Achieve Flying BalanceArm BalanceACHIEVE FLYING BALANCE Achieving an arm balance is quite extraordinary when you consider all that’s involved. And when we refer to an arm balance as a “flying balance,” there is even more involved. The “flying” in Eka Pada...
10 Sun Salutation Skill Sets
10 Sun Salutation Skill Sets
Polish Your Technique for Masterful Action
POWER YOGA
SUN SALUTATION SKILL SETS
The feeling you get from flowing on your mat to the rhythm of your breath can feel like paradise. There’s a freedom involved in seamlessly flowing from one yoga posture to the next. In a Vinyasa or Power Yoga class, you become intimately acquainted with Sun Salutation sequences. What may get lost, however, is the value of technique within your flow. Maintaining an underpinning of technique within your movements on the mat can drastically enhance the actions you take in your asana practice as a whole. If you’ve practiced with Matt before, then you’re more than aware that the techniques and philosophical guidance he offers within his classes can transform your yoga practice. Polishing your technique in Sun Salutation sequences will establish a solid foundation for your body to move with increased assuredness and ease in your Vinyasa or Power Yoga flows.
THE POWER OF BLISS
November 2023 Immersion
- Moderately paced Power Yoga classes
- Perfect blend of movement, alignment, and technique
- Inspirationally themed to give meaning and power to each practice
- Tantrik philosophy: The 5 Powers of Consciousness
- Teachings of the Yoga Sutras
- 12 classes included
- Livestream optional! All classes available on demand after livestream's complete
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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Today’s video is extracted from Matt’s first class in his current immersion, Power Of Bliss. He begins the class by providing a broad overview of the 5 Powers of Consciousness from the Tantrik yoga lineage.
“Knowledge,” or Jñāna–Śakti, being 1 of the 5 powers, is the acquisition of skill, technique, and understanding. This can be applied to any aspect of your life. On the yoga mat, it may refer to learning more about your body via the vehicle of yoga postures. It may mean learning about how to execute the postures themselves to maximize strength and flexibility. Matt stresses, however, that when you understand that all 5 powers are connected, then you realize that no amount of knowledge will manifest itself without action or without the will to learn in the first place, but knowledge is essential and helps you be more intentional with your actions.
WATCH THE VIDEO
10 SUN SALUTATION SKILL SETS: POLISH YOUR TECHNIQUE FOR MASTERFUL ACTION
POSTURE SKILLS PART I
There is a plethora of techniques to be explored within Sun Salutation sequences. Fortunately, Matt creates an easily digestible process through which to attain these skills in today’s video.
Standing Chaturanga and Chaturanga
Standing Chaturanga removes the element of strength so you can first align your body for safe and efficient positioning. You’ll learn the placement of the hands and how that connects to the orientation of your shoulders. Practicing on a wall is the next stop before taking it to the mat.
Urdhva Hastasana
Matt teaches that when raising your arms up overhead, elevating your scapulae will help to minimize the risk of shoulder impingement. It will also train your body to utilize muscles like the serratus anterior and trapezius.
Ardha Uttanasana and Uttanasana
One of the most common tendencies in these poses is to misalign your pelvis and ankles. For increased strength, you can also isometrically contract your outer hips and buttocks in both postures.
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POSTURE SKILLS PART II
Plank
Planks are inevitable in Sun Salutation A. They may feel challenging, but layering in the techniques Matt teaches will significantly change your experience.
3-Part Cobra and Upward-Facing Dog
3-Part Cobra is unique to Chromatic Yoga. It’s a great way to prepare for spinal extension and what’s required in Upward-Facing Dog. Each step is precise and reveals a true record of your spinal extension.
Downward-Facing Dog
After practicing the elevation of the scapulae in Urdhva Hastasana, your body is more primed for the same elevation here. The muscle activations create more intensity and more support around the shoulder girdle.
The Jumps
Both forward and back jumps allow for more seamless transitions. There are specific articulations of the ankles and knees that create more fluency when practiced.
300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING
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Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!
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- Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
- Expand your teaching skills
- Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
- Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
- Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang
KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION
Learning these techniques brings you closer to what’s required in your own body. Seen through the lens of the 5 Powers of Consciousness, knowledge will create transformation through the awareness that action must take place with consistency. Acquiring more in-depth knowledge of the postures in Sun Salutation A can cultivate deeper understanding and more transformative experiences in other postures. Knowledge is imperative, but it’s the application of that knowledge that helps you reach your fullest potential. The connection of philosophy to your physical practice can also promote deeper self-study, or Svadhyaya.
Learn how to make these deeper connections and polish your technique in The Power Of Bliss Immersion.
See you on the mat!
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Article by Trish Curling
Videos Extracted From: Power Of Bliss Immersion
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