Utthan Pristhasana - Lizard

HAPPY HIP OPENERS
Although you could argue that most yoga poses are hip openers, Utthan Pristhasana/Lizard gives the opportunity for a deep hip opening. The hip muscles can get very tight from sitting for long periods of time, or from sports that repeatedly contract these muscles, and can lead to a shortened stride or lower back issues. Utthan Pristhasana/Lizard helps relieve this issue and is a perfect pose for runners, cyclists, desk sitters and for anyone looking to increase hip mobility and freedom in everyday life.

The hip joint is made of a ball shape at the top of the leg bone (femur) and a socket shape at the base of the pelvis (acetabulum). This creates a ‘ball and socket’ joint that gives a wide range of movement to the hips. Within this range there are some directions the femur moves with more range than others. You can lift your leg up to an average height of 130 degrees but you can only extend your leg back to an average of 25 degrees. In Utthan Pristhasana/Lizard the back leg is extended and the front leg is flexed. When you come into the pose with the right leg forward and the left leg extended back, the front of the left hip is being stretched and the back of the right hip is being stretched. When you repeat the pose on the other side, with the left leg forward, you stretch the alternate sides – meaning both front and back of both hips have been equally stretched. Making Utthan Pristhasana/Lizard a great all round hip opener for both the front and back of the hips. That is why you will see in the benefits list below that it stretches and strengthens a lot of the same muscles.

THE BENEFITS OF UTTHAN PRISTHASANA/LIZARD
Utthan Pristhasana/Lizard is a standing pose and a deep hip opener. It stretches the hip flexors, glutes, groins, quads, hamstrings and strengthens core, hip flexors, glutes, groins, quads, hamstrings. As a hip opener it reduces stress tension and anxiety, increases energising, aids digestion, stimulates the abdominal organs, relieves sciatica and balances the nervous system. As a standing pose it builds heat, increases circulation and stamina.

EXPLORING UTTHAN PRISTHASANA/LIZARD IN YOUR PRACTICE
There are two versions of Utthan Pristhasana/Lizard. The first version, which you will find at the start of each mini flow, is where you keep your back knee down for balance, stay up higher and keep the arms straight. You can repeat this version or try the second version, which you will find at the end of each mini flow, is a deeper hip and groin opener, where you come down onto your forearms and lift the back knee. If you find you are somewhere in between the two you can use the version where you place bricks under the forearms to raise the ground up to meet you for both rounds. Regardless of which version you choose, remember to watch out for over rounding of the upper back and over extension of the neck. If you find your upper back is very rounded try broadening through the collarbones and lengthening through the spine. If this doesnt work then maybe take one of the versions with the chest a bit higher up off the ground. You can also play around with the optimal position for the front foot. Sometimes our anatomy will prevent the front leg from flexing deep enough to bring the hands to the ground when the head of the femur hits its end range with the pelvic socket. You can try placing your front foot at a 45 degree angle and allow the knee to move outwards to give more space for the femur bone to roll in the socket. In Utthan Pristhasana/Lizard gravity will do a lot of the work to drop you into the stretch, for this reason it is very important to make sure you are listening to your hips and stopping before they tell you they are at risk of muscle strain, particularly in the inner groins.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Allow plenty of time for the warm up phase of this sequence. The hips muscles habitually hold tightness in one of the directions for most people. Patience and plenty of breathing as you gently explore the prep and peak pose will serve your hips well.

Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• From Adho Mukha Svanasana, inhale, step your right foot to the outside of your right hand, lower your left knee to the ground.

• Hug your outer hips to the midline, hips squared to the front of the mat, lower your hips down towards the ground.

• Stay here, or for a stronger stretch, lower onto your forearms and lift your left knee. Press out through your left heel to firm the back leg, hips level.

• Press into your right foot and forearms, broaden through the collarbones, lengthen through your spine to the tip of your crown, gaze slightly forward.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - Upwards Facing Dog

SHINE OUR CHEST FORWARD
As part of the Sun Salutations, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward Facing Dog is one of the best known of the backbends. It is the perfect pose to counteract long periods of sitting at a computer, driving or texting on your phone. As long as you are not working with lower back pain it is quite an accessible backbend for all. There are however a few alignment cues that are good to point out if you plan to incorporate it into a Vinyasa flow to ensure you are not sustaining any repetitive injuries. Extension in the wrists beyond 90 degrees can cause irritation to the wrists. Keeping the shoulders stacked over the wrists will help prevent this from happening. With the position of the feet and hands gravity will naturally try to bring the bulk of the bend into the lower lumbar spine. A certain amount of core engagement, particularly the transverse abdominis, is needed to protect the lower spine and ensure the backbend is distributed equally through the whole spine. Similarly if you are not pressing into your hands the shoulders will bunch up around your ears. Drawing your shoulder blades down from your ears and towards each other will gently help press the front ribs forward to expand the chest.

THE BENEFITS OF URDHVA MUKHA SVANASANA/UPWARD FACING DOG
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward Facing Dog is a strong chest opening backbend that works against gravity which makes it very strengthening for the spine. It strengthens the spine, arms, glutes, quads and hamstrings; and stretches the core, hip flexors and chest. As a backbend it improves posture, boosts digestion, the immune system, circulation; eases fatigue, stress, tension, anxiety; and strengthens and maggages the respiratory system.

EXPLORING URDHVA MUKHA SVANASANA/UPWARD FACING DOG IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence starts with Cat/Cow on blocks to help you expand your chest and start to warm up all the shoulder, spine and intercostal rib muscles. You then come to tabletop position to warm up the scapula. Press into your hands to draw the shoulder blades apart on your exhale and then squeeze the space between your shoulder blades, like you are trying to hold a pencil, on your inhale. Take 3-4 rounds of this scapula press. The Vinyasa on the first row is repeated at the end of each of the two standing flows replacing Bhujangasana/Cobra with Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward Facing Dog.When you finally come to your peak pose pause here for 2-3 full breaths and feel the lung expand in this lovely chest opening position. In the final row you will take Purvottanasana/Upward Plank to continue to extend the arms back and reverse gravity to the front of the body.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Before you start, take a few circles of the hands to ensure your wrists are well warmed up and ready to explore this flow. If the wrists fatigue, sit back on your heels and take a few more circles of the wrists. They fatigue quickly but come back to life fast.

Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• From lying prone, place your hands either side of your lower ribs.

• Press into your hands and feet, lift your torso and legs up. Broaden through the collarbones, firm your shoulder blades onto your back.

• Reach your toes back, firm your legs, hug your outer hip to the midline.

• Pull your hands back, draw your sternum forward and up, draw your navel towards your spine. Gaze forward or arch your head back and gaze up.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana - Revolved Crescent Moon

PROPPED OR UNPROPPED TWIST
There are lots of great twisted versions of Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana/Revolved Crescent Moon. In this version you get an extra bit of compression and massage of the organs of the abdominal region with the torso tilted forward. With the lower hand firmly planted on the ground, or a brick, it gives you a surface to press into to facilitate the twist, add the expansion of the top arm. Aided twists, which use the help of the prop of a hand pressing into the ground or an elbow pressing against a knee, help you get a deeper twist that stretches the muscles around the spine and core. Unaided twists, which are twists that work without a prop to facilitate your twist, are more strengthening to the muscles around the spine and core. Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana/Revolved Crescent Moon is an aided twist. We will look at unaided twists too to give you the opportunity to both stretch and strengthen the area.

When we twist we reach the end of our twist by either the muscles ability to stretch and facilitate the twists or when vertebrae bone hits vertebrae bone. When you are coming into a twist, in this sequence or any time you practise a twist, give your spine its best chance to take the twist by deeply inhaling and lengthen the spine, before you exhale into your twist. This way you are opening the space between the vertebrae to twist with.

THE BENEFITS OF PARIVRTTA ASHTA CHANDRASANA/REVOLVED CRESCENT MOON
Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana/Revolved Crescent Moon strengthens the spine, arms, shoulders, hip flexors and quads of the front leg, and the glutes of the back leg. It also stretches the hip flexors and quads of the back leg and the glutes of the front leg. As a standing pose it builds focus, heat, stamina and strength; increases energy, circulation and metabolism, and improves posture and coordination. As a twist pose it aids detoxification, digestion, boosts the immune system, and eases constipation, stress tension and anxiety.

Twists massage all the organs of the abdominal region – aiding maximum nutrition absorption in the digestive system and toxin elimination through the bowel and kidneys. When we twist we constrict the blood flow, and in releasing the twist a surge of blood rushes back – bringing with it a fresh supply of oxygen and flushes out toxins. Other than the obvious benefit of the squeeze to the bowels in elimination, it is more the increase in circulation that twists offer that help to clean the system of the body.

EXPLORING PARIVRTTA ASHTA CHANDRASANA/REVOLVED CRESCENT MOON IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence gives you plenty of versions of Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana/Revolved Crescent Moon. You will start preparing for your peak pose in the first line with Parivrtta Utkatasana/Revolved Chair and will continue to capitalise on the work you have put into your twists by exploring some seated twists at the end of your practice.

As with Ashta Chandrasana/Crescent Moon the temptation is to let the hips sink down with gravity in Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana/Revolved Crescent Moon. This increases your risk of overstretching the muscles around the hip joint. Activating the supporting muscles of the hips, hugging to the midline and keeping the hips level, will give you a more strengthening version of the pose. When we twist in this position there is a natural inclination to allow the hip we are twisting away from to drop down and the hip we are twisting towards to lift up. When you are in your version of the pose, glance at your pointy hip bones and make sure they are still level. You may need to back out of your twist a little to get your hips level again if your twist is pulling your right hip up.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Move slowly through this sequence and give your spine a chance to rejuvenate through the twists and the organs of the body to enjoy the rush of fresh blood as you come out of the twist.

Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• From Adho Mukha Svanasana, inhale, step your right foot just inside your right hand, exhale here.

• Ground your left hand to the left of your right foot, place your right hand on your right knee.

• Inhale, lengthen through the spine, exhale, twist to the right from the waist, reach your right arm up high, palm facing right.

• Broaden through the collarbones, stack your shoulders, bottom waist rolls forward, top waist rolls back, gaze to your right or to your right fingertips.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru