Ashtanga Yoga. Gregor Maehle

      Vinyasa Two

      Exhaling, bend forward, keeping the big toe bound, and place the left hand on the floor alongside the left foot. Spread the fingers and point them forward. Spread the base of the toes of the standing leg. Gently shift a little more weight than that held in the heels forward into the base of the toes. Lift the inner arch of the foot away from the floor to protect the knee. Release the hip flexors and the buttocks (gluteus maximus) but work the supporting leg strongly (vastus group), eventually placing the chest squarely down on the leg. The crown of the head points downward toward the floor. The shoulder blades are drawn up to the ceiling to keep the neck long.

      

      Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana, vinyasa two

      The folded knee gently works toward the back end of the mat with a light medial rotation of the femur. To prevent the hip of the bent leg from sagging, keep this foot and leg active so there is an even tone in both legs. The angle between the two femurs should be 35° to 45°, depending on the ratio of tibia to femur length. (People with a long shinbone need to have the knee lifted farther out to the side to level the hips.) This action is performed by the abductor muscle group, especially the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.

      

      Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana, vinyasa three

      They are two very interesting muscles, as they are often the cause of a twisted pelvis if there is an imbalance between the two sides.

      Stay in the state of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana for five breaths.

       PRACTICAL TIP

       Bending the Leg in Transit

      A trick for beginners to gain confidence is to bend the standing leg a little to reach the hand to the floor. When you have the hand securely on the floor, straighten the standing leg.

      The same method can be used on the way up. The bent leg will help the other foot to slide deeper into the groin, with the bent leg more forgiving as you develop your sense of balance.

      

      FIGURE 11 INTERNAL ROTATORS

      The muscles that inwardly rotate the femur perform this action as a secondary function. The semimembranosus and semitendinosus, belonging to the hamstring group, are primarily hip extensors and knee flexors. The tensor fascia latae is primarily a hip flexor and an abductor. The main action of the gluteus minimus is abduction and that of the gracilis is adduction. Together these five muscles perform the medial rotation of the femur.

      This function can most easily be observed when one lies on one’s back and lets the feet turn out to the side. It is medial rotation of the femurs that brings the feet back together.

      

      Vinyasa Three

      Inhaling, lift the torso and head and, maintaining the posture, exhale.

      Vinyasa Four

      Inhaling, come up, but keep the half lotus bound until you are completely upright. This will draw the foot farther up into the groin and increase the opening effect on the hip joint.

      Vinyasa Five

      Exhaling, release the big toe, carefully take the foot out of position using both hands, and stand in Samasthiti.

       Vinyasa s Six to Nine

      Repeat on the left side.

      Caution: If you experience pain in your knee at any point, go back and attentively study the previous steps. If you are starting out with very stiff hip joints, it could take the better part of a decade to open them. It is well worth the work.

       Utkatasana

      POWER POSTURE

      Drishti Upward

      The following three postures build strength and stamina. They are the only standing postures that are woven together with full vinyasa. The sequence concludes with a vinyasa to sitting.

      

      Vinyasa Seven

      Inhaling, hop your feet to your hands, big toes together. Bend the knees and, keeping the heels grounded, lower your sit bones toward the floor. Raise the arms, bring the palms together, and gaze up past your hands to the ceiling. Balance between the two poles of keeping the torso and arms upright and deepening the squat (see Surya Namaskara B, vinyasa one, page 32). Keep the lower abdomen firm and allow the rib cage to pulsate with the breath. Hold the state of Utkatasana for five breaths.

      Vinyasa Eight

      Exhaling, place the hands on the floor and, with the inhalation, hop up into an arm balance. The knees are bent. Attempt to hover here for the duration of the inhalation. Keeping the legs bent will develop greater strength, whereas straightening the legs into a full handstand enables us to rely more on our sense of balance.

      

      

      Top, Utkatasana, vinyasa seven; above, vinyasa eight

      Balancing on the arms develops core strength. The body must draw all forces together and work as one unit. This is an important aspect, especially necessary for those whose bodies are naturally soft and flexible. There is a tendency for students who swiftly gain flexibility to progress more and more in that direction. Flexibility, however, often accompanies low muscle tone. Low muscle tone is the ability to lengthen muscles with a relative inability to contract them. This tendency needs to be counteracted by focusing on building strength rather than more flexibility.

       YOGIC CONTEXT

       Asana — The Seat

      In some contemporary forms of yoga the lotus and half-lotus postures are neglected. If the student practices out of ambition, and the underlying technical principles are not understood, these postures can in fact be detrimental. This is a great shame, as the hip rotations are arguably the most important yoga postures, with Siddhasana and Padmasana (lotus posture) high in their ranks. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika calls Siddhasana “the principal asana” and claims it to be “the gate to freedom.” About Padmasana it says, “It opens the path to liberation.” The Gheranda Samhita says about Siddhasana, “It leads to freedom” and about Padmasana, “It wards off all diseases.”

      Shiva Samhita recommends that Siddhasana should be adopted if quick success in yoga is desired, and agrees with the Gheranda Samhita that Padmasana “protects from all diseases.” The Yoga Yajnavalkya