MY FAVORITE CUES
New inspiring cue that revolves around the theme of the month each Wednesday. All content taken is taken down at the end of the month when new theme is posted.MONTHLY THEME:
TRIANGLE
All cues are meant to be used when you're in full expression of the pose unless otherwise noted.
Week 1
Stand with your legs 4-5 feet apart, preparing for a Triangle pose towards your left. Begin with your feet facing forward (towards the wide part of your mat) and then turn your left foot out 90 degrees plus an additional 10-20 degrees. You can take a look at the picture below to see how to set up and then click on it to see a video I made that walks you through this cue.
Initially, your torso and right hip will be facing down slightly and, as you open up into the full expression of the pose, you can allow your right hip to open naturally (don’t force it).
Here is how Judith explains this cue in her book:
“When you start this pose with the feet and legs aligned as above, your pelvis must be turning with you. Your left pelvis is turning to the left completely, and your right pelvis is coming passively with you. Do not force the right pelvis to turn. You will likely overdo it. Rather, just allow the natural intelligence of the pelvis to assert itself, and your pelvis will turn just the right amount. Your trunk will be slightly turned to the left as well.”
Click below to watch this cue in action:
Week 2
I’ve said it before…I am loving shorter practices a couple of times a week. Whether you add it on to another workout or decide you only want a half-hour practice, I have a class for you this week. If you’re in cold weather, I apologize in advance for the palm tree view – I am in Arizona for a few months. I say we all move here and start our own yoga community!
If you saw last week’s email, I showed a new way of coming into Triangle pose that I learned from Dr. Judith Hanson Lasater. And when I say new, I mean NEW! In my 30 years of teaching, I have never seen it taught this way. I received quite a few emails in response to last week’s newsletter saying how helpful it was. If you missed it, click here for a video I made explaining and demonstrating the cue.
This week’s 33-minute practice will take you through a flow with a focus on hamstring opening and work our way to THE NEW WAY OF PRACTICING TRIANGLE! Click here to go to my website for the class video. Enjoy!
Week 3
Here’s to a peaceful day ahead!!
This week we will be focusing on a great prep pose for Triangle – Upavistha Konasana. Not only can this seated pose make your Triangle feel better, it can also help with adductor and hamstring assessment for both tight and overly-open students.
If you have tight or overly-long hamstring muscles, Triangle pose may need a little work and attention. If you have tight inner thighs (adductors) and inner hamstrings (there are three hamstring muscles!), you may notice that in Triangle pose that your thigh turns in on the front leg and turns out on your back leg. This is very common for men. On the other hand, if you’re fairly open in your hamstrings, you may have a tendency to hyperextend the front knee and not use as much of the necessary strength of the legs. It’s not dangerous or bad to have tight or over-stretched hamstrings and both scenarios are common, but it is important to find muscular balance when practicing Triangle pose. These pictures should provide a good anatomy reference/refresher as we review today’s cue:
Adductor Magnus:
Hamstrings:
So, are you one of these – tight or overly-open? Come into Upavistha Konasana and notice…do your feet and knees turn out and is your low back rounding? If so, this is an indication that your inner thighs and inner hamstrings are tight.
If you notice that your knees and thighs roll in and that you can easily lower down into the pose, then your inner hamstrings may be overstretched. Again, we are striving for muscular balance so neither of these scenarios is ideal when practicing Triangle.
Week 4
If you’re anything like me, some days you practice and you feel like you are on fire…and other days you can’t seem to hold a balance pose if your life depended on it! This week I have a 70-minute Triangle-focused practice for you that will prep your body so you have that “being on fire” feeling when you come into the pose. How? Before we practice Triangle, I’ll take you through a flow class that centers on opening your inner thighs and hamstrings. If you missed last week’s newsletter, we talked about the key role both of these muscle groups play in getting us into a Triangle pose that feels good! Click here to go right to my website for the class!!
If you missed last week’s newsletter where I talked about using a prep pose, Uptavistha Konasana, to assess inner thigh and hamstring flexibility for a better-feeling Triangle, click here.
Sending warmth to my friends in the Midwest!!
***The cues I find and post are by well respected body experts and Doctors who teach yoga and other body nerds like myself.
Monthly Favorites:
Questions?
1500 Old Deerfield Rd Highland Park, IL 60035
