standing poses Archives - Iyengar Yoga with Cheree Low

Workshop with Marios

Prasarita Padottanasana

This past Saturday, Marios Argiros taught a yoga workshop in Southbourne. (Only about a 5 minute walk from my house!) His teaching was very clear and challenged me to work with my legs with more awareness and much more action.

The concepts he presented were familiar– I’ve heard it from all the teachers I’ve had the pleasure of studying with– but his presentation was slightly different which gave me another way to feel the actions of keeping the hamstrings broad and the hips compact. Some of the imagery he presented was that the femur heads are like dials that you rotate up on the front and down on the back while maintaining the broadness of the back thigh. Just once he used the instruction “spin faster!” meaning increase the “dialing” action of the femur head, but hearing it that way made it feel much more dynamic. Even with the most basic actions I feel like I’ve “learned,” there is always more to do and feel. Just changing the verb in an instruction can shift the awareness completely.

Beginner Class on 29th April: More Standing Poses!

Swastikasana (cross-legs pose)

Parvatasana in Swastikasana

Parvatasana in Swastikasana (upward inter-locked fingers in cross-legs pose)

Adho Mukha Virasana

Adho Mukha Virasana (downward facing hero pose

Ardha Uttanasana

Ardha Uttanasana (half intense stretch pose) – hands at the wall

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdhva Hastasana in Tadasana (upward arms in mountain pose)

Utkatasana (fierce pose)

gomukhasana arms

Gomukhasana arms in Tadasana (cow face pose arms in mountain pose)

Virabhadrasana II

Virabhadrasana II (warrior II pose)

Utthita Trikonasana

Utthita Trikonasana (extended triangle pose)

Utthita Parsvakonasana

Utthita Parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose)

Vimanasana (airplane pose)

Parsvottanasana

Parsvottanasana (sideways intense stretch pose) – concave spine, hands on waist

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog pose) – hands to a chair

chair Bharadvajasana

Bharadvajasana (twist named for a sage, Bharadvaja) – seated on a chair

Savasana (corpse pose) – legs on chair

What We Practiced in the Beginner Class

This is the sequence I taught in the beginner class on Monday, 22nd April.

Swastikasana (cross-legs pose)

Urdhva Baddhanguliasana in Swastikasana (upward interlocked fingers in cross-legs pose)

Adho Mukha Virasana (downward facing hero pose)

Tadasana (mountain pose)

Urdhva Hastasana (upward arms pose)

Utkatasana (fierce pose)

Utthita Hasta Padasana (extended arms and legs pose)

Parsva Hasta Padasana (sideways arms and legs pose)

Virabhadrasana II (warrior II pose)

Utthita Trikonasana (extended triangle pose)

Parsvottanasana – turn only (sideways intense stretch pose)

Ardha Uttanasana – hands at wall (half intense stretch pose)

Dandasana (staff pose)

Vajrasana (thunderbolt pose)

Urdhva Prasarita Padasana – legs up the wall (upward extending legs pose)

Savasana – trunk on support (corpse pose)