Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga: Help with Malasana

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Help with Malasana

emily
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Nov 15, 2002, 8:13 AM

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Help with Malasana	Can't Post

Hello all,

Can anyone provide tips for getting into malasana (garland pose)? I am trying to learn it as shown in Geeta's Yoga: a Gem for Women. I can sqauat down with the feet together just fine, but the trouble is getting my arms back around my legs and clasping them behind the back as is shown in her picture of the final pose. The order in which I am trying to practice this is 1. squatting 2. bending forwards a bit 3. trying to clasp the arms.

Is there something I am missing? I am fairly flexible in the arms and back (can go down to the legs in foward bends and can achieve reverse namaste and gomukasana with no problem). Is the key somehow in the legs and hips? (I cannot yet do padmasana or arm balances). It's intriguing that she lists this in the introductory series in the book.

Any suggestions for details of actions to get further into this pose?

many thanks in advance,
emily

nagrajm
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Nov 16, 2002, 7:09 AM

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Re: Help with Malasana [In reply to]	Can't Post

Malasana has two variations Malasala I and Malasana II as described in the Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar. What you are describing is Malasana I which is a more advanced version. You should instead attempt Malasana II wherein instead of clasping the hands behind the back, one catches the back part of the ankles. Quoting from the book - "After gripping the ankles, exhale and move the head down to the toes and rest the forehead on them". Guruji assigns a level of difficulty of 2 for Malasana II and 8 for Malasana I. Therefore I would recommend that you begin with Malasana II and graduate on to Malasana I after attaining better flexibility in you ankles.

emily
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Nov 19, 2002, 7:43 AM

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Re: Help with Malasana [In reply to]	Can't Post

Ah, ankle flexibility! Thank you for the tip about grasping the ankles. From your description, with the difficulty of 8, I am even more surprised that "Malasana I" is in Geeta's introductory series.

emily

spangled
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Dec 2, 2002, 8:29 AM

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Re: Help with Malasana [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm at the same stage, although your forward bending seems further on than mine. It's definitely in the hips. You should probably start with your feet a little apart if your knees hurt like mine do. As far as I can work out, the feet need to be together for you to bind, unless you've got orang utan arms.

"A Gem for Women" may not necessarily have been written with Westerners in mind, rather for a more local audience who were more accustomed to squatting/sitting on the floor - and consequently had more open hips to start with.

LoY is an inspiring book, but I think that in new editions there should be some footnotes that expand on the original text with this in mind. Furthermore, the passage that refers to "excuciating pain in the knees" in the Padmasana section is a real shocker. You'd never get away with that today.

LoY is my desert-island yoga book, but it's not a religious text. I am sure that the distinguished author Mad

knows that too.

(This post was edited by spangled on Dec 2, 2002, 8:44 AM)

lotusbud
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Feb 7, 2004, 3:32 AM

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pain [In reply to]	Can't Post

"excrutiating pain" in padmasana,and you would never get away with that now.
What do you mean?

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