You probably have a strap among your props, and if you don't it's easy to find one, at your yoga studio or at Target, or maybe even at the grocery store. I like mine to be at least 8 feet long. Here are a few things you can do in your home practice with a… Continue reading Using a yoga strap at home
Category: poses
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
On Thursdays Jill and I have been working on our up dogs - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana. I think mine has declined a bit, but I'm happy with the chair version.
Excellent website
I just came across a blog called What's That Pose? The woman who put it together shows pictures of poses with all the names that she knows for each one. It's great. The other day Jill emailed me mentioning Agnistambhasana. I didn't know the name, and found it on What's That Pose? Check it out.
Malasana, Evy
I love Malasana (garland). It's such a great stretch all down your back, and so good for those adductor bones. Someday I may be able to get my heels to the floor. Or not. I don't care - I'll keep doing it. Jill's granddaughter Evy, age 13 months, sometimes comes with her mother Holly to… Continue reading Malasana, Evy
Upavistha Konasana (seated wide angle)
I hope my readers aren't getting sick of seeing these photos. For Jill and me they're very instructive. It's hard to get them right, though, because we're trying to get poses where our alignment is good, no distracting junk is in the background, the photos are in focus, and we're not looking grim. Keeping… Continue reading Upavistha Konasana (seated wide angle)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog)
We have been using blocks in Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog). I'm finding it very interesting. It makes it possible for more weight to go back into my legs. My hamstrings are so tight that I am usually totally bearing down in my arms. My heels never even come close to the floor. In… Continue reading Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog)
Handstand
I decided recently that I could work on Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand, or, translated more directly, downward facing tree) with great respect and tenderness for my shoulders and wrists. So I'm doing just a little bit each day. My tight hamstrings prevent me from kicking up into this pose and others like it. Another student… Continue reading Handstand
Vasisthasana
Woohoo! I did Vasisthasana (side plank) this morning for the first time in a year and a half. It was going to be my focus pose when I got sick last year, so now I can take it up again. I'm going to take it very very easy on my shoulders so I can keep… Continue reading Vasisthasana
Focus pose
When we did YoMo in January, I chose two poses that are really hard for me to work on during that month - Upavistha Konasana (seated wide angle) and Supta Virasana (reclining hero). Supta Virasana improved enormously, as I've described recently. Upavistha Konasana, not so much. So during this June YoMo I'm going to work… Continue reading Focus pose
Addressing a difficult pose
I was rooting around in my old posts for this blog and found one I saved as a draft in January and then forgot to post. So here it is. At the end of class yesterday a couple of other people doing YoMo and I talked about how it's going. (This was just what I… Continue reading Addressing a difficult pose
Practice Notes 