This week's challenge: Standing splits

So I've decided to put Iyengar's asana sequences aside for the moment. Instead, I'm following the Yogamazing podcasts in the mornings (click here), going to the gym twice a week for their BodyFlow class (see previous post), and I'll be starting a yoga class at my community center next week. That should keep me busy and should give me lots of things to talk about.

Every week I'll be working on a different asana, slowly working my way through them all. I'll be basing my information out of Light on Yoga and what I remember from my classes.

This week I'll be working on standing splits a.k.a. Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana.  
Iyengar suggests to hold the pose for 20seconds. This pose is meant to tone the leg muscles and reduce fat around the hips - sounds great!


How to get into the pose:
From Mountain Pose (Tadasana), exhale and bend forward hinging from the hips. Place both hands on the floor slightly in front of you and transfer your weight onto one foot, I always start with my right foot. Lift your left leg as high as you can without opening your hips to the side.
You can stay here or try for the full expression of the pose. With your left hand, take hold of your right ankle and try to connect your chest to your thigh and rest your forehead or chin on your right knee.
In the picture, the girl is holding her left ankle with her left hand so I guess you ca go with what ever feels best for you.

For more information about this pose, ask your teacher or visit Yoga Journal.com by clicking here.

You can practice Standing Splits using a wall.  I'll be doing this all week. It's practically the same procedure as the regular pose except you get to rest your leg on the wall. By slowly moving your foot up the wall you get a great stretch. This also helps with regular splits. I was told that if I practiced this pose everyday for two weeks I'd be able to do a split. I'm up for the challenge, I'll keep you posted on my improvements.


Namaste.