Yoga Gurus

VIII PARSVOTTANASANA • INTENSE SIDE STRETCH POSTURE Parsva=side Uttana=intense stretch 1. Inhale, jump feet out 3 ft apart, right foot parallel to edge of mat (90 degrees) left heel turned in (left foot at a 45-60 degree angle). 2. Exhale, hands in prayer behind back, turn hips to right, lift kneecaps. 3. Inhale, look up, open chest. 4. Exhale, press palms together not clasping thumbs or fingers, stretch out and then down, bend from the hips forward over right leg, bring chin toward shin. Pull right hip back so hips are parallel, lift elbows. Drishti : 2nd toe of extended foot. Hold for 5-8 breaths. 5. Inhale, come up. 6. Exhale , turn hips to left, reverse feet. 7. Inhale, open chest, look up and back. 8. Exhale, bend forward over left leg. Hold 5-8 breaths. 9. Inhale, come up. 10. Exhale, hop to Samasthiti. Modified posture: hold elbows behind back instead of hands in prayer, stay at half way down position with head up, spine straight.

Practice Surya namaskara B Begin in Samasthiti, equal standing 1. Inhale, bend knees, lift arms, palms together over head, gaze at thumbs. 2. Exhale, straighten legs to a forward bend, Uttanasana, gaze at nose. 3. Inhale, head up, lengthen spine, gaze at third eye. 4. Exhale, jump back to Chaturanga Dandasana. 5. Inhale, lift chest, head back to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, upward facing dog, gaze at sky. 6. Exhale, lift hips to downward facing dog, Adho Mukha Svanasana, gaze toward navel. 7. Inhale, right foot forward, left heel turned inward. Virabhadrasana, lift arms, palms together. Right knee bent, left leg straight with back foot pressed into floor. Gaze at thumbs. 8. Exhale, back to Chaturanga Dandasana. 9. Inhale, upward facing dog, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana 10. Exhale back to downward dog. 11. Inhale, left foot forward, right foot turned in at an angle, Virabhadrasana; lift arms above head, gaze to thumbs, left knee bent. 12. Exhale back to Chaturanga....

Ritual Connects Us To The Absolute By tradition, at dawn, the yogis practiced greeting the sun with a salutation. A yoga session is incomplete without it. An ideal exercise to get you moving, Surynamaskara welcomes the new day, preparing for the asanas, heating up the body, toning up the muscles, quickening and intensifying the respiration and cardiac rhythm. The sun salutation is the foundation of your practice, it establishes the connection of movement and breath, uniting body, mind, and spirit. Not only is the sun salutation a preparation for the rest of your yoga practice, but it is a complete exercise within itself. Suryanamaskara tones up the digestive system by the alternate stretching and compression of the abdominal region. It massages the inner organs, stomach, liver, and spleen. It activates digestion and aids in reducing constipation. Synchronizing breath with movement, the lungs are thoroughly ventilated and the blood oxygenated, creating a detoxifying effect. ...