Since you listed the 2 or 3 postures youre most thankful for, its only fair that I list mine--but Im going for it and listing 5! URDHVA DHANURASANA ā IT SOOTHES ME Yep, thatās right, I find urdhva dhanurasana deeply soothing. Yes, Iām aware that everyone and their cousin goes on and on about how uplifting and energizing backbends are. But, honestly, my experience is the opposite. A nice, strong urdhva dhanurasana (or 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6) actually cuts through whatever narrative my mind is engaged with, focuses my attention, and burns whatever anxiety I may be experiencing. Urdhva dhanurasana is never easy for me, but itās always settling. PASCHIMOTTANASANA ā IT HUMBLES ME Paschimottanasana bums me out. Iām always prattling on about integrity of movement being more important than range of movement. Even though I firmly believe this, the first thought that runs through my head when I practice paschimottanasana is, āreally, ugh, this is as far as I can go today?ā This pose continues to reveal how judgmental I can be toward myself and provides me with the opportunity to let go. PIGEON POSE ā IT GROUNDS ME The bittersweet release of Pigeon is undeniable. While the big, tension-busting stretch in the outer hips steals the show, the posture has another component that helps produce a grounding effect: the vast majority of your body is laying on the floor when you do the posture. Sure, itās intense for many, but the intensity is always local. The majority of the body has the opportunity to drop, release, and let go into the floor. HANDSTAND ā IT BALANCES ME Thereās a saying in England that black tea wakes you up if youāre tired and quiets you if youāre unsettled. My experience of handstand is the exact same. If I need an uplifting boost of energy, practicing handstand does the trick. If, on the other hand, Iām over-stimulated 1-2 minutes in handstand grounds my energy and rebalances my mood. PARIVRITTA JANU SIRSASANA ā IT UNWINDS ME Oh, the poor side body. It can be challenging to access and rarely gets treated to elongation in day-to-day life. Even in asana practice the side-body rarely gets the TLC that the hips, shoulders, core and spine receive. Thankfully, parivritta janu sirsasana digs deeply into the side-body and wrings out tension. When I do this pose I literally have to will myself to get out of it. I want to stay there, nestle in, and take a nap.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 02:24:15 +0000
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