|
Monday, March 23, 2009
|
Pose of the Month: Parvritta Trikonasana |
|
|
|
 Sometimes our lives get twisted. We feel tied up in knots, constricted, bound up. Unsure of which way to go, we often collapse into our effort and lose our ground. It’s in these moments constriction where we often fall off balance. We succumb to what is distorting our vision, and we forget that we are always right here in this moment, supported by the ground beneath us and surrounded by infinite potential and the ability to grow. It is in this place that we often find ourselves when practicing Revolved Triangle (Parvritta Trikonasana). A pose where we often get tangled up, confused, and lose our direction. It is easy work so intently on our twist that we loose our foundation and tighten into a ball of resistanceand barely able to stay upright. But, if we slow down and approach this asana with awareness, we can use the restrictive nature of this pose as an opportunity to increase our strength, steady our balance and expand with ease toward our greatest height. Sometimes, what our constriction compels us to do is step back and reevaluate. In revolved triangle pose, we often have to come out of the pose in order to see the potential we have within it to expand and grow. At times, it calls for just the slightest adjustment of our feet or a prop to expand our reach, but in other moments, parvritta trikonasana requires a completely different approach like changing our stance completely or modifying the asana in a way that may not live up to our expectations of what it should be. In these moments, we may have to redefine the way we view the asana completely. These moments of allowing our preconceptions to fall away can be very scary but also very liberating. Once we give ourselves permission to explore our boundaries and move from internal direction instead of external judgment, we may find that the greatest gift this pose has to offer is in the entanglement. For only when we are forced to see ourselves as we really are, do we willingly choose to be all that we can be. Parvritta trikonasana directs us to find strength in our roots by trusting our internal guide, that source of balance that is always present when we slow down and pay attention, and to open ourselves to our expansive nature, even when we feel constricted inside. So the next time you come to your mat, take a moment to revel in the twisted moments of our lives, for it is in those moments that we can choose to strengthen our balance and rise to our fullest potential. —Kelly Golden
Revolved Triangle (Parvritta Trikonasana) works to increase the flexibility of the backs of our legs, hips, spine and to improve our sense of balance. There are two ways to do this posture that will give you a very different stretch and therapeutic focus in the body. The first way is to keep the hips level as you twist, the sacroiliac joints stay even and parallel to the floor. If the hips remain level the twist originates in the mid to low back. By bringing the twist into the thoracic spine, the posture becomes a mid back and shoulder opener. This can be a huge benefit in working with increasing mid and upper back mobility and for opening the chest and shoulders. You can also come into this posture by unleveling the hips, allowing the front hip to rise. Once the hips become unlevel, the twist is brought into the hips. As the front hip rises, you are bringing the hip into a position of flexion, adduction and internal rotation. This position of the hip elongates the muscles of the outer hip, the Piriformis and Gluteus Maximus. This version of the posture brings a more therapeutic effect to the outer hip and may help decrease outer hip tightness that can lead to back pain. Both ways of doing this asana are correct, but there would be different reasons to do each. If your focus is on stretching the back of your hip, you would want to allow the twist to start with the pelvis allowing the hips to become unlevel. If your focus is thoracic mobility, then you would want to keep the hips level as you twist. If you have sacroiliac pain or low back pain, it would be better to keep the hips level and allow the twist to come more from the thoracic spine. This posture is also a great challenge to balance and proprioception. Our brain knows where our body is in space from the sensory receptors in our feet and throughout the muscles of our body. As we twist and turn in the different ways that this posture calls for, we experience a challenge to the input of our body’s position to the brain. This posture can bring about a greater sense of balance and awareness of our position in space that can help us in our daily lives. —Marlysa Sullivan 1 Comments
The hint is most welcomed.
1
March 13, 2010
Write comment
You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
Our Sponsor
"Summon Your Soul" using one of the hand-crafted malas from Japa Mala Beads
|
| Free Newsletter |
|---|
| Premium Content |
|---|
| Our premium members have access to deluxe features, detailed yogic information and downloadable MP3s. Check out our Premium Membership Benefits page to find out all of the rewards of joining. |
| New Users |
|---|
| To get the most out of our site, we suggest you take some time to explore before jumping into the practice. Browse our yoga 101 section for general info on the history and types of yoga, then start exploring asanas the physical postures used in hatha yoga. Remember to breathe and always start your yoga practice with a brief meditation. Questions? check out our yoga message board. If you are new to yoga, please read our Yoga for Beginner's page |
| Yogic Wisdom |
|---|
|
You cannot understand life and its mysteries as long as you try to grasp it. Indeed, you cannot grasp it, just as you cannot walk off with a river in a bucket. If you try to capture running water in a bucket, it is clear that you do not understand it and that you will always be disappointed, for in the bucket the water does not run. To "have" running water you must let go of it and let it run. Alan Watts |
| Our Most Popular Pages |
|---|
| RSS Syndication |
|---|
 Subscribe to our RSS feed to keep informed on all new updates to YogaBasics.com.
In order to use our Newsfeed you need to cut and paste the URL into a RSS reader or use your browser's RSS "subscribe" button.
|
Ahimsa, the yogic practice of non violence must be adhered to when engaging in the practice of hatha yoga. Respect your body's limitations and inner wisdom, if something feels wrong or dangerous, please do not do it.
Please consult your health care practitioner before starting a yoga, pranayama or other exercise program.
All contents copyright 2001-2012 Timothy Burgin and Yogabasics.com. All rights reserved. Om shanti peace.
Please consult your health care practitioner before starting a yoga, pranayama or other exercise program.
All contents copyright 2001-2012 Timothy Burgin and Yogabasics.com. All rights reserved. Om shanti peace.
