pose of the week… warrior – virabhadrasana I

Virabhadrasana I

BENEFITS: Improves body strength – especially in the thighs and shoulders. Increases  hip flexibility and can help one to feel more confidant!

CONTRAINDICATIONS: Practice very gently if you have any knee conditions. Don’t hold the posture for too long if you have very high, or very low blood pressure.  As with all poses of the week – if something doesn’t feel comfortable – don’t do it.

PRACTICE: Stand sideways on your mat or be on a non slip surface. Take a large step to your right…

Check that the outside edges of your feet are parallel to each other. Bend one knee and then the other a few times…

Come to still and be tall and grounded. Take a moment to breathe…

Notice how open and in which direction your pelvis and shoulders are facing – You want to keep them like this throughout the posture….

Turn your left toes 90 degrees out to the side and bend your left knee (make sure the knee is going in the direction of your toes)

Raise your arms in line with your shoulders and look past your left fingertips. Be grounded, tall and brave… Breathe…

Stay for a minute or two or as long as it feels comfortable and good to be doing…

personal practice…

Students and other yoga teacher’s often ask me about my personal practice – How often and for how long?

So here it is:

I try to begin everyday with two salutes to the sun. Sometimes I will also do a few of the astanga salutes (to keep my arms nice and strong!)

Time allowing, I will also do a twist – usually lying down and a side bend. Which means that at the very least I have done the 6 movements of the spine (forward, back, rotation to both sides and side bend – both sides) every day.  I will also do a wheel from lying 2 or 3 times – in the most relaxed way possible.

Because I don’t want to wobble when I teach a balance during a class, I also try to do tree, warrior 3, half moon and some variations of  uttitha hasta padangusthanasana most days.

If I have the time (rarely!), I will go with how my body feels it wants… Pranayama is then likely to make an appearance…

Sometimes, I have the luxury of a few moments of relaxation in savasana…

I read once, that as a yoga teacher, you should do no less than one hours practice every day (or woe betide you!) I would love to achieve this, but at the moment – even with the best intentions in the world – its just not physically possible (3 children, home educating,  teaching etc for starters!)

Yoga is close to my heart though and with me for much of the day. If I’m ever still for a period of time, I need to move and stretch and I will… If I see a bar to hang from – I usually do.

During the day, I will forward bend at least twice.

On the bed, before sleeping, I often do dandasana – staff pose and usually a lying tailor and of course some much needed relaxation…