Matsyasana – Fish Pose With Arms and Legs Lifted
For a more calming effect—particularly if using the matsyasana as a counterpose—a focus on gentle abdominal breathing can be quite useful.
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Intermediate
This tag displays the 3rd level of difficulty in yoga poses.
Jathara Parivrtti – Belly Twist With Legs Extended
Top leg hamstrings are lengthening. Tightness there can contribute to spinal flexion. The bottom leg’s hamstrings are active and help counter spinal flexion with extensor action. With the bottom leg extended, there is more adduction on the top leg and possibly more internal rotation which leads to increased length in the iliotibial band; gluteus minimus,
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Karnapidesana – Ear-to-Knee Pose
This counterposes the shoulder action of salamba sarvangasana & niralamba sarvangasana because the signal extension and scapular adduction of should stand are reversed, so the muscles that were active are now lengthening. If the release is too passive, however, the muscles can be overstretched. The support shifts in this pose to the spinous process of
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Niralamba Sarvangasana – Unsupported (No-Arm) Shoulder Stand
In this pose, the scapulae are adducted and slightly upwardly rotated; without the levering action of the arms, this calls on the muscles that move the scapulae action. If the scapulae are not maintained in adduction, the weight of the body falls into the spine; if the scapulae do not upwardly rotate, the arms are
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Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Variation – Folded Forward One-Legged Royal Pigeon Pose
This variation intensifies the action in the hamstrings of the front leg because of deeper hip flexion and more bodyweight over the front leg. At the same time, it diminishes the action in the back hip and in the spine. By adducting the front leg, the piriformis is brought into the lengthening action. This is
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Supta Virasana – Reclining Hero Pose
There are many variations of the am position in this pose—-at the sides, reaching overhead, and propped up on the elbows (for the less flexible). If the latissimus dorsi are right, reaching the arms overhead can increase the hyperextension of the spine because of the attachment of the latimissius in the lower back. Because hip
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Gomukhasabna – Cow-Faced Pose
Upward and downward rotation of the scapula needs to precede adduction to avoid over mobilizing in the shoulder joint. If the scapulae don’t mobilize, there can be too much movement in the glenohumeral joint causing overstretching in the joint capsule or impingements in the tendons of the biceps and supraspinatus. If the hips joints are
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Upavistha Konasana – Seated Wide-Angle Pose
There is a strong action of nutation at the sacroiliac joint, as the top of the sacrum “nods” forward, while leaving the iliac bones behind. If the legs roll inward, there can be too much stretch for the inner knee and adductors. For tight students, it’s preferable to bend the knees a bit (with support)
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Parivrtta Janu Sirasana – Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose
Although the legs in this pose are the same as in janu sirsasana, the action in the spine is very different: Instead of rotating towards the extended leg, the rotation is away from the leg, and instead of flexion in the spine there is lateral flexion. This change in spinal action changes the action in
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Janu Sirasana – Head-to-Knee Pose
The asymmetry of this pose makes it very revealing about the ‘sidedness’ exhibited in the back muscles. Janu sirsasana can also reveal sidedness in the relative stability or mobility of the sacroiliac joints. Everyone has an “ease” and a “hard” side in this pose because of the inherent asymmetries of the human body. The more
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