Power Yoga Week Two // Bound Side Angle + Standing Balance (Patreon)

Hello, again! Twice in one day!

Here is the Power Yoga Week Two :)

This session begins with a  warm-up to prepare you for the journey from half-bind into full-bind.

Then, we progress into 3 rounds of Warrior Vinyasa.

• Warrior Two
• Reverse Warrior
• Side Angle

This week, we are powering up Warrior Vinyasa by exhaling directly into Warrior Two, and inhaling to Reverse Warrior. You can practice the half bind in Reverse Warrior every round if you are comfortable to do so, but I don't demo it until round 3.

During the Warrior Vinyasa, I demo Side Angle with two variations of "stage one" and then on round 3 I go into the full expression. Stage one involves lifting the top arm directly up (rather than angling it overhead)-- one variation has the lower hand on the ground, and the other variation has the lower arm bent to the thigh. Either way you practice "stage one" be sure to engage the lift of your waist from your hips!

The full version of Side Angle extends the top arm at an angle overhead, so you have a long side body stretch from the planted back foot to the extended top hand.

Next, stretch deeply in a bound forward fold version of Uttanasana.

This will loosen your arms and shoulders for the Baddha Parsvakonasana (Bound Side Angle) which comes next!

Starting with a wide leg stance, enter Reverse Warrior with a half bind. Keep your half bind and descend into Side Angle. You can stay in this version or you can move into a full bind. Either way, you want to stack your shoulders so your chest is in position to the mat similar to how it is in side plank. Don't drop your chest towards the ground! Roll your shoulders back and be strong through your side waist.

Enter Uttanasana with a bind between sides. Finally, take Uttanasana with a bind one more time after you complete both sides of Bound Side Angle.

Now for the standing balance challenge! Extended Hand to Foot, sounds so easy. And if it is easy for you, I'm jealous.

There is so much happening in the deep core psoas muscles. With one leg maintaining a standing position while the opposite hip flexes to extend the leg forward. Do what you can to stay upright!

Use a wall or something to support you if you cannot maintain this pose for long. It will be worth it. If you really don't feel up for this pose, you can substitute it for Tree pose (with or without a wall).

Woooooo! Way to go. Let's sit down in Ardha Matseyendrasana now and let our spine regenerate in this twist.

I take a lot longer in this seated pose than I spend in the standing balance, so please modify the time for your particular practice. Maybe you want to repeat Extended Hand to Foot pose. I do recommend enjoying the seated twist for at least one minute on each side.

Finally, I rest with a short Shavasana, and sit in a brief meditation to complete this session.

I hope you enjoy the video this week. 

Let me know how your standing balance poses are!?! 

By the end of this month I'm hoping mine feel a lot better than they do right now. But I know that they are better than they were a few months ago, so that is a reason to celebrate.

:) :) :)