From Pashimottanasana, bend your right leg back to bring the right heel to the outside of the right hip. Lift the hips up off the floor slightly and use your hand to roll the right calf out of the way. Ground both sit bones into the floor here. If your quads are tight (as is the case with many runners and cyclists), lift the sit bones by sitting on a blanket or other prop (you can place the blanket underneath both sit bones or just the left one). The right foot should stay on the floor however.

Be respectful of your knees here. Honor any pain that comes up by either adding more height, or finding a different pose to take. It is more important to keep the hips level then to have the sit bones reach the floor. To lengthen the quads, you can spend a little bit of time in Virasana each day. Essentially, we are taking Virasana on just one side here, but the addition of a forward bend can mean we don’t pay as much attention to the folded leg as we should. I therefore recommend taking Virasana on its own until you have lengthened the quads enough to be comfortable and know that you are not endangering your knees. If you have questions, consult with your teacher.

Ground both sitbones and sit up as straight and tall as you can. Keeping awareness on the hips so they stay even, reach forward for the left foot. Try and reach forward first with your belly button (bend from the hips and reach forward with the sternum). Then you can let the head come down a bit (bending slightly from the waist) though keeping your primary focus on lengthening the spine. Try and keep the torso even so that both sides are the same distance away from the floor.

Extend out through the left heel. The left toes and the left kneecap should both be pointing straight up toward the ceiling. Hold in the pose for at least 30 seconds, then switch to the other side and repeat for the same amount of time.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

This relatively simple pose can be deeply satisfying and is an excellent way to cultivate an awareness of your outer hip. (note: There are many different variations that various people call seated pigeon. This is just one of them)

Begin in Dandasa. Bend the left leg and bring the left foot either into the right hand or the inner right elbow. Take the left hand to the knee or if available, wrap the left arm around the leg and clasp hands in front. With both sit bones firmly grounded into the mat, extend through the right heel and press the back of the right thigh into the floor. To begin, draw the middle of the shin in toward the sternum so that the left shin is perpendicular to the right leg.

Sit up as tall as you can and stay open across the front of the shoulders. You want to avoid slouching in the lower back as this can put strain on the spine and also denies you the stabilizing core work of this pose. If your hamstrings are tight, you can bend the right knee to release the hamstrings, allowing you to sit up straighter.

Since the leg isn’t static here, you can move the knee side to side and even change the angle of the knee to explore different angles of stretch. By exploring different positions you can observe which areas of your outer hip are open and mobile and which areas feel tight and might need a little extra attention. Developing this awareness in the seated variation can help you find the best angle for you when taking King Pigeon Pose.

Once you find an angle that works for you, stay here for as long as you like, making sure to sit up as tall as you can the entire time. When you are done, switch sides and hold for the same amount of time.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

There are several variations of Sundial with the bottom leg in varying positions. I’ll describe the straight leg variation, though feel free to play around and see what works best for you.

Start in Dandasana. Bend the left leg and bring it in toward the chest. Thread the left arm underneath to take the outer left ankle/ shin with the left hand and take the left foot in the right hand. Pressing the knee back to open up the left hip, work the left shoulder as far underneath as you can, squeezing in with the left thigh to keep the leg high up on the shoulder or upper arm (whatever is accessible for you). I generally like to take a few breaths to open up the hip, moving the knee around a bit before bringing the shoulder underneath, though that is completely up to you. Once you have worked the shoulder underneath, place the left hand on the floor and sit up as straight as you can.

Take the outside of the left foot in the right hand and with an inhale begin to straighten the leg. You do not need to get it all the way straight here. It doesn’t matter. As you lightly pull the left leg in toward the torso, swivel the upper body open to the right and look up underneath the right armpit. Keep the right leg extended, pressing through the heel and keeping the thigh active. Your left sit bone will probably lift off the floor a little bit, which is fine, but see if you can bring a little bit of that weight back to keep the pose stable.

Keep the breath even and steady and stay for as long as you feel comfortable, then repeat on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Gomukasana is a very beneficial pose but one in which there is quite a bit going on. Until you get comfortable with the pose, I recommend taking just the leg and then just the arm portion of the pose until you feel ready to put them both together.

Start in Dandasana, then bring the knees in toward the chest and place the feet on the floor. Slide the left leg under the right, bending the knee to place the left foot to the outside of the right hip. Bend the right leg to bring the right foot to the outside of the left hip, stacking the knees. For this version of the pose, you can deepen the hip stretch by moving the feet away from the hips or bringing them closer to relieve a bit of the stretch, but keep both feet about the same distance away from it’s associated hip. Keep both sit bones grounded into the mat evenly.

Taking the right arm around the back, and bend the elbow so that the back of the hand rests on the back with the fingers pointing up toward the neck. Reach the left arm straight up with the palm facing back, then bend the elbow to bring the left hand to meet the right. If possible, clasp the fingers together. You can always use a strap here if needed, walking the hands closer together until you are able to hook the fingers. Extend the left elbow up toward the ceiling, opening the armpit. The rule of thumb here is that whichever leg is on top is the same side as the arm that is on the bottom (i.e. right leg on top, right arm underneath and vice versa).

Try and make sure that you are not excessively curving the lower back. Tuck the tailbone a bit if you find this happening to restore the natural curve of the spine. If there is any pain in the knees, back out and find a more comfortable angle for the legs. If the hips are too tight, this pose can put excess strain on the knees, which is obviously undesirable.

Stay in Gomukasana for at least 30 seconds, then switch sides (both legs and arms) and repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

There are several variations of Baradvajasana. The one we are describing is usually called Baradvajasana 2. This is an excellent pose for people with limited hip flexibility or those with back issues as it is much easier on the lower back than many other twists.

Begin in Dandasana. Leaning slightly to the right, bend the left leg and place the left foot just outside the left hip. Some people like to reach back here and roll the calf out to make more room for the thigh. Bend the right leg to either place the sole of the right foot on the left knee, or bring the right foot into half lotus (as in above picture). The thighs should make roughly a 90 degree angle.

Maintaining as straight of a spine as possible begin to twist to the right. Take the left hand to the outside of the right knee, then reach around the back with the right hand to bind (either taking the inner left thigh or whatever convenient clothing you can grab if the right foot is at the left knee, or taking the right foot or a strap if you are taking the half bound lotus version). The left sit bone has a tendency to lift here, which is fine to begin the twist, though once you have found your bind, work to ground the sit bone back toward the floor.

Rotate the right thigh inward and see if you can extend the thigh bone out of the hip socket (This is a subtle adjustment but can help protect the knee in the long run). Draw the shoulder blades lightly down the back and look over the right shoulder as you broaden across the front of the chest. Continue to lengthen the spine with each inhale. After a number of breaths here, you can turn your head to look over the left shoulder to the left foot, stretching the right side of the neck.

Stay here for as long as you like, then repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Start in Tadasana with the feet about a foot apart. With the knees slightly bend, bend down and work the left shoulder as far underneath the left leg as you can. The higher the knee is on the shoulder, the better. Place the left hand to the outside of the left foot from behind and the right hand to the outside of the right foot from in front.

Bending the knees even more, lean forward to bring the torso parallel to the floor. Begin to transfer weight onto the hands. As the feet gently lift off the floor, cross the right foot over the left. Lift the torso up slightly and begin to extend the legs over to the left. As the legs go to the left, bend the elbows to the sides and lean the torso forward. Since the legs are moving to the left, you will need to lean the torso slightly to the right to counterbalance. The right shoulder will most likely drop a bit, which is fine, but dropping it too much can make it difficult to hold the balance. Try and squeeze the legs into the left upper arm and use this leverage to rotate the torso slightly back to the right.

Hold for at least 20-30 seconds, then repeat on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

The handstand is one of my favorite (OK, my favorite) pose, and an entire art unto itself in the circus world. Handstands can be intimidating for a lot of people, but with a few things in mind, they need not be. I’ll start with beginning variations and work my way forward from there.

Most people will take the handstand against the wall to begin. Place the hands as close to the wall as you can and shoulder width apart (you might start with the hands 3-4 inches away then work your way in as you begin to feel more comfortable). Bring one leg forward bending it slightly, then pressing through the hands and keeping the arms straight, kick up with the opposite leg, followed closely by the leg you just pushed off of. The elbows should stay as locked as possible and the shoulders should press up toward the ears, taking the head as far away from the floor as possible. Point the toes and firm the glutes. Look back an inch or two behind the palms or even straight back to the opposite wall. Tuck the tailbone as you try to take any curve out of the back. Staying connected to your core is key to finding stability and ease in this pose. We are looking to eventually create a straight line from the hands to the shoulders, through the spine to the hips and all the way to the feet.

For many people, a lack of openness in the shoulders prohibits them from maintaining this straight line. If this is you, the best thing you can do for your handstand is to work on opening up the shoulders (in downward dog or against a wall). If you have a chair and a friend who can help you, you can kneel on the floor with your arms extended and the hands on the chair while your friend gently presses down on your shoulders. Be sure to keep your tailbone tucked so this stays a shoulder stretch and not just a backbend. Once you are open enough in the shoulders to create this straight line, it actually requires a lot less strength to maintain your handstand than in the beginning when you are fighting against this shoulder inflexibility.

There are a couple of good ways to help find a straight line in the body. If you lay down on your back with the arms extended and lift the arms and the legs about half an inch away from the floor while looking toward the toes, this is basically the position we are looking for in handstand. When you get comfortable facing away from the wall in your handstand, try facing in. Placing the hands on the floor a couple feet away from the wall, walk the feet up the wall and walk the hands in until you can touch your nose to the wall (try and touch just the feet and the nose, with the rest of the body slightly off the wall). I recommend being comfortable rolling out of a handstand before trying this, but if you are, this is a great way to ensure that you are not arching the back.

The second thing you can do is to stand with your back against the wall with the arms by your side and the heels together and right at the wall. Press the lower back firmly into the wall (essentially tucking the tailbone), then slowly start to raise the arms out in front, letting the backs of the hands get as close to the wall as you can while still maintaining contact between the lower back and the wall. When you find where your edge is, stay there trying to maintain this contact while pressing the arms up. Stay for one minute. Rest, then repeat. If you do this every day, you will greatly improve your handstands.

Once you can comfortably hold a handstand against the wall for 30 seconds, you are ready to move to the middle of the room. Many people stay reliant on the wall and never progress from this point. If you want to go further however, you must get away from the wall. Kicking up is fine, though it is less controlled than tucking up. To tuck up, place the hands on the floor, then with a little hip, pull both knees into the chest, pull the heels into the buttocks and press through the shoulders. Staying tucked brings the center of gravity lower and will help you to find stability in your balance before eventually extending the legs up to the ceiling.

Once you have gotten comfortable with both tucking up and holding a handstand with the legs extended, you will want to practice pressing up into a handstand. The best way to do this is actually to lower down from a handstand. You can tuck up into your handstand, then slowly lower the legs. Try and find your edge and hold for 15 seconds. To begin with, you can tuck down, then straddle the legs as you lower, and finally keep the legs both straight and together as you bring them down. As you practice, you will be able to hold the legs closer and closer to the floor and eventually bring them all the way to touch the floor then back up again.

Of course, once you have mastered the handstand, you can then move on to the one-handed handstand, though we will save that discussion for later

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Begin by laying down on your back. Roll over to the right and extend your right arm out so that there is a straight line from the feet all the way out through the right fingertips. Lift the head, bend the right arm, and then rest the head in the right palm.

Rotate the left thigh out so that the toes point up toward the ceiling (or moving in that direction), then bend the left left leg so that the knee draws back toward the head. Take the big toe with the index and middle finger (you can also use a strap here if you like) and extend the left leg. Press through the left heel to keep the foot strongly flexed.

You want to prevent the top hip from twisting back as much as possible. This twisting action is common in order to relieve the stretch on the inner hip and thigh, but try and resist that. Instead, ground the bottom hip by engaging the glutes and rotators and engage the obliques (internal on the left side and external on the right) to counter the twisting of the top hip. Look for a stretch not only in the hamstrings but in the adductors (the inner thigh) of the top leg. To really get a feel for keeping the hips stacked, you can try the pose with the back against the wall. Try and keep the bottom glutes pressed back into the wall as you raise the top leg.

With steady, even breath, stay in the pose for at least 30 seconds, then roll over and repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

This is a relatively straight forward twist, though there are a few things to keep in mind. Begin by lying down flat on your back. Bring the knees directly over your hips with the shins parallel to the mat and the arms extended out to the sides. Keeping the thighs, knees, and feet together, let the legs drop to the right while keeping both shoulders on the floor. Keep the spine straight and let the gaze move toward the left hand.

If the knees don’t make it all the way down to the floor with a straight back, resist the urge to flex the spine (bending forward at the waist) as this compresses and puts pressure on the lower (lumbar) spine. Instead, place a bolster or blanket underneath the thighs to support your legs, allowing you to maintain a straight line from the pelvic floor through the crown of the head as you twist.

While at least some muscular activity is generally required to hold this pose, try and let go of as much tension as you can, releasing to gravity as much as possible. Let the breath stay even and steady. Stay as long as you like, then repeat for an equal amount of time on the second side.

One thing to note is that while this is called revolved abdomen pose, the majority of the twisting actually takes place in the upper spine. There is very little rotation that can occur below the T-12 vertebra. Most of this and all other spinal twists therefore occurs in the upper spine. While this is the case, the twisting action will still stretch the muscles of the lower torso and hips (including the obliques, oblique muscles of the erector spinae, and the glutes).

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

To begin, come into downward dog. Bring the left foot to the outside of the left arm. Drop the left arm underneath the left thigh, trying to get the arm as far underneath the leg as possible. Bend the elbows and begin to lean forward. Squeeze the left thigh into the torso and then bend the left leg to lift the foot off the floor. At this point, the left thigh should be resting on the upper arm.

Extend the spine as much as you can here. Engage the right leg, extending it back strongly and lifting the back of the knee up to the ceiling. The more you can keep a straight line through the hips the better. Keep the chest lifted and the shoulders level. Imagine that you are reaching forward with the sternum. Distribute your weight evenly between both hands and extend forward, trying to find the balance point where the back leg just lifts off the floor.

Once the back leg is lifted, press back through the ball of the right foot, then squeeze the left leg into the torso again and straighten the left leg. As the leg straightens, try and keep the hips level and extend out from your center. Keep the gaze forward and the breath steady and even.

You can hold as long as you like. To come back, swing the left leg back, pressing through the hands as you jump back to plank. Some people find it easier to bend the left leg first and then try jumping (or floating) back. Flow to downward dog, then repeat on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!