Jodi's tips for standing head to knee pose

This is a post by SSHY Bikram teacher Jodi.

Standing Head To Knee Pose, also known as Dandayamana Janushirasana in the Bikram world, develops a sense of balance and determination within.  Achieving this posture builds a positive attitude and a calm mind.

This posture has amazing effects! It tones and strengthens your body throughout, especially thighs, abdomen, back muscles, biceps, and triceps. Increased flexibility can relieve the sciatic nerve.  This posture can help balance blood sugar, ease allergies and arthritis.  Front side compression massages the digestive and reproductive systems.  It is also good for the immune and lymphatic systems.

Concentrate on your breath (deep and smooth).  Move with the dialogue.  Go as far as you can, then hold the position.  Gain flexibility by moving slowly, with a steady increase in muscle tension.  If you rush, you may overstretch muscles and ligaments that are joint stabilizers.  With patience, your movements will become smooth.  Over time, progress with this challenging Bikram pose is reflected with self realization.

1st Part

• With a steady gaze, look at your standing leg knee in the mirror.  Contract your standing leg thigh continuously, lifting the kneecap upwards. Contracting the quadriceps activates the tendons and ligaments around the patella creating space between bones; therefore, protecting and strengthening the joint.

• Balance your weight equally between heel, big toe, and both sides of your standing foot.  Keep this foot straight; don’t turn it inwards or outwards. If your knee hyper-extends, try to bring more weight onto your big toe and use your inner thigh more.

• If you can’t reach your foot yet, don’t hold your knee, but stand with the leg elevated, thigh parallel to the floor. With time, gradually work your fingers towards your foot.  Suck your stomach in, rounding your spine.  Flex the toes of the elevated foot.

2nd Part

• Heel first!  Inhale, as you kick your heel towards the mirror.  Lift your chest up, lengthening your spine. Keep your abdomen contracted and your hips aligned.  Let your shoulders relax.  As you extend your heel towards the mirror think of pushing it up rather than out.  Line your toes up directly above your heel.  Stay here until you can easily flex all five toes towards you.  Keep both legs locked solid and strong.

• Ease your grip slightly, so your wrists become straighter.  As you advance into this posture you feel a cramp on top of the extended leg thigh. Use leg and back strength rather than your hand grip to hold the extended leg up.

3rd Part

• Elbows point down towards the floor.  Once your elbows are brought down, they touch the sides of the leg then drop below the calves. Smile inside or out!

• Take a deep breath and suck in your stomach; it helps you access a source of energy!  Keep your form.  Look at your standing foot on the floor below as you bring your forehead to your knee.  Look at your belly button!

Falling out at times is part of the work, so re-start your pose when it happens.  Practice with self discipline without being overly serious: relax! On your Standing Head To Knee journey, practice Ahimsa, and be at peace with yourself!

~ Jodi

Ivanka's tips for Eagle pose

This is a post from our lovely Bikram teacher Ivanka...

Garurasana or Eagle pose is the 3rd in the Bikram yoga series. If you can do the 4 postures to this point, the rest of your class will be strong and balanced.

Eagle pose is about compression. It will affect your reproductive organs, adrenal glands, and major joints. Twisting and flexing leg and hip muscles will increase fertility , libido, and intensify the pleasure involved with these 'acts'.

Garurasana begins the cardio part of the class, so pay attention to your breathing; slowing down your exhales will keep you calm.

This compression opens up the 14 major joints in your body: ankles, knees, hips, deltoids, scapula, elbows and wrists - 7 on each side.

Eagle pose alignment

The correct alignment for this Bikram pose can be difficult for beginners, people who have suffered physical trauma, and those who have more muscle bulk.

1. First, to correct arm alignment, relax your arms and cross elbows high. Bring your palms together, and pull your elbows down. The idea is to one day have your hands in prayer. This opens deltoid, scapula, elbows and wrists.
2. Second, you have to sit down DEEP! The lower you can bend the knees and bring down the hips, the better, keeping the upper body leaning back (picture yourself sitting in a chair). Keep the standing leg bent as deeply as possible to bring the other leg over as high as possible - the higher, the better. This also will help bring the foot behind the ankle. When it feels 'easy', you have to sit down and squeeze legs tight to create compression, especially if you are flexible. Once your knees are in line, your hips will go down more - don't push your knees down or forward because you will create too much pressure in the knees. Instead, sit back the hips, upper body back more (still in a chair).

In Eagle pose, as with any other Bikram yoga pose, it is important to visualize the ideal while working within your own body.

If you move with precision and intent, you will gain all the healthy and the 'fun' benefits Garurasana has to offer!

~Ivanka

Miranda's tips for awkward pose

Image source: Bikram's Yoga College of IndiaThe awkward pose in the Bikram yoga set is great for toning and shaping the legs, while stimulating the liver, spleen, intestines and pancreas. It helps to relieve rheumatism and arthritis in the legs, cure slipped discs and tackle other problems in the lower spine by re-aligning the legs.

Our visiting teacher from Montreal, Miranda, shares her tips for making the most of this Bikram pose.

First part

Make sure your heels stay behind your toes invisible in the front mirror for the entire duration of the posture. There's a tendency for the heels to try to turn in or out so pay attention. Think of it! Keep your feet in alignment.

Start with a straight spine and sit down like your sitting in a chair too far behind you. This takes pressure off the knees.

Then begin to backward bend, your entire spine weight always on the heels. Keep your abdominal muscles nice and tight - this contraction supports and protects the spine.

Second part

Heels invisible behind the toes! You are leaning against the wall!

In the set up pay close attention and really stretch your whole spine, chest, and head up towards the ceiling. You align yourself for the posture in the set up. This is how you get proper form.

With spine straight, sit down on the chair. Lift the knees up. Sitting down with the hips while simultaneously lifting the spine, chest, head and knees up creates balance in this posture.

Third part

The key to all the Bikram asanas is the breath. You must breathe going down and coming up from this posture.

Make sure you start with your heels invisible behind your toes! Suck your stomach in the whole time to support your spine. Same principle as the second part -  the stretching up with the spine and chest creates the counter balance for sitting down. Go as far as you can keeping your knees together.

On the way up try to keep your spine straight and maintain control, looking only at one point. Take a deep breath on the way up. This extends and opens the ribcage, supporting the chest, straightening the spine.

Enjoy! ~ Miranda (visiting Bikram teacher extraordinaire)

Posture perfection - Half moon pose tips

Half Moon Pose Tip

This Bikram posture will change your life!  Your shoulders are likely to burn when you work hard, this will help to eliminate frozen shoulder, heal asthma, but you need to put the work in! Keep your thighs and hips (butt) contracted -  squeeze it! Keep always trying to put your arms behind your ears, and extend first up to the ceiling. Chin up, focus one point in the mirror, and always feel EXTENSION as you bring your body down and push your hips to the side...be patient, keep working, feel the changes. What an amazing posture!

Backbending in Half Moon

Make sure to INHALE (which lifts your chest/heart towards the ceiling) and then look back, stretch back, go back, (always pushing your hips forward towards the mirror) way back and try to touch the wall behind you!  As you are progressing in this posture, you will continuously be INHALING short breaths as you gain more back bending flexibility...The inhale is what helps you to lift the chest/heart...This awareness prevents too much compression and improves the opening of the spine and lungs!