 Step
by Step
Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana, hands
shoulder width apart. Step your left foot far forward,
past the outside of your left arm, and place it on
the floor well in front of your left hand.
Bend your left elbow and twist your torso to the
right, dropping the left shoulder and the whole left
side of the torso as low as possible on your inner
left thigh. Pressing your thigh toward your torso,
slide your left upper arm and shoulder as far as you
can underneath the back of the left thigh just above
the knee. Place the back of your thigh as high up
as possible on the upper arm.
Keeping your weight centered approximately between
your hands, start to creep your left foot forward
along the floor so more and more of the weight of
the leg comes onto the arm; let the left foot naturally
move a little to the left as you do this. When you
can't walk the foot any farther forward without lifting
it off the floor, straighten the knee as much as you
can, powerfully reaching the foot forward and out
to the left side.
Bending both elbows, shift your weight far forward
between your hands until you can lift your back leg.
Lift strongly until that leg is parallel to the floor;
then, keeping the knee extended, press straight back
through the ball of your foot.
Lift your chest until your torso is parallel to
the floor, pressing strongly down through your inner
hands to help maintain this position.
Lift your head and look forward, keeping your eyes
and forehead soft. Breathe evenly. Hold the pose for
20 seconds or longer, then step back into Adho Mukha
Svanasana. Repeat it on the other side for the same
length of time. |
