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
“Rules” for the ordering of standing poses
Easiest to hardest
Bent knee before straight leg positions
Wide leg before legs together
“Rules” for External > Asymmetrical > Symmetrical
Sequence from most accessible to most challenging
Externally rotated poses stretch the sides of the body and more accessible - require less flexibility on hamstrings
Asymmetrical poses are more demanding on the hips and hamstrings
Symmetrical poses give students time to breath and center before peak pose
Linking poses
Do not link more than 3 poses in any one sequence
Component Parts
Specific areas of the body, How the body is positioned in space
Component Parts for backbends
Shoulder flexion/extension
Scapular upward rotation/downward rotation
Thoracic extension
Abdominal engagement
Upper Thoracic Wheel
Lower Thoracic Wheel
Pelvic Wheel
Preparatory Poses
Prepares the body and mind for the peak pose
Transitional poses
Begins cool down, moves body gradually in opposite direction from peak pose (twisting poses)
Counter poses
Part of cool down and are opposite of peak pose
Counter actions
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
Simple actions
Can’t be overdone - relax the jaw
Name one asana to assess whether a student is ready for sirsasana (headstand)? What are you looking for?
Dolphin
Can they fully straighten their arms
Can they externally rotate their upper arms
Can they lift up and out of shoulders
In a sequence which comes first Vira 2 or Trikonasana
Vira 2 because of bent knee (both are externally rotated poses)
In a sequence which comes first Vira 2 or Pavritta Trikonasana (twisting triangle)
Vira 2 because externals come before asymetrical neutrals
In a sequence which comes first Vira 1 or Trikonasana
Trikonasana
In Salamba Savasana (Headstand) what is rebounding when uppers arms are Rooting Down
Rebound Torso, Sternum, Legs, Feet
What is at risk with Prasarita Padottanasana (Intense Spread Leg Stretch)
Hamstrings and Low Back
What actions are the arms doing in Sirasana (Headstand)
Forearms are pressing down, Biceps spin toward the wall
What actions are the shoulders doing in Sirasana (Headstand)
Lifting away from the ears
What are the cues for Wheels of Motion
Upper Thoracic: Lift the sternum AND draw shoulder blades into the back
Lower Thoracic: Lift the back ribs AND soften the front ribs
Pelvic Wheel: Lift the front hip points AND release the tailbone down
Name a counter action for the pelvis in Tadasana
Spin the inner thighs in and back AS YOU release the tailbone down
How loud is Ujjay breath
Soft whisper
What is a classic counter pose for Sirasana
AMS
Define Simple Action. Give an example.
An action that can’t be overdone - relax the jaw
Define Complementary Action, give example.
A pair of actions that create the same effect on the body and move the body in one direction
Engage the quads AND straighten the legs
What are the 3 things that shoulders are doing in Sirsasana (headstand)?
Draw shoulders away from the ears
Firm shoulder blades in toward the back ribs
Spread across the collarbones
Name two prep poses for Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Facing Bow))
Salabhasana (Locust), Bhujangasana (Low Cobra)
What is the english word for Adho Mukha Svanasana
Downward Facing Dog
What is the english word for Vrksasana
Tree Pose
What is the english word for Sukhasana
Contented Space Pose or Easy Seat Pose
