Virabhadrasana 1

I've been letting this slide recently, but one of my goals of 2009 is to update more regularly. I've got so much info on yoga and scoliosis as well as doing some research into yoga and fibromyalgia (which I was diagnosed with in summer 2008), that I have to share it somewhere and this blog should help me get it into a more coherant order.

So today I'd like to look at Virabhadrasana 1.

This can be quite a hard pose - it puts pressure on the lower back and pelvis both of which are problem areas for people with scoliosis.

The trick here is to use the posture dynamically rather than trying to hold it and create tension in problem areas.

Standing with the big toe joints together turn the left foot out slightly and take a big step forward with the right foot, bringing the hands to the hips to ensure that both hips are pointing to the front of the mat. Then release the arms down by the sides. Stepping forward in this way ensures that your feet are at the appropriate distance for you (as opposed to some assumed distance to create that never to be found "perfection"!)

As you inhale bend the right knee so it is over the right ankle and simultaneously raise the arms alongside the ears, hands should be at least shoulder width apart -- if you feel that the shoulders are raising up the ears or rounding , separate the hands a bit more and slightly bend the elbows or even just raise the arms so they are parrallel with the floor.

Push down with the back heel to really straighten that left leg and lift up out of the hips to release the lower back. As you exhale straighten the leg and release the arms down by the sides.

Repeat 3-5 times before holding the position. When holding, keep remembering that back heel! You might also find it beneficial to hold with the arms out to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing forward, to really open out the chest and release shoulder tension.

Hold for 5 breaths - thinking about:-

• Drawing down with the soles of the feet (esp the back heel)
• Lifting up through the sides of the waist.
• Keeping both hips straight.
• Lifting up through the ribs to elongate the spine
• Lifting the neck out of the shoulders.
  
• Keep looking forward so as not to bring unnecessary pressure on to the neck and lower back.
• Keep releasing the shoulders away from the ears - this may mean having the hands wider than shoulder width apart.

To come out, inhale straightening the leg, exhale releasing the arms and then step back to the back of the mat with the toe joints together again to repeat to the other side.

Maybe not the classical posture, but a lot less strain on the back here!

Asana of the Week - Uttanasana

Forward bends, both seated and standing, can be problematic when you have back conditions, especially scoliosis. Rather than bringing length into the back they can cause compression on the side to which the scoliosis curves and tight hamstrings can just exacerbate the problem. It is usually recommended that standing forward bends be done against the wall for most people with scoliosis, but there is a way of getting a great lower back stretch from a standing forward bend without having to go to the wall.

Stand with the big toe joints together (or a fist width apart if that feels unbalanced) and feel the weight evenly through the soles of both feet.

Inhale, lifting the arms forward and up alongside the ears, lifting the waist out of the hips and the neck out of the shoulders - feel the length is even in both sides of the body/ribcage.

As you exhale, bend the knees a lot (we're concentrating on backs here, not hamstrings - we'll talk about them next week!), stretching forward with the arms, keeping the length in the body as you release abdomen on to the thighs then release the head and neck. Feel the stretch in the lower back. You may feel that the two sides of the back are uneven so stay in position for a breath or too to even out the length.

To come up, inhale and stretch the arms forward again to maintain the length in the sides of the body. Only start to straighten the knees half way through the inhale -- stretching the fingertips up to the ceiling again.

Exhale the arms down by the sides concentrating on maintaining that length.

Repeat 3-5 times to get a really good stretch in the lower back.

And enjoy each breath.

Namaste