10,000 Vinyasas

Well, it was really more of an extended class, but still…was happy with the way it turned out, and I think everyone had fun and learned something. Here is the written presentation in its entirety:

Developing Upper Body Strength and Flexibility:
Chaturangas, Arm Balances and Binds

By Carl Lobitz

“Do your practice and all is coming.”—Sri K.Pahtabhi Jois, founder of Ashtanga yoga

Introduction

Practicing yoga increases strength, flexibility, and balance. Of these, upper body strength and flexibility are crucial to practicing some of the more advanced asanas: head and hand stands, arm balances, and jumping forward and back. In many cases, those new to yoga practice are not properly instructed as to the correct form in practicing asanas that are designed to develop upper body strength and so are hampered in their efforts, leading to lack of progress and discouragement. This workshop is intended to address these issues.

Please Modify!

There is no shame in modifying ones practice in order to fully participate in asanas; in fact, some modifications are extremely helpful in developing the strength necessary to find your ultimate expression of the pose. Never forget: your yoga practice is your own, no one else’s. There is no judgment or competition in yoga, and everybody’s “body” is different. Do not allow any instructor to push you into a pose your body is not ready for; always move in the direction of the pose, but stop when you feel pain, too much pressure or intensity, or any other signal from your body. Never hurry to reach a pose, but pause and ask your body for permission. Relax, breathe, and have fun with your practice!

The Basic Pose of Strength: Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limbed Staff Pose)

Chaturanga is perhaps the most basic and yet one of the most difficult poses to master. The full expression involves the entire body: the toes are pushing back, the legs are engaged, the bandhas are fully locked, the arms are holding the torso suspended slightly off the ground, and the neck and head are extended. Those new to yoga often assume that the pose involves only arm and shoulder strength; there is no doubt that upper body strength is required for this pose, but the effort is notably less when the entire body is actively engaged. One of the keys to chaturanga is the position of the shoulders in relation to the arms: the upper arm is ideally parallel with the mat, and the shoulders do not dip below the elbows. Allowing the shoulders to drop will, over time, increase the chance of rotator cuff injuries, so it is crucial to bring the shoulders upwards and forward as the torso moves downwards toward the mat. The most effective means of modifying this pose until one attains the necessary arm strength is coming to the knees instead of keeping the legs suspended; this allows for the development of upper body strength while preserving the integrity of the pose. In most Ashtanga or power vinyasa classes, many chaturangas are routinely practiced, and upper body strength will naturally develop when the correct form is adopted.

Standing in Your Hands: Arm Balances

Many of the more difficult (and fun!) asanas in yoga involve some standing in the hands. As such, arm balances are crucial in developing the strength and balance required to practice these advanced asanas. We normally stand in our feet and are much more familiar with the bodily “feelings” of doing so; conversely, standing in ones hands for the first time can be strange and possibly even intimidating. Hand placement is one of the keys to successful arm balances, as well as spreading the fingers wide and pushing firmly into the mat with wrists, palms and fingers.

Bakasana: the basic arm balance

Bakasana, often mistakenly called crow (“baka” means crane), is the starting asana for arm balances. It develops arm and banda strength and balance, and is relatively easy for those new to yoga practice. The proper technique is to squat on the floor with arms inside the knees. Move the knees apart wide enough for the upper torso to come forward. Plant the palms firmly into the mat, rock the torso forward and look forward (keep the chin up), and bring the knees to the armpits or upper arms. From a position of balance, begin to bring one or both feet off the floor and bring them together. Make sure to strengthen the bandhas or core. Gradually straighten the arms. There really are no modifications to this pose, other than simply keeping the feet on the floor.

Parsva Bakasana (“side crow”)

A common method of getting into this pose is to start in Utkatasana (“chair”). Bring the hands into prayer and bend the knees deeper. Take the elbow to the opposite knee and twist from the waist. Drop the hands to the floor and plant one hip on one elbow and the same side knee on the other elbow. As proficiency is attained, the hip placement will become unnecessary and the balance will only be maintained on the knee resting on the elbow. Keep the knees bent, or gradually extend the legs, and split the legs in the final expression. Use bandha strength to bring the legs back to center and into chaturanga.

Eka Pada Koundinyasana (“running man”)

There are multiple ways of finding this pose. The most common is to start from crescent lunge, bringing the hands down inside the front foot. Lift the hips upward and bring the shoulder underneath the knee. Bring the same arm as the front leg outside the bent knee, take the front foot off the floor, and rock the torso forward. As balance is achieved, begin to slowly lift the back leg off the floor and straighten the front leg. Complete by bringing both legs back to center and come into chaturanga. Modifications are to stop at any point in the sequence when unable to continue.

Astavakrasana (“eight limbed arm balance”)

A very effective sequence to attain this pose is to begin seated with legs extended. Keeping the spine straight, raise one leg and take the leg or foot in one or both hands, lifting it towards the chest and stretching the quads and hamstrings. Bend the extended knee and bring it over the shoulder. Place both hands into the mat alongside the hips and raise the torso and extended leg off the ground. Bring the ankles together, and slowly take the legs out to the same side as the bended knee, aiming to straighten the legs. Use chaturanga arms to maintain balance, and slowly bring the legs back to center, bending the knee again, and lower the torso back to the floor. Once again, to modify, stop at any point prior to the final expression.

Developing Upper Flexibility: Binds

Binds are an excellent way to enhance your upper body flexibility. Remember that the purpose of the bind, ultimately, is to provide leverage to lead your shoulders and torso into a deeper expression of the pose. We will start with some seated binds and move into some standing poses involving binding.

The basic bind: Marichyasana A (“bound sage”)

Like Bakasana, this bind is the starting point for more advanced poses. Regular practice will increase upper body flexibility. Beginning in seated with legs extended, bring one knee up to the chest. The placement of the bent knee can vary, but ideally, the foot should be placed near the perineum. Straighten the spine and (optional) raise the arm corresponding to the bent knee up as you inhale. Square the shoulders over the extended leg, and as you exhale, forward bend over the extended leg as you wrap your other arm around the bent shin. Reach behind the back with the other arm and join the hands. As more flexibility is gained, the joining of the hands move from clasped fingers to wrapping the wrist between index finger and thumb (it does not matter which hand does the “binding” and which does the “holding”). Try to bring the chin to the knee. Modification: move as far into the pose as possible, but do not join the hands.

Moving the twist deeper: Marichyasana C

A slightly more advanced posture, this twist increases flexibility of the entire upper body. Bring one knee to the chest and place the foot flat on the floor as in Marichy A. Bring the bent knee hand back behind your hips and begin squaring the shoulders towards the side of the mat while straighening the spine. Bring the other elbow to the outer side of the bent knee and use this contact to increase the intensity of the twist. To bind, wrap the bent knee with the arm and bring the other arm around to meet it. This pose is easy to modify by stopping before the bind is achieved.

Standing binds: lifting the chest to the sky

Beginning with Virabhadrasana A (“warrior one”), bring the hands to the chest in prayer position. Take the arm corresponding to the front (bent) knee underneath the front thigh and wrap the other arm around the back, aiming to join the hands or circle the wrist as described above. Once contact is achieved, use the bind to rotate and lift the chest upwards. To reverse the bind, come back to Vira A and take the opposite arm underneath the front thigh, reaching back with the other arm. Try not to allow the back foot to come off the floor. A modification for this pose would be to point the back toes forward and bring the back heel off the floor, effectively coming into crescent lunge. To extend this pose, bring the back leg forward to meet the front leg, while remaining in the bind. Root into the unbound leg and slowly raise the torso and bent leg up and aim to straighten the spine. To take the full expression of Svarga Dvidasana (“bird of paradise”) straighten the bound leg.

Therapeutic Considerations

When practicing yoga, it is easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm for the practice and the resulting progress and proficiency, without considering the potential for injuries. Particularly in the case of an intense vinyasa or Ashtanga practice, performing numerous chaturangas without regard for counter exercises can lead to stiff shoulders or rotator cuff injuries. One solution for this is to regularly practice activities which utilize the muscles in the opposite way, such as rowing and pullups. The development of the serratus anterior muscles is also encouraged through the practice of bringing the elbows down to the floor when in downward facing dog (“turbodog”). When practicing arm balances, care must be given to the wrists which can become sore or sprained. To alleviate such ailments, consistently practice rotating the wrists inwards and outwards, both with fingers extended and hands closed. When binding, take care not to hyperextend the elbows; this is mostly caused by trying too hard to achieve the bind. Remind yourself that your developing flexibility is the key to binds, not how much you can stretch your arms! Regular practice of these countermeasures should alleviate any physical ailments associated with upper body strength and flexibility.

Conclusion

Developing upper body strength and flexibility is key to advancing your yoga practice. By using proper form and cautiously but joyfully extending your body’s capabilities, you will find that your entire yoga practice will improve. Always be guided by the words of David Williams, the yogi who brought Ashtanga yoga to the US in the 1973: “If it hurts, you’re doing it wrong.”

Namaste!