After moving through Equanimity, the balance postures, in the practice, it is time to feel more grounded through our feet and mind. This part of the practice continues the longer holds and slowing of the breath. The postures we go through this part of the sequence focus particularly on stretching of the inner thighs and hamstrings. It helps to create focus and calms the nervous system.
Triangle
Triangle creates length through the legs and spine. This helps to create openness and connection to your body. If your neck bothers you in this pose, you do not need to look at your top hand. You can either look straight ahead or down at your foot. This will help to reduce any tension that you may experience in your neck. It is important to remember to keep your quadriceps engaged during this pose to protect from over stretching of the hamstrings. Another thing to note is that some people may experience back pain here. If this is the case, be sure to have your bottom hand lifted higher and to engage your abdominal muscles.
Alignment:
- Front foot at 12 o’clock
- Back foot parallel with the back edge of your mat
- Heel to heel alignment
- Feet are five to six feet apart from each other
- Bottom hand rests on block or shin/knee – be sure to not have a lot of weight on this hand
- Top arm reaches towards ceiling
- Pull low ribs into belly
Modifications:
- Bend front knee
- Bottom hand can be on thigh or chair, particularly if hamstrings are tight
- Top hand on hip
Benefits:
- Stretches hamstrings and inner thigh muscles
- Stretches side of back
Side facing wide legged forward fold
This pose is a mouth full, and in class you might just hear wide legged forward fold. This pose can sometimes feel scary as we shift a lot of weight into the balls of the feet. It is important to keep your legs engaged here by tightening your quads and squeezing your inner thighs towards each other to maintain stability. This pose helps again to calm the nervous system.
Alignment:
- Feet are 5 to 6 feet apart
- Feet are pointed in towards each other
- Chest folds down towards thighs
- Hands rest on mat in line with feet
Modifications:
- Hands on block
- Bend knees
- Bring feet closer together
Benefits:
- Stretches hamstrings and inner thigh muscles
- Creates more space in the mid back to expand your breath
Namaste front facing forward fold
This forward fold releases muscles in the backs of your legs and opens up the front of the shoulders. It also provides a stretch to your wrists which will help with upcoming backbends. This pose can feel a lot on the shoulders, so please see modifications for what you can do with your arms below.
Alignment:
- Bring feet 3 feet apart
- Face both foot at 12 o’clock
- Feet are hip width distance apart
- Maintain hips pointing in one direction
- Spine is long
- Torso folds towards front legs
- Hands press together behind back in reverse prayer position
- Draw shoulder blades towards each other
- Lift elbows up
Modifications:
- Grab opposite elbows or bring fists together
- Bend front knee
- Place hands on block
Benefits:
- Stretches hamstrings of front leg
- Stretches calf muscles of back leg
- Stretches front of shoulders
Twisting Triangle
This pose can be one of the more difficult poses of the practice. We don’t regular twist our torso in the opposite direction of our hips, so it isn’t a very natural pose. It is incredibly beneficial to do this twisting motion because our mid backs become stiff from the sitting that we do throughout the day. If you have hamstrings that are tighter, this pose becomes even more difficult. It is important to remember to keep a slight bend in your front knee to give yourself space to twist.
Alignment:
- Bring feet 3 feet apart
- Face both foot at 12 o’clock
- Feet are hip width distance apart
- Maintain hips pointing in one direction
- Spine is long
- Bottom hand on ground
- Top hand reaches towards ceiling
Modifications:
- Bend front knee
- Bottom hand on a block
- Shorten stance
Benefits:
- Stretches hamstrings
- Increases mobility through mid back