Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga: Virabhadrasana I

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Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga:
Virabhadrasana I

myka
Regular

Jun 11, 2003, 1:47 AM

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Virabhadrasana I	Can't Post

Can *anyone* (apart from Mr Iyengar, of course) simultaneously keep the back heel down *and* bring the back hip well round to face the front *and* make a right angle with the front knee? I sure can't, and I feel like I put a dangerous twist on my back knee if I try too hard - the knee is compensating for stiffness in my ankle and hip.

Does anyone have any tips for practicing this pose, especially how to work on the alignment in the back leg? What do you think of when you practice the pose? What phrases come to mind to help you refine your alignment? What modifications do you make if you are not able to do the full pose?

emjay
Regular

Jun 11, 2003, 12:56 PM

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Re: Virabhadrasana I [In reply to]	Can't Post

Myka,

The issues you are experiencing are very common. Usually only the most experienced and flexible practitioners are able to do the pose as you mentioned. As a teacher I have students work on one aspect at a time: sometimes try to keep the heel down and not worry about "squaring off" the pelvis, other times raise the heel, but ground it on a wedge, block, sandbag, wall, etc. so as to more effectively work the back leg, then work on bringing the back leg's hip forward in line with the front. To help protect the lower back remember to descend the tailbone and lift the pubis. Try not too concern yourself too much with arching back - rather think of ascending up through the spine. Creating a right angle in the front knee is a place to aim for, but only once the health of the spine and knee are achieved - be patient. Regardless, try to keep the back leg straight by lifting the thighbone up from just above the kneecap.

Challenges in the pose are not just related to the hip and ankle. Tight quadriceps muscles play a major role as well. There are poses to help stretch the quads, such as Supta Virasana, Bekhasana, etc. To help the ankles, calves, etc., try Tadasana, Ardha Adhomukha Svanasana (half dog pose – stand facing a wall a couple of feet away with hands to wall, bending only at hips as in dog pose), and Uttansana while standing with the balls of the feet on a wedge or sandbag with the heels on the floor. This creates greater flexion in the ankles thus gaing flexibility there and in the calves and Achilles.

Remember to find a healthy way to do YOUR pose, not Guruji's. We want to strive to improve our own practice, but we must do so with a sense of ahimsa (non-violence) to ourselves. Work with tapas (passion, zeal, etc.) coupled with santosa (contentment).

Namaste,

Emjay

Rob
Novice

Jun 11, 2003, 7:27 PM

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Re: Virabhadrasana I [In reply to]	Can't Post

If you look on the front cover of Yoga: the Path to Holistic Health by BKS Iyengar you will see that the student's heel is down in Virabhadrasana I but the hips are not square to the front.

myka
Regular

Jun 17, 2003, 2:13 AM

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Re: Virabhadrasana I [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. In addition, I learned something else about Virabhadrasana I at the BKSIYTA convention at the weekend. Our teacher was Jawahar Baghera (or is it Bangera?) from Mumbai (Bombay).

We were doing Utkatasana with the back to the wall and thighs parallel to the floor. This always makes the thighs work, but even so, Jawahar came over and accused me of 'resting'. He pressed the tops of my shins back and said how I must resist coming forwards with the shins, and even resist with the arches of the feet - not letting the arches deform and the weight shift forwards on the feet, but keeping the arches upright, and that energy moving straight up the front of the shins. (He didn't say all this in so many words, but that's how I understood the instructions.) When I engaged the arches of the feet and the shins, then I felt my legs full of energy. 'Now your thighs vibrate,' said Jawahar. Please note they weren't actually shaking :-)

I was pleasantly surprised to see that when I incorporated this same resistance with the arch of the foot and shin on the front leg in Virabhadrasana I, the hip on that side automatically moved back to be more in line with the other hip.

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