Kapotasana or Pigeon pose. This is an intense backbend pose and opens up your chest fully.
Here is a picture of the pose from Yoga Journal Cool?
I have been practising using the beginner’s way for quite sometime now. And I have seen gradual improvement every time I do it. Slowly but surely… as I told alot of myfriends, one day!!
Beginners way :
1. Go into Supta Virasana. See pose. Note: make sure you hug your thighs towards the center. Also make sure your both feet has the toes straight pointed backwards.
2. Place your hand besides your ears like your hands when you are going to Urdhva Dhanurasana (or Wheel pose)
3. Lift your head up by pushing from your hands. Do not lift the hips up yet. Stay here for a while. Catch hold of your opposite elbows with your hands and let them hang down. Stay for a few breaths. Remember to draw your arms back into the shoulders. This helps to extend your front body ( or stretch ) and just pulling your arms.
4. Next, get ready for lift off! Put your hands back besides your ears. This time push yourself and your hips up. Walk your hands in a little. Place your head down. Then again move your hands in again towards your toes. Then place your head down, do this a couple of times until your hands finally touches your toes.
5.Before going forward further, make sure your arms are strongly drawn in and chest out. Your arms must be drawn in strongly. If possible, move your hands further in by reaching for the ankles. The final position is when your elbows touch the floor. Remember, breathe!
6. Ok, once you have enough in this pose, how do your get out? You can either walk your hand back out slowly like how you walk in. Or engage your thighs and lift yourself from the back into sitting position ( this I need plenty of help )
Nothing like a good backbend to wake my spine!
om~
Technorati Tags: Kapotasana, Yoga Journal, Supta Virasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana
