply pushing up, however, try to lengthen up so you don't crunch and strain the lower back. To help the spine stay long, keep the top of the shins and tail bone moving forward while taking the sternum toward the chin and the wall behind you. Breathe deeply and smoothly, drawing energy into the center of your pelvis as you inhale, and extending out through the spine, legs, arms, toes and fingers as you exhale.

As you hold the pose, keep pulling the armpits back and working the shoulder blades together so they stay on the back. Slide the sides of the throat and upper palate back to keep the hyoid bone (the floating bone in front of the throat) in. This helps maintain good alignment and facilitates the flow of organic energy that makes it easier to hold the pose. Keep the elbows and shins squeezing toward each other, and keep lifting the thighs, sacrum and back of the body up as you lengthen the sides of the torso. If you can, straighten the arms fully and bring the pelvis and ribs to the same level. Hold for three to five breaths, then lower down, rest and breathe. If that felt good, do the pose two or three more times, perhaps lifting up directly into the bow in one move without coming to your head first, or staying up for an extra breath each time.

If you get to the top of your head all right but can't seem to get much higher, try using blocks. With one end of your mat against a wall, place a firm yoga block lengthwise against the wall with the outer edges of the blocks on the outer edge of the mat. You might even want to tilt each block on a diagonal so the back edge goes up the wall a bit. This will make it easier to place your palms on the wider face of the block instead of the edge and will lessen the degree to which you have to flex the wrists back, making the pose easier if your wrists are stiff. Place the hands on the blocks and lift up as before. The extra height of the blocks makes it easier to get more fully into the pose.

When you do urdhva dhanurasana, take care to keep your knees from splaying out. If they do, you'll put more pressure on the lower back and lose the power of the legs. To prevent this, keep the tail bone stretching actively forward, the thighs working toward each other, and the groins working down to maintain inner spiral. You might also find it helpful to practice by placing a block between the.thighs just above the knees and squeezing it as you perform the pose. Using a block will also help to strengthen the inner thighs.

Also, if lifting up with an inhale doesn't feel quite right, try doing so with an exhale. Donna Farhi, whose writings on the breath and on backbends are some of the most thorough I've seen, teaches this approach. Lifting on the exhale goes with the natural tendency of the inner body to expand and extend energy through the limbs on the exhale. (Think, for example, of how you tend to inhale and crouch down then exhale and spring up when you want to jump up for something.) Extending and lifting on the exhale helps you keep the spine long as you go into a backbend, especially one as strong as urdhva dhanurasana.

After doing this intense backbend, you will probably want to do a counter stretch to release tension in the back and hips. One way is to bend the knees, lift the feet off the floor, and let the knees open about shoulder width apart. Take your arms around the back of your thighs and grasp one hand with the other or hook the fingers of one hand into those of the other. Pull the thighs down toward the ribs and hold for several breaths. Then release the hands, bring the knees together, and interlace the fingers over the shins. Gently squeezing the knees, draw the thighs toward the ribs, hold a few breaths, then release the feet back down.

You might also want to do a gentle twist to further release the back. If so, take the arms out to the sides and with the feet on the floor, drop the knees first one way, then the other, as you look in the opposite direction. Tuck the knees up one more time, then lie back and enjoy the vibrant energy of the bow dancing within you.  

DWI PADA VIPARITA DANDASANA ~ TWO-LEGGED INVERTED STAFF POSE

Now here's a real heart opener. This powerful backbend fully expands the chest, opens the thoracic spine, and vigorously stretches the legs and front of the body. Viparita dandasana stimulates the adrenal, thyroid, pituitary and pineal glands, opens the lungs and massages the heart, improving circulation and respiration. As a result, it calms the emotions and soothes the mind while strengthening the heart and invigorating the body. It also increases flexibility in the spine, strengthens the legs and shoulders, and releases tension in the lower back. Plus, this asana relieves indigestion and menstrual pain and helps treat the symptoms of menopause. So if you want to give your heart a real thrill, just lie back and get ready to lift it up toward the heavens, where a whole new realm of consciousness awaits you.
Practice Tips:

Like urdhva dhanurasana and other strenuous backbends, dwi pada viparita dandasana is not recommended if you have heart problems, high blood pressure, detached retina or glaucoma. You should also skip this pose if you are pregnant, menstruating or suffering from a migraine, severe headache, constipation, diarrhea or insomnia. Also, those with neck or back injuries should avoid this pose or do it very carefully. And unless you find backbends easy, you'll want to be thoroughly warmed up before you push up into this demanding asana. Sun salutations, shoulder openers, and less intense backbends such as setu banda sarvangasana (bridge) or urdhva dhanurasana (up-bow) are good ways to prepare for dwi pada viparita dandasana.

Once you've warmed up, lie back, bend your knees and draw your feet toward your hips so your ankles are under your knees, with your feet and legs together (or at least as close as you can and still lift up). Take your arms up overhead, bend your elbows, and place your hands palms down (fingers pointing toward your hips) near the top of your shoulders. If you are tight in the shoulders and chest, you may want to place your hands slightly more than shoulder width apart, with the index fingers parallel, so you can keep your elbows in line with your wrists. Be sure your pelvis tips forward a bit so you can keep the natural arch in your lower back (you'll be able to slide one hand under if you do).

Take a big inhale, drawing your armpits into your ribs and gathering energy into your core. With the exhale lift up your hips and shoulders and come to the top of your head. Take one hand behind your head and press the elbow into your mat. Then take your other hand behind your head and interlace the fingers of both hands, as in supported headstand. Keep the elbows firmly grounded, the shoulders lifting up and back, and the shoulder blades digging into the rib cage and pushing it forward. Take another big inhale, and with the exhale lift the hips higher, keeping the sacrum moving in and up and the tail in and toward the knees. Move the chest forward and the shins in the opposite direction as you squeeze the legs together and open the armpits. Hold for five big breaths -- or longer if you like.

To come down, unclasp the hands and one at a time place them palms down, fingers pointing toward the feet as you had them before. Push into the hands, lift the head a little and tuck the chin. Then lower the shoulders and hips down. Alternatively, unclasp the hands, push into the elbows to lift the head and tuck the chin, then lower the shoulders, sliding the hands back over head as you lower the hips.

If this was fairly easy and you want to go fully into the pose, go up as before. Then straighten the legs by taking the feet forward one at a time. Try to keep the feet and legs together. Roll the thighs in and draw them toward the hips as you press into the heels and lift the thighs, calves and hips higher. Keep extending as you lift. After several breaths, walk the feet back and lower down as before.

Because it's often difficult at first to keep the elbows pressing down enough so they don't slide back as you lift more into the pose, you might want to practice where you can place the elbows against a wall. This will enable you to move the chest higher and toward the wall without the elbows slipping. Alternatively, place the feet against a wall and have a friend press your elbows down so you can lift higher without sliding one way or another. If you have difficulty getting your elbows down at all, try practicing the pose with your feet on blocks or a chair placed against the wall. By elevating your feet, you'll find it easier to keep your elbows down and open your chest without straining your lower back. When you're just starting out, you may also find it easier to get into the pose if you have your feet and knees hips-width apart.

If you don't feel ready for this strong version of dwi pada viparita dandasana, try the preparations for it that involve bending back over a chair to open the chest and stretch the legs without requiring so much effort. While there's not enough room here to describe these preparations, you can find excellent descriptions of them in Yoga the Iyengar Way by Silva, Mira and Shyam Mehta; and Yoga: The Path To Holistic Health by B.K.S. Iyengar. Or work with a teacher trained in Iyengar-style yoga.

After you come out of a vigorous dwi pada viparita dandasana, you'll find doing some twists will help release any tension in your spine. For example, try a version of jathara parivartanasana (reclining twist) by lying back and bringing your feet in near your hips, with your feet and knees together and your arms out to the side. Lower your knees together to one side, then the other -- maybe extending your legs out to the side as well -- as you look the other way. Or do a simple seated twist out of sukhasana or dandasana. Then lie back in upward facing child's pose, where you lift your feet off the floor, clasp your hands together over your shins and draw your thighs toward your ribs. Or do regular child's pose. In either one, rest and notice how your breath is easier, your mind and emotions quieter, and your heart more open and happier.

UPAVISHTA KONASANA ~ SEATED WIDE-ANGLE POSE

This is a wonderful pose for connecting to the earth and getting centered — while giving your hamstrings and inner thighs a powerful stretch. It also opens the hip joints and back of the knees, frees the spine, and stretches the lower back and hip area. Upavishta konasana therefore relieves sciatica and other spine-related disorders. Another benefit is increased circulation in the pelvis, which stimulates the ovaries and helps prevent or alleviate premenstrual, menstrual, menopausal, and prostate problems (but it‘s not recommended during menstruation). Plus, this asana aids in the breakdown of body fat, thereby trimming the legs and torso. Best of all, by moving energy down from your head into your pelvis, it cools the body and calms the mind. So it’s great to do toward the end of your practice or as a mini-yoga session all by itself when you want to chill a bit. There’s something about bringing your head and heart down toward the earth with your legs spread and firmly grounded that’s very soothing — as if you were opening yourself to Gaia’s supportive energy and offering your heart to her. So take a wide-legged seat and settle into what I think you’ll find a deeply satisfying forward bend. 

 Practice Tips:

Sit down and open your legs wide — but not necessarily as wide as you can. According to John Friend and some other teachers I’ve studied with, the optimal opening is between 110 and 120 degrees. In other words, there should be more than a right angle between the legs but not such a wide angle that the legs form almost a straight line across (180 degrees). That’s a different pose, called samakonasana, which is done sitting straight up, not bending forward. Also, by keeping the legs around 120 degrees, you’ll get more stretch in the hips and lower back and find it easier to keep the pelvis from rotating forward too much and causing a painful (and sometimes long-lasting) tear in the tendons that connect the hamstrings to the sitting bones.

So, once you have the legs where you want them, lean forward a little, reach underneath one buttock at a time and pull it back and out, pushing your groins down and wriggling your sitting bones back as you do. Then, with one hand on the inside of a thigh and the other on the outside, roll the flesh so the inner thigh descends and the outer thigh lifts up and out. Do the same on the other thigh. These actions will help the sitting bones and thighbones ground down firmly. It will also help get the floor of the pelvis level. That’s where both sitting bones are rooted down, and the pubic bone and tail bone are even with each other.

If you’re stiff in the hamstrings and lower back, and the pelvis stays tucked under (with the pubic bone up and the lower back rounded) no matter how much you pull on the buttocks or push the groins down, try this. Sit on a folded blanket or folded mat to elevate the pelvis. This will enable it to tip forward more and better align the spine. Or bend the knees a little, perhaps even placing a rolled towel under them so the legs can ground down without tugging the back of the pelvis under or straining the knees. Because upavishta konasana gives the hamstrings, back of the knees, inner thighs and groins such a strong stretch, be very careful (maybe just sit tall with the legs active) or skip this pose if you have an injury in those areas. If you have asthma or are in the later stages of pregnancy, do the pose sitting with your back against a wall and forget the forward bend part.

Rotating the thighs inward should have brought your toes and kneecaps straight up. If it didn’t, make that happen. Firm the legs by drawing the muscles in toward the bones and up from the feet into the pelvis. Then extend through the heels, press out through the balls of the feet, and spread and extend the toes. With you hands behind your hips, push down into the sitting bones, back of the thighs, and heels and lift up out of the pelvis. Loop the shoulders up and back and lift the sternum (breastbone) toward your chin as you stretch up through the top of your head. Take a breath or two here while checking to see that you are sitting tall wide and open, with your shoulders over the hips, your sacrum moving in and up, and your tailbone in and down.

If your spine is straight, you can start bending forward from the pelvis, keeping the front of your spine long, with your sternum pulling away from your navel. If your back starts to round and your shoulders hunch up, you may be going too far. Just stay sitting tall or maybe bending forward a little and work with the breath, lifting up and extending on the inhales and bending forward a micron or two on the exhales. You might even want to press into you hands to push yourself gently up and forward.

If you can bend forward easily while keeping your spine extended, bring your arms around in front and put your finger tips on the floor, with the arms shoulder width apart. With each inhale lift up a little and bring the sacrum forward, and with each exhale, bend forward a bit more, spider walking your hands a little further out in front of you. Make sure your spine stays long and your shoulders broad and looping up and back as your heart opens down toward the earth. Keep your tailbone stretching down and in to free and lengthen the spine so you can bend forward more deeply without collapsing it. To help the tailbone stay down, lift your belly away from the thighs and wrap the outer thighs back and down as you stretch forward and down.

If you can go at least half way down without hunching over, you may want to grab your shins, loop your big toes with your middle and index fingers, or grab the outside of your feet and pull yourself deeper into the pose. Gaze forward, not down, to help keep the spine extending. Stay in upavishta konasana for five deep breaths — or more if you really want to settle into this comforting asana. As you breathe in the pose, keep your leg muscles toned and your heart soft. With each inhale draw energy into your pelvis and take the pubic bones, thighbones and groins down some more. With each exhale, root your tail back and stretch forward and down more, pulling on your toes or feet or clawing the floor with your finger tips or palms to help lengthen the spine.

To come out, lift up slowly with an inhale, releasing your hands if you were holding your legs or feet, and keeping your legs strong and spine long as you come back to sit tall. Bring your hands in prayer pose in front of your heart and take another breath or two before you release and rest, thanking the Earth for supporting you so well in this and everything else you do.

JANU SIRSASANA ~ HEAD TO  KNEE POSE

If you had to design a seated forward bend that strongly opens the hips and groins while deeply stretching the legs and back, you’d be hard pressed to come up with anything as good as janu sirsana. Because this pose requires the pelvis to turn into the extended leg while tipping forward, it stretches the hip joints and groins in several directions at once. And because the back of the extended leg and the front of the spine must lengthen to go deeply into this forward bend, it’s very effective at stretching those areas. This asana also tones the liver, spleen and kidneys and stimulates the pelvic organs and sex glands while cooling the body and quieting the mind. Iyengar recommends it for an enlarged prostate gland or chronic low fever. Instead of getting your head to your knee, however, the goal in the pose is really to extend way beyond the knee as you lower your navel to your thigh, your heart to your knee and your chin to your shin. But even if your head gets nowhere near the extended leg, you’ll benefit a lot from practicing janu sirsasana often.

Practice Tips:

Begin by sitting with both legs extended in front and bend your right knee up a bit. Place your right hand under the inside of your right thigh near the knee and pull it out and back as far as comfortable. Still pulling the thigh back, grab the ankle with your left hand and bring the right foot in against the left thigh, with the heel as close to the right groin as possible. If this won’t happen, have the heel close to the left groin.

If your knee hurts when you bring the foot in or it won’t flex back very far, you can put your right foot up higher near the left knee. Or place a block under the right shin near the knee (and perhaps a rolled cloth behind the knee) to relieve strain. To better align the legs, reach underneath one thigh at a time and pull it and back and up so it rolls inward a bit and the groins descend. Do the same with the buttocks, wriggling them back to get the floor of the pelvis level.

As you opened the right knee out, you may have turned the pelvis a little to the right, so you are facing between the knees rather than over the left leg, where you want to be. To position your torso so your sternum (breastbone) is in line with your left leg, inhale and sit tall, and with an exhale strongly turn your pelvis and torso to the left, leading with your right hip and ribs. To help the pelvis turn, you can push your right hand against the front of your right knee for leverage. Or you can lean forward and take your right hand to the outside of your right leg or foot as a lever point, maybe even twisting to the left to help the pelvis turn that way. As you do this, keep pulling your left hip back and bringing your right hip forward.

Make sure you have the left sitting bone firmly grounded and that both sides of the rib cage are extending evenly, so you’re not collapsing on the left and bowing out on the right. If you are, shift the ribs to the left to get them in line, and keep pulling the right ribs down and toward your left leg when you bend forward.

Before you do, energize your left leg by flexing the foot and drawing the muscle energy in toward the bones and up the leg into the center of your pelvis. Make sure the toes and kneecap are facing straight up, and extend the leg bones out through the heel. Keeping the heel extended, push out through the ball of the left foot and spread the toes. Push the left heel and thighbone down, and press the right foot against the left leg, spreading the little toe into the floor. Keep both legs active by hugging the muscles to the bones and working the shins toward each other as you pull the inner thighs into the pelvis and push the thighbones out. Now you’re ready to start bending forward.

To do so, with an inhale push down into the sitting bones and extend up through the crown of the head to keep the back of the neck long. As you exhale, stretch up and begin to fold over the left leg. Keep the sternum pulling away from the navel and the shoulders lifting up and back as you bring the heart forward and the dorsal spine (upper back) in. Stretch the arms forward to hold under the knees or calves, or perhaps around the ball of the left foot. With another inhale loop the shoulders back, extend some more through the spine, and pull back on your left hip. As you exhale, begin to fold more over left leg, leading from the right side to keep the rib cage even. Try to bring first your navel to the left thigh, then your sternum to the knee, and finally your forehead or chin to the shin.

If you’re tight in the hamstrings and hips, it may not be possible to go forward very much without rounding the back and hunching the shoulders. So you’ll work more productively if you take your hands behind the hips, with the fingers pointing back, and push into the fingertips to lift yourself up and forward. This will enable you to keep the spine long and stay open across the collarbones as you work the pose. When you can keep the spine long and bend forward enough to bring the shoulders a foot or so in front of the hips without rounding, you’re ready to shift the hands forward. You can then either spider walk you hands along your left leg or grab the shin or foot and use that as an anchor to pull your spine longer.

If you’re bending forward enough to hold the left shin or foot — or perhaps even enough to grasp your right wrist with your left hand in front of the foot — keep the elbows lifting up, forward and out as you pull the shoulders up and back. Rotate the forearms inward and the upper arms and deltoid muscles outward and back as you slide the shoulder blades down toward the hips. These actions will help you extend the front of the spine forward and keep the shoulders square (it’s easy to let the left one drop as you work the pose). Also, lift the lower belly back and up and root the tailbone down and in to engage the bandhas and further deepen the stretch.

Hold the pose for five to eight breaths or more (I find janu sirsasana very meditative and one that I like to hold for at least eight to 10 breaths). As you work the pose keep the left leg strong and grounded, the spine long, and the breath full and smooth, extending more and going a little deeper with each exhale. When you’re ready, release the hands and lift up with an inhale, perhaps extending the arms up overhead and stretching luxuriously before releasing the pose and doing the other side. When you’re done, just sit and notice how calm and easy this wonderful asana makes you feel.