I Love Anatomy – SRL

Tadasana

Tadasana is the mountain of all yoga asanas. Strong and steady in the feet, stable in movement.

Anatomy: In Tadasana, your postural muscles are contracting isometrically. There is nothing to release, there is nothing to do. Just be. Just be aware.

Exploration: Stand in your Tadasana. Feel your feet on the ground, each individual toe, and sense your legs, your pelvis, torso, shoulder girdle, arms and head. Staying aware, close your eyes. Now that you don’t have vision to balance you, where are you finding your ground? Through tension, though weight moving backward, forward, sideways, or with a slight twist? Just observe. Notice your tendencies. Open your eyes.

Dandasana

Dandasana gets you seated and strong . . . if you explore it with ease and simplicity!

Anatomy: With this asana, we challenge the ability of the back line of our body – from the plantar fasciae, gastrocnemius, hamstrings, erector spine – to place the legs in flexion at the hips and extension in the knees AND have an easy, organic vertical lift in the spine. Establishing this depends on hip function and leg suppleness.

Exploration: Sit with knees bent, then slowing straighten them. Did you notice what happens at your spine and pelvis. Stop when your pelvis posteriorly tilts, or your lower spine becomes a bit flatter or kyphotic. Why? If the posterior tilt of the pelvis is too much, you will shift the mechanics of your joint capsule and the supporting ligaments.

Uptavistha Konasana

Upavistha Konasana blends leg movement in the pelvis and pelvis movement on legs.

Anatomy: With this asana, we raise the challenge from Dandasana. Since we are adding abduction of the legs. It is true that some people prefer this pose to Dandasana, and that is mostly because they are more able to compensate. The aim is to maintain the easy, organic vertical lift in the spine while the legs come wide, which is reliant on your hip mobility and pelvic stability.

Exploration: From your Dandasana set up, take your legs wide. Be aware of what happens in your pelvis and place a block under your hips as needed, or bend your knees. Then if you do start to lean forward, be sure you are initiating from you pelvis.

Supta Padangusthasana

Supta Padangusthasana is a classic hamstring and calf release. However, if you lift the pelvis off the floor, you reduce the likelyhood of releasing the hamstrings and you increase the opportunity to harm your back.

So work with pure movement in your hip sockets, and keep the pelvis still.

Happy Baby

Happy Baby can embody your pelvis and legs and torso in ways that are only understood when you keep pelvis connected to ground.

With Happy Baby, we can further challenge the relationship between the legs, the pelvis and the spine. Be conscious of how you engage with your shoulder girdle though. It can create a de-stabilizing force through your whole body.