 Step
by Step
Come into it from a standing position.
First bend your knees as if to squat, then take your
left knee to the floor. Turn your left foot so it
points to the right and sit on the heel. Cross your
right foot over your left thigh and place it, sole
down, beside your left knee. Your right knee should
point toward the ceiling.
To twist, bring your left waist, side ribs, and
shoulder around to the right. Place your left upper
arm across your right thigh and slide your left outer
armpit down the outside of the thigh. Use movements
similar to those you used in Parsva Bakasana to maximize
your twist and make good contact between your left
upper arm and right outer thigh. Maintaining this
contact high on the arm and far to the outside of
the thigh is the secret to the pose.
To place your hands on the floor, first straighten
your left elbow and put your left palm down (you may
need to lean to the right to bring your hand all the
way down). To place your right hand, carefully lift
both hips without losing the left-arm-to-right-thigh
placement, lean even more to the right, and put your
right hand on the floor. Your hands should be shoulder
width apart, with your middle fingers parallel to
each other. Most of your weight will still be on your
knees and feet.
Without losing contact between your left arm and
your right outer thigh, lift your hips so you can
flip your left foot and stand on the ball of the foot,
heel up. Next, lift your left knee off the floor so
most of your weight is on your feet. Lift your hips
a little higher and start shifting your weight to
bring your whole torso above and between your hands
with its midline parallel to your middle fingers.
Leaning your weight slightly forward, bend your left
elbow a little, then tilt your head and shoulders
a bit toward the floor. This should leverage your
right foot up in the air. When your right foot is
up, lean your weight farther forward until your left
foot becomes light, then lifts up with an exhale.
To finish the pose, straighten both knees simultaneously
with an inhale. Lift the left leg until it's parallel
to the floor. Bending your left elbow more, lift your
right foot higher, and reach out through the balls
of both feet. Adjust the height of your right shoulder
so it's the same as the left. Lift your chest to bring
your torso parallel to the floor. Breathing smoothly,
hold the pose for 20 seconds or longer, then release
both feet to the floor with an exhale. Repeat on the
other side for the same length of time. |
