Category: Basic Movement

  • Limitations

    I’ve been playing around with stick-figures that are used to describe Yoga asana (postures). I am experimenting with an application that will make it possible to easily illustrate quality stick figures – and then use those figures to describe practice sequences (here’s an example). Inevitably this is leading me into an in depth examination of…

  • Pratikriyasana: Counter Postures

    Physical postures used in asana practices usually involve placing the body in unusual (compared to the day-to-day demands) positions. Though much attention is placed on the physical aspects, asana and practice sequences can (be designed) to have physical, mental, emotional and energetic effects. Counter postures are in some ways “resting postures” – they are practiced…

  • Jihva Bandha – Tongue Lock

    Bandhas seem like a very popular topic amongst western Yoga practitioners. Bandhas are “locks” that are used to effect the flow of energy in the body. Energetically, bandhas are effective and relevant when there is already a good flow of energy. But bandhas have another quality which can be useful for almos all practices and…

  • Integration through Assymetric Postures

    My current practice includes numerous assymetric postures. These are postures in which one side of the body is placed in a different position then the other. They are usually performed in sequences in which both sides of the body are practiced – either in alternating form or in separate sets of movement. One of the…

  • Movement after Meditation

    Yoga asana (physical postures) practices are very helpful in preparing the body for seated meditations in which the body is usually placed in an unnatural static position in which legs are folded to form a base and the back is held erect. Regardless of preparation, static sitting places certain stresses on the body. Such stresses,…

  • A Yoga Sequence for Everyone

    The following images/animations depict a short sequence anyone can do. Repeat each posture 4 times – which should take a few minutes (over time you may want to increase this to 6 or even 8 repetitions of each posture). The postures are accessible and yet each one has much depth to explore. It is a…

  • Yoga Asana: Savasana

    Savasana (corpse posture) is a simple looking asana. Lie down on your back, legs straight and released so they fall slightly to the sides, arms alongside the body, palms turned up – and you are physically arranged in Savasana. It is a resting posture that can be visited numerous times during a practice. Savasana is…

  • Yoga & Breath – Directional Breathing & Forward Bends

    A wonderful relationship between directional breathing and movement is revealed in forward bends – especially in seated forward bends. It is not my intention to delve into the expansive realm of seated forward bends at this point. I do want to help you to create an opportunity for effectively experiencing bending. To do so I…

  • Yoga & Breath – Directional Breathing & Movement

    In this articles we will be taking a step that may appear small at first, but without it, it would be difficult to move forward and take the next step. My wish is to bring closer together the ideas of directional breathing & movement. The explanation about directional breathing focused on the torso – the…

  • Soft Movement

    A reflex is something that happens quickly before you are conscious of it. Anatomically it is a process that occurs in the nervous system without reaching the brain: (1) A designated sensory neuron sends a signal to a neuron junction in the spine; (2) another motor neuron linked to the same neuron junction, carries the…

  • Bend Your Knees

    When practicing Yoga asana you have a choice of giving priority to the periphery of the body (arms & legs) or the core of the body – specifically the back (or to be even more specific – the spine). The spine is a central channel for the nervous system – it connects the brain to…

  • Yoga Asana: Dvipada Pitham

    The name Dvipadapitham literally means “two foot support”. It is a fairly involved asana because almost all parts of the body are involved in some kind of movement. The starting point for the posture is lying on the back with the arms alongside the body, the legs bent at the knees and the feet on…

  • Yoga Asana: Apanasana

    Apanasana is a very accessible posture. If you have very little time to practice – this is a great posture to do. Lying down on your back, bend your knees and bring them over your chest, placing a hand just above each knee. As you inhale let the knees move away from the chest (up…

  • Arm Placement in Yoga Asana

    I touched on placement of the arms when I introduced the idea of coordinated breath and movement. I would like to revisit this with some images to reinforce some of the fine points as a preparation and reference for upcoming posts on postures. The base posture for this explanation will continue to be lying on…

  • Neck Placement in Yoga Asana

    The neck is the most mobile part of the spinal column – it can twist and bend extensively. Therefore it is also sensitive and fragile and deserves caring attention. This article will focus on movement with the head centered – which is where it is most of the time (in life and in practice). It…

  • Twisted Learning

    My lower-back and shoulders carry and give voice to many of my fears and frustrations. My shoulders get stiff and my lower back becomes sensitive (if I am not careful with it, sensitivity becomes pain). The past few days have been like this and I’ve been practicing accordingly. I try to practice twice a day:…

  • Yoga & Breath – Movement in Breath

    There is wonderful potential for refinement of the relationship breath and movement. One concept that opens up endless potential for refined practice is to place movement within the breath. Breath becomes a sheath, a kind of wrapping in which movement takes place. To demonstrate the idea we will use the simple posture that has brought…

  • Sitting in Yoga

    Having a good seated posture is very useful in Yoga. As your practice develops you may find yourself sitting for breathing and meditation practices. In this article we will work our way through a series of sitting variations – starting from a classic seated pose and then progress through more accessible variations. You may use…

  • Yoga & Breath – Locational Breathing & Movement

    Now that we have a familiar basic movement and some experience of locational ujjayi breathing, we can try to bring the two together and create a complete experience of breathing and movement. Revision We will be using the same movement we used when we first introduced movement – raising the hands above the head. A…

  • Yoga & Breath – Movement

    Now that we have a basic Ujjayi breath to work with – let’s try to make a simple connection with movement. We are going to be using a very simple exercise to demonstrate this. The simplicity of the exercise is leaves space to explore the subtle relationship between breath and movement – I invite you…