UTTHITA HASTA PADASANA

The Four Primary Asanas

 

1. TADASANA – SAMASTHITI

SAMA EVEN – STHITI

2 Rivers running parallel to each other

PHYSICHAL  CHARACTARISTICS

CLOSED , Grounding UNIFIED, CONTAINER ( bringing all the parts coming together for the container to hold the content) PHYSIOLOGOCAL CHARACTARISTICS; CREATING SPACE WITHIN – BALANCED

MENTAL CHARACTARISTICS

Focused, attentive, one pointedness, many pointedness, mindfulness peaceful. EACH ASANA IS SUBJECTED FROM THE FORCES OF NATURE 5 GREAT ELEMENTS  EARTH WATER FIRE AIR SPACE WORKING WITH THE 3 GUNAS, SANSKRIT  RAJASIC TAMASIC SATTVIC (EG GRAVITY ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY AND NUCLEAR ENERGY.

An asana needs a sense of direction working with it’s gravitational force (in Tadasana centre of Hips) North, South East West Left IDA right PINGALA and Centre Chanel SHUSHUNMA ( The Great SPACE) represented by our Central nervous system canal

The deficiency is in the outer foot 4th & 5th metatarsal, Fibula bone

The ARM deficiency thumb side, align more from index finger base, to the inner armpit eg Handstands, all poses. Gravity falls from armpits and groins. Fingers drop out of hand, stretch phalanges and bring back to metacarpals. Deficiency in leg is Fibula, rotate it forward on side on knee and activate 4 and 5th metatarsal. Big toe back, little toe forward , rotate thighs in to come to the pit of the groin. Hold the 4 major ball sockets at groin and armpit. Gravity falls from there like a waterfall to the ground, keep soft. Toes should stretch forward, metatarsals down and back to the ankle and heel, keep thumb soft

ROLL YOUR LEGS IN INSIDE OUT – OUTSIDE IN

SPREAD YOUR FEET- SPREAD THE SKIN WEIGHT SHOULD BE DISTRIBIUTED EVENLY ON THE FEET

LIKE 4 WHEELS OF A CAR OR THE TRIPOD from THE BALL OF THE FOOD TO THE OUTER BLADE OF THE FOOT AND TO THE INNER HEEL Find the INNER ARCH ON THE OTER 4&5th Metatarsals

Base of ULNA align base of index finger with INNER ARMPIT

BE SOFT IN THE SHOULDERS DECEND DOWN, but don’t collapse, keep them down away from ears

Shoulder blades down and in to LIFT THE CHEST or else the lungs will collapse and drop

Open COLLAR BONES-DASHBOARD from inside, roll back, shoulders back, but SIDE RIBS Forward

TAILBONE IN AND DOWN

PLUM LINE FROM CROWN OF THE HEAD TO THE CENTRE OF THE PERENIUM

TOP FRONT OF BODY FALLS FORWARDS AND DOWN, Lift from fingers arms to shoulder tips

Outer elbows in to inner etc

BACK BODY OF THE LEGS FALLS BACK Extend from crease of the buttocks to the crease of the ankle, stretch a line there and, hamstrings and quadriceps holding thigh bone, calve muscles and shin bones, press the 4 wheels of the base of foot and centre heal, FRONT KNEE IN

THE NECK SHOULD BE SOFT AND IN LINE ON THE BACK OF CREASE OF BUTOCK AND ANKLE LINE

C7 above the sacrum  – Press the feet -Ground the pubis- Ground the heart- Ground the ankles

HEAD OF THE STERNUM IN LINE WITH T2, HOOK DOWN AND UP THE UPPER THICK VERTEBRAES OF THE THORACIC, TRAPEZIUIS DOWN AND LIFT THE UPPER CHEST STERNUM

2. UTTHITA HASTA PADASANA

SAMA

Contained but in a wide pose- even pose Symmetrical 2 Rivers flowing away from each other from the source

Open WIDE open hips open shoulders blades down and in trapezius down – HORIZONTAL FRAME

Stable grounded Resistance should be even on both feet eg press evenly both feet

Inner thighs opening

Mind attentive broad horizontal expansive dual focused on Left and Right, East and West North and South

EYES the PELVIS open

Ping the little toe out

ZIP ZIP ZIP

3. UTTHITA PARSVA HASTA PADASANA

PARSVA

Turn to the side- LATERAL POSES

NOT SAMA but has similar characteristics but Asymmetrical so need to do both sides

Mental energy is more than wide PANORAMIC LATERAL

Stretching from left to right etc. One river flows at 90 degrees away from the other

MOBILITY VERSUS STABILITY – RESISTANNCE in the BACK FOOT for mobility of front leg hip

ANCHOR the BACK LEG, DRIVE the FRONT LEG

CRISS CROSS HIPS AND BUTTOCKS, drive the fornt hip to the back hip PIN THE HIPS eg TRIKONASANA

STANDING POSES; STRNGHTEN THE LEGS – STABILIZE THE PELIS which includes the base of the spine

4. UTTHITA PARIVRITTA HASTA PADASANA

REVOLVING

SCISSOR ACTION- TWIST

TWO OPPOSING FORCES Scissor action  RESTISTANCE between the front and back leg

ANCHOR the BACK LEG, DRIVE the FRONT LEG

PATRIPRAKSHAHA two forces flowing into each other 2 Opposing forces

Reference YOGA SUTRAS 2nd PADA- SADHANA PADA

Beginning of twists action torque at the hip sacrum region to align the spine

Posted in Understanding Iyengar Yoga.