Peak Pose: Baddha Konasana – Hugger Mugger

I prefer to sequence my asana lessons in an arc. Which means we begin sluggish, work as much as extra difficult poses, after which cool all the way down to an extended, luxurious Savasana. We follow a number of “peak” poses in the midst of the follow. After we consider the idea of a peak pose, we regularly consider excessive backbends and arm balances—poses which can be unattainable for most individuals due to skeletal restrictions. In fact, among the most humble, pedestrian-seeming poses—seated ahead bends—are literally tougher than they seem. Right now, we’ll discover tips on how to sequence a category to work towards Baddha Konasana (Sure Angle Pose) as a peak pose.

Not All Hip Joints Are Made for Baddha Konasana

Baddha Konasana could look easy, however there’s truly loads that should occur for the physique to have the ability to follow it safely. First, you must have a hip joint construction that enables for excessive exterior rotation and abduction. Stretching the apparent muscular tissues—inside thighs, quadriceps, hips and hamstrings—is useful, however for an individual whose hip sockets are positioned extra anteriorly, and particularly if these sockets are deep, no quantity of flexibility will enable the knees to achieve the ground.

So it’s vital to know that getting the knees to the ground just isn’t the purpose. The purpose is to discover a sense of ease and steadiness in no matter pose you’re working towards, it doesn’t matter what it seems to be like. Nonetheless, there are methods to extend the convenience, even when your hip joints will not be made for exterior rotation.

Give attention to Your Backbone

In case your knees are nowhere close to the ground on this pose, it may be most useful to focus in your spinal place as a substitute of your thigh place. When the knees are increased than the anterior superior iliac spines (hip bones), it’s fairly difficult to tilt the pelvis ahead in order that your backbone can keep its pure curves. If so for you, sit on a number of folded yoga blankets, place your palms subsequent to your hips and press down into your blankets to assist tilt your pelvic rim ahead. Until you possibly can bend ahead by main with the pelvis—not the waist—I wouldn’t suggest bending ahead.

Listed here are the actions obligatory for working towards a wholesome Baddha Konasana:

• Exterior rotation
• Abduction (thigh bone extends out from the middle; which means the adductors (inside thigh muscular tissues) want to elongate)
• Impartial backbone (spinal curves are of their pure “S” form)

Prep Poses for Baddha Konasana

With a view to put together the physique for Baddha Konasana, we have to each heat and stretch the muscular tissues that create these actions. In fact, there are many yoga poses that may be useful. I supply some solutions beneath, however it may be a enjoyable exploration to think about poses when it comes to these actions, and add your personal concepts to the sequence. The hyperlinks beneath comprise detailed directions for every pose listed.

Prasarita Padottanasana (Extensive-Legged Ahead Bend Pose)

I like beginning with standing poses as a result of they strengthen (heat) and stretch the leg muscular tissues concurrently. This specific pose focuses in on the inside thighs and hamstrings. If you follow, have interaction the inside thighs by drawing them up towards the hip joints.

Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose)

Warrior poses are robust, warming poses. Warrior II, specifically, helps abduction in each legs and exterior rotation within the bent leg.

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)

Like Warrior II, Trikonasana helps abduction and exterior rotation, but it surely additionally provides hamstring stretching to the combination.

Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)

Ardha Chandrasana helps exterior rotation and abduction, and additional stretches the hamstrings. It additionally warms the muscular tissues of the standing leg.

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Prolonged Hand-to-Huge-Toe Pose)

For those who take a look at this pose, you possibly can see that it’s primarily the identical form as Ardha Chandrasana and Supta Padangusthasana, however with a special orientation to gravity. It additional warms the muscular tissues of the standing leg and helps abduction and exterior rotation.

Ardha Virasana (Half Hero Pose)

Now that you just’ve warmed up your leg muscular tissues, you possibly can start to concentrate on stretching. I like to start out with the quadriceps. In fact, in case your knee feels uncomfortable on this pose, please modify, or skip it. The quads ought to already be fairly warmed up after all of the standing poses, so it’s okay to skip this if it’s problematic on your knees.

Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Huge-Toe Pose)

The primary two variations of this pose (stretching the leg straight upward and stretching it out to the facet), will help launch the hamstrings and the adductors.

Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Ahead Bend Pose)

On this pose, the bent knee is in Baddha Konasana place. It may be useful to stretch the adductors one after the other on this place earlier than making an attempt to stretch each concurrently. Remember to sit on loads of assist in order that your pelvis can provoke the ahead bend.

Upavista Konasana (Seated Angle Pose)

It must be apparent why this pose could be useful for stretching the adductors. It additionally gives a bit extra stretch for the hamstrings.

Baddha Konasana (Sure Angle Pose)

Lastly! Time to follow the height pose. Do not forget that getting the knees to the ground just isn’t vital. As a substitute, probably the most useful motion is to increase the inside thighs outward from the pelvis. As all the time, be sure you have sufficient assist below your hips in order that your backbone could be straight.

Paschimottanasana (Seated Ahead Bend Pose)

A relaxed Paschimottanasana will enable you to transition to an easeful Savasana.

In case you are brief on time, be happy to skip a few of these poses. They’re all supporting of Baddha Konasana, however you don’t essentially must follow all of them to profit.

If you’d like extra data on hip-healthy follow, try this e-book: Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Observe and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third e-book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Crimson Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards.