Usually our quote of the month is short and sweet. However, this month, in honour of Nelson Mandela, I've chosen this quote. There's is much we can learn from a man who spent 27 years in prison! Many of us are in prisons of our own making.
An In-depth look at Revolved Side Angle, Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Revolving side angle can be a difficult posture to master because it involves a combination of balance, flexibility and strength. With a few key points though, you can find that your revolving side angle posture slowly improves.
I would suggest committing to including a revolved side angle in every home practice for the next week - that's seven days worth of side angle poses.
In general, you want to sequence this posture after you've warmed up - for example with several rounds of sun salutations. it usually comes after postures like Warrior I & II as well.
How to set up your Revolved Side Angle Posture:
From Downward Dog, step through in lunge on the right side. Take time to set up a strong foundation in lunge, as it is your legs and feet that will be supporting you and holding the twist solid.
- Ground down through your front heel.
- Extend forward through your front shin.
- Extend back through your back heel.
- Extend up through your back thigh.
These four movement of lunge will help to keep you buoyant and light - you've got prana or energy moving in four different directions - up, down, back and forward.
Squeeze your legs to the centre line, creating more stability in your lunge.
Inhale your arms up above your head, pausing for a moment in crescent lunge.
Exhale the hands down the centre line to anjali mudra - hands in prayer position at the heart centre.
Entering the twist
Inhale and lengthen up out of your waist while firmly continuing to engage all four movements of lunge.
From that lift, exhale and twist from the very pit of your belly, making sure mula bandha and uddiyana bandha are engaged.
On your next inhale, hook your bottom elbow on the outside of the knee and use that leverage to draw your chest forward and around towards your top shoulder.
As you exhale, ground down through both feet and strengthen the bandhas.
Working within the pose
Now you're in the posture, the real work starts.
First, keep awareness on the breathing. Allow the inhale and the exhale to be soft and long.
Second, also keep awareness on the alignment of the body - moving around the body as your breath.
- Check in on the four movements of lunge - front heel down, front shin, forward, back heel back, back thigh up.
- Squeeze the inner thighs together
- Use inhales to lengthen up and out of the waist, creating more space between your torso and thigh.
- Use exhales to soften and release deeper into the twist
Every exhale, feel the energy drop down through the body and connect to the earth.
Every inhale, feel the body expand and grow light as it reaches up and around for the sun.
Continue to play with this oscillation between grounding and opening.
Coming out of the posture:
The way you come out of the posture is just as important as the way you go into the posture - maintain breath awareness all the way through.
An an inhale, strongly engage the bandhas and lift up and around back to a lunge with the hands at anjali mudra.
As you exhale, place the hands back down on the ground on either side of the front foot.
Inhale and step back to downward dog.
Repeat on the other side.
Tips and Tricks:
The front hip has a tendency to swing out sideways and pop up. focus on drawing releasing the front hip bone and letting that hip drop down and away. Draw it back and under.
Our shoulders have a tendency to round and scrunch on this. Draw your lower ribs up and away from your belly, feeling your sternum rise and open as you do so.
Always maintain a strong back leg, pressing back into an invisible wall.
Top 5 Mantra & Sound Articles:
When people first start yoga, the idea of making sounds can be uncomfortable. However, once you get over the idea of other people hearing you, you start to realise the mantra is a simple but very powerful practice.
Yoga mantras are usually in Sanskrit, considered the oldest language in the world. It is a classical language of India - so not in common use, but still used for Yoga and still used in religion. There are 49 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet and it is often considered the language of the Gods - and NASA has been investigating using it as a computer language because of it's perfect syntax. There's no room for error in Sanskrit!
Chanting in Sanskrit creates specific energetic affects in the body, which is why it's so powerful.
Here are some of the best articles on Mantra & Sound from the website.
http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2010/10/06/buddhist-chants-and-mantras-the-science-behind-the-power/
A great article that explains the science behind chanting and mantras - useful for those who prefer to have a logical explanation for something before diving into practice.
Also includes video on sound waves in action.
http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2009/12/31/lord-ganesh-mantra-free-mp3-download-vakratunda/
Amongst Hindu and Vedic prayers, one of the most important is the Lord Ganesh Mantra. This is because Lord Ganesh(a) is considered the remover of obstacles, and prayers to this aspect of the One God, is a request for His help in making all good projects one undertakes successful.
Given that many of us are going to undertake new projects and make new resolutions as we prepare to ring in the new year, this is a great article to read now to ensure that you are successful with all your projects and plans.
http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2009/10/28/great-sanskrit-mantra-for-abundance-vishvani-deva-mantra/
The great Sanskrit mantra, the Vishvani Deva Mantra, is designed to help free you of negativity, and attract and obtain positivity. It is a mantra to help you get abundance into your life.
In this article you will find the details for this Vedic mantra, including an English translation and also free MP3 downloads.
http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/02/01/free-gayatri-mantra-meditation-open-the-third-eye/
There are many uses of the all powerful Gayatri Mantra, so you should certainly not be surprised that there is also a Gayatri Mantra Meditation, for helping to open the all important Third Eye Chakra. That is the technique which is detailed in this article and demonstrated in the Gaytri Mantra Meditation Video shown in the article.
http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2009/04/13/powerful-lord-shiva-mantra-mahamritunjay-mantra-free-mp3-download/
Lord Shiva is known as the Lord of Yoga, Lord of all Three Worlds (Bhuh, Bhuvah & Svahah) and he is also considered the Lord for those who are Jyana (Gyan) Yogis, or those who follow the yogic path of Insight & Intelligence. This particular view of the One Lord, serves as a motivating and encouraging source for those who practice Yoga and Jyana Yoga in particular. Lord Shiva is symbolically known as the Destroyer, and that which he destroys is of course ignorance (Avidya) and attachment to the false sense of separate self.
The Mahamritunjay Mantra is a prayer in praise of Lord Shiva, requesting him to free us from disease, bondage, ignorance and attachment, and bless us with liberation and enlightenment.
ShapeShifter Yoga for Weight Loss
Yoga is a great way to get healthy, lose weight and get fit. Last month I shared with you some of the best yoga techniques from my website for weight loss and this month I am sharing with you another yogi's yoga program that will bestow these wonderful benefits upon you.
Here is a summary for what the ShapeShifter yoga program can do for you...
- Help you lose stubborn pounds and inches.
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- Help you enjoy greater energy, get rid of tension and anxiety, end insomnia and make improve your mood and well-being.
To learn more about this very popular and effective yoga program, visit ShapeShifter Yoga by clicking the image below.
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