Fancy arm balances piss me off. Hard not to think of them as showboat poses, circus stuff—especially when you can’t do them! But what attempting them makes clear is that they, like every pose we don’t like, point up musculoskeletal and psychological weaknesses that are well addressed—the magic of yoga.
Rodney built a post-TT class around Koundiyasana, a nasty bit of business that relies on the very thing this particular yogin fears. As Gillian so beautifully explained, the ego—“I, a yoga teacher!”—coils around our inability to “achieve” the pose, especially with our students alongside!
Excuses abound, legitimate and non. Seems to me that those with a short torso and long legs (moi) prefer Bhujapidasana and Tolasana, while those with a long torso and shorter legs like Bakasana, Lolasana, and Kukutasana. I can fake Crow, Parsva the thing, and even do the preliminary balance of“flying” crow; but take that back leg up and out? Fuggedaboudit.
Particulars of your bod aside, it’s about deciphering the reliability of your trunk—arms, shoulder blades, abdominal and spinal muscles—in relation to your lower body, the way Handstand and Vashistasana become effortless once you build them correctly enough to get a sama vritti thing going in the body mind. Surely that’s all Koundiyasana requires. Right?
Sit well on edge of chair, feet hip distance and parallel. Left hand to right knee, right hand on chair back. Bend elbows away from each other and twist right, then straighten left leg parallel to floor. Set left foot back down, lean right elbow to thigh and reach left elbow into open twist, hand behind head.
Fold fwd between wide bent knees, hands on blocks as necessary, before repeating on left side.
Place blocks on highest or second-highest height outside feet and thread shoulders under knees. Fwd bend, moving spine in and up while pushing hands into blocks and shoulders into knees. Straighten right leg fwd any amount and visualize kicking the back leg out as well. Switch.
Tadasana with Headstand arms, pressing elbows and forearms evenly to ceiling to teach shoulder blade and ribcage placement, then lift in Urdhva Hastasana with index fingers broadening occipital.
Uttanasana
Step left leg back, thumb to rt hip crease, twist right pressing into and out of left palm.
Plank
Lower onto abdomen with blocks under top front shoulders, highest or second highest, lengthen legs individually from waist.
Adho Mukha
Jump fwd in stages, Uttanasana, Urdhva Hastasana, Tada, repeat left side.
Left leg back, Crescent Moon w Headstand arms, Momentary Lizard, Chatturanga, DD split, step rt foot fwd Trikonasana, turn feet, Parsvakonasana, turn feet, Uttanasana, Urdhva, repeat other side.
From Dog, step right foot fwd and slide left leg though to sit in Marichyasana A. (Those who cannot bind may clasp front of ankle, fingers pulling up, thumb down, elbow wide.) Cross shins, pull through, Dog, switch and repeat.
Uttkatasana. Bakasana. Chaturgana. Urdhva Mukha, Adho Mukha, step left foot fwd, turn right into Prasarita, narrow feet, stand. Gomukhasana arms (without bind as nec), fold fwd halfway, left palm under nose, twist right hand behind head. Release. Walk round to right foot, Bound Parsvakonasa, turn torso to floor, Koundiyasana right side! Dog, right foot fwd, walk left into Prasarita and repeat.
Sarvangasana or Supported Bridge w Sarvangasana arm setup.
Supta Baddha
Savasana
ReplyDeleteRodney built a post-TT class around Koundiyasana, a nasty bit of business that relies on the very thing this particular yogin fears. As Gillian so beautifully explained, the ego—“I, a yoga teacher!”—coils around our inability to “achieve” the pose, especially with our students alongside!
Excuses abound, legitimate and non. Seems to me that those with a short torso and long legs (moi) prefer Bhujapidasana and Tolasana, while those with a long torso and shorter legs like Bakasana, Lolasana, and Kukutasana. I can fake Crow, Parsva the thing, and even do the preliminary balance of“flying” crow; but take that back leg up and out? Fuggedaboudit.
Particulars of your bod aside, it’s about deciphering the reliability of your trunk—arms, shoulder blades, abdominal and spinal muscles—in relation to your lower body, the way Handstand and Vashistasana become effortless once you build them correctly enough to get a sama vritti thing going in the body mind. Surely that’s all Koundiyasana requires. Right?
Sit well on edge of chair, feet hip distance and parallel. Left hand to right knee, right hand on chair back. Bend elbows away from each other and twist right, then straighten left leg parallel to floor. Set left foot back down, lean right elbow to thigh and reach left elbow into open twist, hand behind head.
Fold fwd between wide bent knees, hands on blocks as necessary, before repeating on left side.
Place blocks on highest or second-highest height outside feet and thread shoulders under knees. Fwd bend, moving spine in and up while pushing hands into blocks and shoulders into knees. Straighten right leg fwd any amount and visualize kicking the back leg out as well. Switch.
Tadasana with Headstand arms, pressing elbows and forearms evenly to ceiling to teach shoulder blade and ribcage placement, then lift in Urdhva Hastasana with index fingers broadening occipital.
Uttanasana
Step left leg back, thumb to rt hip crease, twist right pressing into and out of left palm.
Plank
Lower onto abdomen with blocks under top front shoulders, highest or second highest, lengthen legs individually from waist.
Adho Mukha
Jump fwd in stages, Uttanasana, Urdhva Hastasana, Tada, repeat left side.
Left leg back, Crescent Moon w Headstand arms, Momentary Lizard, Chatturanga, DD split, step rt foot fwd Trikonasana, turn feet, Parsvakonasana, turn feet, Uttanasana, Urdhva, repeat other side.
From Dog, step right foot fwd and slide left leg though to sit in Marichyasana A. (Those who cannot bind may clasp front of ankle, fingers pulling up, thumb down, elbow wide.) Cross shins, pull through, Dog, switch and repeat.
Uttkatasana. Bakasana. Chaturgana. Urdhva Mukha, Adho Mukha, step left foot fwd, turn right into Prasarita, narrow feet, stand. Gomukhasana arms (without bind as nec), fold fwd halfway, left palm under nose, twist right hand behind head. Release. Walk round to right foot, Bound Parsvakonasa, turn torso to floor, Koundiyasana right side! Dog, right foot fwd, walk left into Prasarita and repeat.
Sarvangasana or Supported Bridge w Sarvangasana arm setup.
Supta Baddha
Savasana
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Love your intro. humor rocks. How about adding in supta padangustasana 2, ardha chandrasana, parsvotanasana, and hanumanasana to open hamstrings and adductors. maybe a warrior 3 for strong back leg
Cheers for bringing up anatomical limitations for certain asanas. This is too often looked over...especially when it comes to Iyengar headstand variations. Great work!
ReplyDeleteYour writing is totally you! I would have guessed it I think if I did not read your name!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I agree that you are very much yourself on the page and I knew it was you right away! Love your opening line. -- Denise
ReplyDeleteThis is a great sequence, the beginning is fantastic! You were very truthful and it helped me get to know you : ).
ReplyDeleteYour language is very real, captivating, fun to read. That darn ego, it always gets in the way!
ReplyDeleteCarrie, thank you for pointing out that the promotions of the body greatly effect the natural inclination to be able to adopt certain asanas. As a very, very new teacher, these reminders are so helpful. I love your humor also. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteYou are hysterical! Genius sequence too!
ReplyDeleteLove your honesty and humor and so appreciate you keeping it REAL both here and in class :)
ReplyDeleteYour humor is great and I really liked the use of the chair.
ReplyDeletegreat writing! great you! and the sequence is gooood. i wanna try it now but would fall asleep in my chair and fall off so soon enough i will give it a whirl
ReplyDeleteYour approach and use of humor are spot on! Thank you for sharing. Laura
ReplyDelete