HATHA STANDING POSTURES

In this sequence, you warm up the body with a few postures on the ground in order to immediately give the right directions of opening to the physical body to prepare it for the standing postures.

You then teach standing postures in a smart way; you start with a posture in balance on one foot (for most of the time) then you continue with its “twin” posture with both feet anchored in the ground. The actions are the same but the orientation of the body is different! For example, you teach Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana and then go to Parivrtta Trikonasana. In order to center your pupils, you add gaze options for the most experienced as described in the sequence.

“People don't pay attention to how they stand. Some shift the weight of the body onto one leg or turn one leg completely sideways. Others carry the weight on the heels or else on the bottom side or the outer side of the feet. This can be seen by looking at the wear and tear on the soles of shoes. Because of the false plumbness and the bad distribution of the weight on the feet, they contract particular deformations which decrease the elasticity of the spinal column. Even if the feet are spread apart, it is best to keep the heel-big toe lines parallel to each other. Thus, the gluteal muscles are contracted, the belly is tucked in and the chest is brought forward. The body feels light and the mind becomes agile. If the weight of the body is carried on the heels only, the variations of the balance become perceptible, the buttocks are soft, the belly protrudes forward, the body drops backwards and the spine feels an overload which quickly, leads to fatigue and dullness of the mind. This is why it is essential to master the art of standing.” Yoga Bible, BKS Iyengar