yogalila

November Yoga Challenge - Core Power

A group of my internet friends likes to take this time of year to dedicate a forty day sadhana (practice) to our mothers. Each day the sadhaka (seeker or aspirant) dedicates her practice to her mother or grandmother(s), or even to the concept of motherhood or mother earth. Each sadhaka has a personal approach to her sadhana. Some people want to keep the memory of their mother burning bright in their lives. Some want to share that light with their daughters. Some seek to delve into the relationship they have with their mother and perhaps find a higher level of understanding or acceptance. I’ve been blessed with a world-class mom who has been a teacher, friend, confidant and supporter throughout my life. She has been the strong core of my family and provided stability for my sisters and me. It seems appropriate to dedicate a month of core power to my mother.

As part of my process in developing these monthly challenges, I first sit down with Light On Yoga and search for a selection of asanas that fit the theme. This month was a bit different because I wasn’t just looking at a single category or type of pose. I spent much more time looking at what Mr. Iyengar said about the effects of each pose. I concluded not only that are there a lot of poses that develop and maintain abdominal and core strength, but also that there are a lot that require not only core strength, but the ability to know how and when to engage your core. This is a very complex subject.

So, in contemplating this complex and very important subject, I decided the best approach would be to attempt to divide and conquer. I have made a list of seven categories of asana that develop or require abdominal or core strength and a list of suggested poses for each category. I also include an eighth category for the series of abdominal poses developed by Ana Forrest, which combines yoga kriya, pranayama and athletic abdominal training. I think that she has developed a unique fusion of yogic practice and modern athletic training that is worth exploring.

Here are the categories of poses that I will recommend for developing your core power:

1. Standing poses
2. Forward bends
3. Prone and supine poses
4. Arm balances
5. Twists
6. Inversions
7. Kriyas and bandhas
8. Ana Forrest abdominal training

As you can see, this list leaves practically no yogic stone unturned. Just about the only categories left off this list are back bends and restorative poses. Of course, it is very important to engage your core in back bending. But I’ll leave that for another monthly challenge (May back bends, anyone?). Since this list is so varied, you may correctly conclude that you can incorporate some core strengthening asanas into your yoga practice every day. I’ve listed here asana suggestions for each category. Obviously there will be some crossover between categories. For example many of the categories include twisted or revolved poses. I find in my own practice that the twisting and revolved poses offer a good combination of strength and stretch for your core.

Standing poses, particularly standing balances and twists require that you recruit your core muscles to stabilize and support the actions in each pose. For beginners, I would suggest that you make the standing poses the core (no pun intended) of your daily practice. The strength and focus that you develop will be your closest friend as you journey down your yogic path.

1. Tadasana (mountain pose)
2. Vrksasana (tree pose)
3. Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle pose)
4. Utthita Parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose)
5. Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle pose)
6. Virabhadrasana I, II and III (warrior poses)
7. Parsvottasana (intense side stretch or pyramid pose)
8. Parighasana (gate pose)
9. Utkatasana

Forward bends recruit the core muscles in the front body to lift your abdomen up from your pelvis. They also stretch the muscles of the side and back body. Forward bends work well in combination with the other categories of poses.

1. Padangusthasana (hand to foot pose or standing forward bend, holding toes)
2. Padahastasana (standing forward bend, palms under feet)
3. Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (half-bound lotus standing forward bend)
4. Maha Mudra (one legged forward bend with bandhas held or sealed)
5. Parivrtta Janu Sirasana (revolved one legged forward bend)
6. Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana (half-bound lotus seated forward bend)
7. Krounchasana (heron pose)
8. Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend)
9. Parivrtta Paschimottanasana (revolved seated forward bend)
10. Kurmasana (tortoise pose)

Prone and supine poses are the category of asana that we usually tend to associate most closely with abdominal and core work. Two or more of these poses could be incorporated into your practice daily.

1. Salabhasana (locust pose)
2. Chaturanga Dandasana (staff pose)
3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog pose)
4. Paripurna Navasana (full boat pose)
5. Ardha Navasana (half-boat pose)
6. Akarna Dhanurasana (bow pulling pose)
7. Jathara Parivartasana (revolved belly pose)
8. Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (30-60-90 pose, or as John Schumacher says “a fancy Sanskrit way of saying leg lifts”)

Arm balances offer us the opportunity to engage our core muscles to provide stability to the balance. I certainly haven’t included all the arm balances. You can refer to the April Arm Balance Challenge if you love arm balances and want more challenge.

1. Lolasana (pendant pose)
2. Tolasana (scales pose)
3. Astavakrasana (eight bends pose)
4. Vasisthasana (side plank)
5. Bakasana (crow pose)
6. Parsva Bakasana (side crow pose)

Twists are great poses for alternately contracting and relaxing the abdominal and back muscles. There are twisting and revolved poses included in almost every category here. As I mentioned above, I find these poses particularly valuable in my own practice. I’ll delve more deeply into the subject in next month’s challenge, which will be exclusively devoted to twists. I find it interesting that many of the seated twists are named after Indian sages or mythological figures. Unfortunately this makes it difficult to translate the Sanskrit names into English. In case you need more information on any of these, I have included page number references from Light On Yoga.

1. Marichyasana I, II and III (pages 159-162 and pages 254-259)
2. Bharadvajasana II and II (pages 251-254)
3. Ardha Matsyendrasana I and II (pages 259-262 and pages 270-271)
4. Malasana (garland pose) this is not actually a twist, but I’m including here as a warm-up for the next pose.
5. Pasasana (noose pose)

Inversions, like standing balances, use core power for balance and stability. It is especially important in headstand and shoulder stand not to rush into the full pose and neglect the intermediate stages. The intermediate stages are very important in developing the necessary core strength for control in moving into and out of the inversions. If you want to explore inversions more deeply into you can check out the Upside Down June Challenge.

1. Salamba Sirasana I (head stand)
2. Urdhva Dandasana (upward facing staff pose). This could be considered an intermediate stage of sirsasana, but as you will see if you work in this pose, it is a great pose for developing core strength and balance.
3. The sirsasana cycle includes several revolved poses, which will further develop your core power once you have become comfortable in headstands.
4. Salamba Sarvangasana I (shoulder stand). Moving slowly into and out of shoulder stand works your core muscles throughout their range of motion.
5. The sarvangasana cycle also includes several revolved poses and variations which will help you to further develop your core power once you have become comfortable in shoulder stand.

Bandha and Kriya are not, strictly speaking, asanas, but restraints (locks) and practices (processes) which help to regulate the flow of prana in your body. Some of them do specifically use the abdominal muscles, which is why I’ve included them in this month’s challenge.

1. Uddiyana Bandha (belly flies up) I’ll refer you to page 425 in Light On Yoga or Ana Forrest’s Intensives for specific instructions.
2. Nauli (churning or wave) On page 427 in Light On Yoga, Mr. Iyengar points out that “nauli is a kriya or process and not an asana. Care should be observed in its performance, otherwise the process leads to numerous diseases. It is not, therefore recommended for the average practitioner. First master Uddiyana Bandha before attempting nauli.” I’d suggest starting with instruction from a qualified teacher if you are interested in working on kriyas. I've also linked to an article below.

One of the unique contributions of Ana Forrest to the field of yoga is the abdominal training that she has developed. She combines traditional yogic practices of pranayama, bandha and kriya with athletic abdominal training. Here is a list of the exercises and poses she incorporates. For more information on these I’ll list her media practices below. If you want to take a workshop from her in person (I highly recommend it), you can take a look at her national workshop schedule.

1. Elbow to knee
2. Abs with a roll
3. Twisting abs with a roll
4. Agni Sara
5. Frog lifting through
6. Straddle lifting through
7. Nauli
8. Twisted root

There are several good media practices that focus specifically on abdominals/core:

All of Ana Forrest’s media include her style of abdominal work

Strength and Spirit. Amazon has the VHS and this is now available on DVD directly from Ana http://www.forrestyogastore.com/ as are her other titles

The Pleasure of Strength

The 5-day Intensive Series (this is a set of audio practices accompanied by a book)

Shiva Rea’s Yoga Shakti also includes a beautiful segment featuring Forrest style and traditional yoga abdominal work.

Judith Lasater has a new book Yoga Abs: Moving From Your Core

Gaiam markets Rodney Yee’s Yoga for Abs (as is their habit, they keep changing the name of it, but I think the link is the current title)

Yoga Zone has a Yoga Abs for Beginners video

Sarah Ivanhoe has a video called Flat Abs, that doesn’t include many traditional yoga poses, but is a nice little 20 minute video with some good core strengthening exercises

Ana Brett and Ravi Singh teach Kundalini yoga and have several DVDs including on focusing on the core called Navel Power

Articles to read for further study:

Redefining Great Abs by Carol Krucoff

Forget Six-Pack Abs By Fernando Pagés Ruiz

Face Your Fears of Falling By Julie Gudmestad

Benefits of Nauli By Lisa Walford

Coming Up to Headstand Alone By Tias Little

For Beginners: Vrksasana By Barbara Kaplan Herring

Balancing Poses – Find the Balance You Seek

In honor of Mr. Iyengar’s visit to the U.S. this month to promote his new book Light on Life, it seems appropriate to begin this month’s challenge with a quote from him:

You must hold the balance by the intelligence of the body – by instinct or the sense of equilibrium – and not by strength. When you keep the balance by strength, it is a physical action; when you keep it by the intelligence of the body, it is relaxation in action – B.K.S. Iyengar

Balancing poses develop lightness, strength and agility. Practicing balancing poses allows you to achieve tremendous control over the body. These poses develop muscle tone and increase coordination, concentration, and focus. By practicing outer balance you can cultivate your inner silence.

Balance is inherent in many of the groups of poses we’ve visited in earlier challenges, arm balances, inversions, and even the standing poses. It is also a very important part of our daily lives that becomes even more important as we age.

Here is a list of balancing poses from Light on Yoga

1. Vrksasana (Tree pose)
2. Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Standing Hand to foot pose)
3. Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III)
4. Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
5. Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half Moon)
6. Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana (One leg forward bend)
7. Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (Half bound lotus forward bend)
8. Garudasana (Eagle Pose)
9. Navasana & Ardha Navasana (Boat Pose and Half Boat Pose)
10. Arm balances (see Arm Balance April )
11. Inversions (see  Upside-down June )
12. Vasisthasana (Side plank)
13. Natarajasana (King Dancer Pose)

Here is one of my favorite standing flows that incorporates some balances. Flow through the poses holding each for 2-3 breaths. This is a good flow to warm up at the start of your daily practice.

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Utthita Trikonasana to the right (triangle pose)

Ardha Chandrasana to the right (half moon)

Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana (one legged standing forward bend, or standing split)

Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (revolved half moon)

Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle)

Virabhadrasana I (warrior I)

Virabhadrasana III (warrior III)

Virabhadrasana II (warrior II)

Parsvakonasana (side angle)

Parivritta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle)

Resting Uttanasana (standing forward bend, clasping elbows)

Repeat sequence to the left ending with Prasarita Padottanasana (wide leg standing forward bend)

Here is a strong beginner practice that includes balancing poses: You can use a chair or the wall if you need help maintaining your balance. Work on increasing your time balancing.

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, using a belt around the foot (standing hand to foot)

Tadasana (mountain)

Vrksasana (tree)

Trikonasana (triangle)

Parsvakonasana (side angle)

Virabhadrasana I (warrior I)

Resting Uttanasana, arms clasped (standing forward bend)

Virabhadrasana II (warrior II)

Ardha Chandrasana, against a wall (half moon)

Virabhadrasana III, hands on back of chair (warrior III)

Prasarita Padottanasana (wide leg standing forward bend)

Virasana and Virasana forward bend (hero’s pose)

Dansasana (staff pose)

Navasana (boat)

Janu Sirasana, using a belt around the foot (head to knee pose, one leg seated forward bend)

Sarvangasana at the wall (shoulder stand)

Savasana (relaxation)

Here are some more advanced practice suggestions:

Practice 1 includes standing balances, arm balances and inversions:

Urdhva Hastasana (mountain, arms raised) and Uttanasana (standing forward bend) up and down between the two 10x

Sirsasana (head stand)

Trikonasana (triangle)

Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle)

Parsvakonasana (side angle)

Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle)

Ardha Chandrasana (half moon)

Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (revolved half moon)

Uttanasana (standing forward bend)

Bhujapidasana (arm pressure pose)

Bakasana (crow)

Parsva Bakasana (side crow)

Asta Vakrasana (eight bend pose)

Sarvangasana (shoulder stand)

Ardha Halasana (half plough)

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana on bolsters or a bench (supported bridge)

Savasana (relaxation)

Practice 2 includes balancing, inversions and back bends:

Adho Mukha Vrksasana (arm balance or hand stand)

Pinca Mayurasana (elbow balance)

Uttanasana (stand forward bend)

Sirsasana (head stand)

Bakasana from Sirsasana, if possible (crow)

Urdhva Dhanurasana, pushing up from the floor, repeat 3-6 times (upward bow or wheel)

Virasana forward bend (hero’s pose)

Janu Sirsasana (head to knee or one legged seated forward bend)

Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend)

Ardha Halasana (half plough)

Savasana (relaxation)

Media Practices:

Standing balance poses are included in most yoga media you will run across these days, but here are a couple to get you started.

Gaiam’s Yoga Conditioning for Women includes an hour-long practice that focuses on standing balance poses.

Yoga Journal’s Step-by-step, Vol 3 includes standing balances, arms balances and inversions.

Here are some links to articles about balancing:

Help for Standing Balances (Take a Stand) by Julie Gudmestad

Hints for balancing by Sudha Carolyn Lundeen

Plumb perfect by Roger Cole

For Beginners: Vrksasana by Barbara Kaplan Herring

Garudasana (Eagle Pose)

Yoga Balance Poses By Sara Ivanhoe

Tips and Advice for Balancing Poses

loretta's september focus - forward bends

Like many people my thoughts this week have been with the people of the Gulf Coast who have lost everything in the wake of hurricane Katrina. I like to suggest that we all dedicate our practice this month to all the people who have lost so much. Also we should give thanks to the dedicated rescuers and everyone who went in to help, like our friend Andrea who is working with the Red Cross efforts.

Forward bends allow us to slow down and go deeply inside ourselves. In the last week, so many of our yoginis have mentioned that their yoga practice is a place of peace and solace at a troubling time. I hope that practicing forward bends this month will help us to connect with our inner strength so that we can send that strength out into the community and the world.

Here is a list of standing forward bends from Light on Yoga; these poses can be added during a standing practice to rest between more strenuous poses.
1)Uttanasana (Standing forward bend)
2)Padangusthasana (Hand to big toe forward bend)
3)Padhastasana (Hand to foot forward bend)
4)Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide leg forward bend)
5)Parsvottanasana (Intense leg stretch)
6)Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana (One leg forward bend, or standing split)
7)Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (Half-bound lotus forward bend)

Here is a list of seated forward bends from Light on Yoga; you could build an all seated practice from these poses, or you could do them toward the end of a standing or inverted practice. I love practicing forward bend in the evening before bed. For any of these, resting your forehead, on a block, bolster, chair, or your shin can be very restful. My teacher suggests resting in paschimottanasana with your head supported if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep.
1)Virasana forward bend (forward bend in hero’s pose)
2)Baddha konasana forward bend (forward bend in bound angle)
3)Yoga mudrasana (cross-legged forward bend, hand clasped behind back)
4)Maha mudra (extended one leg forward bend, clasping big toe)
5)Janu sirsasana (one leg forward bend)
6)Parivrtta janu sirasana (revolved one leg forward bend)
7)Ardha  baddha padma paschimottanasana (half-bound lotus forward bend)
8)Triang mukhaikapada paschimottanasana (one leg in virasana, one externded)
9)Krounchasana (heron pose)
10)Marichyasana I
11)Marichyasana II
12)Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend)
13)Parivrtta paschimottanasana (revolved seated forward bend)
14)Urdvha mukha paschimottanasana I (upward facing seated forward bend)
15)Urdvha mukha paschimottanasana II (that the upside down version)
16)Kurmasana (tortoise pose)

Forward bends are included as part of many media practices. There are a few that specifically focus on forward bends such as:

Manuso Manos', Yoga the Home Study Course Volume III. This one is not widely available, but you can order it online from the Unity Woods website. It has excellent, comprehensive instruction for many of the poses I’ve listed above.

Gaiam’s Yoga for Flexibility with Patricia Walden has a 30 minute forward bending practice.

Gaiam’s Yoga for Energy with Rodney Yee has a forward bend segment that I like a lot. It has no form instruction, like the rest of the video, but it’s nice when you just want a calming forward bend practice.

Yoga Journal’s Step-by-step, Volume II has some detailed forward bend instruction.

Here are a few articles on forward bends:
Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) by Erich Schiffmann
Ease on Back by Julie Gudmestad
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) by Barbara Benagh
Tips for Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Forward Bend) and Paschimottasana (Seated Forward Bend) by Cyndi Lee
Hips Too Tight? By Judith Lasater
Working on Standing Forward Bend by Roger Cole

If anyone is looking for me this month. I'll be in a forward bend.

loretta's august focus - relax and recharge

Do sweltering August days have you looking for a way to beat the heat? Does thinking about getting ready for back to school (as a teacher or parent or student) make you anxious? Do the fun and sun of family vacations have you worn out? What you need is some restorative yoga to help you cool down, relax and recharge your batteries.

If you ask modern day yogis what restorative yoga is you may get a lot of different answers. Some think of lying around on lounges built from bolsters, blocks, sandbags, and folded blankets. The modern queen of restorative yoga, Judith Lasater, presents this type of restorative yoga in her book Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times. She teaches Relax and Renew workshops teaching people the value of these restful types pf poses. But there are other facets to the gem we call restorative yoga. I think most of you know that I tend to use Light on Yoga as a primary source. But the only restorative pose mentioned in Light on Yoga is the last pose, savasana. But the Iyengar tradition has made a strong contribution to the world of restorative yoga. You can adapt many of the traditional poses to make them more restorative by using props. Other yoga teachers like Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers teach Yin Yoga, which could be considered a form of restorative yoga. So we have lots of possibilities for our practice this month.

You can incorporate restorative poses into your yoga practice a lot of different ways. One option is to choose a few of your favorite restoratives and add them to the end of your regular practice. You could dedicate one day a week to a full restorative practice. You could do a more active practice in the morning and do a restorative practice in the evening before bed. You could even spend a whole week (or month) dedicated to practicing restorative poses. Restorative practices are frequently suggested as alternative practices during the menstrual cycle, but they can be useful throughout the month for recharging. Restorative poses are generally held longer, anywhere from 3 minutes to 30 minutes or longer, to allow time to relax into the pose.

I’ll start with a list of restorative poses from which to build your practice. I’ll mention the major props used, but feel free to use your imagination for prop ideas. The basic props you will probably use include blankets, belts, bolsters (folded blankets can be substituted), blocks and a chair. And don’t forget the wall. Optionally, you can also use sand bags, an eye pillow or an ace bandage wrapped loosely around your head to relax your eyes.

Iyengar style restoratives (many of these are pictured with prop set-ups in Yoga: The Iyengar Way, Cool Yoga Tricks and A Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health):
1)Supported uttanasana (standing forward bend), with buttocks resting on the wall or on a chair.
2)Supported uttanasana with your head resting on the seat of a chair or stacked blocks (or even a block on the seat of a chair if necessary).
3)Adho mukha svanasana (downward facing dog) with your head resting on a block or a bolster or folded blankets. You can also do supported down dog over the back of a chair, padded with a blanket or if you are lucky enough to have a yoga wall, supported with a rope harness at your hips.
4)Virasana (hero’s pose) forward bend over a bolster.
5)Supta Virasana (reclined hero’s pose) on a bolster or blankets.
6)Supta baddha konasana (reclined bound angle) on a bolster with legs belted.
7)Lying on crossed bolsters
8)Seated forward bends like janu sirasana, upavista konasana and pascimottanasana with forehead resting on a chair, a block or a bolster.
9)Salamba sirsasana (supported head stand) at the wall with legs belted.
10)Salamba sarvangasana (supported shoulder stand), on a base of blankets with legs belted.
11)Salamba sarvangasana on a chair
12)Ardha halasana (half plough) on a chair
13)Supported Ustrasana (Camel pose) with a chair and bolster.
14)Dwi pada viparita dandasana (two-legged inverted staff pose) over a chair with head resting on a bolster, legs belted.
15)Savasana

A Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health includes this lovely Iyengar style restorative sequence, called the woman’s restorative sequence. This one is not recommended for practice during your menstrual cycle as it includes full inversions.
1)Reclined bound angle)
2)Reclined sukasana (easy crossed legs pose)
3)Reclined hamstring stretch (supta padagusthasana)
4)Down dog
5)Head stand
6)Child’s pose
7)One leg seated forward bend (janu sirasana)
8)Seated forward bend (pascimottanasana)
9)Shoulder stand
10)Half plough on a chair
11)Supported bridge pose on bolsters
12)Legs up the wall (viparita karani)

This is the same book’s Healthy Menstruation Sequence:
1)Reclined bound angle
2)Supported child’s pose on a bolster
3)One leg seated forward bend (janu sirasana)
4)Seated forward bend (pascimottanasana)
5)Wide angle seated forward bend (upavista konasana)
6)Wide angle seated forward bend (upavista konasana) with a twist
7)Inverted staff (viparita dandasana) over a chair with head and feet on bolsters
8)Supported bridge pose on bolsters
9)Savasana

Another one I like from the book is the Sequence for Enhanced Immunity:
1)Reclined bound angle
2)One leg seated forward bend (janu sirasana)
3)Down dog
4)Head stand
5)Shoulder stand
6)Plough
7)Seated twist
8)Leg up the wall (viparita karani)
9)Savasana

For the Judith Lasater style poses, here is a list of 10 poses and suggestions for times in each pose and some different length sequences that use them. All of these are pictured beautifully in the book Relax and Renew, along with detailed instructions for setting up props and folding blankets. I’ve listed the page number in Relax & Renew for each pose:

1)Simple supported back bend (page 33) – 3-5 minutes
2)Supported Bound Angle (page 34) – 10-15 minutes
3)Mountain Rook Pose (page 39) – 5-10 minutes
4)Supported Bridge (page 41) – 10-15 minutes
5)Viparita Karani (page 43) – 10-15 minutes
6)Supported Child’s Pose (page 60) – 3-5 minutes
7)Supported seated angle pose (with chair, page 48) – 3-5 minutes
8)Supported crossed-leg (page 51) – 3-5 minutes
9)Reclined twist with a bolster (page 46) 3-5 minutes
10)Basic relaxation pose (page 53) – 10-15 minutes

Here are some hints for practicing these poses:
1)To facilitate the relaxation, dress warmly or place an extra blanket over yourself.
2)Do your practice in a warm, quiet environment free from draft and noise, in a place where you can hopefully be undisturbed.
3)Restorative poses are opening and releasing exercises, not stretches. Make sure that your body feels very relaxed and supported in each movement.
4)There should be no strain in your back or neck, adjust your props to support you in comfort.
5)Keep your eyes closed. Use an eye pillow or an ace bandage to facilitate the relaxation response. Relax your face, eyes, tongue, throat, shoulder, back and abdomen in each movement.
6)Let go of conscious control of the breath. Just relax and breathe your normal inhalation & exhalation.
7)The times listed are guidelines. If your body tells you to get out sooner, honor that. Be kind to your body, mind and heart.
8)After each back bending pose, rest the back flat on the floor for a few minutes to release the back muscles and the roll to your side and come slowly up to sitting.

Here are some different length sessions:

10-15 minutes, you can add these to the end of your regular practice, or just squeeze it in when you have time.
Sequence 1:
Basic relaxation pose for 10-15 minutes
Sequence 2:
Supported bound angle for 10-15 minutes
Sequence 3:
Mountain brook pose for 5 minutes
Viparita karani for 7 minutes
Supported child’s pose for 3 minutes

20-30 minutes
Sequence 1:
Mountain brook pose for 5-7 minutes
Viparita karani for 5-10 minutes
Basic relaxation pose for 10-15 minutes
Sequence 2:
Supported bound angle for 10 minutes
Viparita Karani for 10 minutes
Basic relaxation pose for 10 minutes

45-60 minutes
Supported bound angle for 10-15 minutes
Supported bridge for 10 minutes
Viparita karani for 10 minutes
Reclined twist with a bolster for 3 minutes
Supported seated angle pose for 5 minutes
Basic relaxation pose for 10-15 minutes

The Moon Cycle
Supported bound angle for 10-15 minutes
Supported crossed leg 3-5 minutes
Supported seated angle pose for 3-5 minutes
Supported child’s pose for 3-5 minutes
Basic relaxation pose for 5-20 minutes

Get to Sleep
Supported bound angle for 10 minutes
Mountain brook pose for 5-10 minutes
Viparita karani for 10 minutes
Supported seated angle pose for 5 minutes
Basic relaxation pose for 10-15 minutes

The Full Delicious “Treat”-ment for Deep Relaxation and Healing:
Follow the 10 restorative poses in their prescribed sequence above.

Relax, Restore and Enjoy!

Media Resources:

Gaiam's Yoga for Relaxation and Meditation
Ateeka's Moon Cycle (audio), she also has pictures of the full sequence on her web site
Gaiam's Yoga Conditioning for Women, bonus segment
Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga
David Swenson's Just Relax
Rainbeau's Pure Tranquility
Gaiam's Yoga for Stress Relief
Yoga for Inflexible People
Living with AIDS through Yoga and Meditation with Father Joe Periera (don't let the title put you off - this is an excellent restorative practice for anyone)

Online Resources:

Pictures and explanations of some poses from Relax and Renew (see also the "How to fold a blanket" diagram)
Excerpts from Judith Lasater's Relax and Renew
Yoga Journal article on restorative yoga
Restorative yoga teachers' website (more Relax and Renew excerpts)
Short interview with Judith Lasater on relaxation

loretta's july focus - take a stand

Standing poses are invigorating. They refresh the body and mind. They remove tension, aches and pains. Through practicing standing poses the back, hips, knees, neck and shoulders all gain strength and mobility. Standing poses teach the principles of correct alignment and movement. They help build the strength and awareness needed for inversions and other more advanced poses.

Standing poses can be done almost anywhere. When working long hours on the computer support desk, I would frequently take trikonasana, uttanasana or garudasana breaks to stretch my body and refresh and refocus my mind. You can do them in the park or on the trail before during or after running or biking. You can do them on the golf tee while you wait for the foursome in front of you to finish. On a long driving trip, you can do standing poses at rest stops.

For a dedicated practice, it’s best to practice on a non-slip surface. The feet and legs are the foundation of stand poses. You should build your poses from the foundation up. For more information on feet, see Lianne’s article on feet.

Here is a listing of standing poses from Light on Yoga with the common name and/or approximate English translation.

1)    tadasana (mountain pose)
2)    urdhva hastasana (mountain pose with arms extended)
3)    utthita hasta padagusthasana (extended hand to big toe pose)
4)    vrksasana (tree pose)
5)    utkatasana (chair pose, or fierce pose)
6)    utthita trikonasana (extended triangle pose)
7)    utthita parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose)
8)    virabhadrasana I (warrior I)
9)    virabhadrasana II (warrior II)
10)    ardha chandrasana (half moon pose)
11)    virabhadrasana III (warrior III)
12)    parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle pose)
13)    parivrtta parsvakonasana (revolved side angle pose)
14)    parivrtta ardha chandrasana (revolved half moon pose)
15)    parsvottanasana (intense side stretch pose AKA pyramid pose)
16)    prasarita padottanasana (wide leg forward bend, confusingly enough, I’ve also heard this one called pyramid pose)
17)    uttanasana (stand forward bend)
18)    urdhva prasarita ekapadasana (one leg forward bend AKA standing split)
19)    ardha baddha padmottanasana (half-lotus forward bend)
20)    garudasana (eagle pose)

Suggested practices:

You can work standing poses into your practice any time in combination with other poses, or as a warmup for more difficult poses. I actually love standing poses and rarely a day goes by when I don’t do at least a few of them. If you are a beginner, then standing poses should be the foundation of your practice. If you need to rest any time during the practice, you can stand in resting uttanasana (stand forward bend with legs hip width apart and elbows clasped) or resting uttanasana with your hips against a wall.

You can practice a standing pose sequence many different ways.  You can hold each pose for 1-2 minutes, or go into and out of each pose several times before moving onto the next one. You can string all the poses together into a flow, spending 3-6 breaths in each pose. If you want a vigorous practice, you can work the standing poses into sun salutations. If you want a gentler standing practice you can use the support of the wall or props for your standing poses. Jumping into and out of the poses adds energy to your practice. If your back or knees hurt you should step into and out of the poses.

Here’s a standing pose practice that opens the hips, stretches the low back and builds strength and balance:
1)    utthita hasta padagusthasana (extended hand to big toe pose)
2)    tadasana (mountain pose)
3)    utthita trikonasana (extended triangle pose)
4)    utthita parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose)
5)    virabhadrasana I (warrior I)
6)    virabhadrasana II (warrior II)
7)    ardha chandrasana (half moon pose)
8)    virabhadrasana III (warrior III)
9)    parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle pose)
10)    parsvottanasana (intense side stretch pose)
11)    prasarita padottanasana (wide leg forward bend)
12)    uttanasana (stand forward bend)
13)    virasana (hero’s pose) (relieves any pressure in the knees)
14)    supta padagusthasana (reclined hand to big toe pose) with a belt
15)    ardha halasana (half plough pose, supported on a chair)
16)    savasana (corpse pose)

Here’s a shorter standing sequence that ends with a shoulder stand cycle:
1)    tadasana (mountain pose)
2)    vrksasana (tree pose)
3)    utthita trikonasana (extended triangle pose)
4)    utthita parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose)
5)    virabhadrasana I (warrior I)
6)    virabhadrasana II (warrior II)
7)    ardha chandrasana (half moon pose)
8)    parsvottanasana (intense side stretch pose)
9)    parighasana (gate pose)
10)    virasana (hero’s pose)
11)    sarvangasana (shoulder stand)
12)    halasana (plough pose)
13)    setu bandha sarvangasana (supported bridge pose on blocks or bolsters)
14)    savasana

Here is a short standing sequence that ends with a seated forward bend cycle:
1)    tadasana (mountain pose)
2)    utthita trikonasana (extended triangle pose)
3)    utthita parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose)
4)    virabhadrasana I (warrior I)
5)    virabhadrasana II (warrior II)
6)    parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle pose)
7)    parivrtta parsvakonasana (revolved side angle pose)
8)    parsvottanasana (intense side stretch pose)
9)    janu sirsasana (one leg seated forward bend)
10)    triang mukhaikapada pascimottanasana (one leg seated forward bend with one leg in virasana)
11)    ardha baddha padma pascimottanasana (half bound lotus forward bend)
12)    maricyasana I
13)    pascimottanasana (seated forward bend)
14)    sarvangasana (shoulder stand)
15)    halasana (plough pose)
16)    savasana

Media Practices:

There are literally hundreds or videos that include standing poses. If you are looking for detailed instruction, I’d recommend:
John Schumacher’s CDs Basic Daily Practice or Foundations Standing and Inverted
Felicity Green’s Advanced Beginning Yoga Series audio tapes
Manuso Manos Yoga the Home Study Course, Vol I

I know that these can be fairly hard to find. I’d say the first place to check is at your local Iyengar studio (if possible). Unity Woods boutique has Schumacher’s CDs and Manos’ videos. The Iyengar Institute of San Francisco has Felicity Green’s tapes. They are audio tapes, not CDs.

I’d also recommend taking a look at Yoga: The Iyengar Way, Light on Yoga and 30 Essential Yoga Poses for excellent form instruction.

upside-down june

Once again, courtesy of Loretta, guidance on the June inversion focus:

Inversions are a fairly small but important group of asana. Looking through Light On Yoga there are really only a few poses and their variations. But just to underscore their importance in your yoga practice, it is interesting to note that while Mr. Iyengar devotes between one half to one page to most of the other asana, he devotes a full 27 pages to sirsasana and the sirsasana cycle and 32 pages to sarvangasana and the sarvangasana cycle.

As important as inversions are, they also come with lots of precautions. Here is the list of advantages and precautions from Yoga: The Iyengar Way:

The inverted poses revitalize the whole system. They take the weight off the legs, relieving strain. By inverting the inner organs, they activate parts that are sluggish. They improve circulation and tone the glandular system. They help concentration as blood is brought to the brain, and are a marvelous aid to sleep. Sirsasana in particular activates the pituitary gland. Sarvangasana strengthens the nervous system and the emotions; it activates the thyroid and parathyroid glands.

There should be no strain in the head, eyes, ears, neck, or throat. As the head is delicate, Sirsasana should always be done on a blanket. The blanket should be firm, not spongy. It is not advisable to repeat sirsasana as this irritates the brain and nerves. The variations may be learned once the balance is steady.

In sarvangasana, the neck should always be soft and relaxed. If the posture is done flat on the floor, there is a tendency for the neck to collapse and to feel pressure. To avoid this, the shoulders and elbows should be supported on folded blankets, the height of which should be varied according to the length and suppleness of the neck. The above arrangement may not be suitable for those with neck injuries or conditions such as cervical spondylosis. Other methods need to e tried, after consultation with a qualified teacher. Sarvangasana variations are easier if the blankets are not too high.

Although sarvangasana is learned before sirsasana, once the latter is learned it is practiced first: sirsasana after sarvangasana could injure the neck. Sirsasana, if practiced by itself, can produce a feeling of irritability, which is soothed by sarvangasana, so should always be followed by it.

Cautions: Do not do inverted postures during menstruation.
Do not do inverted postures if suffering from high blood pressure, heart problems, detached retina, or ear problems.
If suffering from neck injuries, seek advice.
During pregnancy, sirsasana, sarvangasana, and ardha halasana may be done with support, provided there is no discomfort or medical contraindication.
Remove contact lenses

OK did that scare you? While it was not my intention to do so, I do hope that no one will start an inversion practice without consulting a qualified teacher or at the very, very least consulting a good book. It’s almost impossible to teach everything that needs to be taught in a video, so I would suggest doing video inversion practices only if you have first done them with a live teacher.

The list of poses is a short list this month, but of course, it can be a lifetime practice to learn this short list. I’ve placed them in the order that I would normally practice them.

1)Adho mukha vrksasana (downward facing tree, AKA full arm balance, AKA hand stand)
2)Pinca mayurasana (peacock feather pose, AKA elbow balance, AKA forearm balance)
3)Salamba sirsasana I (supported head balance, AKA head stand)
4)Salamba sarvangasana (supported shoulder balance, AKA shoulder stand)
5)Halasana (plough)
6)Setu bandha sarvangasana (supported bridge pose)
7)Viparita karani (while not a full inversion, this is a lovely, semi-inverted pose that everyone can do and a great way to end your practice)

Here are some suggestions from the book Cool Yoga Tricks for working up to these inverted poses:

Prep for adho mukha vrksasana:
Right angle handstand, AKA half handstand, AKA crazy dog. Place your hands a leg length away from the wall and walk your feet up the wall behind you until your body forms a 90-degree angle. Hold to your tolerance. You may need a buddy to tell you when your legs are at 90 degrees, until you get used to how it feels. If you do have a buddy, he or she can provide support by putting their hands on your shoulder blades. That helps you to avoid the feeling that you might tip over backwards (don’t worry, you won’t!) Once you feel comfortable you can experiment with raising one leg at a time.

Preps for pinca mayurasana:
a) Everyone’s favorite, dolphin pose. This is a great one for both stretching and strengthening your shoulders for the inversions and for things like urdhva dhanurasana (upward bow, wheel)
b) if you are ready for the next step, you can try crazy dolphin, which is the same as crazy dog, above, but your arms are in dolphin position.

Preps for sirsasana:
a) Traditionally pinca mayurasana is considered a prep for sirsasana, but many people find it more difficult because of tight shoulders
b) If you are not ready to use pinca mayurasana as a prep, you can start with dolphin with your hands clasped. Most people find this easier than dolphin with hands apart
c) the intermediate phase is the same as crazy dolphin, but with the head on the floor.
d)In Light On Yoga, Mr. Iyengar also suggests prasarita padottanasana (wide angle forward bend) with the head on the floor as a substitute for sirsasana, for people who can’t support their weight on their head and neck.

Preps for sarvangasana:
a) you can start with your feet on a chair and your shoulders on two or three folded blankets. Use the feet on the chair to press your hips up and get your weight up onto your shoulders. You probably will not be able to hold this for very long. But it’s good for practicing the set up for shoulder stand
b) the next step is to set up near the wall and walk your feet up on the wall to get up onto your shoulders
c) supported shoulder stand can also be done on a chair. There are excellent instructions for this and a really good picture on pages 118-119 of [I]Yoga: the Iyengar Way[/I]. You can also do halasana with your legs supported on a chair.

*Prop note: for those of us with bigger breasts who feel a bit smothered in shoulder stand or people with tight upper backs and necks or longer necks, you may try using a higher stack of blankets. Some people find it nice to reverse stack the blanket so you kind of have a little set of stair steps going up. It’s best to experiment with your set up to find the one that works the best for you. I find that I prefer 4 blankets, except for some of the variations.

Variations:
For those of you who have experience and are comfortable in shoulder stand and want more juice, here are some variations you can try, also known as the sarvangasana cycle. One reason for doing variations is to increase your time in the pose. You can start in the full pose for a minute or more, then when you are ready, move into any or all of the variations. Again, there are excellent pictures and instructions for these in [I]Yoga: The Iyengar Way[/I], pages 111-115
1) eka pada sarvangasana (one legged should stand)
2) parsvaikapada sarvangasana (sideways one-legged shoulder stand)
3) karnapidasana (ear pressure pose)
4) parsva halasana (sideways plough pose)
5) supta konasana (supine angle)
6) parsva sarvangasana (sideways shoulder stand)
7) baddha konasana in sarvangasana (bound angle in shoulder stand) (not pictured in the sarvangasana cycle, but it is similar to the pose in the sirsasana cycle page 104)
8)upavista konasana in sarvangasana (wide angle in should stand)(not pictured in the sarvangasana cycle, but it is similar to the pose in the sirsasana cycle page 104)
9)Urdhva Padmasana in sarvangasana (lotus legs in shoulder stand)
10)Pindasana in sarvangasana (lotus legs with arms wrapped around them in shoulder stand)
11)Parsva urdhva padmasana in sarvangasana (sideways lotus in shoulder stand)
12)Parsva pindasana in sarvangasana (sideways pindasana in shoulder stand)
13)Setu bandha from sarvangasana (dropping legs down into setu bandha from sarvangasana, you can start out by dropping them down to a chair)

For those of you who have experience and are comfortable balancing in headstand, here are some variations you can try, also known as the sirsasana cycle. Although it won’t work for all the variations, it is not a bad idea to go back to the wall the first few times you try the variations, even if you are comfortable balancing away from the wall. These are pictured and described on pages 102-107 in Yoga: The Iyengar Way:
1)parsva sirsasana (sideways headstand)
2)parivrtta eka pada sirsasana (revolved one leg headstand)
3)eka pada sirsasana (one leg headstand)
4)parsvaika pada sirsasana (sideways one leg headstand)
5)baddha konasana in sirsasana (bound angle in headstand)
6)upavista konasana in sirsasana (wide angle in headstand)
7)parsva virasana in sirsasana (sideways hero in headstand)
8)urdhva dandasana (upward staff pose)

Vrshikasana (scorpion pose) is also a variation of pinca mayurasana and sirsana and it throws in back bending as well.

Media practices:
There really are not a lot of videos or other media that include inversions, probably for good reason. Again I would suggest that you not start an inversion practice, except under the supervision of a qualified teacher. If you have already had live instruction and want some media to help your home practice, here are some suggestions:

Rodney Yee’s Yoga for Intermediates
Shiva Rea’s Yoga Shakti
Yoga Journal’s Step-by-step Volume 3, this one also has a good instructional section that’s worth watching. It also gives good modifications.
An oldie but a goodie that has some good preps for inversions is Rodney Yee’s Yoga for Strength (not Power Yoga for Strength, that one is better for arm balances)
All of Ana Forrest’s media include dolphin pose, which is a great prep for inversions
Senior Iyengar teachers John Schumacher and Felicity Green both have audio practices that include excellent instruction on inversions: Schumacher's Foundations CD and Green's Advanced Beginner's Yoga Series II

Erich Schiffman's Backyard Series: Inversions

Internet resources:

About.com Sirasana instructions

Teacher Ingela Abbott credits Felicity Green with passing on this technique for kicking up into arm balance.
• Bring the body into downward dog with the fingertips two inches from a wall.   Decide which leg is the “pusher” leg  and which is the “swinger.”
• Look to the thumbs for courage, and  to bring strength into the torso. 
• On an inhalation, lift the swinger leg,  and lengthen through the spine.
• On the exhalation, fling up, with no thought of coming into the pose. (In fact, Ingela  forbade anyone to come into the pose.)
• Repeat three times, then rest. 
• Next, work with the action of the pusher leg. Hold the swinger up in the air, lengthen through the spine on the inhalation.
• With no help from the swinger leg, push off the ground on the exhalation.
• Repeat three times, then rest.
• Come into downward dog, fling with the swinger and push with the pusher. In time, and with regular practice, you’ll find yourself in arm balance.
• When should you work at kicking up with the second leg? Ingela recommends getting comfortable with the easier leg first, then working on the “slow” side. 
                - from the June 2002 Iyengar Yoga Vancouver Newsletter

Everybody Upside Down

Barbara Benagh on Salamba Sarvangasana

Setu Bandhasana

Erich Schiffmann's Setu Bandhasana or bridge pose instructions.

Strike a Royal Pose by Aadil Palkhivala

John Schumacher on Salamba Sirsasana (Headstand)

The Royal Couple by Kelly Andrews - lots of great pictures accompany this article.

Opening the Heart through Backbends: a Blossoming May practice

Once more, Loretta provides us with a focus for our May practice: Chest Openers and Back Bends to Open Our Hearts to Summer

Of course, any hip and/or shoulder openers would be good to warm-up for back bending. It’s nice to start with sun salutations to get some warmth built up. Passive chest openers, like lying over a bolster are also good to start with if you are tired. There's a really great chapter on preparing for back bends in Cool Yoga Tricks. Back bends are very energizing, but also require a lot of energy. So a passive chest opening practice might be best if you are really tired. My teacher Ingela Abbott suggests cross training by alternating back bending sequences with forward bending sequences every other day. It would definitely be hard to do a back bending practice every day of the month.

Here are some pose suggestions from Light on Yoga:
1. Virabhadrasana I (warrior I)
2. Parsvottanasana (intense side stretch, with hands in namaste or elbows clasped behind back)
3. Prasarita Padottanasana (wide leg forward bend, especially the extended position)
4. Ustrasana (Camel)
5. Dhanurasana (Bow
6. Parsva dhanurasana (side bow)
7. Bhujangasana (cobra)
8. Urdhva mukha svanasana (upward facing dog)
9. Gomukhasana arms (cow-face)
10. Supta Virasana (reclined hero)
11. Paryankasana (couch/bed) can also use a block under the chest for a supported chest opener
12. Bhekasana (frog, not the Ana Forrest version)
13. Matsyasana (fish)
14. Baddha padmasana (bound lotus)
15. Supta vajrasana (reclined thunderbolt)
16. Marichyasana I (bound sage)
17. Purvottanasana (inclined plane, reverse plank)
18. Setu bandha sarvangasana (bridge)
19. Bharadvajasana I (seated twist)
20. Pasasana (noose)
21. Pincha mayurasana (peacock feather, elbow/forearm balance)
22. Urdhva dhanurasana (upward bow, wheel, what have you)
23. Eka pada urdhva dhanurasana (one leg upward bow)
24. Kapotasana (pigeon)
25. Dwi pada viparita dandasana (two foot inverted staff)
26. Eka Pada viparita Dandasana (one foot inverted staff)
27. Vrschikasana (scorpion)
28. Eka pada rajakapotasana (one leg king pigeon)
29. Natarajasana (dancer)

Suggested practices:

Energizing Sequence from A Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health
1. Mountain pose (Tadasana)
2. Mountain pose with arms over head (urdhva hastasana in Tadasana)
3. Extended triangle (Utthita Trikonasana)
4. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
5. Extended side angle (Utthita parsvakonasana)
6. Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)
7. Intense Side Stretch (Parsvottanasana)
8. Hero pose with cow-face arms (Virasana with Gomukhasana arms)
9. Downward facing dog pose (Adho mukha svanasana)
10. Head stand (sirsasana) at wall
11. Child’s pose (adho mukha virasana)
12. Downward facing dog pose (Adho mukha svanasana)
13. Inverted staff pose (viparita dandasana) over a chair
14. Camel pose (Ustrasana)
15. Upward facing dog pose (Urdhva mukha Svanasana)
16. Upward facing bow pose (Urdhva dhanurasana)
17. Downward facing dog pose (Adho mukha svanasana)
18. Standing forward bend (Uttanasana)
19. Standing forward bend with a twist (Parsva Uttanasana)
20. Shoulder stand (salamba Sarvangasana)
21. Plough pose (Halasana)
22. Supported bridge pose on bolsters (salamba setu bandha Sarvangasana)
23. Legs up the wall (viparita karani)
24. Legs up the wall cycle (legs in “V”, legs crossed on wall, slide hips off bolster legs crossed on bolster)
25. Savasana

Since back bends can be very uplifting I’ve included the sequence for Chronic Depression from A Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health

1. Lying on crossed bolsters or reclined easy seated pose on bolster (supta sukhasana)
2. Downward facing dog pose (Adho mukha svanasana)
3. Head stand (sirsasana) at wall
4. Inverted staff pose (viparita dandasana) over a chair
5. Upward facing bow pose (Urdhva dhanurasana)
6. Simple seated twist (Bharadvajasana I)
7. Downward facing dog pose (Adho mukha svanasana)
8. Shoulder stand (salamba Sarvangasana)
9. Plough pose (Halasana)
10. Supported bridge pose on bolsters (salamba setu bandha Sarvangasana)
11. Reclined bound angle on bolster (sputa baddha konasana)
12. Savasana

Since May can be a really busy time, especially for the academic set, but really for any of us, I’ve included the sequence for Anxiety Driven Depression from A Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health

1. Downward facing dog pose (Adho mukha svanasana)
2. Standing forward bend (Uttanasana)
3. Wide angle standing forward bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
4. Downward facing dog pose (Adho mukha svanasana)
5. Inverted staff pose (viparita dandasana) over a chair
6. Upward facing bow pose (Urdhva dhanurasana)
7. Child’s pose (adho mukha virasana)
8. Shoulder stand (salamba Sarvangasana)
9. Plough pose (Halasana)
10. Seated forward bend (Paschimottanasana)
11. Supported bridge pose on bolsters (salamba setu bandha Sarvangasana)
12. Savasana

Here’s a back focused practice from 30 Essential Yoga Poses
Purpose: back bends to open the lungs and free the heart
Quote: “Healthy backs bend in all directions.”
Mantra for daily practice: It’s not the letting go that hurts; it’s the holding on

1. Tree pose with hands in namaste (vrksasana)
2. Extended triangle with arm behind your waist (Utthita Trikonasana)
3. Extended side angle with hand on block (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
4. Extended side angle with hand on floor (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
5. Wide-leg standing forward bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
6. Lunge pose with back knee on floor (Anjaneyasana)
7. Lunge pose holding back ankle (Anjaneyasana)
8. Cobra pose with hand clasped behind back (Bhujangasana)
9. Bow pose (Dhanurasana)
10. Bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
11. Upward facing bow at wall with hands on blocks (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
12. Upward facing bow at wall with feet on blocks (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
13. Upward facing bow (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
14. Supported shoulder stand at wall (Salamba Sarvangasana)
15. Simple seated twist (Bharadvajasana)
16. Lying twist on a stack of blankets (Jatahara Parivartasasana)
17. Reclined leg stretch with a belt (Supta Padagusthasana)
18. Reclined leg stretch without a belt (Supta Padagusthasana)
19. Savasana with legs on a chair

Media suggestions. Since you all have more videos than I do, I hope there are more suggestions:

So many videos contain back bends, but here are a few suggestions:
Yoga Journal Step-by-step Volume 2
Gaiam Yoga for Beginners Upper Body with Rodney Yee
Power Yoga with Eoin Finn
Baron Baptiste’s Unlocking Athletic Power
David Swenson’s Yoga Short Forms
Shiva Rea’s Yoga Shakti has a great warm-up and back bend sequence
Yoga Journal’s (Gaiam/Living Arts) Yoga for Energy segment 3, Creativity
Rodney Yee’s Power Yoga Total Body
Rodney Yee’s Yoga for Intermediates, segment 3
Autonomy Cardio Yoga
Bryan Kest’s original Power Yoga series, volume 3; Sweat

There are also some really great audio, back bending sequences. My favorites are:
Shiva Rea’s Yoga Chant
Shiva Rea’s Yoga Sanctuary
Ana Forrest’s Intensives Days 1, 3 & 5

Alive Yoga, of course has many downloadable sequences that would fit this month’s challenge:

Experienced beginners:
Release Tension in the Upper Body – Mimi
Back bending for Happiness – Torey
Maintaining Awareness of your heart in Backbends – Torey

Intermediate:
Open Hips & Shoulders and Deepen Your Twists – Mimi
Deepening Backbends – Mimi
Chest Opening – Heidi
Stay with the Breath in Backbends – Heidi
Staying Soft and Clam in Backbends – Torey

Intermediate/Advanced Combined:
Energize Your Spine – Mimi
Release Tension in the Neck & Spine – Mimi

Advanced:
Hip Openers, Backbends and Twists – Mimi
Shoulder and Hip Openers - Mimi

arm balance april

Our challenge this month is arm balances to emulate the flowers popping up for spring. I know that some of you still have snow, so you can show the flowers how it's done. (pictured is Sharon in sidecrow)

We had originally suggested tittibasana as a pinnacle pose. But going through Light On Yoga I was realizing that pinnacle poses abound in this area. So if there's a particular arm balancing pose that's your dragon you can choose to work on slaying it as you wish.

Since Elena told us that Ana Forrest said gravity surfing is 1000% abs and 10% balance, any ab work will help with this challenge. The good new is that it will also help with inversions and life in general. I'm coming to a point in my life where I realize that ab strength might be the beginning for everything. The end is your choice. Strong abs will get you on the road.

So pick your ab poison. Of course any ab workout wouldn't hurt, Lotte Berk, Kari's Curl, insert your favorite. Here are some yoga pose sugestions for ab strengthening and stretching:

1)Paripurna navasana (full boat pose)
2)Ardha navasana (half boat pose)
3)Urdhva prasarita padasana (30-60-90 pose, or as John Schumacher says it's a fancy sanskrit way of saying leg lifts)
4)Jatjara parivartanasana (revolved belly pose and vairations)
5)Supta padagusthasana (reclined leg stretch, head raised variation)
6)Bharadvajasana (seated twist)
7)Marichyasana (seated twist)
8)Ardha Matsyendrasana (half twist)

Not strictly poses, but kriyas (practices) that will strengthen your abdominals, these are included in several of Ana Forrest's Intensive CDs
9)Uddiyana bandha (belly flies up, belly lock)
10)Nauli (abdominal churning)

I picked some other poses which could be considered preps for the more drawn in arm balances.
11)Malasana (garland pose, yogic squat)
12)Pasasana (noose pose, sort of a twisted yogic squat)
OR any of the twists
13)Padmasana (lotus pose) could come in handy in some of the arms balances that include it.
14)Chaturanga dandasana (builds arm strength)

On to the arm balances, approximately from easiest to hardest:
15)Lolasana (dangling earring pose)
16)Tolasana (scales pose)
17)Kukkutasana (rooster pose)
18)Purvottanasana (inclined plane, or reverse plank)
19)Astavakrasana (8-bends pose)
20)Eka pada bhujasna (I think this is the one called elephant trunk, one leg up on outside of shoulder, one extended forward)
21)Dwi hasta bhjasana (same as above but with both legs extended forward)
22)Bhujapidasana (shoulder pressure pose, similar to above, but with both legs on outside of shoulders)
23)Mayurasana (peacock pose)
24)Pinca mayurasana (elbow balance, forearm stand, whatever name you prefer, yes the inversion)
25)Adho Mukha Vrksasana (downward facing tree, AKA full arm balance, AKA hand stand)
26)Vasisthasana (side plank)
27)Bakasana (crow or crane pose)
28)Parsva Bakasana (side crow or crane)
29)Urdhva kukkutasana (upward rooster, same as rooster, but legs are behind arms in lotus instead of arms thread through legs)
30)parsva kukkutasana (imagine above twisted)
31)Tittibhasana (firefly pose)
32)Galavasana (I don't know the common name for this but it's on p.325 of Light on Yoga)
33)Eka pada galavasana p.327 LOY
34)Eka pada koundinyasana I (scissors, as named by Ana Forrest)
35)Eka pada koundinyasana II (twisted scissors, as named by Ana Forrest)
36)Eka pada bakasana I (one leg in crow, one extended back)
37)Eka pada bakasana II (one leg in crow, one extended forward)
38)Vrschikasana I (scorpion pose)
39)Vrschikasana II (scorpion pose with arms extended as in hand stand)

OK sure, most of those are crazy, but I left out even more crazy ones included in Light On Yoga. I included some of the crazier ones because they are included in Ana Forrest Intensives. Arm balances are a major challenge for me, so I'll be working on the easier ones. I'll be thrilled if I can get crow for any amount of time. I can do full arm balance (hand stand), but the more balled up ones are so much more difficult for me. The point is not to do or die, the point is to try! Working towards arms balances and strengthening those abs! (pictured is Megan in tittibhasana)

Here are some media suggestions:
Video/DVD:
Yoga Journal Step-by-step Vol 3; includes crow and full arm balance.
Gaiam's Yoga for Upper Body with Rodney Yee
Ana Forrest's Strength & Spirit; the ab segment especially will help to prepare you for arm balances.
Yoga Shakti; The core/ab segment includes lolasana, tolasana, and vasisthasana as well as some really good Forrest style ab work. The inversion segment includes full arm balance and the shoulder segment includes pinca mayurasana.
Rodney Yee's Power Yoga for Strength
Rodney Yee's Yoga for Strength; the second practice in particular includes a lot of arm balances.
Rodney Yee's Yoga for Intermediates the second segment includes full arm balance.
Power Yoga for Happiness includes eka pada galvasana in the Magically Hips routine

Audio:
Ana Forrest's Intensive CDs; the holy grail of ab work and arm balances (gravity surfing )
Shiva Rea's Yoga Sanctuary : the solar practice has a balance section that includes firefly and crow
Alive Yoga downloads:
Turn Your World Around: Building Strength for Inversions - Heidi
Moving Towards Leg Behind the Head - Heidi (I think this would help with getting the legs in the right place for arm balances, a struggle for me)
Working Toward Forearm Stand - Mimi
Building a Foundation for Inversions - Mimi
Building Towards Arm Balances - Mimi
Working Towards Split Arm Balances - Mimi

Online Resources:

Instructions for Side Crow pose, Crow pose and Plank pose from the yogablog at about.com

Yoga Journal's arm balances

Julie Gudmestad on arm balances: Face Your Fears of Falling

Detailed instructions and preps for Tittibhasana (Firefly pose) by Barbara Benagh

Barbara Benagh's tips for Bakasana (crow)

Lolasana for Beginners by Peter Sterios

John Friend's tips for Bhujapidasana

John Schumacher's instuctions for Astavakrasana (eight angle pose)

Donna Farhi's instructions for Bakasana (crow)

Beryl Bender Birch's instructions for Parsva Bakasana (side crow)

Ana Forrest has pictures of both preps and full arm balance poses on her site.