Blog #10 / Posture Series Eagle Pose:Garurasana

Co-Written By: Carla Schils & the little YogaGal                                                                                       Dear Yogis

     It’s the pose that makes me feel very nautical thinking about my legs and feet as ropes wrapping around one another. It’s the pose that serves me a slice of humility pie every time I realize my mind has wondered and I am not being present. It’s the pose that that got me to recognize the influence I have on my breath and within my heart beat. 

     Eagle Pose, otherwise known as Garuarasana is designed to emulate a eagle silently sitting on the earth. As the pose begins it’s important to practice being present with the environment and the words of the instructor.  When exiting from the last posture feeling innately awkward and entering into an asayana that can encourage more openness, remember to continue to access the breath to help lighten the thoughts and body in any discomfort. If you feel intense pain, stop and take a step back, there is no rush.  

     Swing the arms down wrap the hands around each other and press the palms together. The thumbs should face the nose and the elbows drag down towards the floor. As the shoulders open up, this will become easier. Try not to lead the pose with the pull from the upper body and hands. Instead, attempt to relax the shoulders and attempt to make them level. This extension from the inner shoulder blades will strengthen not only the core, but also the central nervous system as well.

     Now it is time to involve the lower half of the body. Bend the knees deeply enough so that the right leg can lift high up and over the relevant leg. The deeper one sits, the higher one can raise the appropriated leg to wrap around the other leg. Then wrap the feet around the ankles to eventually see all ten toes in the mirror. A modification of this pose is to simple point the big toe towards the desired direction.  Remember to concentrate on one steady focal point to maintain balance. If you cannot yet see all ten toes, it’s okay, drop those expectations, because in the hot room it’s not about how much you’ve achieved. From here, bend the knees more to lower the hips and sit deeper. Arch the upper body back from here, lifting the shoulders and leaning back. At this point try to keep the elbows and wrists drawing down towards the knees.

     Last but not least is the continuation of the attention to details. Observe the hips and square the hips to the front, moving the relevant knee and elbow towards the opposite side. The purpose of this is to line the elbows directly above the knees, so the wrists, elbows, knees and ankle joints all stack in one line through the center line of the body.

    Benefits of this pose:

• Enhances lymphatic and blood circulation, immunity and the central nervous system and

• Stretches and strengthens the 14 joints of the skeletal system

• Brings fresh blood into the reproductive organs and kidneys

•  Improves balance and metal focus

Blog 9 / Posture Series: Awkward Pose: Utkatasana

Co-Written by: Carla Schils & the little YogaGal

Utkatasana : Awkward Pose

Dear Yogis: 
“Sit, sit down into the imaginary chair and stick your butt towards the wall, suck your stomach in tight until you can see your rib cage”……can we say awkward? This is exactly what this pose is, awkward.  Utkatasana, otherwise known in Bikram Yoga as “Awkward” pose is the third posture of the 26 Bikram Yoga series. Though it may look rather simplistic, this posture is called “Awkward” for a reason. Like most of the series, this pose will require an immense amount of mental concentration, physical stability/balance, and muscle and mind coordination.

Much like the Half-moon and Hands-to-feet pose, the “Awkward” posture will help warm up your entire body in preparation for the upcoming series. This is a posture that focuses primarily on the development of the thighs and torso. In particular, the following muscle groups are worked: the quadriceps, the calves, the abdominal muscles, the spinal erectors, and the front and rear deltoids. Additionally, this pose gets more demanding with each of the 3 stages in the Utkatasana sequence.

The purpose and benefits of this posture are to help to continue to warm up the body inside and outside of the hot room by creating joint and muscle flexibility. This posture also helps to encourage vast blood circulation to all areas of the body. Some other medical benefits of this posture include decreasing symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis in the legs and correcting slipped discs and other lower-spine problems.

Tips On How To Perform The Awkward Pose:

Stand tall with both your feet next to each other, then move the right foot far enough for a 6-inch gap to occur between your knees, (this is equal to the length of your two fists). Extend your arms in front of you, and make sure they are not relaxed – keep them flexed and straight at the elbows. Bring your arms down so you can see your shoulders. This will help to keep your shoulders loose, as we already tense our shoulders up enough in our day.  Additionally, this will keep them low and reduce stress on the joints.

Keep your fingers closed. Keep them as close together as possible. Slowly lower your hips so that your thighs become parallel to the floor, and hold the position. Go back up to straight position; only make sure to stand on your toes this time. Keep standing tall on your toes for a few seconds and then repeat the whole procedure above by bringing your hips down to where your thighs become parallel with the surface beneath you. Go back up to straight position again, and this time instead of putting the entire weight of your body on your toes, simply lift your heals off the ground just a little bit as if you were trying to add just one inch to your height, and repeat the awkward pose, only this time going down with your buttocks as low as you can until they almost touch the back of your heels. Remember that this is is the third, final, and most demanding iteration of this posture, but it has an end point and will not go on forever.

Some food for thought, each time you come up each part of the “Awkward” pose sequence, remember to keep your back straight. Try not to lean too far forward with your chest or to far backward into the heels. This might feel more difficult, but remember if you practice the proper form early on, you can avoid unnecessary injury, you will strengthen your core even more and you will continue to challenge mind and bodyJ And lastly….remember to breath normally through your nose. You’ll be tempted to breathe faster than usual as this posture gets the circulation moving, try to keep a normal respiration pace and revel in the awkwardness that this position can bring.

Breath on,

Carla Schils & the little YogaGal

Blog 8 / The Posture Series

Half Moon/Ardha-Chandrasana & Hands To Feet/Pada Hastasana
Co-Written By: Carla Schils & the little YogaGal

                                            Dear Yogis,

Half Moon Rt. Side

To continue the posture series we will be discussing the second posture, Half Moon or Ardha-Chandrasana. This pose is actually two poses in one. It is done in combination with the next pose, Hands to Feet or Pada Hastasana. Together, these poses help to warm-up your spine in every direction for the rest of the series. In Half Moon, the body stretches to one side while contracting and strengthening the other side, then reaching side to side and then to the back. The Hands to Feet pose that follows is a forward backbend. The idea is to elongate the spine outward through the crown of your head as you fold into the pose.

Tips for Half Moon & Head to Feet:

Half Moon L. Side

        ·  Keep the weight in the heels of the feet. This will help to give that full body stretch on each side, in the back of the legs all the way up to the top of the spine.

       ·         Don’t be shy to adjust to get into the posture. The first set is a test run to see where the body is at for the day.

       ·         When bending the body in Half Moon on each side, try to imagine that the body is in between two panels of glass. This is so that the spine does not become unintentionally realigned, which could lead to a potential injury. You are stretching up and over creating a crescent shape.



Backward Bending

        ·         In backward bending of the spine, begin by relaxing your neck to look behind you.  Then lift your chest, broaden your shoulders and move your arms back to your ears.  Keep your body weight in the heels, contract your glutes and push your stomach, legs, and hips forward.  Try to keep your arms with your ears and progress backwards.  Breathe.

        ·         When in Head to Feet, to make it feel less like torture, relax the neck and shoulders, and then look at the back wall or your thighs. Always remember the upper body compression.  Torso on the thighs continuously protecting the lumbar spine from over stretching.  Use your bicep strength to elongate your spine and legs from coccyx to 



Hands To Feet

the toes, coccyx to your forehead. Pulling is the object of stretching in this pose.

        ·         And of course remember to breathe into each posture. When stretching, breathe into the tightness and exhale when your maximum has been reached to relax into the posture further.  

        ·    Remember to smile at yourself once in awhile, it will help to keep the mind and body light in the posture and throughout the whole series.

   Benefits Broken Down:

• Increases vitality and energy; relieves stress
• Increases strength and flexibility of the muscles in the abdomen, buttocks, biceps, and shoulders
• Increases spinal flexibility and helps relieve lower back and sciatic nerve pain
• Helps to correct poor posture
• Firms and trims abdomen, waistline and hips
• Improves coordination and sense of balance
• Helps restore elasticity to the spine and promotes the flow of synovial fluid in joints
• Though it may not feel like it directly after class, this posture aids in circulation to the legs and the brain, which will help the brain to work more efficiently and clearly.

Flow-ga On & Till Next Time,

                                                                                                    the little YogaGal

Blog 7 / The Posture Series: Pranayama Breathing To Begin

(The posture series of the blog is designed for quick tips to help yogis to gather a deeper understanding of the postures and their benefits)

Dear Yogis,

“-Start with your feet together nicely, toes and heels touching each other. All ten fingers interlocked nicely under the chin, full grip. Always your hands touching the chin like glue. Nice and relaxed shoulders. Swallow a couple of times. Look in the mirror. Concentrate. Meditate. Inhale, head down, arms up, full lungs.”…. Sound familiar? If it does, that’s because it’s the dialogue for the first posture in the Bikram series, Pranayama breathing. 

By now how many have you experienced the all too familiar wandering mind syndrome during what seems like a pointless breath exercise?  Even though this may seem like a posture you could have less of or do without, all yoga would simply not exist without it. Why is that you ask? Weather it is the meaning of Bhattacharyya to describe Pranayama as “vital air” or Thomas McEvilley reference of our “spirit-energy”, Pranayama is the life force that is regulated and lengthened through our breath that continuously flows through us in and out of the hot room. It is what keeps us alive.

Before getting into standing series, begin by lying down on your mat in Savasana and settling your mind from your day to day thoughts. Stand with your toes and heels touching to help encourage a straight spine. When you inhale, begin with your fingers interlocked (including your thumbs), underneath your chin and elbows touching. As you inhale, press your chin against your interlocked fingers and raise your elbows at the same level of your head. Inhale deeply into your lungs, until you get dizzy. Watch yourself in the mirror and move the air from your throat, into your lungs and then into your abdomen.

Now time to exhale. Here’s the tricky part, when you exhale, keep your elbows at shoulder level. I know it’s tempting to take the easier route to simply bring your elbows back down in a circular like motion, but this way of doing it will ultimately put you at a disadvantage as the exhalation will not empty the lungs as much as possible for the next inhalation. Additionally, this will decrease the amount of oxygen that will energize you for the next 85 minutes ahead. In addition, try to keep your inhales and exhales to the count of 6. This will help to encourage long, strong, deep and energizing breaths. If you have trouble breathing, try to work your way up to 6 seconds on each inhale and exhale. Remember that this is your time to begin getting in tune with your body to see where you are at for that day.  This beginning posture can set the whole tone for your entire practice. Let Pranayama breathing work for you as oppose to your mind being at war with the whole series from the first posture.

Try to remember that our bodies and minds are synergistic systems that we can control and hone by practicing the awareness of breath. When you practice Pranayama, your mind will realize that your heart rate has slowed down and your adrenal system will decrease the adrenaline being sent out into your body. Then your mind will begin to realize there is no need to run away from the situation. Listed below are some other benefits of Pranayama breathing to help you better understand why this posture is a vital part of your yoga.

• Increases circulation to the whole body
• Wakes you up and helps you to focus and concentrate
• Holding the deep breath in for a moment raises your internal temperature, warming up the body of from the inside out as your cells absorb fresh oxygen from the bloodstream.
• When you exhale using your diaphragm and contracting the intercostal muscles, you force carbon dioxide and other toxins out of the lungs. If you’ve ever been a smoker, this is a great way to help heal your lungs.
• The entire breathing exercise strengthens abdominal muscles, loosens the neck and shoulders, and helps reduce stress. We spend a great deal of our day bending forward and actually holding our breath – it’s a natural reaction to stress. Learning to consciously focus on deep breathing relaxes the body and calms the mind, and keeps the oxygen flowing, improving our health:)

                                                                                                                             Breathe On, 
                                                                                                                             little YogaGal