Eka Pada Koundinyasana I

Arm Balance

EKA PADA KOUNDINYASANA I

If Side Crow is already part of our practice, then we can understand that Eka Pada Koundinyasana I is like adding on another layer to that posture, due to the fact that they are quite similar.  The added layer is that we split the top leg and take it behind us.

Like any arm balance though, we can encounter some challenges. A common occurrence when sending that top leg back is losing the “sweet spot” of the counterbalance.  

There are however actions, articulations, and variations we can engage in to conquer these challenges.  In today’s video, Matt demonstrates a variety of ways to approach Eka Pada Koundinyasana I that will meet us where we are in the development of this pose.

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

STEP INTO THE FIRE

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

  • Step by step guidance 
  • Intelligent and precise warm up for your body
  • Drills to build and refine your skillsets
  • Essential Arm Balance techniques
  • All Levels Appropriate
  • Lifetime Access available
  • Live Attendance is NOT necessary - You can practice the replays
  • Affordable options available
  • VIP Options available

BACK ON THE MAT VARIATION

Unless it is a regular part of our practice, attempting Eka Pada Koundinyasana I may feel discouraging.  The pieces may not come together as we desire them to, or in the timeline we desire, but this is where the practice happens.  It’s our opportunity to take intentional action in the direction of growth, while learning to release the outcomes.

What we also have in our favour is guidance.  The first variation Matt offers lays a foundation.  It’s in a supine position, which allows our well placed efforts to exist within the tiny nuances, along with strengthening in order to prepare for the variations where balance is required.

One of the key takeaways is that just because we are supine, doesn’t mean we don’t stay active in our bodies.  An example of this is utilizing a high degree of abdominal engagement to draw the front leg higher onto the supportive arm.

WATCH THE VIDEO

EKA PADA KOUNDINYASANA I: GO FORWARD, LIFT HIGHER

KICKSTAND SET UP

Another challenge we may encounter is finding it difficult to lift both legs off of the ground.  Practicing by attempting to only lift one leg may help us to get a sense of what’s required.  Using the front foot as a kickstand can allow us to explore what it feels like to lift in the back leg, while contemplating how much we need to go forward with the torso in order to lift the back leg higher.  Once we feel secure and strong enough, we can slowly start to play with the idea of bringing the front foot forward and eventually lifting that foot off of the ground.  This kickstand variation of Eka Pada Koundinyasana I offers us the assurance that  the front foot can remain as a base while we work on muscle engagement and pelvic articulations until we find full flight.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

SLIDE WITH SOCKS

Just like in last week’s article about Eka Pada Koundinyasana II, utilizing socks as a prop to assist in sliding the front foot forward can make Eka Pada Koundinyasana I more accessible.

Now, of course, progression and advancement exist in the finer details.  It’s not uncommon to experience a challenge keeping the bottom leg in place on the upper arm.  To help with this, Matt teaches us to rotate the pelvis in a way that the “top pelvis” does a hip hike which will help to roll the bottom leg up the arm.  When we achieve this, it effectively makes the posture more vertical, which helps us to not have to lean forward as much.  He compares it to how we understand the way a handstand works.  When stacked more vertically, we can rely on less counterbalance and become more weightless, therefore maintaining better access to the posture.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

EPK I CHAIR INVESTIGATION

If we’re not quite ready to take flight, this variation of Eka Pada Koundinyasana I on a chair may be the perfect option.  In many ways it’s similar to the kickstand set up.  We start off by keeping the bottom foot on the ground, then placing the top foot on a chair behind us (best to have a chair that doesn’t roll or slide).  Once we feel secure, we can then start to extend the bottom leg forward.  Now, can’t forget to lean forward, to actually be able to extend that leg.  

This exploration with a chair takes some weight off of the posture, making a pathway towards building enough strength for the ability to take flight in this arm balance.

If you want to unlock more access to arm balances like this one, you’ll want to register for Matt’s next 2 Hour Online Arm Balance Workshop called: Step Into The Fire.

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Flow and Fly Immersion 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

Bird Of Paradise

Bird Of Paradise

Bird Of ParadiseSvarga DvijasanaBIRD OF PARADISE In Bird of Paradise we’re balancing while binding and this can be quite an undertaking.  This means that the preparation for this posture requires shoulder mobility, hip mobility and a tremendous amount of strength. ...

read more
A Tree Pose Treatment

A Tree Pose Treatment

A Tree Pose TreatmentVrksasanaA TREE POSE TREATMENT Tree Pose may appear to be a posture we can just “jump into” because of its “accessibility” from anywhere we might be standing, but it definitely requires more refinement than we might think.  Giving it a little...

read more
Practice Peacock Pose

Practice Peacock Pose

Practice Peacock PoseMayurasanaPRACTICE PEACOCK POSE We go to our yoga practice for many different reasons at any given time.  Within our asana practice, we are sometimes seeking softness and ease.  At other times, we might be striving for vigour and strength. ...

read more
Achieve Flying Balance

Achieve Flying Balance

Achieve Flying BalanceArm BalanceACHIEVE FLYING BALANCE Achieving an arm balance is quite extraordinary when you consider all that’s involved. And when we refer to an arm balance as a “flying balance,” there is even more involved. The “flying” in Eka Pada...

read more
Virasana

Virasana

VirasanaHip ExtensionVIRASANA For some of us, postures like Virasana and Lotus can be uncomfortable or even painful for the knees, so we avoid them altogether. Depending on what we’re dealing with, this may be the best decision. If there is room for safe exploration,...

read more
Get Bendy

Get Bendy

Get BendySpinal MobilityGET BENDY In the yoga context, getting bendy can conjure up images of postures that may seem far-fetched or unattainable. What we should set our sights on instead is not an end result but rather all the things we learn while we're exploring...

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thank you! check your email for your free training and be sure to put matt@theyogimatt.com in your VIP or drag emails from me from your spam or "promotions" folder to your Inbox folder. This is where you will receive your FREE videos!

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This!

Hey. thank you for reading. If this is helpful please share it!

Shares