Asana Practice
Unit 11
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Virasana – Hero pose
vira - hero
asana - pose
1. Sit on the heels.
2. Slightly separate the heels as you wedge the hips between the feet to bring the sitting bones to the floor.
3. Let the feet face straight back and keep the spine neutral.
Virasana could be thought of as the archetype for internal rotation of the hips. It can be performed seated, as a forward bend, or in a supine position. These three variations of the pose cover virtually all of the primary internal rotations of the hip joints.
The primary difference between virasana and vajrasana is that in virasana the hips sit between the feet rather than on top of them. Also, the knee joints are straight up in vajrasana, whereas in virasana, the knee joints angle out slightly. Although it is necessary to angle the knees outward in virasana, this action should be minimized. Entering virasana by wedging the sitting bones between the feet lets the leg joints adjust naturally to the position of the legs without allowing the knee joints to turn out excessively.
Begin by sitting in vajrasana. Once you are comfortably seated on the heels in vajrasana, separate the heels and begin to wedge the pelvis back and forth between the feet. Ultimately the feet will separate, but the toes may remain turned inward. If the sitting bones do not reach the floor, some elevation should be used beneath them.
Once the sitting bones are grounded, look at the feet to see which direction they are facing. The toes will probably still be turned inward. Use your hands to draw the little toe side of each foot out just enough that the feet become parallel and face straight back. This means that the knuckles of the little toes should be as close to the floor as the knuckles of the big toes.
Once the legs and feet are arranged, reach under the knees with your hands and draw the skin forward to lengthen the shins and ankles. Then use your hands to draw the sitting bones back and out to the sides. This will help to broaden the pelvis, deepen the groins, and relax the belly.
Lengthen the front body with the inhalation and try to keep its length with the exhalation. Let the next inhalation add length to the back body without losing length in the front body. Sustain the length of the inner body as much as possible with the exhalation. Rest the back of the hands (palms up) on the thighs so that the elbows hang directly below the shoulders. Release the root of the tongue and soft palate away from each other and breathe.
To perform virasana as a forward bend, maintain the length of the front body as you fold forward, setting the underside of the bottom ribs on the thighs. Maintain the length of the inner body and let the back muscles soften and lengthen. The sitting bones may lift a little, but try to keep this to a minimum. The hands can be placed on the floor wherever they are comfortable and used as support. Feel the back broaden and the sacrum release into the pelvis to deepen the groins even more as you take the head to the floor. (See page 51 Yoga, the Iyengar Way)
It is unlikely that the head will reach the floor without losing inner body length or ungrounding the sitting bones so don’t worry about where the head ends up. Maintain- ing inner body length and the grounding of the sitting bones is more important than reaching the floor. To release the forward bend, inhale and use the arms to return to
seated virasana.
Reference (supta virasana) pages 176-177 for the supine version.
Virasana - Side View |
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Baddha Konasana - Bound angle pose
baddha - bound
kona - angle
asana - pose
1. Sit on the floor.
2. Bend the knees and join the soles of the feet so that they face each other.
3. Press the feet together to release the hip joints downward.
Baddha konasana could be thought of as the archetype for those asanas that employ external rotation of the hips. It can be performed seated, as a forward bend, or in a supine pose. Between these three variations, a broad range of externally rotated hip openings can be accomplished.
Begin by sitting on the floor. Bend the knees and bring the heels as close to the pubic bone as possible. Join the soles of the feet so they face each other like mirrored images. (This symmetry of the feet is important because it directly relates to how the legs and hip joints will work.
Support yourself with your hands on the floor behind your back for a moment to lengthen the inner body. This should also roll you slightly onto the inner front edges of the sitting bones. The belly should maintain its length.
If you cannot come onto the inner front edges of the sitting bones, or if the knees are higher than the floating ribs, you may want to place some type of elevation beneath the sitting bones. This will assist gravity to open the hips. Press the heels and outer feet together and feel how this helps to release the hip joints. This is the seated form of baddha konasana.
If elevation is needed, there is no value in attempting the pose as a forward bend, because the hips are already challenged. Wait until the hips can release enough so that the knees can remain below the pelvic rim before exploring the asana as a forward bend.
If the knees are close to the floor and the spine is neutral, and you want to move into a forward bend, continue to work the legs as you move the sacrum straight forward into the pelvis. This should deepen the lumbar lordosis. If it does, interlace the fingers over the tops of the toes and fold forward from the hip joints as though the belly will reach the floor first.
Keep the length of the belly and permit the back to softly round. If you begin to feel the diaphragm receiving the weight of the ribs, back up to relengthen the inner body and go no further until the hip joints release more fully. Breathe. Remain in the pose as long as the inner body can sustain length and the breath is comfortable. To release, come up with an inhalation.
For the supine version (salamba supta baddha konasana) refer to pages 40-41.
Baddha Konasana - Forward Bend |
Siddhasana - Adept’s pose
siddha - adept
asana - pose
1. Sit on the floor and bring the right heel into the right groin.
2. Bring the left heel in front of the right foot.
3. Sit on the inner front edges of the sitting bones and lengthen the inner body.
Siddhasana is probably the most well-balanced seated pose. It is not as well- grounded as padmasana, but it is easily accessible to most people.
Begin by sitting on the floor in dandasana. Bring the right heel into the right groin. If this is not possible, the heel can be placed in front of the pubic bone, or even to the left of the pubic bone if necessary. If this is the case, elevation beneath the hips will probably be needed so that the legs are able to rest on the floor. Bring the left foot in front of the right foot so that the bottom of the left foot mirrors the placement of the right foot as much as possible (although the left foot will probably be in front of the right foot rather than directly into the left groin).
The body’s weight should be on the inner front edges of the sitting bones and the spine should be completely neutral. This means that the shoulders should be able to rest toward the back body, directly over the outer heads of the femurs, with the sternum lifted and without the back muscles feeling much work. The hands can rest palms up on the thighs with the elbows hanging directly below the shoulders.
Siddhasana is considered a meditative pose, which means it should be as effortless as possible. Though it can be comfortably performed while seated directly on the floor, some degree of elevation beneath the sitting bones is usually a good idea. Enough elevation should be taken so that the knees are level with or slightly below the tops of the thighs. This should help the belly to relax and minimize the work of the back muscles, permitting the pose to be sustained for a greater length of time.
When using siddhasana for meditation, the left foot is traditionally drawn in first and the right foot is placed in front of the left. However, as a part of your general asana practice, both variations should be done to create symmetry in the hips.
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