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EKA PADA BAKASANA II

by Trisha Curling | Aug 12, 2022 | Main Page Display

EKA PADA BAKASANA II

The Essence of Push & Pull

THE GUNAS

THE GUNAS—The essence of push & pull

We’ve all experienced the essence of push and pull in one way or another. Its presence is evident all around and within us. We all experience the rise and fall, the movement of our thoughts in our minds (the vritti). These forces are present during our various emotions, when we’re making decisions, during conflict, when we are challenging ourselves physically and emotionally. Push and pull is undeniable in nature and the environment all around us… You get it. It’s really everywhere. We also experience it in our yoga practice. In the Yoga Sutras, these forces are explained as the Gunas.

To be more specific, Alan Finger, in Tantra of the Yoga Sutras, explains Yoga Sutra 1.16 (Tat param purusa khyater gunavaitrsnyam) in the following way:

“The three gunas are rajas, tamas, and sattva. They are considered to be the primary sources of nature that are responsible for all of the change and movement that we experience in life.”

Finger, Alan. Tantra of the Yoga Sutras, Shambhala Publications, 2018. (pg. 26)

What’s incredible is that we will see how this also applies to our physical yoga practice. Matt breaks down the biomechanics of Eka Pada Bakasana II and shows us how the essence of push and pull exists in both the mind and the body.

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RAJAS, TAMAS, & SATTVA

Finger explains how rajas is a more outward, vigorous force, while tamas is a more inward, softer, more restful force. While these 2 energies sit at opposite ends from one another, it’s sattva that sits in the middle and/or is considered the balance between the two. Alan Finger explains that sattva is where we find stillness.

Being that these forces are ever present and that the circumstances of our lives are constantly shifting, it’s easy to find ourselves leaning more towards one side of the spectrum than the other. It’s our awareness that helps us to recognize when we have gone “too far” over to one side. Now, it’s super important to understand that if we adopt the more contemporary interpretation of the three gunas, then we understand that all of these forces are necessary and very human parts of life. It’s not “bad” to experience one or the other, but it’s your awareness and deeper connection, or knowing of yourself, that helps you experience these states of being without any attachment.

When in a more rajasic state, we are in a place of taking action; we are “handling our business,” so to speak. There is no struggle to get out of bed, we might engage in a regular asana practice, we eagerly run through tasks at home and/or at work, etc. On the other side, in a more tamasic state, we surrender to rest, and we tend to go more inward. In this state, we allow ourselves time to replenish and renew.

If we adopt this more contemporary point of view, there seems to be a comfort and safety present. There is no need to reject what already exists within and around us. Noticing, without judgment, these forces of nature may help us move and flow more freely between each state when necessary. This may be viewed as actually being in a more sattvic state because we are actually experiencing flow, a steady mind, and therefore stillness and balance.

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO YOUR PHYSICAL YOGA PRACTICE?

Matt teaches a class in the Heart Module in his 300 Hr. Teacher Training called “Push & Pull: Rajas and Tamas. Crow/Half Crow Half Titibhasana” (Eka Bakasana II). There he says, “Sattva is how we feel when the push and pull of rajas and tamas come into a state of equanimity. This leads quite nicely into how we can understand the push and pull in our asana practice as well. In this sense, it’s the actions and activations we take in our bodies.”

Before we explore this, it’s also essential to understand that even though the gunas are natural forces of nature, we can still find ourselves spending too much time on one end of the spectrum. In this class, Matt explains that when we are way out of balance, a more rajasic state can produce feelings of anger, impatience, even anxiety. If we’re spending too much time in a tamasic state, this is where we may not be attending to necessary tasks and there is loss of energy and lack of motivation.

Just like our yoga practice, these emotions, actions, or lack of actions are not who we are; they are actually opportunities. They are messages telling us something. They’re sending us messages that something needs to shift. This can be recognized as the development of our discernment. Now this is key, this is actually the juicy part! This collision of philosophy and physical practice is where we really unleash both our emotional and physical potential.

In today’s video, Matt demonstrates the required push and pull in Eka Pada Bakasana II (Half Crow / Half Titibhasana). We witness the importance of what Matt says: “harnessing the activity of the mind (rajas) to move toward sattva.” This is done with focus and intention. There can only be well-placed effort, continuous well-placed effort, in order to achieve this.

WATCH THE VIDEO: EKA PADA BAKASANA II

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EKA PADA BAKASANA II (HALF CROW, HALF TITIBHASANA)

When it comes to the execution of Eka Pada Bakasana II, the push comes from the upper body, while the pull is in the lower body. There must be equal effort within these opposite actions. This can be interpreted as a “sattvic state in the body.” What I mean by opportunities is that when we feel something “off” in these actions, we must utilize our discernment. Maybe there is not enough pull/adduction of the legs and/or not enough rounding (protraction) of the upper back due to lack of push with the hands/upper body. Even neglecting the internal rotation of the extended leg can throw things off. This may lead to a loss of stability in the posture, taking us out of balance.

We can see more deeply how this is the practice; this is yoga. The process of harnessing the mind to focus and find balance and equanimity in Eka Pada Bakasana II (Half Crow/Half Titibhasana) is completely aligned with our process to move towards sattva in our emotional body. There can be moments of frustration, of uncertainty, but again, these are all beautiful messages for us to receive. They are exquisite opportunities for us to explore and experience without attachment.

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EKA PADA BAKASANA II

EKA PADA BAKASANA II The Essence of Push & PullTHE GUNASTHE GUNAS—The essence of push & pullWe’ve all experienced the essence of push and pull in one way or another. Its presence is evident all around and within us. We all experience the rise and fall, the...

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Downward Dog Shoulder Alignment

by Trisha Curling | Jul 15, 2022 | Home Page, Main Page Display

DOWNWARD DOG

SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

How Yoga Props Enhance Your Downward Dog

ADHO MUKHA

ALIGNMENT QUESTIONS IN DOWNWARD-FACING DOG

How many times have you done Downward-Facing Dog in your yoga practice? I can’t answer that either. It’s a posture that shows up in a yoga class quite often. It just becomes part of the foundation of a physical practice after a while. When you started your practice, you may have been told that it’s a resting posture, but it doesn’t always feel like that, does it? It takes some time for it to feel “right” or even “comfortable.” You’ve most likely navigated through things like the following:

Should my heels touch the mat?

How far apart should my hands be from one another?

What about the direction of my hands?

How far apart should my hands be from my feet?

Should my wrists feel this way?

Is it ok to bend my knees?

This list goes on.

Over time, you start to develop a deeper understanding of the pose and to develop and integrate patterns in your body that feel “right.”

As you continue to learn and grow in your practice, you may also reach a point where you begin to wonder if these patterns are actually serving you. This wondering may come from pain and/or injuries that arise, or simply from exposure to different practices and/or teachers. What often happens is that once you get comfortable with “the way you’ve always done it,” the challenge may be to consider a different way and/or to add on some new actions to actually improve not only the posture but also the health of your joint placement/alignment in the posture.

It is important, however, to be open to the process of “unlearning” and the process of developing new patterns. The important perspective to take when you encounter times like this in your yoga practice is to understand that it is all a part of growth and your specific journey to learn more about your own body. It’s actually an opportunity. Approaching your practice with an openness to opportunity often leads to the unraveling and to access to new breakthroughs in your practice.

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WHAT IS SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT?

“Shoulder impingement is a common condition believed to contribute to the development or progression of rotator cuff disease.”

Ludewig, Paula M, and Jonathan P Braman. “Shoulder impingement: biomechanical considerations in rehabilitation.” Manual therapy vol. 16,1 (2011): 33-9. doi:10.1016/j.math.2010.08.004

Shoulder impingement and/or a pinching sensation in the shoulders is a common complaint when it comes to the execution of Downward-Facing Dog. You might feel this in early attempts to do the posture or after repeating patterns like drawing your shoulders away from your ears, which may cause pain or irritation in the posture.

In the video, Matt explains quite nicely by saying that when you draw the scapulae (shoulder blades) away from your ears, the upper arm bone (humerus) collides with the acromion process. This action and collision is what creates the impingement, or “pinching.” This pinching can create pain or discomfort or may even lead to injury. From a visual standpoint, how do you know this is happening? Matt explains that you can see what looks like a “dimple” in the shoulder when the humerus is pulling down away from your ears. For further information for proper alignment in Downward Dog, you can also check out Matt’s blog 3 STEPS TO AVOID SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT IN DOWNWARD-FACING DOG.

WATCH THE VIDEO: DOWNWARD-DOG SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

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USING A ROLLED UP YOGA MAT FOR DOWNWARD-FACING DOG

Rolling up a yoga mat and using it as an additional prop provides excellent feedback and even assists you in the execution of the steps to set up Downward-Facing Dog. It helps to create new patterns in your body to avoid shoulder impingement in this foundational posture.

Matt details exactly how to use your mat by following these steps:

Place a rolled-up mat horizontally across the top of your mat.
Place your hands in front of the rolled-up mat.
Move backward into Downward Dog (bend your knees and send your tailbone to the sky).
Lifting them up, move your armpits forward toward your hands.

What’s happening here is that this action will activate the rhomboids, and the upper trapezius will activate from the lift of the armpits. This will also support the movement of the top of the shoulder blades going inward while the bottom of the scapula are protracting.

This step also provides a great opportunity to check in and get some feedback within your body. If you’re putting a lot of pressure into the yoga mat, then you know you’re dropping the armpits down and are causing the sub-acromion pinch. Matt offers the cue here of reaching through the outer lines of the arms so that the scapulae upwardly rotate.

“During normal motion, the scapulae will upwardly rotate and posteriorly tilt on the thorax during elevation of the arm in flexion, abduction, scapular plane abduction, or unrestricted overhead reaching.”

Ludewig, Paula M, and Jonathan P Braman. “Shoulder impingement: biomechanical considerations in rehabilitation.” Manual therapy vol. 16,1 (2011): 33-9. doi:10.1016/j.math.2010.08.004

5. Externally rotate the humerus (biceps face forward, and pinky edge of the hand pulls bottom portion of scapula around).

After these actions are put into place, you may feel like the inside edge of your hand is pulling up, so articulating the next step is important.

6. Turn your palms down (the radioulnar joint pronates the forearm, and this is a separate action that happens specifically at the forearm, separately from the action of the external rotation of the humerus).

7. Turn hands out a little more and wider (this also helps to create less chance of shoulder impingement).

8. Heels of the hands are lifted (again, creating that lightness and less touch against the yoga mat).

Not only will this create less impingement, it will also strengthen the flexors of the wrist, which will feel better and allow you to feel more safe.

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SIMPLIFY THE STEPS FOR MASTERING DOWNWARD-DOG SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

In the video, Matt offers what’s called a “Mock” or “Modified” Downward Dog on your knees. Here are the steps:

Lift armpits
Lengthen — shoulders to the ears
Go up and back
Externally rotate the arm bones (biceps face forward)
Lift heels of the hands (carpal tunnels)

Integrating these new actions may feel quite awkward once you start to gradually implement them. They may not feel quite “right.” This is that process of “unlearning” and creating new neuromuscular patterns in your body. Eventually they will start to feel more “comfortable,” and you will notice the change in the development of your strength. Setting this foundation will help to support your journey in other postures in which it is necessary to utilize strength and balance from your shoulders, forearms, and hands.

If you enjoy diving deeper into the potential of your body and of the yoga practice as a whole, you can deepen your studies in Matt’s 200 and 300 Hr. Trainings.

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS.

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EKA PADA BAKASANA II

Downward Dog Shoulder Alignment

Calm The Mind with Meditation

hamstring stretch technique for wide legged forward fold

Bow Pose: Where to Breathe in a Backbend

side plank variations

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Calm The Mind with Meditation

by Trisha Curling | Jul 10, 2022 | Main Page Display

CALM THE MIND

GO BENEATH THE SURFACE

SUTRA 1.2

CALM THE MIND

“If restraint of the mental modifications is achieved, one has reached the goal of yoga.” This is taken directly from The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (pg. 3).

“Yoga is the experience we have when all vritti (fluctuations of the mind), the movement arising in our consciousness, is stilled.” This is the breakdown/interpretation from Tantra of The Yoga Sutras by Alan Finger (pg. 21).

Both explanations of Yoga Sutra 1.2 “Yoga citta vritti nirodhah” help us to understand what we seek in our practice and in our lives. What we seek is stillness, the decluttering and calming of the mind in order to exist and take action from a place of steadiness and discernment rather than from a place of reactivity, being steered by our emotions.

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THE 5 LAYERS OF THE MIND

The Tantric point of view seems to provide more space for the allowance of our natural human experience, which includes the 5 Layers of the Mind. These are explained in Tantra of the Yoga Sutras as follows:

Undistorted Knowledge occurs when the mind creates an image from direct perception; for example, what you experience from your senses and/or intuition, deductions form partial information, and/or credible testimony from text, a teacher, or parent

Misconception happens when the mind directly perceives something through the senses or intuition but creates a distorted image of what it is perceiving.

*This distortion may come from our samskaras, which are our underlying, deep-rooted patterns and beliefs, which are deeply connected to our ego and how we define ourselves by specific identities and experiences.

Imagination is when we hear about something, and the mind creates an image that is based on anything other than words.

Sleep—here, the mind experiences inertia. This is its own form of vritti, which helps the mind to reset and recharge. To calm the mind, mastering sleep habits is essential.

Memory is when a previously perceived object, form, or idea comes back into consciousness.

From the Tantric perspective, these are natural occurrences of which we are not trying to “rid ourselves” but simply (or not so simply) trying to harness. These layers exist, and they are valuable to our human experience in this life. It is my opinion that whatever language we resonate with, both perspectives do offer us the ability to understand that we have the potential and competence to go beneath the surface of these fluctuations. “Going beneath the surface” can essentially be interpreted as calming the mind. When the fluctuations create chaos and/or anxiety, we become off balance, and the mind feels cluttered and busy. This is when and why we go to our yoga practice, meditation, and pranayama: in order to soften these layers.

How is this achieved? This is achieved through focus with intention. This can also be interpreted as well-placed effort, or abhyasa, which means “making your best effort to focus all the vritti on one single point, whether it is an action, object, thought, or image.” Finger, Alan. Tantra of the Yoga Sutras. Pg. 26.

Matt has this ability to effortlessly weave this into every class. Each breath, transition, and biomechanical setup is methodical and very intentionally expressed so that we have no choice but to move in a way that harnesses our attention within. We are focused on not only the movements but the sensations we experience throughout. These are the “aha moments,” if you will. Matt explains that it is when we go deeper, to the level of awareness of the sensations, that we actually experience stillness. This is when we go below the layers of the fluctuations of the mind. This is when we find more calm and presence in the moment.

At the end of today’s video, you’ll see how even what may appear to be a “simple movement” is executed with such precision and awareness that we have no choice but to surrender to the sensations and to the release of the “fluttering” of the mind.

In this particular class, Matt is preparing us for Side Crow. He talks about this harnessing of the mind within the movement, and he explains how we focus the body and breath in order to go deeper within. He then proceeds to the next actions in the physical body that will lead us toward what is necessary for Side Crow, but in the moment, we are fully engrossed in the stillness of the mind in the present moment and present actions. Now, as our muscles activate, building heat and tension, the fluctuations may want to rise and fall with more intensity again, but please note that all vritti are motivated by either pain or pleasure; whether the experience is difficult and challenging or easy and delightful, we can still place our efforts in a way that helps us maintain a sense of tranquility. Maybe when the vritti intensify due to challenge, the tranquility can come from an understanding that any particular challenge is ultimately happening for us and not to us and that by letting go of the outcomes (vairagya), we will come to see just exactly how they serve us in the end. On the other hand, when there is excitement, joy, and happiness, and the mind is wild with elation, we can enjoy it for what it is and yet recognize that these are the energies of life—the ups and the downs don’t determine our value; they simply reveal an opportunity to stay present.

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“Calm the Mind with Meditation”

The 5 KOSHAS OF OUR EXISTENCE

But, what are these deeper layers? What lies beneath the surface of the vrittis? Where do we actually find/experience stillness? How do we find more calm in the mind?

In Eastern philosophy we come to understand the Koshas (or the energetic layers of our body that encapsulate one another).

In the context of the yoga practice, the 5 Koshas are:

Physical – Annamaya Kosha – This is our physical body. This is where we bring awareness to the biomechanics and techniques in our practice. We become more skilled at the awareness of our bodies in space (proprioception). Matt explains that we develop more discernment when it comes to knowing the difference between our mind being uncomfortable and our bodies being uncomfortable. There is a difference between pain and discomfort. We learn to decipher between the two in order to honour our bodies within our practice.
Energetic – Pranamaya Kosha – This is the vibrancy of our energy (i.e. when we wake up after a good night’s sleep, we feel rested and vibrant. We feel the exact opposite after a poor night’s rest. Also, when we are working on this layer we are working on pranayama.
Mind – Manamaya Kosha – Here we are getting closer to the awareness of who we are. We are more self aware of our mental and emotional patterns by way of our physical practice. We come to understand the lens through which we look and how we perceive life.
Awareness – Vijnanamaya Kosha – This is our intuitive body and/or our insight.
Bliss – Anandamaya Kosha – The inevitable result of becoming more self aware – strengthening connection to the 3 outer layers, our ability to become aware and then the inevitable bliss

Surrendering to the sensations and awareness of the first 3 layers help to unlock the deeper inner layers of awareness and bliss. Matt explains that bliss is the inevitable result of becoming more in tune with our ability to become aware. This is actually the practice of svadhyaya (self-reflection/awareness).

In Chromatic yoga, Matt guides us to understand that this is exactly what is taking place. He provides continued opportunities in our asana practice to become more aware within the first 3 layers and that this is how we access the stillness, we go beneath the fluctuations of the mind and more inward towards awareness and bliss. As described above, we do this by paying attention to techniques and the biomechanics of the body. Matt shows us how to become more aware of how to engage and arrange our joints to feel better in our bodies on and off of the yoga mat. The goal is to become self aware in the asana practice. To then become in all areas of our lives.

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THE ROLE OF MEDITATION TO GO BENEATH THE SURFACE

At the beginning of the Heart Module in Matt’s 300 Hr. Yoga Teacher Training, he describes Meditation as a way to help ourselves to “clean out the dirt and dust” within our minds. Again, it is a process of self-inquiry that helps us understand where the dirt came from and why we didn’t clean it sooner. Meditation keeps the dirt from building, self inquiry inspires us to keep meditating. We also come to understand that meditation is not the removal of our thoughts, but again where we place our attention. This is exactly what the Tantric perspective provides for us. There is the understanding that the 5 layers of the mind are not to be removed (they are natural), but where do we place our attention? Yes, you’re right…beneath the surface.

In the 2015 study, Meditation: Process & Effects, by: Hari Sharma, it explains that:

“During the process of meditation, accumulated stresses are removed, energy is increased, and health is positively affected overall.”

This directly reveals the value of meditation and its ability to settle the fluctuations of the mind. It’s focused attention and the well placed effort (Abhyasa) of our awareness that supports the removal of certain stressors. This supports our ability to quiet and calm the mind. With increased energy, we can go to our mats for asana in order to build on our awareness of the 3 outer layers of the koshas.

The study also says:

“In ancient Vedic texts, it is said that the meditation process takes the mind from the outer realm of the objective world to the inner realm of the inner faculty (which includes the mind, intellect, ego, and Chitta – the storehouse of all memories and impressions of life), and finally goes beyond both the outer and inner realms to reach the deep inner Self.”

Sharma, Hari. “Meditation: Process and effects.” Ayu vol. 36,3 (2015): 233-7. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.182756

This is it, it describes the process of going from the external to the internal and finally going to the inner realm to the deeper self. This is just another way of describing the shift from sitting within the crashing waves of the mind, to going beneath the surface and into the stillness.

There is clearly a lot to uncover and unpack here, but this is the beauty of stepping into our awareness. All we have to do is take the first step.

“Yoga citta vritti nirodhah” can happen at any time you want. You don’t just go to the yoga mat to find this. You go to life to find this. Funneling attention into awareness itself at any time helps you to find more opportunities and moments to remain in the realm of stillness.

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See The Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See The Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: 300 Hr. Training

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ANATOMY IN MOTION

APRIL 2022 Immersion

Embody anatomy
Learn key muscles, bones, and joints
Visualize your movements internally
Improve proprioception
Sensation-based practices
Unlock and strengthen major muscle groups
Active, passive, and isometric stretching
Improve mobility and stability
Get VERY geeky

$168.00

✋ SIGN ME UP

CHOOSE YOUR PATH

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

200 Hour Training

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

300 HOUR TRAINING

Continue Learning

EKA PADA BAKASANA II

Downward Dog Shoulder Alignment

Calm The Mind with Meditation

hamstring stretch technique for wide legged forward fold

Bow Pose: Where to Breathe in a Backbend

side plank variations

All Videos

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
exclusive online course discounts
exclusive blogs and videos

hamstring stretch technique for wide legged forward fold

by Trisha Curling | Jul 5, 2022 | Home Page, Main Page Display

WIDE-LEGGED FORWARD FOLD

INCREASE YOUR FLEXIBILITY WITH RECIPROCAL INHIBITION

PRASARITA

a safe approach to increasing flexibility

It’s not unusual to feel “stuck” in our yoga practice at times. We may come to a place in our physical practice where we are not experiencing our full potential. One of the common areas we may feel this way is with our flexibility.

In one of my previous articles, Healthy Hamstrings, I discuss how Matt demonstrates how to create more flexibility utilizing a facilitated stretch technique. There are, however, more ways than one to create more flexibility within our bodies. We can also achieve greater flexibility with reciprocal inhibition.

Reciprocal inhibition does the opposite of what a facilitated stretch asks us to do. It’s true that we are still activating muscles in order to achieve greater flexibility, but we are now activating the muscles that oppose the muscles that are stretching.

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EFFECTIVE STRETCH TECHNIQUE

In today’s video, Matt demonstrates how to explore these actions in Prasarita Padottanasana: Wide-Legged Forward Fold.

In Prasarita Padottanasana (an open hip posture), our legs are in abduction while we are flexing at the hip. Placing our bodies in this position requires us to find flexibility in our adductors and hamstrings. There are also key areas both for potential strength in this posture and where we can explore activation at different times. These areas include adductors, abductors, quads (including the rectus femoris, which is also a hip flexor), and hamstrings.

Activating the adductors and hamstrings would support the facilitated stretch technique, while activating the abductors and quadriceps generates the reciprocal inhibition technique. In this segment of the video, Matt demonstrates how and why to activate the quadriceps.

BOW POSE ON A BOLSTER

Doing Bow Pose on a bolster can be very helpful because it relieves much effort in the back muscles, allowing you to focus on the various aspects of the posture without being overwhelmed. The key points are the following:

Pull your belly inward and lengthen it before placing your low ribs/upper belly on the bolster. This will keep you from getting stuck on the mat when you start to lift.
Adjust your shoulders by lifting them up first, then retracting them (pulling your shoulder blades toward each other).
Follow the movement of your breath. On inhales, kick your feet back and up to rise; on exhales, soften and relax some of your effort.
IMPORTANT: Try to keep the middle of your spine moving forward — press your middle back toward the bolster, especially when you kick your feet back. Otherwise you will feel spinal compression or discomfort.

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JUNE 2022 Immersion

Technique to expand and deepen your backbends
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12 Classes: 6 focused on anatomy, 6 themed for the heart
Unlock a wide range of postures including: Bow Pose, Camel, Full Wheel, King Dancer, King Cobra, King Pigeon, and more
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BREATHING IN OTHER BACKBENDS

While Bow Pose might be more challenging due to the fact that the belly is on the ground, it can be a great posture to work with because you dont have to worry about balance or the host of other challenges presented by something like Full Wheel. That said, I recommend this same type of breathing in all heart openers. There is both a learning curve involved in this type of breathing and repetition that is required until your muscles (transversus abdominis, intercostals, erector spinae) develop the necessary strength, endurance, and flexibility for this approach to yield the best results.

In the Anatomy of the Heart immersion, you will learn breathing exercises and postural drills that will strengthen these muscles and help you become proficient in this breathing technique. Additionally, we will be working on the HEART of heart openers—the emotional correlation and mindset that helps release unnecessary tension and provides you with the freedom and ease that is possible in these postures. Lastly, you will learn energy management in order to upregulate or downregulate your nervous system. This means you will be able to relax or calm your system down if you become too lifted, light-headed, nervous, or anxious, or you can ramp your energy up if you are feeling lethargic, unmotivated, or not attentive enough for heart openers.

See you on the mat!

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Article by Matt Giordano

Video Extracted From: Anatomy in Motion

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side plank variations

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side plank variations

by matt | Apr 1, 2022 | Main Page Display

Side Plank Variations

VASHISTASANA • MODIFICATIONS • TUTORIAL

SIDE PLANK

Extended Side plank variations

[Click Below to listen to the Audio Version of “Extended Side Plank”]

There are definitely more ways than one to access a yoga posture. Not only that, but Matt is explicit about technique in order to unlock access. In an all-encompassing pose like Extended Side Plank—Vashistasana—there is a lot going on all at once. There are so many things that need to be digested when breaking it down. Even though this posture may be a physically challenging one, Matt breaks down how you can approach it both physically and intellectually. He shows you specifically what muscles to activate and what parts of the body to articulate. Extended Side Angle is one of those postures that recruits and demands so much of your effort and attention.

When exploring the various entry points and different ways to execute the posture, it’s important to pay attention to the specifics of each variation. Matt outlines 2 variations in today’s tutorial. You’ll explore Extended Side Plank by utilizing a wall and another variation with a strap.

Within these explorations, you’ll see just how much body awareness is involved and how connected you need to be to your anatomy. Much more than just knowing your muscles and bones, it’s about understanding how to move and articulate each part of your body.

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The Actions for Extended Side Plank, Variation at the Wall

As always, it’s imperative to start your awareness from the ground up.

Step 1 – Matt explains that the gripping of your hand into the mat activates the flexors of your wrist. This is important because now you are utilizing technique to activate strength and set a solid base for the posture.

Step 2 – Next, we have spinal extension as a result of the shoulder blade moving into the spine. Matt emphasizes how necessary these actions are so that the rest of the posture can actually be expressed.

Step 3 – This step is really connected to Step 2, as it’s important to take the steps of lifting your shoulder up, back, and around. We also see this in Matt’s Shoulder Alignment Tutorial for Wild Thing.

Step 4 – Move your pelvis and weight in towards the wall.

Step 5 – You can then bend your knee and bring your foot onto the wall.

Step 6 – This step can take you to another level.
Grab your knee and pull it in as tightly towards the chest as possible. If this is the final step in the journey at this time for you, Matt explains that the only thing missing is the extension of the leg, removing the quadricep engagement.

How does this differ from the next variation?

The Actions for Extended Side Plank, Variation with a Strap

This one might actually be a bit more challenging, as the actions for entry are slightly different. You’ll see how Matt turns his body open before actually going into the backbend.

Step 1 – Strap goes around your foot.

Step 2 – Come into Side Plank with kickstand.

Step 3 – Lift your hips up and pull your knee into your chest as you turn

*Here he highlights the difference between the experience of this variation and of choosing to kick your leg out first and then kicking it upwards, which may make the hips feel too heavy.

Step 4 – Once you have completed Step 3, the turn is done with a bent knee, with an option to now extend your leg fully.

This order of entry may be far more accessible.

Matt describes Extended Side Plank as the “full spectrum of body awareness.” This is evident from the actions that are taken in these variations.

Anatomy and actions involved:

strengthening of the wrists
rotator cuff muscles engaged due to the external rotation of the upper arm bone
depression and retraction of the scapula to mobilize the spine (bowing of the spine)
eversion of the ankle
gluteus muscles engaged to press the feet down and get the hips lifted
extension of the knee joint to activate quadriceps

There is the evidence of just how much focus, attention, and awareness is involved.

Learn how to MASTER actions and awareness like this, not to mention the sharpening of your knowledge with anatomy, in Matt’s current immersion:

Anatomy In Motion

See you on the mat!

Article by Trish Curling @AnioYoga

Video Extracted From: Mobility Immersion

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Key techniques to increase flexibility
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When and how to do active, passive, and isometric stretching

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ANATOMY IN MOTION

APRIL 2022 Immersion

Embody anatomy
Learn key muscles, bones, and joints
Visualize your movements internally
Improve proprioception
Sensation-based practices
Unlock and strengthen major muscle groups
Active, passive, and isometric stretching
Improve mobility and stability
Get VERY geeky

$168.00

✋ SIGN ME UP

CHOOSE YOUR PATH

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CALM THE MIND

GO BENEATH THE SURFACE

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WIDE-LEGGED FORWARD FOLD

INCREASE YOUR FLEXIBILITY WITH RECIPROCAL INHIBITION

a safe approach to increasing flexibility

HIPS & HAMSTRINGS

EFFECTIVE STRETCH TECHNIQUE

BOW POSE ON A BOLSTER

ANATOMY OF THE HEART

BREATHING IN OTHER BACKBENDS

CHOOSE YOUR PATH

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Side Plank Variations

VASHISTASANA • MODIFICATIONS • TUTORIAL

Extended Side plank variations

ANATOMY IN MOTION

The Actions for Extended Side Plank, Variation at the Wall

The Actions for Extended Side Plank, Variation with a Strap

MOBILITY

ANATOMY IN MOTION

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