Dear yogis ! I offer you a series of articles devoted to the analysis of the core, in my opinion, asanas in Hatha yoga.
My partner PinkyYogi will help you visualize these poses :)
Description of poses will include :
1. All asanas are grouped according to the positions in which they are performed (standing, sitting, lying on your back, hand balances, forward bends, back bends, etc.). Each asana will have a separate article.
2. Each article will reflect:
- name of the pose in English/Sanskrit,
- performance and alignment of asana,
- typical errors,
- modifications,
- positive effects,
- contraindications.
Standing poses
Chair pose (Utkatasana)
Performance and alignment:
Performance of the pose start with Tadasana. Feet together and pressed into the floor. Shift your weight on your heels and tilt your pelvis back as if you are sitting on a chair. As you do this, bend your knees until they are above your toes. The angle is approximately 90 degrees. Engage core muscles, twisting pelvis so that there is no deflection in the lumbar back. Touch the floor with fingers and stretch arms up and feel them and lateral muscles of the body stretched. Arms, head, body, and pelvis form one straight line. Look straight ahead. In Ashtanga yoga look at your hands (Drishti), but be careful with the curve in your cervical spine.
Typical errors:
- heels are not grounded
- knees protrude too far above the toes
- deflection in the lumbar region
- muscles of arms and body are not stretched (arms should not form "a roof of the house")
- protrusion of the thoracic region forward
- keeping pelvis too close to the floor
- knees pushing on each other
Modifications:
Performing the asana at the wall. Lean against the wall in tadasana, slide down the wall, while bending legs and moving them away from the wall forward. As soon as knees are about 90 degrees and the knees do not come out for toes, body is pushed forward with the arms extended up. Thus, the only point of support with the wall will be pelvis.
Performing the asana on the edge of a chair. As an option it is worth doing for training pelvic, body and arm muscles, because less pressure is felt in legs. Upper body alignment requires special attention.
Performing the asana with your arms outstretched to the side or in front of you. For those people who have problems with their shoulders and arm flexibility.
Positive effects:
- strengthening muscles of the thighs, back and core
- strengthening knees
- stretching muscles of arms and side muscles of torso
Contraindications:
- knee problems
