Ashtanga Yoga. Gregor Maehle

we come back to the middle.

      Parivrta Parshvakonasana

      REVOLVED SIDE ANGLE POSTURE

      Drishti Raised hand

      Parivrta Parshvakonasana is not really a posture for beginners, but it can be added in after some proficiency has been gained in Marichyasana C (see page 86). Since we do not return to Samasthiti between Utthita and Parivrta Parshvakonasana, the first vinyasa of Parivrta Parshvakonasana is uncounted.

      

       Parivrta Parshvakonasana

      Vinyasa Two

      Exhaling, shorten the stance slightly and turn the back foot in 45°, as we do in all standing postures where the hips are squared. The right foot is turned out 90°. Keeping the back leg straight, again track the right knee over the right ankle. Squaring the hips, hook the left shoulder outside the right knee (the emptier the lungs are the easier this is). You can assist yourself by pressing the right thigh toward the center with your right hand. Press the left hand into the floor outside the foot, spreading the fingers.

      Now take the right arm overhead to form a diagonal line from the left foot to the right hand. The palm faces downward, the face is turned toward the right arm, and the gaze is up toward the palm. Spread the base of the toes of the back foot to encourage the leg to be straight and strong. Strong abduction of the right knee, countered by the left arm, will inspire the spine to spiral.

      Do not fake the spinal twist by letting your right hip sag toward the floor, but work the hips toward being level and square. Lift the shoulder blade off the neck and draw it down away from the ear.

      Keep the lower abdomen firm and use deep breathing into the chest to elongate the spine. Create space between the left shoulder and right hip. Extend out simultaneously through your sit bones and through the crown of the head. Hold Parivrta Parshvakonasana for five breaths.

       YOGIC CONTEXT

       Intelligent Action

      Any movement in a posture can be over-exercised, and at any stage one should be able to initiate its countermovement, which is to retract the action. This is intelligent action.

      Most muscles have more than one action. For example, latissimus dorsi primarily extends the humerus.⁸ It also medially rotates the humerus. The first of the two actions indirectly causes the arm to bend at the elbow. This is counteracted by the deltoid, which flexes the humerus (raises the arm above the head). The medial rotation of the humerus calls the infraspinatus into play. One action is played against its opposite to reach the desired balanced posture.

      For beginners who cannot enter the posture in one breath, it may be approached in phases:

      • Turn to face the right leg and place the left knee on the floor. Keeping the leg bent, hook the left shoulder outside the right knee and press the left hand into the floor.

      • Keeping the knee over the ankle and the shoulder hooked outside the knee, lift the back knee off the floor and straighten the leg.

      • Maintaining all of the above, work the left heel down, placing the foot at a 45° angle.

      • Raise the right arm and gaze at the palm.

      Stay at any of these phases for as long as necessary until the stage is attained. In this way your integrity in the posture is not sacrificed. Once you can do the complete posture, attempt to enter into it on one breath.

      Vinyasa Three

      Inhaling, come back up to the middle position.

      Vinyasa Four

      Exhaling, repeat the posture on the left side.

      Vinyasa Five

      Inhaling, come back up and, on exhalation, return to Samasthiti.

       Prasarita Padottanasana A

      WIDE STANCE FORWARD BEND A

      Drishti Nose

      Vinyasa One

      Inhaling and turning to the right, jump to land in a medium-width stance. The exact width of the stance will be determined by the ratio between the spine length and leg length of each individual practitioner.

      The outside edges of the feet need to be parallel to track the knees, as the thighs tend to roll forward when folding forward. Recheck that the feet have not turned out after each of the four versions of this posture. The hands are placed firmly on the hips. As the hips sink toward the floor, lift the entire spine, including the sacrum, out of the hips. The heart lifts and leads the forward folding of the trunk.

      Vinyasa Two

      Exhaling, fold at the hip joints and place the hands on the floor. Spread the fingers and work toward having the fingertips in line with the toes. Position the hands shoulder width apart.

      Inhaling, lift the chest, straighten the arms, and concave the low back. The legs work strongly to support the passive lengthening of the spine. Gaze toward the nose.

      Vinyasa Three

      Exhaling, fold forward. Counteract the medial roll of the thighs by drawing them back out to the side. Position the torso between the thighs, then “close the door” with the thighs by returning to medial rotation until the knees face straight ahead. Flexible students can rest the crown of the head (the highest point) on the floor. Students with long torsos compared to the length of their legs may have to bring the feet closer together to keep their necks elongating, while students with relatively short torsos may have to widen their stance to get the same effect.

      If the crown of the head is rested on the floor, a flushing effect of the cerebral glands (hypophysis, epiphyses) will ensue.

      To enhance this purificatory effect, four versions of the posture are given. This is a subtle posture. Initially one thinks that contracting the abdominals and hip flexors as much as possible will get one deeper into it, but both rectus abdominis, the main abdominal muscle, and the psoas, the main hip flexor, shorten the torso and therefore draw the head away from the floor.

      See Padangushtasana (page 37) and Pada Hastasana (page 39) for the subtleties of forward bending. We assist with the hands in bringing the torso between the legs, while the shoulder blades draw up to the ceiling. Hold the asana for five breaths.

      

      Prasarita Padottanasana A

      Contraindications: If there is pain in the outer ankle, ground the inside of the feet. With pain in the inner ankle, ground the outside of the foot. A tendency of the hip abductors to spasm in these postures (pain on the outside of the hip above the greater trochanter) indicates an underdevelopment of these muscles. In this case, shorten the stance.

      Vinyasa Four

      Inhaling, lift your head and straighten your arms. Exhaling, return the hands to the hips.

      Vinyasa Five

      Inhaling,