Tadasana or mountain pose is the foundational standing pose in hatha yoga. The alignment in the posture influences all of the other standing postures so it’s important to work on your alignment to get a sense of how proper posture here influences other poses in your practice.
It may seem odd to teach people to stand correctly but that’s what we do. As you watch the video notice how even my posture changes in the pose. I have a small sway back and it’s interesting to see myself in video form leading you through the alignment. Feel the pose as you make shifts. Your body will tell you what feels right if you listen. As you move or adjust yourself further notice how one part of your body flows into another differently due to the changes you make.
In the pose always continue breathing calmly. Increase, follow and explore the breath. See where it takes you.
I was doing research the other night and realized BKS Iyengar’s birthday is today. I feel it appropriate to mention one of the teachers who’s most influenced my practice. If anyone lit up a sense of hope in me, hope of not only improving my health but of becoming a whole human being, Iyengar helped sparked my internal fire. Today he is 93 years old.
Soon after my first awakening to how great yoga was I went to the library in search of books. In and amongst the books was a copy of Light on Yoga, the book considered to be the bible of modern yoga. I was amazed at the photos as most are but what really blew my mind was the back of the book. If you have shoulder problems do these asanas, if you have digestive problems do these asanas…etc.
Could it be? Look at the photos! He’s got to know something about the body look at what he’s capable of. Ask your overweight doctor what shoulderstand does.
I knew I’d stumbled onto something huge. 8 years or so later, I’m still at it, breathing, stretching and working on my body one small piece at a time. As I reconnect and experience the great things a yoga practice brings I occasionally find a video like this series. I watched in awe last night, Iyengar makes me look like a novice.
This is part one of a series. If you have the time watch it all. It’s quite the demonstration.
So Iyengar is now 93 years old. The bushy eyebrowed lion of Pune has influenced most of the lineage of hatha yoga due to his intense focus on the alignment in poses. His alignment allows one to do yoga safely and over time deepen into the poses. Using props to help students open their bodies and aid in the process was one of his great influences on the practice as well.
Thank you so much Mr. Iyengar. May your life and teachings continue on. Thank you for providing a crack that lets all the light shine in.
More variations on downward facing dog pose using a wall. The change of gravity and position helps open the spine and allows one to build strength in the arms and hands while working on stretching through the upper spine and finally into the neck. Play with these they’re great fun.
I highly recommend these if you work in an office, have slouched upper back posture or upper back/neck pain. Do it several times a day for 5-10 minutes for a week. It’s one thing to read about the benefits of a pose. It’s another to have your body integrate the pose into your nervous system. Breathe.
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Downward facing dog pose is difficult for beginners. Hamstrings are tight, the low back isn’t aligned well and the backs of the legs are tense enough to prevent much movement of the heels towards the floor. This version takes the lower body out of the equation.
Working on the arms, upper back and cervical spine alone allows for more precise alignment and exploration without worry. The weight is lessened due to our positioning in gravity and nuances are noticed while being in the pose longer than you can hold the traditional pose. Try it out.
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We now show hamstring stretches in a chair for both legs simultaneously. Opening your hamstrings will make a large improvement in low back pain and overall posture. Office workers are chronically tight in this area. When people start yoga classes they often comment on how tight their hips and hamstrings are. Take your time. Breathe.
Hamstring tightness is the bane of most office workers. Shortened hamstrings add to low back pain and strain so it’s important to stretch them regularly. These stretches allow you to do this where they often shorten, in an office chair.
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This continues the piriformis stretch from the previous video. More nuances working with the femur and hip socket are added for variety. Open hips help allow the low back to relax into a neutral position. Long term this leads to less low back pain. This version adds a neck stretch at the end.
Piriformis is latin for pear shaped. The muscle connects from the greater trochanter of your femur to the border of your sacrum. It’s often tight in cases of low back pain and people find greater ease of movement in their legs when both sides are released.
Additional foam roll exercises that add the low back. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I’d love more interaction to answer questions in video or written format.
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This continues our series of videos using a foam roll for upper back and cervical relief. The bolsters are used to soften the pressure exerted on your spine and allow one to sit in the posture longer. If you have any questions feel free to pass them along.
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Here’s a short video about how to use a foam roll for upper back and neck pain. Try this out if you have not, they’re worth every penny. I’ll post another video soon with more advanced use of the foam roll on the same area.
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Quick video where I discuss sitting posture and how it affects upper back and neck pain. I see lots of office workers who have these problems and want to educate. An ounce of prevention…
