Asanas Flashcards
Tadasana Meaning
Mountain Pose
Tadasana Modifications/Contraindications
Low blood pressure (blood pools in lower half if held too long), pregnancy (keep feet hip distance or wider), knock knees (bring heels slightly apart)
Tadasana pronunciation
Ta-DAH-sa-na
Tadasana position
Stand with feet hip-width apart and arms at sides
Tadasana cues
Posterior pelvic tilt (cat tilt), whole foot engaged, elongate torso towards sky, shoulder blades down
Tadasana function
Aligns body, teaches correct standing, increases awareness, steadies the breath
Tadasana key muscular/skeletal actions
Legs straight and hips towards posterior tilt, core strong and lifted
Tadasana kramas
Forward fold, stepping back into a lunge, standing balancing poses
Tadasana release valves
Poor posture (head or shoulders hunched forward), anterior pelvic tilt
Ardha Chandrasana I Meaning
Half Moon I
Ardha Chandrasana I modifications/contraindications
Neck problems (don’t look upward, look straight ahead and keep neck evenly long), use the wall for balance, block to help with arm length
Ardha Chandrasana I Position
Balancing with weight on one leg, same side arm is on the ground. Floating leg is lifted to hip height and rotated out, floating arm is above head
Ardha Chandrasana I Cues
Extend actively through lifted leg without hyperextending or locking knee, beginners to keep hand on hip and head in neutral position, looking forward. Shoulders over shoulders and hips over hips
Ardha Chandrasana I Function
Improves coordination and balance, improves digestion, strengthens lower body and spine
Ardha Chandrasana I Key muscular/skeletal actions
Strong balancing leg, core strong, lifted foot active and dorsiflexed, lengthen tailbone to raised heel
Ardha Chandrasana I Kramas
Standing forward fold, warrior I, II, or III, standing splits, triangle
Ardha Chandrasana I Release Valves
Too much weight in balancing arm, chest collapsed, not energetic in balancing leg/foot
Ardha Chandrasana I Pronunciation
Ar-DA Chan-DRAH-sa-na
Uttanasana meaning
Standing forward fold
Uttanasana Pronunciation
OOO-tah-nah-sah-na
Uttanasana Modifications/Contraindications
Lower back pain (avoid or bend knees), hamstring or knee injuries (avoid), high blood pressure (avoid)
Uttanasana position
Feet hip width apart, bent over at the hip with head arms hanging down
Uttanasana cues
Exhale and bend forward from the hips, bend knees slightly, kneecaps up and sit bones to the sky, weight forward into balls of fee
Uttanasana function
Stretches back and hamstrings, increases blood flow to brain, increases flexibility of hip joint
Uttanasana key muscular/skeletal actions
Quads contracted, balance on the ball of the foot, hamstrings relaxed and head relaxed
Uttanasana kramas
Mountain pose, downward dog, half fowards fold, step back into lunges or plank
Uttanasana release valves
Straightening knee and feeling pain in it, not keeping core strong as you swan dive down
Vrksasana meaning
Tree pose
Vrksasana pronunciation
Vrik-SAH-shana
Vrksasana modifications/contraindications
Arthritis/vertigo (avoid), use wall as support, namaste at chest, tripod foot
Vrksasana position
One balancing leg, the other with foot resting on inside of thighs, arms raise above head and touching
Vrksasana cues
Standing leg strong with muscles engaged, bring other foot up and place on inside of thigh, open hip and knee
Vrksasana function
Balancing
Vrksasana key muscular/skeletal actions
Balancing leg muscles are engaged
Vrksasana kramas
Mountain pose, stepping back into a lunge, warrior III
Vrksasana release valves
Not keeping core strong and dumping into lower back, not keeping balancing leg strong
