Study Sheet Asana Flashcards
Points for Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Hands shoulder width apart, wrists parallel to front of mat
- Press down evenly through the base of each finger and the entire circumference of each palm
- Firm the triceps in as you press the biceps out
- Press the shoulder blades in and spread the collarbones
- Draw the front ribs towards your frontal hip points.
- Relax the face and jaw
- Lengthen equally through the front and back body, making sure the front ribs don’t collapse
- Draw the pelvis back and away from the shoulders and up off of the legs
- Press the thighs back as you lengthen through the top of the sternum
- Press the heels toward the floor
Points for Inversions
- Align the “3 Platforms”
- Shoulder Girdle - Broaden across the collarbones, press shoulder blades into back, keep the front ribs soft
- Pelvic Girdle - Neutral pelvis, draw inner thighs in, release the buttocks toward the heels
- Feet and Ankles - feet overhead in Tadasana feet
- Root down thru the base and rebound up thru the torso, sternum, legs and feet.
General points for standing poses
- Ground down through all four corners of feet- lift inner ankles up and firm outer ankles in.
- Lift knees and engage quadriceps
- Lift frontal hip points to lower front ribs & lengthen sitbones to heels
- Broaden collarbones and roll shoulders back
What are the 3 platforms and what do they protect
Feet/ankles protects neck
Pelvis protects lumbar spine
Shoulder girdle protects cervical spine
Counter Actions for Platforms in Tadasana
Feet & Ankles: Lift the inner arches AS YOU draw the outer ankles in
Pelvic girdle: Spin the inner thighs back AS YOU release the tailbone down
Shoulder girdle: Lift sternum, broaden collarbones, draw the shoulder blades into the back AS YOU soften the front ribs
Which four body landmarks align vertically in standard Tadasana or Sirsasana alignment?
Ankle
Hips
Shoulders
Ears
A.S.E.
Creates stability and a safe posture
Align from ground up
Stabilize the bones in that position
Elongate to expand into the posture
Position vs Action in poses
Position describes how body parts are arranged in space (anatomical position)
Actions are the conscious effort to move to the body in a particular direction (muscular contraction)
Types of actions
Simple Action: can’t be overdone - relax the jaw
Counter Action: A pair of actions presented together to create coordinated effort in the body from two opposing directions (AS YOU) - Lift the inner arches AS YOU draw the outer ankles in
Complimentary Action: Pair of actions presented together “AND” that move the body in the same direction - engage the quads and straighten the leg
What does Root and Rebound mean?
Ground down and energetically lift up
3 step process to get from Vira 1 to Vira 2
Heel toe the front foot so that the heel aligns with the arch of the back foot
Maintaining the alignment of the center of the knee with the second toe, turn the pelvis and torso so that the chest faces the side of the room.
Maintaining the external rotation of the front thigh at the hip, open the back foot slightly.
What is at risk in Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
Knees
What pose do we start with for beginners
Savasana
What poses do we avoid with beginners
Seated Poses. Majority of class is standing poses - one at a time
Poses contraindicated during pregnancy
Belly down poses, Deep Backbends, Deep twists & closed twists, advanced inversions, advanced pranayama
Restorative Yoga Requirements
Warmth, comfort, darkness, quiet.
Hold poses 5 - 20 minutes
Must use props
Savasana Variations
Boster under knees and head on blanket
Lie on side with bolster
Belly down with blanket for head
Weighted blanket on thighs with bolster and blanket for head
Feet against the wall
Feet supported by bolster on blocks
Name one transition pose for Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Facing Bow)
Constructive Rest
Name 3 actions for legs in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Down Dog)
Thighs pressing back
Heels pressing toward the floor
Knees can be bent