Down Dog: Avoid Shoulder Impingement

3 Steps to Avoid Shoulder Impingement

in Downward-Facing Dog

Should You “Relax Your Shoulders” Away From Your Ears?

In my previous blog, “The Yoga Cue That Could Be Destroying Your Shoulders,” I explained how taking the arms up overhead while dropping our shoulders down our back could be a recipe for shoulder impingement. Many teachers use Downward Dog as a “resting pose.”  In my experience, I have found that “relaxing” in Downward Dog is quite often the reason for most shoulder issues but can easily be rectified with the 3 cues I provide in the video and photo breakdown below: 

  1. Externally Rotate the Humerus
  2. Pronate the Forearms (not directly related to the shoulder but balances out Step 1)
  3. Elevate the Scapula 

Elevation of the scapula happens when you lift your shoulder blades upward, which is like “shrugging” your shoulders, or when you excitedly reach your arms up to the sky. We naturally let our shoulders lift when our arms go up, but since many instructors cue the opposite, it is easy develop a pattern that does not serve the health of our shoulders. In addition to the verbal cue of “soften your shoulders,” gravity also causes issues if we don’t actively resist when we are in postures like Downward Dog, Forearm Stand, Handstand, or in a jump forward. My suggestion is to strengthen the muscles that elevate the scapula (upper trapezius and serratus anterior being the primary ones) in order to develop the pattern that can help to avoid shoulder impingement.

Many people cringe when I suggest strengthening the muscles that lift the shoulders up, saying something like “but my shoulders are stuck up by my ears, shouldn’t I relax them down?” The short answer is yes, but the longer answer is that muscles hold tension when they are weak. Your shoulders are likely up by your ears because of stress, rather than excess strength . . . unless you are a world champion bodybuilder . . . then ignore this. We also have muscle-holding patterns, which means that when we hold our neck, head, and arms in one position for most of the day, it will cause the muscles to become accustomed to holding those positions, and as a result you will be somewhat stuck in that shape. Simply pulling your shoulders back down will not relax the trapezius; rather, it could cause more stress, and the muscle could become more aggravated.

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BUT ISN’T IT IMPORTANT TO RELAX MY NECK?

Relaxing is undoubtedly important, and it will help release tension in your mind and body. At the same time, muscles relax from being activated properly and then released. You have certainly experienced this after engaging your muscles in a good workout or yoga class and then the incredible relaxation afterwards. Stretching a muscle can help release tension at times, but more often than not, I find active engagement or passive shortening of a muscle is far more effective. When a muscle is healthy and strong, it is better able to relax.

Follow the 3 easy steps in the video below to avoid shoulder impingement, and you will grow stronger in your trapezius muscles and rotator cuff.

Maintaining Joint Space

Research indicates that externally rotating the humerus helps to move the supraspinatus tendon away from the impingement area under the acromion process. Essentially this means that by rotating your arm bones outward (biceps turn forward) you are less likely to pinch the the soft tissues that run between your arm bone and the shoulder socket. 

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Other Helpful Muscle Engagements

Research also shows that activating both the biceps and triceps at the same time  can actually support creating more space in the glenohumeral joint  (where the arm meets the shoulder socket). You can do this by actively pushing the arms straight, and then try to squeeze your hands toward each other like a bull dog.   It is challenging to do oppositional muscle engagements so this takes a bit of exploring. First work on straightening the elbows and activating the triceps. When you squeeze your arms toward each other you will also get the added benefit of activating the adductor muscles which can also support more space in the shoulder joint.

DOES THIS APPLY TO HANDSTAND AS WELL?

Your shoulder joints do not know the difference between downward dog and handstand – aside from the gravitational pull, the shoulders are in the same alignment in downward dog as they are in handstand, this is called flexion. When the arms are flexed over head, you are at risk of impingement. The only difference is that in handstand you have to compete with gravity and so you will need to increase your efforts. You will find much more on this subject in the online course titled Handstand Part 2: Balance.

Step 1 - Externally Rotate the Arm Upper Arm Bone

Rotating the humerus externally when the arm goes up over head can help to avoid the impingement interval in the joint. One of your rotator cuff muscles, the supraspinatus, runs through the glenohumeral joint (under the acromion process and above the head of the humerus). This muscle helps to lift the arms up from tadasana, but because of its location it is easily pinched if the arms go over head but the shoulder blades don’t follow the movement. Downward dog is often the culprit- the weight of the body on the shoulders requires that we put effort into the posture to push the ground away, however with cues like “relax your shoulders” and “soften” we often release the appropriate muscular action required to maintain space resulting in shoulder impingement. In plain English – Externally rotate your arms (triceps rotate toward your face) and you will maintain more space in the joint and less potential for impingement. 

Step 3: Upward Rotation of The Scapula

From the outer line of your shoulder blades press through your hands into the earth. When you elevate your shoulder blades toward the ears from the outside line of the arm, the bottom wingtip of the scapula begins to rotate out and up – this is known as upward rotation of the scapula. As a result of upward rotation your shoulder blades rotates and angles itself to allow the arm bone to be overhead without a collision of bones in the joint, creating less possibility of impingement. 

Step 2: Pronate the Forearm

When externally rotating the upper arm bone you will notice that the lower arm (forearm) will go along for the ride and rotate as well. This results in an increased pressure in the outside of the hand and wrist. To evenly distribute the weight to the whole hand, simply pronate your forearm, by rotating the inner forearm and hand down toward the ground. Many teachers will stress this by asking you to press your index finger and thumb down. Depending on your range of motion in your radial ulnar joint,  you may not be able to press the inside edge of your hand down and maintain external rotation of the shoulder. My suggestion is to turn the hands slightly outward if this is the case. Learning to rotate the forearm in opposition of the upper arm bone can be challenging, but through mindful repetition you will be able to do it, and you will feel an increased strength and stability from it. To Strengthen your wrist, I highly recommend Handstand Training

The 3 Actions

While I have broken this down into 3 steps, with time and practice it can be 1 step and the 3 actions can happen all at once. To build muscle coordination it is useful to separate the actions and practice them individually. Though I created a definitive order to follow, know that it is beneficial to mix up the 3 steps and put them out of order. You may find another combination to work better for your body! The dotted red line above is to indicate the path of the bottom wing tip of the scapula. If you do not do push the bottom wing tip will wind up closer to the spine, it is helpful to video yourself to see where your shoulder blades are on your back. 

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Depression of the Scapula

Pulling your shoulders down away from the ears is the opposite of everything I have mentioned in this post, however it is an important action to work on especially for arm balances like side plank because depression creates stability when the arms are at or below shoulder height.

When Can I Relax My Shoulders?

One of the best parts about getting stronger with shoulder elevation (upward rotation) is that the muscles of your upper trapezius will become more supple and be able to relax more easily. Just like after working really hard in a yoga class you feel that complete relaxation in your body, each of your muscles experience that after being strengthened. There are plenty of opportunities to relax your shoulders down your back – just not when you reach your arms overhead. So when you are sitting at your chair you can think shoulders move slightly back and shoulder blades relax downward. When you are in a strong posture like crow pose and your upper arms are not over head, you can even work on strengthening the muscles of depression of the scapula. My philosophy on the body is that there are no wrong actions or muscle engagements, there are just appropriate and inappropriate times to use them.

A great rule of thumb you can take with you: when in doubt just let your shoulders follow your hands – if the hands go up, let your shoulders go up, if they go down let them go down, if you reach forward let them go forward, etc. Enjoy your exploration, thank you for stopping by!

-Matt

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The Chromatic Way

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DANCER POSE

Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle to consider.  You might argue that the “grace” portion comes from its heart opening shape, while the strength comes from all that goes into finding balance even though there are other components that comprise both.  The journey of discovering these elements becomes quite profound and rewarding when you follow Matt’s Chromatic approach.  In today’s video, you’ll witness techniques that support your development, but more importantly you’ll observe how the “chromatic way” is implemented in order to create deeper awareness and transformation.  Dancer pose, along with other “preparatory postures” become more accessible in your practice.

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WHAT IS CHROMATIC YOGA?

Before we look at dancer pose, let’s delve into what chromatic yoga actually means.  “Chromatic Yoga is a systematic approach to teaching that provides a highly intentional and purposeful experience for students to cultivate awareness of their body and mind.” (Extracted from Matt’s 300 Hr. Teacher Training).  

What does this look like in your physical yoga practice?  In a well developed class/practice you’ll start with laying a foundation.  This can be done by focusing on a couple of specific actions in some “foundational postures” and/or shapes. This sets the stage and prepares your body for a “peak posture”.  Each movement is executed with specific intention.  Remaining focused on these intentions helps you to create more awareness of how you move and where you may need to add or edit a particular action.   Everything is broken down, simplified, and repeated to support you in realizing your fullest potential. 

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DANCER POSE:  THE CHROMATIC WAY

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Dancer pose is a heart opener and a balance posture all-in-one.  Creating the shape of a heart opener requires that you create the action of retracting the scapula, which when done with effort, will activate the rhomboids and lower trapezius.  Matt demonstrates how to pattern this activation in Upward Facing Dog.  In today’s video, you’ll see that after retracting your scapula, and externally rotating the humerus on each side, you create more space for your chest to move forward.  When you lift your rib cage up and out, you create more length and opening in your front body.  These are all key actions to start with in order to find more heart space in dancer pose.  This patterning continues in Twisted Monkey & Tiger Pose.  What you also see are the necessary actions in the pelvis and the activations that promote the lengthening required in the hip flexors and quadriceps.

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DANCER POSE AT THE WALL

If you’ve worked through these progressions, your body is more physically prepared for the next steps. This variation of dancer pose is great, because if you want to spend time being more focused on the backbend and the movement of the pelvis, this reduces the effort required to stay balanced.  Here, Matt demonstrates the “dance” (pun intended) between the movement of the pelvis (more anterior tilt) which assists in lifting the back leg further up and opening the pectoralis major along with the action of increased external rotation from the shoulder. After tipping forward with more anterior tilt, Matt then advises you to lift your chest up on an inhale in order to expand through your front body.  Going back and forth with these actions ultimately promotes greater opening all together.  Activation of the quadriceps and hip flexors are continued by pressing your foot into your hand and vice versa.  

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FIND YOUR BALANCE

The repetition of the actions created throughout the previous postures boosts your ability to find more balance in dancer pose.  The same exchange between tipping forward and lifting up the chest, along with greater awareness of internal rotation of the lifted leg will assist in cultivating more stability.

The definition of finding your balance goes further than just taking dancer pose away from the wall.  From a Chromatic yoga lens, it also means that throughout the exploration of the biomechanics of a posture, you are learning more about your body and mind in the process.  Maybe there are vast differences between one side of the body and the other.  Maybe there is room for a shift in your thought process during your practice. This can go in multiple directions.  Ultimately, the relationship you build with yourself and your practice as a whole completely transforms when you adopt the chromatic way. 

Sign up for Matt’s next Online Chromatic Yoga Immersion to deepen your understanding of this approach.

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Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Where to Induce Strength

back line strength

EKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA

There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off of your yoga mat in Urdhva Dhanurasana. Moreover, when the element of the lifted leg in Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana is added, the awareness of where to distribute your strength becomes heightened—you need to consider the strength to elevate your hips, and there’s a requirement to induce strength from the quadriceps and hip flexors in the lifted leg. The demand from the back line increases because you are relying on sustaining the elevation from one side of your body. In today’s video, you’ll see how Matt and his wife Rebecca Rasmussen (@dancinbecca) demonstrate exactly where and how to maximize your body’s ability to cultivate strength for this masterful posture.

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INSIDE THE ANATOMY

In the top leg, the hip flexor muscles involved in pulling your leg towards your chest include the rectus femoris, sartorius, iliacus, psoas major, pectineus, and TFL. It’s important to understand the relationship between the strength of these muscles and how they oppose the tension of the glutes and hamstrings in the same leg. This tension will reveal itself even more when you attempt to straighten your leg, which also activates the quadriceps. Along with the weight of gravity, the tension will attempt to pull your leg away from your chest. Matt advises you to prioritize strengthening your hip flexors to draw the leg closer to your chest, rather than attempting to straighten your leg and allowing it to drift away. Opting to prioritize your hip flexors here simply means that you are stepping into the opportunity to increase strength rather than chasing the aesthetic.

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EKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA: WHERE TO INDUCE STRENGTH

BRIDGE POSE AS YOUR BASE

As always, Matt’s Chromatic approach helps to pattern and prepare your body for each progression. In Bridge Pose, you’ll see the importance of generating strength from your feet: In order to light up the power in your glutes, you press down through your inner heels and the “three points of your feet” (big toe, pinky toe, and heel). With your glutes, hamstrings, and adductor magnus activated, you’ll have enough strength to lift your hips up. Another of Matt’s tips is to feel as though you are pushing your feet away from you on the diagonal. This will help to activate your quadriceps, which translates to even more hip height. Once you’ve explored here, you can layer on the lifted leg in Bridge Pose. This variation allows you to practice taking your top leg closer to your chest in a more controlled position.

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WHEEL POSE PROGRESSION

As you progress towards Wheel Pose, you carry the same patterning you cultivated in Bridge (e.g., pressing through your heels). In Wheel, however, more awareness of the positioning of your hands, shoulder blades, and spine become vital. Before you even lift off of the ground, it’s important to create more extension in your spine, which you can initiate with an anterior tilt of your pelvis. In today’s video, Rebecca demonstrates the Wheel Pose setup as Matt cues specific articulations. With her hands wider than shoulder width, she presses up onto her head first, in order to draw her shoulder blades in closer before elevating even further. Drawing your shoulder blades closer towards one another will open the chest further, allowing you to press your chest in the direction of your fingertips and thus create a deeper heart opener. 

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PROMOTE THE PUSH

Beyond understanding where to push into your hands and feet for elevation, you can encourage a push into an imaginary wall for the foot of your top leg. Pushing into the sky offers a completely transformative experience in Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana. If you are working with someone (like Matt and Rebecca are in the video), you can utilize the resistance of your partner pushing into the foot or thigh of your top leg to fire up your hip flexors. If increasing strength is your goal, incorporating these actions will get you there sooner. Additionally, when you have a deeper understanding of the anatomy, it’s easier to know where to induce strength.  

Sign up for Matt’s Yoga Anatomy Course Waitlist and build a closer relationship with yourself and your body via anatomy and your yoga practice.

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Anatomy of the Heart

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read more
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Increase Your Range of Motion

FLEXIBILITY BOOST

UTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B

In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities in regard to preparation between that posture and today’s (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B), there are obviously other points of consideration due to both the change in positioning of the top leg and the differences in the shape of the torso. What you can rely on is how Matt develops a clear narrative for you to follow. The buildup to a posture is like reading a book with first-rate plot development. The variations offered in today’s video include all of the vital elements (rising action/muscular preparation, climax/execution of the posture, falling action/the lessons learned and deeper understanding of your body, and resolution/reflection and awareness of how to approach the posture with physical and mental intelligence.

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  • Moderate Vinyasa style with alignment, technique, and biomechanics
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  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

START WITH STRENGTH

To approach Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B with intelligence, you have to start with strength. Accepting this methodology means that increased range of motion is within your grasp. If you’ve practiced with Matt before, then you understand that the development of improved range of motion includes both strength and flexibility. Part of the rising action in today’s narrative is the cultivating of outer hip strength for both stability in the standing leg and active mobility in the top leg. To this end, Matt demonstrates a drill where you’re in a Tabletop position while repeatedly lifting/abducting one leg. In this drill, paying attention to the articulation of your pelvis (anterior tilt) and the positioning of the knee of the lifted leg (going directly out to the side and not trailing behind) is the difference between actually targeting the outer hip muscles effectively and just mindlessly going through the motions.

WATCH THE VIDEO

UTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B: INCREASE YOUR RANGE OF MOTION

STANDING KNEE BEND

Once strength has been addressed as part of the foundation for this posture, moving towards the exploration of increased range of motion in your hips becomes possible. Here, Matt offers variations of Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B that begin to lead you towards the climax (the potential of the pose that exists within your body).

Matt reveals that in a standing position, beyond the requirement of hip flexion and hamstring flexibility in the standing leg, you can actually increase your range of motion first by squeezing in the hip of the standing leg while creating a lateral tilt in your pelvis. This lateral tilt automatically sends the top leg higher. Immediately, you reduce the amount of constriction of hip flexion from the top leg. Maintaining a bent knee in the top leg also allows you to explore the pose with less demand on the hamstrings and adductors.

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

HALF MOON POSE LEG LIFTS

In the previous step, you also begin to foster a development of lateral flexion of the spine along with strength in the obliques and quadratus lumborum (QL) to support the lateral tilt of the pelvis when you’re upright in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B. In today’s video, Matt nurtures this with his “Half Moon Pose leg lifts” drill. Although this drill continues to develop strength in the outer hips, it also generates strength in the obliques and QL because you are lifting (abducting) the top leg beyond a neutral position. Additionally, just because the standing leg is static doesn’t mean that it’s inactive. You can still intentionally create abduction of the bottom leg. Together, these actions translate directly into a sense of stability in the torso, which comes from strong oblique and QL muscles.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

VARIATIONS AT THE WALL

Matt keeps you at the edge of your seat as he unfolds what’s possible. First, he offers a drill that assists in mastering the lateral tilt of the pelvis. He also demonstrates more than one access point into Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B. Matt explains that if you have any hamstring and/or adductor concerns in regard to flexibility, it might be safer to straighten your top leg to its potential before tilting the pelvis. On the other hand, you can opt to tilt your pelvis first and then straighten. Further, you can create a Compass-like variation where you’re gearing towards increased lateral flexion in the spine in order to grab the outer top foot. 

Exploring all of these variations guides you towards not only resolutions that are long-lasting within your physical body but also greater discernment within your mind when it comes to approaching your practice more holistically.

You can gain deeper insight into Matt’s Chromatic methodology within the “chapters” of his 200 & 300 Hour Teacher Training courses.

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: Splits Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

The Teachers' Toolkit

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  • Acquire business-building skills
  • Attract the right students
  • Learn about social media, marketing, and business structure
  • Catapult your teaching and career

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

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Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

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Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

read more

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  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
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  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin

Variations for a Solid Foundation

strength

STANDING NOSE TO SHIN

Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful preparation, particularly when considering how to optimize the prominent muscle groups that are involved. Your hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, quadriceps, back muscles, and calf muscles are just some of the highlighted areas of the body that require attention for you to realize your full potential in the pose. In today’s video, Matt lays out the path to increased strength, flexibility, and mobility via these 5 preparatory variations of Standing Nose to Shin. What you’ll see are ways to intelligently break down the posture into bite-sized pieces by attempting them in different planes. Working through these variations is not solely a gateway to the posture but an entrance to amplified body balance.

lotus pose online yoga classes

THE SPLITS

  • Improve flexibility of hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, and glutes
  • Hanumanasana Splits
  • Center Splits
  • Vishvamitrasana
  • Standing Splits / Ekapadasana
  • Extended Side Plank / Vashisthasana
  • Straddle entries for inversions, with modifications for all levels
  • Moderate Vinyasa style with alignment, technique, and biomechanics
  • Sequences are anatomically informed and carefully crafted
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

HAMSTRING, HIP FLEXOR, AND QUAD ACTIVATION

Both palpitation and the use of your own body as a prop are great tools in your yoga practice. In the first variation, Matt has you lace your fingers to grasp underneath the belly of your hamstring. Doing this will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of both the strength and stretch sensation in that area of your body. Pressing down into your hands creates an activation. Once you extend your leg, you’ll initiate the technique of reciprocal inhibition—activating the opposing muscle of the one you’re lengthening. In this case, your quadriceps activate while your hamstrings lengthen. This is important because it helps minimize the potential for overstretching the hamstrings.  

Getting your hip flexors more involved means letting go of the grip on your hamstrings and allowing your extended leg to do the work of opposing gravity.

WATCH THE VIDEO

STANDING NOSE TO SHIN: 5 VARIATIONS FOR A SOLID FOUNDATION

STANDING SINGLE LEG AT THE WALL

Using a wall as a prop doesn’t mean that it’s an opportunity to neglect the required muscle activation to prepare for Standing Nose to Shin. This variation is the training ground for the anterior tilt of the pelvis that encourages an increased range of motion. Matt reminds you that even though you fold forward in the final variation, there is still an incorporation of the pelvic tilt.

Along with this pelvic tilt is a lifting of the heart and a backbend, which help you strengthen and activate in order to prepare for the fold in the final variation. 

Another important action for the final variation is the dorsiflexion of your foot. What’s taking place here is the strengthening and intentional activation of the tibialis anterior.  

As you create these activations, the hamstrings can become more vulnerable, so it’s important to stay in tune with the sensations that are taking place there.  

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

STANDING SPLITS AT THE WALL

This variation is interesting, because even though you are going more with gravity, there is still opportunity to activate, activate, activate! There’s continued emphasis on activating your quads and glute muscles. As regards the top leg, it’s almost as if you’re trying to lift your leg off of the wall with the glute activation. Doing this mimics the position of the standing leg when you “turn the pose upside down” by standing right side up.

Here, you can also welcome in the deeper fold towards the standing leg. In order to protect the hamstring of the standing leg, you tuck the same-side sit bone while taking your face closer to your shin. Tucking your tailbone produces an activation of the hamstrings and glutes (facilitated stretch) to keep the sit-bone attachment safe.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

SEATED, SUPINE, AND STANDING

Getting onto the floor offers another chance to imitate the posture with less emphasis on balance. You’re able to continue to work on activating the quadriceps in the lower leg, just as you will in the standing pose.  

In the video, even though Matt is leaning forward towards his shin, you can also see how long and “upright” he appears in his alignment. This gets more range but with increased protection of the spine and whole backline.

Attempting the final variation of Standing Nose to Shin adds layers of challenge. If you carefully complete the 5 stages Matt demonstrates, you’ll be able to uncover the articulations, activations, and ranges that require more attention.

Matt’s in-depth approach goes even further in his 200 & 300 hour teacher trainings. This is where you can dive deeper into the core of multiple postures and their variations.

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: Splits Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

The Teachers' Toolkit

  • Advance your practice
  • Learn masterful teaching techniques
  • Acquire business-building skills
  • Attract the right students
  • Learn about social media, marketing, and business structure
  • Catapult your teaching and career

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

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.

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga Practice

activation

STRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES

The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t opportunities, but more intention is required about when and how to incorporate the necessary actions that will actually strengthen this area of your body. The message from Matt is clear and simple: Engage your adductor muscles. You just have to do it! Taking action is the only way for transformation to occur.   Now, when it comes to when and how, Matt outlines in today’s video a number of different yoga postures and drills for you to include in your practice with specific techniques. It may take you out of your comfort zone, but that is exactly how you’ll develop. It’s these actions and drills that will open up your physical yoga practice to new postures, and your physical body to improved functionality.

12 Online Yoga classes to Learn Anatomy

ANATOMY IN MOTION

APRIL 2022 Immersion

  • Embody anatomy
  • Learn key muscles, bones, and joints
  • Visualize your movements internally
  • Improve proprioception
  • Sensation-based practices
  • Unlock and strengthen major muscle groups
  • Active, passive, and isometric stretching
  • Improve mobility and stability
  • Get VERY geeky

$168.00

 

OVERSTRETCHING THE ADDUCTORS

In a yoga practice, the adductor muscles are often stretched without any engagement. I’m sure you can come up with a number of different postures where your adductors are in a lengthened position. Think of any wide-legged posture, such as Warrior II. How many times have you included this posture in your practice? 

The length and stretch sensation of the adductors can feel like the solution to tension or tightness in this area of your body. Releasing tension and increasing flexibility in your adductor muscles actually involves strengthening. This is why it’s imperative to be more calculated in your approach. Finding opportunities to strengthen your adductor muscles will promote their resilience and minimize the likelihood of them becoming overstretched, which can in turn cause injuries. Engaging them, however, can feel challenging, especially if you’re not used to inviting engagement into your practice.

WATCH THE VIDEO

STRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES: INCORPORATE THESE DRILLS INTO YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT AVOID ACTIVATING THE ADDUCTORS

One of the first things Matt talks about in his 300 Hr. Teacher Training is the idea of resistance and how it will show up in certain areas of your life, especially with regard to creating transformation. You feel resistance when it comes to things you don’t particularly want to do, but this is also true even when it comes down to doing things you enjoy. You may love going to your mat to practice yoga, but incorporating intentional muscle activation to increase strength can be quite humbling and discouraging at times. If you want to strengthen your adductor muscles, or your whole body for that matter, Matt encourages you to lean into the resistance. It will reveal not only what’s taking place in your physical body but also more of what you need to know about yourself. This is the yoga practice. 

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

TRY THESE DRILLS

Goddess Pose is the first posture in today’s video. Here, you have to abduct your legs in order to access the strengthening technique. Your adductors are in a lengthened position and feet are turned out, which will help target the adductor magnus in particular. In order to strengthen your adductors, Matt utilizes a facilitated-stretch technique.  

The next drill requires props, a wall and either a yoga block or bosu ball. This time, you’re in more of a closed position, while pressing one leg into the block. It gets your hip flexors and pectineus active. The adductors of both legs are strengthening while performing different roles.

The final drills are really variations of one another, and WOW do they challenge you! In addition to what they demand of your adductors, they also require you to integrate more of your body weight with each progression.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RESISTANCE

Transformation lives on the other side of resistance. Before this is experienced, however, it’s inevitable that you will encounter challenges. A yoga practice that calls upon you to engage your muscles is effortful and can feel quite discouraging. It can tire your body more easily and therefore entice you to incorporate these strengthening techniques a little less than what’s required for actual transformation. But what you’ll find on the other side of resistance is both an unfolding of increased possibilities in your physical practice and a deeper awareness of your own fortitude.

If you want to strengthen your adductors, you’ll have to take advantage of the opportunities within your yoga practice. You can see that there are many opportunities in what Matt offers in today’s video. Once you try out the drills Matt demonstrates, you’ll find doors opening in your practice that you may not have thought possible.

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: Anatomy in Motion

lotus pose online yoga classes

The Teachers' Toolkit

  • Advance your practice
  • Learn masterful teaching techniques
  • Acquire business-building skills
  • Attract the right students
  • Learn about social media, marketing, and business structure
  • Catapult your teaching and career

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

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.

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Shoulder Mechanics Simplified

ALIGNMENT

PLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG

How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in Vinyasa-style classes). These postures are often strung together in a sequence, and the repetition of this sequence can feel quite nice in your body once it becomes a more regular part of your asana practice. It’s easy, however, to become complacent in the execution of these postures and potentially miss opportunities to practice with more skill. In today’s video, Matt simplifies the shoulder mechanics within each posture and highlights how to effectively utilize the appropriate muscle groups for maximum efficiency in your body. You’ll come away with alignment insights that will uplevel your yoga practice.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

ALIGNMENT

JUNE 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Hatha-style practices
  • Transformative and informative experience
  • Alignment and techniques for the most common asana postures
  • Step-by-step, easy-to-follow instruction
  • Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
  • Accessible and empowering modifications
  • Appropriate variations a modifications for all levels

$168.00 $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

UNDERSTANDING PLANK

Plank is the foundation and start of the sequence of Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog. It is the start of being able to understand some of the common tendencies you may have when it comes to stability. Matt explains that one tendency is the anterior tilt of the scapulae (i.e., the shoulders roll forward). This is not necessarily wrong, but if your body regularly defaults into the pattern, it may be an indication that your serratus anterior is weak. It’s your serratus anterior that works to protract the scapulae (a requirement for Plank Pose). If this area is weak, then your pectoralis minor will attempt to take over. A big indicator here is a “sagging” between the shoulder blades. In Plank, your torso is being weighed down by gravity, so the pull of the chest, or “sagging,” is almost inevitable if the serratus anterior is weak.

WATCH THE VIDEO

PLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG: SHOULDER MECHANICS SIMPLIFIED

CHATURANGA AND THE ROLE OF GRAVITY

In the full class, Matt discusses the importance of understanding the role of gravity and its influence on Plank and Chaturanga. In Plank, we now understand the tendency to close the distance between the shoulder blades. In Chaturanga, however, there is an element of going with gravity through the movement, while also opposing it. In other words, in Chaturanga, the shoulder mechanics change. You’re moving from protraction in Plank to retraction.  This is where it gets tricky. Even though there is a level of retraction, it’s critical to note that the muscles that allow you to lower into Chaturanga slowly are the muscles that create protraction. There is still a level of effort placed on protraction so as not to just go with gravity and fall on your face. Essentially, you are fighting against gravity in order to maintain a slow stable descent into Chaturanga.

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

UPWARD-FACING DOG

Falling into the same pattern of anterior tilt in the shoulders is very easy here too. Upward Dog has the capacity to be a strong backbend, but this is achieved by creating a posterior tilt of the scapulae. Instead of thinking about how to manipulate this action from the top of the shoulder blades, Matt suggests bringing your awareness to the bottom tips. Bringing the bottom tips of the scapulae in towards your midline while sending them forward will help to create the shape. Lifting your shoulders up while also sending them back will ultimately send your chest forward to create the backbend. If this proves to be challenging, it comes back to strengthening both the serratus anterior and, in this case, the lower trapezius, which can help you break away from old patterns. It’s the difference between dropping into gravity and lifting up and out with more power.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

TRANSITION

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog—instead of just going through the motions, you now need a deeper sense of awareness in this sequence. Of course, your body will start to re-pattern, and there will be less thought once the pattern becomes ingrained in your body. The sequence of Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog will become more fluid, but until then, it will be a process of becoming more familiar with the timing of when to protract, retract, elevate, and depress your shoulders. In today’s video from Matt’s Alignment Immersion, he takes you on the journey of these 3 postures. If you’re interested in going even further, investing in his 200 & 300 hour training programs is the way forward. This is where you will go further into not only transforming your own practice but becoming certified to support and transform the practice of your students.

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: Alignment Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

The Teachers' Toolkit

  • Advance your practice
  • Learn masterful teaching techniques
  • Acquire business-building skills
  • Attract the right students
  • Learn about social media, marketing, and business structure
  • Catapult your teaching and career

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

read more

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Eagle Pose Legs

Eagle Pose Legs

Pelvic Articulations to Find the Bind

garudasana

EAGLE POSE

Eagle is a yoga posture that can really highlight the relationship between your pelvis and your hips. Of course, the more you understand your body and how it works, the more you begin to capitalize on its infinite potential. You can do this by utilizing not only drills to prepare you, but also specific articulations of various joints that help you build on strength, flexibility, and mobility in your physical yoga practice. It’s within this understanding that you begin to grow in your practice. Yoga postures that may seem unattainable actually become more accessible or even possible. Sometimes it’s a simple movement or sequence of movements that revolutionizes your experience. In today’s video, Matt shares a simple drill and also a sequence of movements that primarily involve specific actions of your pelvis and hips. Both will transform your Eagle Pose.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

ALIGNMENT

JUNE 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Hatha-style practices
  • Transformative and informative experience
  • Alignment and techniques for the most common asana postures
  • Step-by-step, easy-to-follow instruction
  • Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
  • Accessible and empowering modifications
  • Appropriate variations a modifications for all levels

$168.00 $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

START WITH THIS DRILL

If you know that you are moving in a specific direction within a given yoga practice (e.g., practicing a specific posture), your body requires specific warm-ups to execute the posture as safely as possible. The drill that Matt offers in today’s video focuses on supporting the shape of the legs in Eagle Pose. In the drill, he demonstrates a “straddle and criss-cross” movement in a supine position that works to prepare for the deep crossing of one leg over the other. This deep crossing requires a generous amount of flexibility and mobility. In addition to that, however, a great deal of stability is involved because Eagle Pose is also a balance posture. The drill works to prepare both the adductors and the abductors. As the drill progresses, Matt demonstrates how to pattern the actual wrapping of the legs. Continuing to build is key!

WATCH THE VIDEO

EAGLE POSE LEGS: PELVIC ARTICULATIONS TO FIND THE BIND

ARTICULATIONS TO CONSIDER

You’ll see in the progression of the drill that the wrapping movements prepare you for the internal and external rotation of the legs. However, these movements are only enhanced when you invite in other joint articulations.

As you practice Eagle legs in the supine position, it’s imperative to consider the articulation of the ankle in the top leg. In order to find the bind behind the lower leg, you must create an eversion in the ankle of the top leg. This means that you send your toes out and, as Matt explains it, you “shorten the outer ankle.” This creates a hook or locking to hold the bind in place. Now, remember that nothing works in isolation. How do we enhance this action, or make it more accessible? This is when you can really dive into supine Eagle Pose.

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SUPINE EAGLE POSE

With the aim of increasing the accessibility of the bind, following a sequence of actions is essential. Breaking things down into bits will help you deepen your understanding. It’s like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. As Matt begins to demonstrate more of what’s involved with the legs in supine Eagle Pose, he introduces you to movements in the pelvis, which then inform the legs and feet. 

You’ll see in the video that he internally rotates the upper thigh bone, but to really emphasize this, he laterally tilts the pelvis (lifts the hip of the top leg). This will allow your foot to go behind the bottom leg with more ease. Want to go a step further? Lift your hips off of the ground first and then hike the hip while rotating your hips as if to twist.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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EAGLE POSE ENTRANCE AT THE WALL

Eagle Pose at the wall may provide even more room to experiment with pelvic articulations and movements of the hip. Matt suggests that this is because you no longer have a surface beneath you that may potentially limit the amount of rotation available to you. What’s nice here is that you can initially take the balance portion of the posture out of the equation. You’ll see that you stand perpendicular to the wall with your hand resting on it for balance as you execute the hip hike. The rotation is much more significant as you turn to face the wall. What’s slightly different here is that in order to get your leg over top, you must first externally rotate your thigh before you internally rotate it to then find the bind. Once you find the bind, you can turn away from the wall and attempt to find balance.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Practicing these actions in isolation will help you to find the confidence to practice them in the perfect sequence. Following each step helps to unravel the pieces that need more attention alongside the pieces that feel strong. The most exciting part of it all is realizing what’s possible. When you attempt what may seem like a tiny adjustment, you’ll experience just how significant the shift is in a posture and ultimately your practice as a whole.  

If you’d like to delve even further, I suggest Matt’s Alignment Immersion, where you’ll really break down each posture one step at a time.

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Alignment Immersion

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Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

read more

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Neck Alignment

Neck Alignment

Techniques to Find More Ease in Headstand

sirsasana

NECK ALIGNMENT FOR INVERSIONS

Yoga postures typically start “from the feet up.” The same is true when it comes to inversions—it’s just flipped upside down. The positioning of the head and neck sets the foundation, so finding balance can be quite challenging.  

Inversions can be scary stuff, and there’s plenty of legitimate fear to go around. With inversions, the neck becomes “the feet” of the posture, and neck alignment will directly inform your experience. Proper alignment, along with the technique of “pressing your head back,” will strengthen your neck muscles and provide you with the stability required for this posture. In today’s video, Matt breaks down how this technique will provide you with confidence and help you overcome your fears in Headstand.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

ALIGNMENT

JUNE 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Hatha-style practices
  • Transformative and informative experience
  • Alignment and techniques for the most common asana postures
  • Step-by-step, easy-to-follow instruction
  • Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
  • Accessible and empowering modifications
  • Appropriate variations a modifications for all levels

$168.00 $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

PRESS YOUR HEAD BACK

The fear of going upside down and placing weight on your neck can be enough to put you off of the posture all together, but the technique of pressing your head back can restore your faith in your ability to execute Headstand with assurance. One of the best ways to practice this technique is upright. Before you consider the strength, consider the neck alignment. Pulling your skull up and back will bring your head more in line with your spinal column and pelvis. Matt explains that this will place your cervical spine into a more concave shape, rather than the common convex shape that occurs due to a frequently forward carriage of the head. At the beginning of the video, you’ll see that the next step is to press your head into your thumbs. These steps are important to explore before you place any weight on your head in inversions.  

WATCH THE VIDEO

NECK ALIGNMENT: TECHNIQUES TO FIND MORE EASE IN HEADSTAND

HEADSTAND PREPARATION

Once you feel more comfortable with the neck alignment cues, moving on to the next step in Headstand preparation means exploring those cues in Dolphin Pose. What also needs to be discussed here are the options you have in terms of the amount of weight you opt to place on your head.  

At the initial stages of the setup, creating protraction and elevation in the shoulders will help you find more length in the back of your neck and also assist in keeping your head off of the ground. This will make the shift towards taking the back of your head away from your elbows and closer to your hands much easier. The key step, however, is the plantar flexion of your feet in order to make this shift. Next, pressing your head into your hands (more specifically your thumbs) will assist in strengthening your neck muscles.

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HEADSTAND WITH BLOCKS

You now know that pointing your toes will assist in stacking the pelvis over the shoulders, but hamstring flexibility is also required. Gaining the appropriate amount of hamstring flexibility will not happen overnight. This is where elevating your feet on blocks is extremely helpful. Using blocks creates a shorter distance for you to create the stacking you need in order to lift your legs. If you’re not ready to take flight in this way, then practice the stacking by moving back and forth between plantar flexion and dorsiflexion at the ankle joint. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of where your body needs to be in space.  

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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

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  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

UP AGAINST THE WALL

Not knowing where your body is in space is a reason you might choose to practice up against a wall, and this is a great decision, especially when you want to send your legs up in the air.  

You may, however, feel like you are up against a figurative wall when trying to “crack the code” for Headstands. It is possible to start depending on the wall for security, which is why implementing the technique of pressing your head into your hands can completely transform your experience. Once you do that, you can feel everything else fall into place: The action encourages the bottom ribs to knit back, which can then send the pelvis over the shoulders. The beauty of using the wall is that you have time to more deeply understand the cues while it acts as your personal spotter.

Register for Matt’s Alignment Immersion to learn all of the cues that help you to safely practice Headstand.

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: Alignment Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

The Teachers' Toolkit

  • Advance your practice
  • Learn masterful teaching techniques
  • Acquire business-building skills
  • Attract the right students
  • Learn about social media, marketing, and business structure
  • Catapult your teaching and career

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

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  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Pigeon Pose Possibilities

Pigeon Pose Possibilities

Actionable Steps to Refine Your Alignment

kapotasana

PIGEON POSE

The word “possibility” is so powerful—it’s deeply connected to the word “hope.” Possibilities is an even better word because that means there are multiple options, with more opportunities to find what aligns with you. Hearing this in a yoga class can really support your ability to be more at ease; there may just be an option that will assist you in your desired pursuit within a specific practice, which may turn into a favorable experience you weren’t even expecting. In Matt’s classes, you’ll find an abundance of possibilities to completely transform your asana practice in the most positive way. This can be attributed to the fact that he breaks down each posture in great detail. In today’s Pigeon Pose tutorial, you’ll come away with the knowledge of how to make appropriate adjustments for your body in various stages and variations of the posture.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

ALIGNMENT

JUNE 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Hatha-style practices
  • Transformative and informative experience
  • Alignment and techniques for the most common asana postures
  • Step-by-step, easy-to-follow instruction
  • Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
  • Accessible and empowering modifications
  • Appropriate variations a modifications for all levels

$168.00 $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

ANKLE DORSIFLEXION

Pigeon Pose is an excellent hip opener, no doubt about that, but can we even enhance this effect and increase the benefits? There are some alignment cues that can help! For example, Matt directs you towards the articulation of the ankle. You’ll see in today’s video that he instructs you to dorsiflex both feet. You might also be propped up on 2 blocks, one under the front shin and one under the buttock of the front leg, with the front foot hanging just off the block to make room for maximum dorsiflexion. If you take your attention to the back foot, this is where you can increase the stretch in the front hip. It’s the dorsiflexion of the back foot—pressing the ball of the foot down, lifting your hips up, and pulling yourself back—that creates the deeper stretch.

WATCH THE VIDEO

PIGEON POSE POSSIBILITIES: ACTIONABLE STEPS TO REFINE YOUR ALIGNMENT

PIGEON POSE CHAIR VARIATION

Grabbing a chair and incorporating it into your Pigeon Pose practice can really revolutionize your experience. A good place to start might be to sit on the chair and cross one ankle over your knee. Leaning forward in that shape can boost the stretch sensation.

Let’s look at the other possibilities Matt offers. There’s a lot to explore. Other variations with the chair offer options if you need to be higher off of the ground. At the same time, this setup presents opportunities for you to achieve greater range in your hips. By adding blocks in your setup, you can achieve significant range while respecting various progressions. 

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

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  • 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

PELVIC ROTATION FOR DEEPER STRETCH

Even though “getting a deeper stretch” is associated with being the “goal” when it comes to a hip-opening posture like Pigeon Pose, it’s important to be discerning when it comes to what is appropriate for you at a given time. Going into deeper range should only be considered when you can maintain a level of strength and stability in your positioning.

In the last variation, you are shown how to gradually and safely explore the range. As in the first variation, the back toes are curled under and you lift your hips up to more easily manipulate the movement of the pelvis. At this point, you rotate your pelvis towards the midline, which creates more of a twist and that deeper stretch.  

In this and any variation, you can decide how much is appropriate.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

INCREASED HIP HEALTH

Understanding hip health begins with increased awareness of your body. As previously mentioned, taking your time as you explore alignment and range in each variation can provide you with a lot of feedback. What is presenting itself? Is it hypomobility or hypermobility? 

Healthy hips are made up of strength, mobility, stability, and flexibility. If you tend to be hypermobile, for example, incorporating strength into the ranges you explore can be extremely beneficial. On the other hand, hypomobility doesn’t mean that you neglect strength, which in this case may also be extremely beneficial. The key is to be even more cautious and patient when it comes to increasing stretch sensation and range.

In Matt’s Alignment Immersion, you’ll discover much about Pigeon Pose while building a deeper connection to your body.

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: Alignment Immersion, Splits Immersion & Hip Mobility Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

The Teachers' Toolkit

  • Advance your practice
  • Learn masterful teaching techniques
  • Acquire business-building skills
  • Attract the right students
  • Learn about social media, marketing, and business structure
  • Catapult your teaching and career

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

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.

What’s Up With Warrior 3?

What’s Up With Warrior 3?

Key Actions for an Alignment Alteration

virabhadrasana 3

WARRIOR 3

Going to a tailor to get fitted for the perfect item of clothing may just be one of the most underrated incredible feelings in the world. After all, you’re coming away with a piece of clothing that is altered with 100% you in mind. It’s going to fit your body just as it should. This doesn’t mean that the garment didn’t fit you before, but now what you’re walking away with is something more streamlined for your own body. You can compare this to Matt’s approach to alignment in your yoga practice in that it’s not about the “right” or “wrong” way to do a yoga posture (more on this later). Warrior 3, or Virabhadrasana 3, is no exception. There are specific micro and macro movements along with techniques that Matt teaches in order to optimize this posture and acquire the alignment that matches your body.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

ALIGNMENT

JUNE 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Hatha-style practices
  • Transformative and informative experience
  • Alignment and techniques for the most common asana postures
  • Step-by-step, easy-to-follow instruction
  • Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
  • Accessible and empowering modifications
  • Appropriate variations a modifications for all levels

$168.00 $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

IDEAS ABOUT ALIGNMENT

The common belief about alignment when it comes to a yoga practice is that you’re either doing a pose correctly or incorrectly based on achieving an “ideal shape.” From Matt’s perspective, it’s more about getting to know how to align the joints in the most optimal way for each individual body. He says that once the joints are aligned and you begin to add on specific movements and articulations of bones as they relate to other bones, that will ultimately create the shape. It’s not about fitting the body into the shape; rather, the shape is the result of your joint awareness.  

The term “bespoke” means custom-made (often when referring to a tailored item of clothing), and that’s how you can approach alignment in your yoga practice. This approach can increase strength, flexibility, and proprioception, and it can help to minimize the risk of injury.

WATCH THE VIDEO

WHAT’S UP WITH WARRIOR 3?: KEY ACTIONS FOR AN ALIGNMENT ALTERATION

HIP IMPINGEMENT

In any movement practice, the risk of injury is almost inevitable. Some of the most common conditions/injuries you may encounter in a physical yoga practice are issues related to hip impingement. Hip impingement occurs when there is damage and/or deterioration of the soft tissues that lubricate the hip joint. A scientific study from 2018 that examined athletes returning to yoga after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) states that “Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome is most commonly diagnosed in patients who perform activities that require repetitive hip flexion and rotational loading.” These are common actions in a yoga practice, and hip flexion is present in Warrior 3. In today’s video, as Matt guides you through the variations and articulations in Warrior 3, you’ll see that the actions not only can drastically improve your individual alignment but also may greatly decrease the risk of hip impingement.

Frank RM, Ukwuani G, Allison B, Clapp I, Nho SJ. High Rate of Return to Yoga for Athletes After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome. Sports Health. 2018 Sep/Oct;10(5):434-440. doi: 10.1177/1941738118757406. Epub 2018 Feb 14. PMID: 29442577; PMCID: PMC6116099.

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

WARRIOR 3 ALIGNMENT TO AVOID HIP IMPINGEMENT

The video starts off with Matt demonstrating Warrior 3 preparation. One of the first things to consider is whether or not your pelvis is leveled. This is important because it provides information about whether your lifted leg is “dropped” or more open. Matt recommends a little opening so that the pelvis is not collapsing on the opposite inner thigh. The concern here is that the pubic bone on the side of the standing leg may collide with the femur bone on the same side, which may cause hip impingement. An added benefit of creating this opening is that it will promote more strength in the standing leg. You must activate the muscles of the outer hip in the standing leg to initiate the opening. This preparation will allow you to explore other variations of Warrior 3, such as Matt’s demonstration of Dekasana in the video.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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  • 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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

THE HARDEST VARIATION?

If you’re really interested in challenging yourself, then you can try Warrior 3 at the wall. In theory, this variation may sound easier; you may be thinking that you have the wall as a support. The truth is, doing the pose in this way can feel quite laborious. Because the foot of the lifted leg is actually planted on a wall behind you, finding the right stacking for the standing leg is imperative. Doing so means the difference between balancing and falling out of the posture, particularly when you start to incorporate arm placements. Attention to the articulations of the pelvis are the same as above, and lifting the arches of your feet is key to promoting greater strength and balance, but this is true for all variations. It’s the push and activation of your entire body, pressing into the ground and the wall, that make this variation challenging.

THE EASIEST VARIATION?

From Tadasana, you start off with more of a “macro movement” to tip yourself into the shape for Warrior 3. This may feel easier because your body may more naturally fall into where it needs to be. It’s up to you, however, to then explore the specific articulations that Matt offers to find the stacking and alignment for your body. Your intentions within a given practice will also determine the alignment and/or variation you select. These considerations are how you formulate a practice that is tailor-made for you. The foundational pattern may offer a layout, but you have the authority to stitch all of the pieces together.  

Jump into Matt’s current Alignment Immersion for an opportunity to delve into ways you can redesign your relation to your asana practice.

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: Alignment Immersion

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

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Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

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Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

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Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

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Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

read more

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Kapinjalasana At The Wall

Kapinjalasana at the Wall

Find Maximum Stability in Your Alignment

partridge pose

KAPINJALASANA

When you practice with Matt, you’ll have the comfort of knowing that the creative use of props to support technique and alignment will be plentiful. The use of props will assist you in finding the strongest and most stable alignment. This is helpful in Kapinjalasana, or Partridge Pose, because stability can be one of the biggest challenges. With this in mind, Matt demonstrates how a wall can be your best friend when it comes to understanding which articulations of the body are vital to finding a healthy balance between grace and stability in this posture. The use of props doesn’t stop at the wall! Incorporating a yoga strap in various ways can help improve your mobility in this heart opener. Practicing the preparations that Matt offers in today’s video will bring you closer to finding superior alignment in Kapinjalasana.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

ALIGNMENT

JUNE 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Hatha-style practices
  • Transformative and informative experience
  • Alignment and techniques for the most common asana postures
  • Step-by-step, easy-to-follow instruction
  • Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
  • Accessible and empowering modifications
  • Appropriate variations a modifications for all levels

$168.00 $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

GET TO KNOW THE ANATOMY

Eversion of the ankle is key in allowing the rest of the alignment for Kapinjalasana to unfold. Doing this action will further your ability to get your standing foot more fully onto the ground and assist you in sending your body weight towards your feet. Eversion of the ankle is created by the fibularis muscles. Strong fibularis muscles, combined with the flexibility of the tibialis anterior and posterior, ultimately translates to increased mobility/eversion of the ankle. In addition, strength in the glutes and abductors is required to lift the hips. So much for the stability aspect of Kapinjalasana, but what about grace in the pose? This comes from the opening of the front body (chest and abdominals) and is achieved by what Matt calls “bowing the spine,” which requires lifting the vertebrae up and sending them forward.

WATCH THE VIDEO

KAPINJALASANA AT THE WALL:  FIND MAXIMUM STABILITY IN YOUR ALIGNMENT

LEAN TOWARDS THE WALL

You can’t prepare for Kapinjalasana without following the same techniques as for Wild Thing. In the first step, Matt offers a standing option against the wall for you to begin to integrate the initial patterning. The next steps are what create the distinction between the two postures. The main characteristic of Kapinjalasana is the lift of the back foot off the ground, and the only way to do this is to take the expansion of your front body more forward. In the video, Matt demonstrates Kapinjalasana using a wall as a prop. 

Here are the steps:

  1. Start in Wild Thing
  2. Take your shoulder back 
  3. Go up on the diagonal 
  4. Lean towards the toe of the front foot and towards the wall
  5. The back foot becomes light and lifted

The wall allows you to test the limits and negotiate just how much you need to send your weight forward.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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YOGA STRAP STABILITY

Adding a yoga strap to the preparation of Kapinjalasana can also provide some great feedback as to where you may require more strength and/or flexibility. Matt offers 2 variations in the video. In the first variation, the wide loop of the strap goes underneath the sole of the back foot and around the shoulder. Matt notes that this loop may inhibit range of motion, so as you go into the posture, you can switch to a grip with your hand. The second variation is a great option if you’re already more familiar with the amount of mobility available to you. Starting with a shorter loop of the strap and a hand grip takes you into a deeper heart opener much sooner. Pushing the foot into the strap and creating resistance with the pull of the strap strengthens the back leg and offers increased stability.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

PROCESS OVER OUTCOME

Even though the objective of Kapinjalasana is to create a lightness in the back foot, it’s so much more than achieving the shape of the posture. In fact, in the full class, Matt discusses another variation, in which you reach overhead to grab your foot. He reminds you that there is always more to achieve in a posture. The benefit and value lie in enjoying and learning about the various techniques and alignments in each step of the process.  

Register for Matt’s June 2023 immersion, Alignment, where you’ll improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception—the essence of true alignment. ​​

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: Anatomy Of The Heart

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

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Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

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Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

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Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

read more

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Get A Wheel Pose Upgrade

Get a Wheel Pose Upgrade

Prop Options to Refine Your Alignment

urdhva dhanurasana

WHEEL POSE

Okay, buckle up for this one! These drills and variations are about to literally flip you upside down for Wheel Pose. The unique ways in which Matt demonstrates how to use props will help you get a Wheel Pose upgrade. Even if you think you have a grasp on what’s required for the pose, today’s video provides techniques that lead you away from common tendencies and guide you towards improved patterning in this heart opener. Adding to your toolkit as regards the preparation and execution of various asanas is vital in continuing to understand your body. You can only develop this understanding by mastering “micro actions.” It’s these micro actions that set a safe foundation for you to go deeper and explore further. Utilizing the support of yoga props and of the environment around you can dramatically shift your experience. Let’s find out what’s possible in Wheel Pose.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

ALIGNMENT

JUNE 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Hatha-style practices
  • Transformative and informative experience
  • Alignment and techniques for the most common asana postures
  • Step-by-step, easy-to-follow instruction
  • Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
  • Accessible and empowering modifications
  • Appropriate variations a modifications for all levels

$168.00 $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

SHOULDER MOBILITY WITH BLOCKS AND A WALL

Paying attention to the finer details makes for a significant shift in your yoga practice. This can be applied in various ways, including when it comes to improving shoulder mobility. The first two preparation drills Matt shares in the video showcase accessible ways to find shoulder mobility for greater range in Wheel Pose. The important detail here is the lifting of your shoulders “up to your ears” and keeping them there once your arms are overhead. Whether you are utilizing the blocks or the wall, Matt emphasizes how important it is to do this action first in order to avoid shoulder impingement. 

In any conversation surrounding mobility, strength must be a part of it. In both drills, there is a pressing action that is added to keep your armpits lifted. As a result, you’ll activate the rhomboids and upper trapezius.

WATCH THE VIDEO

GET A WHEEL POSE UPGRADE:  PROP OPTIONS TO REFINE YOUR ALIGNMENT

LUNGE-POSITION PREPARATION

The lifting and activation from the first 2 drills nicely translates into the next Wheel Pose preparation. A vital component of the posture is the stretch of the pectoralis muscles, but hip extension is also essential. This lunge-position drill demonstrates how to combine both of these factors. The setup against the wall helps to pattern the activation of your quadriceps and glutes. The next steps involve spinal extension and the use of greater shoulder mobility. Narrowing the space between your shoulder blades (imagine that lift of the armpits) and sending the ribs forward really mimic the alignment of Wheel Pose. This bowing of the spine, as Matt refers to this technique, creates both a deep stretch in the front body and strength in the back body.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
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  • 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

ROLL UP YOUR YOGA MAT AND GRAB YOUR BLOCKS

Pressing straight up into Wheel Pose is not the next step; better advised is to break the press down into increments. The next two progressions involve a rolled up yoga mat and a couple of blocks placed diagonally up against a wall. Both of these options provide a great deal of support and less wrist extension, which may feel more comfortable when it is time to lift up into Wheel Pose. 

The increments are as follows:

  1. Lifting up into Bridge Pose
  2. Coming to the top of the head, with chest towards the wall
  3. Slowly extending the arms 
  4. Kicking through the heels (like the Lunge preparation)

Other imperative details in both drills include the following:

  1. Keeping the elbows wide (in a cactus shape)
  2. Activating the glutes
  3. Adjusting the feet
  4. Pushing down through inner heels

Equally important is to also exit the posture in increments. This maximizes safety for the spine.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

UPGRADE YOUR TECHNIQUE

Upgrading your technique essentially means that you’re in fact upgrading the alignment of your body. Doing this helps you maximize your potential. The drills from today’s video demonstrate that there’s much more to it than just practicing Wheel Pose over and over again. The mindful and methodical approach Matt offers with the use of props gives you the support and time to understand exactly how your body responds at each step. If you haven’t yet mastered a specific action, you can explore and learn how to execute the action without feeling compromised in a deeper position of the posture. This will allow you to gain as much as possible from your overall yoga practice.

If you’re interested in diving more deeply into how to maximize technique and alignment in common yoga postures, then you’ll want to register for Matt’s next immersion, Alignment.  

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: Anatomy Of The Heart

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

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  • 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.

Learn To Lift In Lolasana

Learn to Lift in Lolasana

Crucial Techniques for Takeoff

pendant pose

LEARN TO LIFT IN LOLASANA

If you read my previous blog about One-Legged Crow, then you’ll know it started off with how much Matt stresses leaning forward in that posture (and in most arm balances in fact). I could start here in exactly the same way because leaning forward is truly the best place to start when you’re trying to learn to lift in Lolasana; however, it’s wishful thinking to believe that it is as simple as that. Today, Matt provides not only the variations to explore but also exactly what leaning forward entails, particularly when it comes to Lolasana. This pose is unique in that it requires an astonishing amount of hip flexor strength in order to actually achieve the lift. The variations and techniques Matt offers today provide a clearly defined path to strengthen your body and to more deeply develop the areas that may be the hurdle to actually achieving Lolasana.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

UNDERSTANDING YOUR PUSH MUSCLES

Before you lean forward, creating the right shape with your body is imperative. To this end, you will be placing your awareness on activating specific muscle groups to support where you’re required to be in space in order to learn to lift in Lolasana. Activating and strengthening your push muscles will support this endeavor. Your serratus anterior helps to protract the scapulae, which is important because the amount of space between you and the ground is vital—you need enough room for lift-off. While you’re creating space between your shoulder blades as a result of the push of the hands, you’re contracting the chest muscles, which fires up the triceps. Being aware of how one action informs the next will help you find the amount of lean required for this arm balance.

WATCH THE VIDEO

LEARN TO LIFT IN LOLASANA:  CRUCIAL TECHNIQUES FOR TAKEOFF

WHAT’S INVOLVED IN LEANING FORWARD?

One thing you’ll come to understand very quickly when you practice with Matt is that nothing works in isolation. You’ll hear him refer to the “team effort” of the actions that are layered to create the desired output. This is the Chromatic way. For example, the push muscles help inform the shape of your body, and one of the push muscles’ teammates is wrist extension. An appropriate amount will help propel your body forward with control. When you examine Lolasana step by step, you’ll see that your shoulders are required to move in front of your wrists. Once this is achieved, Matt explains that it will encourage increased “lightness” in the legs in order for you to take flight.  Knowing this will allow you to learn to lift in Lolasana, but first, you must find confidence in the direction of the lean.

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

KEY ACTIONS IN LOLASANA

Among the variations in today’s video, you’ll gain some great insight into how to place your hands on blocks. This is an important step in early preparation. Using blocks under your hands both supports the required amount of wrist extension and assists your hip flexors so that you won’t have to lift them as high as in the variations without blocks. Following the variations in the order that Matt provides them is always advisable. Understanding the key action of the posture will also help to unfold where you need to place your attention.

Key Actions:

  1. Grip your fingers into the ground
  2. Lean forward enough for the shoulders to move ahead of the wrists (like you’re going to do a somersault) 
  3. Push the floor or blocks away to protract the scapulae
  4. Pull your knees into your chest
  5. Lift your feet off of the ground
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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

THE OVERLAP IN ARM BALANCES

Even though arm balances share a high degree of challenge and are unique in their own ways, they also share a certain amount of overlap. This crossover allows you to work on techniques that can unlock other arm balances in your physical yoga practice. Wrist extension and shoulder protraction are the most obvious actions that overlap and are required for most arm balances. Lolasana is extremely challenging, but it provides an opportunity to step back and work on these 2 actions before you can even consider adding in the element of the lift.  

In Matt’s immersion Flow and Fly, not only will you acquire the skills to learn to lift in Lolasana, but you’ll also learn the techniques that overlap in a wide variety of arm balances. 

Jump in so that you can take the steps to lean, lift, and fly!

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

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

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One Legged Crow

One-Legged Crow

3 Building Blocks Before Flight

eka pada bakasana

One-Legged Crow

LEAN FORWARD! If it’s one thing you’ll cozy up with when it comes to One-Legged Crow, it will be your ability to LEAN FORWARD!  In a yoga posture like One-Legged Crow, the fear of leaning more forward can be quite real. Your first instinct will be to lean back in order to avoid falling, but when you practice with Matt, it’s guaranteed you’ll be provided with the tools for a safe and strong progression to this incredible arm balance. What you’ll come away with today is a better understanding of how to set up your environment; in addition, you’ll become more familiar with what’s required of your wrists and with techniques to make One-Legged Crow more accessible within your yoga practice.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

WHERE TO PLACE YOUR AWARENESS

There’s no doubt that the adductors, hamstrings, and glute muscles play a role in lifting the back leg in One-Legged Crow, but Matt explains that more emphasis and awareness should be placed on creating more mobility in the flexors of the wrist, for wrist extension in order to lean forward. Leaning forward shifts the pendulum of weight, making your lower body much lighter and keeping the leg at a certain height; therefore less effort is required to lift the back leg with the aforementioned muscles. Otherwise, the secret lies in building strength in your upper body. In addition to strengthening the flexors of the wrist (more on that here), activating the rotator cuff muscles, in particular the external rotators (infraspinatus and teres minor) along with the internal rotators (subscapularis and teres major) will help to create more stability in your arm balances. 

WATCH THE VIDEO

ONE LEGGED CROW: 3 BUILDING BLOCKS BEFORE FLIGHT

A GREAT PLACE TO START

The first thing Matt advises you to do, once you’re ready to explore variations of One-Legged Crow, is to set up a number of couch cushions, bolsters, or pillows in front of you. Creating this support will allow you to have more confidence and trust in your willingness to lean forward.  If you fall, there’s a soft landing. 

The first drill supports the development of your ability to lean forward. Without a doubt, you’re developing strength in the flexors and extensors of the wrist and in the adductors, serratus anterior, and core. There’s no emphasis yet on lifting the back leg; as you’ll see in Matt’s demonstration, the back foot remains on top of yoga blocks while you work on the momentum of bringing the leg forward that hugs into your upper arm. In this drill, you are practicing One-Legged Crow with more control.

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

ONE-LEGGED CROW PROGRESSIONS

Once the previous drill becomes less effortful, it’s time to progress. In the video, you’ll see how Matt breaks it down.

Option 1

First, you take one leg outside the upper arm; the other foot stays on the ground. Second, you’ll lean forward while gripping the ground. Third, you might find the ability to pull your knee into your chest (similarly to Lolasana).

Progressing even further requires that your environment be primed with cushions, as Matt recommends. The next variation levels up in challenge quite significantly.  

Option 2

First, place your head directly on top of soft cushions while you get into Crow Pose. Second, lift your bum high and squeeze your knees in. Third, pull one heel to the bum and then straighten the leg. If it’s available, you can take your gaze forward.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

FIND EASE WITHIN THE CHALLENGE

The actions that may feel difficult early on in your explorations of One-Legged Crow are the keys to finding ease later on. Gripping the ground, getting your hips up, and hugging the knees into your upper arms in all of the variations and drills that Matt demonstrates prepare you with the necessary strength within your body. Once this strength is fully integrated, your ability to lean forward will feel more safe and natural. In the video, Matt explains that ease in this posture actually comes in the final variation he demonstrates, because the body is now equipped with all of the techniques it needs.  

Matt’s current immersion, Flow and Fly, provides you with step-by-step techniques for over 12 arm balances. Sign up to learn how to find ease in flight.

See you on the mat!

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: Anatomy of Arm Balances

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

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Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

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Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

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Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

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Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

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.

Ashtavakrasana

Ashtavakrasana

3 Variations to Access This Arm Balance

eight angle pose

ASHTAVAKRASANA

There always seems to be a sense of mystery attached to Ashtavakrasana (8-Angle Pose). How is it possible to balance in what appears to be such a complicated position for the body? Comforting to know is that once you break everything down and place technique at the core of your focus, Ashtavakrasana becomes a lot less complex. Whatever variation you are attempting, technique will always be the key to unlocking access to this and any other arm balance. In intricate detail as always, Matt breaks down 3 variations in today’s video. Moreover, he offers the benefit of increasing your anatomical knowledge via the technique within this posture. If you are armed with both technique and anatomical knowledge, Ashtravakrasana loses its mystique and becomes an arm balance you can approach with clarity.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

ANATOMY BREAKDOWN

In the full class, Matt explains that the adductor muscles (pectineus; gracilis; and the adductors brevis, longus, and magnus) are extremely helpful in assisting with taking flight in arm balance postures. This is particularly true for Ashtavakrasana when it comes to “clamping” the legs on the arm. The abductor muscles (gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus) are also part of the equation, and the internal rotators of the hip belong to the abductor group: The TFL muscle and the pectineus, along with the front fibers of the gluteus medius and minimus, work together to create internal rotation. Why is this important? Knowing the location of these muscles enhances your awareness and understanding of your own body. When activating these muscle groups to execute the posture, you will better decipher which areas require more strengthening for stability and balance in the posture.

WATCH THE VIDEO

ASHTAVAKRASANA: 3 VARIATONS TO ACCESS THIS ARM BALANCE

VARIATION 1

First, let’s have a look at the steps in variation 1 of Ashtavakrasana:

Step 1: From a seated position, bring one leg over your arm as much as possible.

Step 2: Cross the bottom foot over the top of the ankle of the first leg.

Step 3: Lean forward and pull your hips back to get you off of the ground.

Matt provides the option to stay here, but he also suggests layering on the action of internally rotating the top leg. In this case, the bottom leg stays on the ground instead of crossing at the ankle, while you lean way forward on wide hands and internally rotate the top leg. You can also add props. By sitting up on a bolster, for example, you can take balance out of the equation and home in on the sensation of the internal rotation of the top leg.

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

VARIATIONS 2 & 3

In the second and third variations, the importance of the internal rotation of the top leg is revealed. All of the steps from variation 1 are implemented, including the cross at the ankle, in variation 2. What you’ll see in the video is a clear distinction between what happens to the hips when the top leg is internally rotated versus when it is not. When you turn it in (internally rotate), the hips go up, as opposed to externally rotating the hip and the hips going down. Once the internal rotators are activated, you can’t help but tap into the activation of the adductor and abductor groups. Now, the third variation is really going to expose where strength needs to be improved. There is no crossing at the legs here; instead, you’re fastening your ankles side by side. As a result, your adductors are put to the test.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

ACHIEVE MORE THAN AN ARM BALANCE

Beyond the awareness of the physical aspect of Ashtavakrasana are mental focus and confidence. Arm balance postures can be scary. It’s smart to prepare both your body and the environment—strengthening through drills specific to the posture, putting blankets or pillows in place to soften any falls—but it’s also important to go for it, to take the plunge so to speak. In the end, you’ll be left with more confidence in both physicality and character, which transcends the yoga mat. This confidence dismantles the mystery of Ashtavakrasana, or any arm balance for that matter. Approaching your yoga practice in this way means that you develop the knowledge that technique and effort fuel ability.   

Matt’s next immersion, Flow & Fly, will guide you through playful yet intentional arm balance practices that will ultimately improve strength.

See you on the mat!

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: Anatomy of Arm Balances

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

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read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

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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.

Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga Teacher Training

More Than You Bargained For

200 & 300 Hr. 

DECIDING ON THE BEST YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

Deciding to invest in a yoga teacher training feels like a no-brainer for some; for others, it may be a more challenging decision for a variety of different reasons. Whatever the process, I can guarantee that you’re going to get more out of it than you could have ever imagined. Of course, there are some obvious considerations, like curriculum focus and the style of yoga you’re interested in teaching, but what you’ll find is that there are things you simply cannot anticipate or prepare for. These things make a significant impact and can change the course of your life. Matt’s yoga teacher training courses tick all boxes at both the 200 and 300/500 hour levels. Your goal may be to support and guide others on a professional level, which does not change; however, the personal development that takes place is incomprehensible.

WATCH THE VIDEO

YOGA TEACHER TRAINING: MORE THAN YOU BARGAINED FOR

DOES THE CURRICULUM FULFILL YOUR NEEDS?

The curriculum outline in a yoga teacher training program will significantly affect your decision to certify. It’s not uncommon to place more weight on a particular area of interest, and some training programs may have a greater emphasis in one area. What you’ll find is that when you decide to deepen your knowledge, one area of interest expands into others. In Matt’s yoga teacher training programs, you are receiving a well-rounded foundation in the 200 hour program, which then expands exponentially in his 300/500 hour yoga teacher training. Matt is known for his expertise in the areas of anatomy and biomechanics, but when you delve into the training, you’ll find out about the wealth of knowledge he shares in the areas of yoga philosophy, meditation, and pranayama.

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

ACCESSIBILITY

Another extremely important factor is accessibility, which can be viewed from different perspectives.  

Not that long ago, the idea of an online yoga teacher training was not typical. It is now part of the norm. The fact that the training is online makes it more accessible to those that have wanted to practice with Matt but are unable to travel to an in-person location. This is a huge win! 

There may also be some hesitation if you’re feeling like you are not a good candidate for teacher training because you don’t incorporate more “advanced postures” into your own practice, but this is not the case. You will deepen your own practice as you learn how to teach. However, while the skills you learn in Matt’s yoga teacher training programs are tangible, it’s not about what you can do physically but about how you can create transformational experiences for your students.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

200 VERSUS 300 HOUR TRAINING: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The 200 hour training is perfect if you are not yet certified. It is specifically designed for you to create a solid foundation. You will learn more about the practice of yoga in the areas of philosophy, anatomy, asana, and teaching techniques. You will learn how to sequence a class and even how to use your voice.

If you’re already certified, the 300 hour program is going to exceed your expectations of how you’ll develop both personally and professionally. The 4 sections offered (Anatomy, Heart, Chromatic Level 1, and Leadership) are not only filled with valuable information but also designed in a way that is very practical, which allows you to actually apply your knowledge in a variety of yoga spaces (classes, private yoga, retreats, etc.) 

COMMUNITY

One of the most important thing you will experience in both training programs is community. There is a wealth of knowledge that’s exchanged between Matt, guest teachers, mentors, and fellow students. Comfort and safety is nurtured very early on in the training, which creates an environment of sharing that helps you to grow.  

Given all of these elements—a solid curriculum, practical skills, and community support—Matt’s yoga teacher training programs will more than fulfill your expectations.

Registration is open for June! Take advantage of an exceptional opportunity for growth and transformation.

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: 200 & 300 Hr. Teacher Training

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

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.

Compass Pose

Compass Pose

Variations to Challenge Balance and Flexibility

balance & flexibility

COMPASS POSE VARIATIONS

Compass Pose, especially the variations Matt offers today, will challenge you, and not necessarily in the ways you might think. Most obviously, it will challenge you in the lateral flexion of the spine and the extensive amount of shoulder and hamstring flexibility required, but even more than that are all the lifts, drops, and turns, or maybe better said, the articulations and/or actions in the joints, that make it that much more challenging. However, with challenge comes reward. You’ll see that both variations provide an opportunity to deepen your understanding of the posture because of the step-by-step techniques you’ll follow and because of how your body responds within the posture. After reviewing today’s video clip, you’ll be empowered with 2 variations of Compass Pose that will test your ability to stay present while increasing strength, balance, and flexibility.

lotus pose online yoga classes

THE SPLITS

  • Improve flexibility of hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, and glutes
  • Hanumanasana Splits
  • Center Splits
  • Vishvamitrasana
  • Standing Splits / Ekapadasana
  • Extended Side Plank / Vashisthasana
  • Straddle entries for inversions, with modifications for all levels
  • Moderate Vinyasa style with alignment, technique, and biomechanics
  • Sequences are anatomically informed and carefully crafted
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

ANATOMY OF COMPASS POSE

Although Compass Pose is a seated posture, it does require balance. After all, one leg is lifted while the other is grounded to the floor. Lifting the top leg requires strength in the outer hip muscles (gluteus medius & minimus).  Because you grab hold of the foot of the top leg, you might argue that Compass Pose is both a passive and an active stretch. A healthy approach to this lifting and opening is to activate those outer hip muscles to create more abduction, rather than relying solely on the flexibility of the adductors and the hamstrings. Next up are your shoulders and back muscles. Gaining access to grabbing hold of the foot requires an engagement of the rhomboids to create more opening in the shoulders. In addition, there are 2 actions that are key to putting it all together.

WATCH THE VIDEO

COMPASS POSE: 2 VARIATIONS TO CHALLENGE BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY

COMPASS POSE VARIATION 1

It’s the 2 additional actions we’ll see now that bring the pose together.

In this variation, the bottom knee is bent. Matt shows you how to “snuggle” into your lifted leg while leaning and putting your weight into the bent (or seated) leg, seting you up for success. Leaning your weight to the side allows for a hike of the hip—the first action. This lifting, along with the activation of the rhomboids to pull your shoulder back, allows you to more easily guide your foot. Matt explains that keeping the hike of the hip means that your pelvis is at an angle in which your leg doesn’t have to fight against the hip joint, ultimately making it easier for shoulder opening. The second action is the internal rotation of the hip as you lift the leg. Internal rotation helps maintain the lift. 

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

COMPASS POSE VARIATION 2

In this 2nd variation of Compass Pose, the bottom leg is straight and mimics Center Splits early in the setup. Once you’re in the posture, extending the bottom leg all the way out further challenges your balance and flexibility. In order to maintain better balance, you can emphasize internally rotating through both legs for more stability in your base.  

Now, remember when I mentioned that Compass Pose can be viewed as both an active and a passive stretch? In the full class, Matt takes the pose to the next level and offers the option of letting go of the foot and relying on both the active flexion of the hip and the activation of the outer hips. Do these actions remind you of anything?  If you said Vishvamitrasana, then you’re right. So much of what Matt offers here is exactly what you need to prepare for Vishvamitrasana (also known, among other names in English, as Flying Compass Pose).

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

WITH CHALLENGE COMES REWARD

The challenges you encounter might be in those finer details (hiking up and internally rotating the hip), or perhaps the inability to balance on one side is preventing you from utilizing the flexibility available to you. If you do find balance, incorporating the internal rotation may either throw off your balance or make it hard to maintain. The truth is that building on one step at a time while honoring the current state of your body will help you reap the rewards over time.  

Matt’s current Splits Immersion will both challenge you and guide you toward the mastery of these techniques.

See you on the mat!

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: The Splits

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

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.

Supine Standing Splits

Supine Standing Splits

Boost Your Hamstring Flexibility

strength & flexibility

SUPINE STANDING SPLITS

Tight hamstrings are a common complaint, right? They may be showing up by way of limitations in various yoga postures and/or in restrictions in the way you move in your daily life. If you’ve been practicing with Matt for some time, then you’re well aware that to increase flexibility, you need to factor strength into the mix. Additionally, you can figure on the quality of the time spent in specific postures—the utilization of specific techniques. The deepening of the neuromuscular connection takes place when you’re very intentional with your execution. Supine Standing Splits offers time to explore specific techniques in an accessible way. Today, Matt shares these techniques, along with other postures and their techniques, to prepare you for greater potential in Supine Standing Splits and eventually for the balanced variation of the posture.

lotus pose online yoga classes

THE SPLITS

  • Improve flexibility of hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, and glutes
  • Hanumanasana Splits
  • Center Splits
  • Vishvamitrasana
  • Standing Splits / Ekapadasana
  • Extended Side Plank / Vashisthasana
  • Straddle entries for inversions, with modifications for all levels
  • Moderate Vinyasa style with alignment, technique, and biomechanics
  • Sequences are anatomically informed and carefully crafted
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

PYRAMID STRETCH

First, the actions taken in this variation of a “Pyramid stretch” for the hamstrings offer an array of techniques for you to experiment with. It’s imperative to pay attention to the details. What’s comforting is that Matt offers very clear and explicit instruction. He starts off with a dorsiflexion of the front foot, which deepens the stretch sensation. Along with this lengthening, an important action is the tucking of the sit bone. Next, pressing down the front heel into the mat begins to incorporate the facilitated stretch (the strength component). This action is also important in minimizing the potential for injury by making the hamstring attachment at the sit bone less vulnerable. In the video, you’ll see the other options as regards the “direction of push.” Playing with diagonal activations targets other areas of the hamstrings and adductors.

WATCH THE VIDEO

SUPINE STANDING SPLITS: BOOST YOUR HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY

SEATED HAMSTRING STRETCH

Next, the Seated Hamstring Stretch in the video starts to take on more of the qualities of Supine Standing Splits. A more accurate description of this stretch includes the fact that the leg is lifted while you move your head towards the knee or shin. This action mimics the standing leg in the upright version of standing splits. This variation potentially allows for deeper hip flexion than Supine Standing Splits because, as you draw your leg towards your face, you are not limited by the floor beneath you; as you hold your foot, you can pull your elbows back further than what may be available to you when you’re lying on your mat. That being said, exploring this variation can still be revaling as to what’s available to you in regard to hip flexion and hamstring flexibility. Even more telling is when you release the grip of your foot to reveal your level of active flexibility versus passive flexibility.

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

HAMSTRING SLIDE DRILL

Before diving into Supine Standing Splits, Matt offers a drill to encourage the refining of strength in your hamstrings and glutes. If you’re ever unsure if you are doing enough to strengthen your hamstrings, you won’t be mistaken with this drill.  It—is—intense!  

At first, trying it out without wearing socks will remove some of the sliding component (Matt is wearing socks in the video). This does not necessarily make the drill easier, but it may help you feel connected to the strength required for the progressions. Matt compares this drill to Bridge Pose, but one of the major differences is that you keep your legs as straight as possible. This action will ignite your hamstrings as your feet attempt to slide toward your upper body. Comparatively, wearing socks in order to build upon the drill will increase the slide and therefore the contraction in your hamstrings and glutes.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

POSSIBILITY AFTER PREPARATION

Finally, your body is more primed and ready for Supine Standing Splits after all that’s been explored. There’s a sense of freedom and possibility that carries into the pose. That lifted leg again utilizes techniques from Seated Hamstring Stretch, but with more strength from the slides. Straightening your bottom leg, with a very slight lift away from the floor, will also activate your core. Being on your back for this posture doesn’t mean that it’s more relaxed but instead allows for time spent activating your body while focusing on deep hip flexion and nurturing increased hamstring flexibility.

To conclude, greater preparation only elevates your potential. You can explore more drills and techniques like this in Matt’s current Splits Immersion.

See you on the mat!

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: The Splits

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

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.

Vishvamitrasana At The Wall

Vishvamitrasana at the Wall

Techniques for Proficient Preparation

sage visvamitra

VISHVAMITRASANA AT THE WALL

There are many stops along the way to a peak posture, but without being empowered by effective steps and techniques to implement, you are left with untapped potential. Whether Vishvamitrasana at the wall is the final stop along the path for you or not, it literally flips the pose on its side so as to awaken the increased potential that exists within your body. Vishvamitrasana requires both strength and flexibility in the shoulders, quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductors. It also awakens the side body as you develop the height and mighty quality the pose possesses. In today’s video, Matt shares some impactful techniques and drills that support your ability to explore variations of Vishvamitrasana, including this option at the wall.

lotus pose online yoga classes

THE SPLITS

  • Improve flexibility of hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, and glutes
  • Hanumanasana Splits
  • Center Splits
  • Vishvamitrasana
  • Standing Splits / Ekapadasana
  • Extended Side Plank / Vashisthasana
  • Straddle entries for inversions, with modifications for all levels
  • Moderate Vinyasa style with alignment, technique, and biomechanics
  • Sequences are anatomically informed and carefully crafted
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

PREPARATION FIRST

Even though Vishvamitrasana at the wall may be considered preparation for the posture itself, it still requires a tremendous amount of flexibility and strength. The only way to accomplish this is to face what might arguably be more challenging: hanging out in the “trenches,” so to speak, that is, practicing foundational postures and drills with very specific techniques. The good news is that we don’t have to guess what to do. Matt lays out some very specific techniques and actions on a silver platter; it’s just up to us to take action. First, Matt outlines a Side Plank exercise, and then he demonstrates what actions to take in Side Angle preparation. What follows after that is a drill in Triangle Pose. Lastly, you’ll see how it all comes together in Vishvamitrasana at the wall.

WATCH THE VIDEO

VISHVAMITRASANA AT THE WALL:  TECHNIQUES FOR PROFICIENT PREPARATION

STRENGTHENING AND OPENING

Vishvamitrasana at the wall exposes where you need to strengthen and where you need to open. In the Side Plank variation from the video, you’re undoubtedly working on strengthening your side body. However, you are still bringing awareness to the openness of the chest and shoulders with the positioning that’s necessary to do the exercise effectively. The cue to bring the ribs towards the pelvis, and vice versa, multiplies your strength in that area.  Keeping that in mind, flexibility in the adductors and strength in the outer hips are crucial for the amount of adduction in the legs that is required. To this end, Side Angle preparation practically mimics the shape of Vishvamitrasana, and creating a facilitated stretch by pulling the feet towards one another increases the flexibility in your adductors. The placement of the top arm, which Matt demonstrates, also contributes to the openness that is a must in the upper body.

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

DRILLS AND SKILLS FOR VISHVAMITRASANA AT THE WALL

In the 2nd variation, the key action that gets layered on is to lean forward. Even though more flexibility in the hamstrings is already required here, you are still working to develop their flexibility even further. Again, Matt encourages you to work at roughly 60%–70% of your end range. The act of leaning forward demands more of the hamstrings of the front leg, so continue to check in with what depth is appropriate. While you can begin to lean into the stretch sensation by going a bit deeper (once you’ve strengthened), doing so should never mean that you compromise strength and integrity. If you notice a laxity in some areas of your Splits, you can do things like curl your back toes under. This keeps the pelvis closed and maintains more activation in the hip flexors of your back leg.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

PEAK POSE CONSIDERATIONS

In Matt’s 200 & 300 hour training courses, he talks about the 4 elements and/or considerations of a peak posture, which include the following:

  1. Required Strength
  2. Required Flexibility
  3. Balance (weight shifting)
  4. Proprioception (knowing where your body is in space)

You can see that Matt carefully takes all of these elements into account in the techniques and actions explored within each posture and drill for Vishvamitrasana at the wall. The stops along the way are deliberate and specific. With all of this in mind, you can confidently step into any peak posture or its variation.  

Matt’s Splits Immersion begins this Saturday. In this immersion, Matt will be sharing a number of different anatomy-informed techniques that will help you to cultivate strength and flexibility in your inner thighs and hamstrings.  Beyond having proficiency in a posture, you’ll find proficiency in your preparation. 

See you on the mat!

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: June 2020 Immersion

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

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.

Strengthen For Splits

Strengthen for Splits

Variations for Increased Flexiblity

hanumanasana

STRENGTHEN FOR SPLITS

If the Splits (Hanumanasana) had a personality, it might be one of the most vocal in the room. Aesthetically, it’s quite bold. The shape of the posture makes it evident that it requires a great deal of flexibility. In order to acquire the right amount of flexibility, you must strengthen for Splits. But if flexibility means to lengthen muscles and strengthening contracts muscles, how is this approach effective? In today’s video, Matt shares how employing techniques such as the facilitated stretch help increase flexibility while strengthening. Not only do you prepare your body more effectively for flexibility, but you also bring your body closer to balance. Because Splits is a deep posture, you need to be shrewd in your approach. As always, Matt offers cues that are both intricate and systematic, allowing you to safely explore while increasing your flexibility at the same time. 

lotus pose online yoga classes

THE SPLITS

  • Improve flexibility of hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, and glutes
  • Hanumanasana Splits
  • Center Splits
  • Vishvamitrasana
  • Standing Splits / Ekapadasana
  • Extended Side Plank / Vashisthasana
  • Straddle entries for inversions, with modifications for all levels
  • Moderate Vinyasa style with alignment, technique, and biomechanics
  • Sequences are anatomically informed and carefully crafted
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

FACILITATED STRETCH

First, what is a facilitated stretch? If you’ve been practicing with Matt for some time, you’ll know that this is a technique that he frequently utilizes in his classes. This is because it allows you to build strength and flexibility at the same time. A facilitated stretch occurs when a muscle is engaged while in a lengthened position. It’s essentially a conversation that takes place from the brain to the muscle and the Golgi tendon organ, which sends a message back to the brain about the amount of tension that’s taking place. When that happens, the brain recognizes the amount of engagement and sends a message back to the body to release the tension in the muscle. Instead of forcing a stretch, your body recognizes that it is in control and therefore safe to respond in kind when flexibility is required.  

WATCH THE VIDEO

STRENGTHEN FOR SPLITS: 2 VARIATIONS FOR INCREASED FLEXIBILITY

VARIATION 1: PUSH, PULL, TURN

To strengthen for Splits, it’s important to know the end range of your flexibility. Pull back from where you normally settle into as you set up this variation, so as to successfully implement a facilitated stretch. Being able to strengthen for Splits means moving away from your tendencies. As you’ll see in the video, there are opportunities to “push, pull, and turn” within your exploration. These actions will both change the level of sensation you experience and inform your next steps. For example, turning your pelvis closed might increase a sensation that provides the opportunity for you to press your front heel down and forward while pulling your back knee forward. These actions create a facilitated stretch for the hamstring in the front leg and the hip flexors of the back leg.

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

VARIATION 2: LEAN IN

Now, in the 2nd variation, the key action that gets layered on is to lean forward. Even though more flexibility in the hamstrings is required here, you are still working to develop their flexibility even further. Again, Matt encourages you to work at roughly 60%–70% of your end range. The act of leaning forward demands more of the hamstrings of the front leg, so continue to check in with what depth is appropriate. While you can begin to lean into more of a stretch sensation by going a bit deeper (once you’ve strengthened), going deeper does not mean that you compromise strength and integrity. If you notice a laxity in some areas of your Splits, you can do things like curl your back toes under. This keeps the pelvis closed and maintains more activation in the hip flexors of your back leg.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

CARVE A NEW PATH

An intense posture like Splits will really speak to you. It will expose your tendencies, which may be hard to face. Often, the familiar path is to lean into the areas that feel open. But in order to strengthen for Splits, it’s imperative that you lean into the more “challenging” areas within the posture. Pushing beyond your limits is not the answer here; what is meant is that moving carefully minimizes the risk of injury. When this happens, you will not only come closer to the posture in the short term but also develop more balance in your body in the long term.

Matt’s Splits Immersion will guide you in creating “intelligent flexibility” in your hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, and glutes. Carving a new path and creating new patterns means more confidence in how your body moves, both on and off the mat!

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: Mobility Immersion

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog Shoulder Mechanics SimplifiedALIGNMENTPLANK, CHATURANGA, UPWARD DOG How many times have you heard the cue “Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog” in a yoga class? If you’re a regular practitioner, it’s probably quite often (particularly in...

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.

Prepare For Lotus

Prepare for Lotus

Standing Postures for Deep Hip Opening

flexibility

PREPARE FOR LOTUS

There are multiple ways to prepare for Lotus Pose. The 5 standing postures and the techniques that are highlighted today are from a portion of a sequence Matt shares in the first class of his current Lotus Immersion. Here, it’s not just about doing the postures themselves; it’s more about the execution and intention behind them. If your goal is to create a healthy range of motion in your hips, going through the motions simply won’t offer all that you need. In order to increase hip mobility, especially for a posture like Lotus, you must prepare your body. An integral part of the preparation is to strengthen the gluteal and abductor muscles. Utilizing techniques in standing postures like Forward Fold, Crescent Pose, Warrior 2, Extended Side Angle, and “Crisscross Pyramid” can be a wonderful first step in creating a solid foundation.

lotus pose online yoga classes

LOTUS

  • Anatomy-informed classes
  • Increase hip mobility and range of motion
  • Balance flexibility and strength
  • Skillful techniques for Lotus variations and many other hip openers
  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Unlock your Lotus Pose
  • Learn the 4 Quadrants of the Hips
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  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$128.00 $108.00

FORWARD FOLD & CRESCENT POSE PREPARATION

External rotation and hip abduction are essential movements for Lotus Pose, as is a generous degree of hip flexibility. In order to prepare for Lotus, increasing flexibility requires strengthening first. You can start this process by strengthening your abductors in Forward Fold. In the video, Matt demonstrates a simple technique, in which you place your hands on your outer shins, that lights up your abductors.  

Strong glute muscles are also essential for Lotus because they assist in externally rotating your hip. For this reason, the next standing posture is Crescent Pose. Once again, a few simple actions help activate the glutes. Two of the main actions are the posterior tilt of the pelvis and the pressing down of the front heel. You’ll see in the video that beyond just “doing” the posture, taking the right actions brings your intentions for strength to life.

WATCH THE VIDEO

PREPARE FOR LOTUS: 5 STANDING POSTURES FOR DEEP HIP OPENING

WARRIOR 2 & EXTENDED SIDE ANGLE PREPARATION

What’s lovely about the techniques Matt offers for strengthening the glutes and abductors is that they are all self-adjustments. You have total control over the intensity, which is often conservative but still goes a long way to increase strength. Along with the self-adjustment in Warrior 2, Matt mentions paying special attention to the rotation of the back of the pelvis. Maintaining the proper direction of your pelvis is the difference between actually being able to activate your glutes and failing to achieve the desired result. You carry the same direction of the pelvis into Side Angle preparation. The techniques demonstrated here are great: Depending on the placement of your front arm, you can focus more on the glute activation or you can invite in more stretch for your adductors. Lengthening the adductors is also imperative in preparing for Lotus.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

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“CRISSCROSS PYRAMID”

Whenever Matt instructs this kind of “cross action” in a given posture, it’s always so intriguing. He provides cues for certain actions that offer more than you anticipate. In “Crisscross Pyramid,” for example, you’ll experience a stretch sensation and therefore a lengthening in the outer hips. Because Matt always advises strengthening before lengthening, this posture is well placed in the sequence! Beyond the hips, if you want to truly prepare for Lotus, you must also consider the positioning of your feet and ankles. While Matt explores this in seated postures, he also begins to prepare you in this standing posture earlier in the practice. He advises you to press the big toe of your front foot into the mat while simultaneously lifting your middle toes. This action takes your ankle into eversion, which is the same as the articulation required in Lotus Pose.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY

Even though Matt carefully offers the techniques within these standing postures and demonstrates how extremely effective they are in strengthening and lengthening the muscles that are required to be primed for Lotus Pose, he also reminds you to carve your own path. Ultimately, you will have your own tendencies, patterns, and challenges that you may need to rewire, so incorporating other ways that will help prepare for Lotus are very much welcomed. That’s the beauty of being able to explore multiple techniques, postures, and actions within one immersion focused on Lotus Pose. Matt’s Lotus Immersion is packed with a multitude of ways to approach hip opening from an anatomical perspective. These 5 standing postures open the door, but there is always more to uncover. Register for Lotus in order to broaden your toolkit for better hip mobility.

See you on the mat!

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: Lotus Immersion

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

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Half Lotus Explorations

Half Lotus Explorations

Articulations for Your Hips, Knees, and Ankles

hip mobility

HALF LOTUS POSE EXPLORATIONS

Lotus Pose may become accessible at different phases of your practice, but it might not ever become attainable. Half Lotus Pose and variations are a great way to see what is possible. Practicing these preparatory postures and/or actions also provides what is actually useful: nourishment for the hips. Ultimately, creating health, longevity, and  functionality in the hips is much more rewarding than just being able to say “Hey, I’m in Lotus Pose!” 

The only way to get to know yourself and your body is to be willing to experiment in your practice. Diving into the options Matt provides in this video tutorial of Half Lotus explorations is the perfect opportunity. They are still deep hip openers, but they may provide more scope for how to articulate the hips, knees, and ankles.

lotus pose online yoga classes

LOTUS

  • Anatomy-informed classes
  • Increase hip mobility and range of motion
  • Balance flexibility and strength
  • Skillful techniques for Lotus variations and many other hip openers
  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Unlock your Lotus Pose
  • Learn the 4 Quadrants of the Hips
  • 8 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$128.00 $108.00

EXTERNAL & INTERNAL ROTATION OF THE HIP

Executing Half Lotus doesn’t mean that you will find it easier; it’s simply an alternative entry that allows you to maybe more fully examine each side of your body in more isolation. Early in today’s clip, Matt breaks down “Half Lotus Half Hero Pose” as one of these Half Lotus explorations. Here, you have one leg in external rotation and the other in deep internal rotation. This is not only an excellent variation to explore if it is more accessible to you but also a way to examine where you are along the spectrum of the posture. More importantly though, it helps you increase mobility in your hips by working on both internal and external rotation. The hips are in external rotation in Lotus, but working on the opposite internal rotation creates more balance and health in the hip joint overall.

WATCH THE VIDEO

HALF LOTUS EXPLORATIONS: ARTICULATIONS FOR YOUR HIPS, KNEES, AND ANKLES

ARTICULATION OF THE KNEES

In this Lotus article , I discuss how Matt explains the importance of the “closed” angle of the knees. This is vital, and there are some specifics to look at in these Half Lotus variations, especially regarding the use of props. Some ways to utilize props support the variations, and other ways can defer your progress. First, Matt recommends that you elevate your hips by sitting on a block or blanket. Bringing the hips higher allows you to keep your knees at a safer angle. Initially, once you externally rotate your hip, your knee might be quite high, so placing a block underneath it for support can also be beneficial. Matt explains that once you increase your range and develop the ability to bring your foot further across your body, you may notice that your knee will rest closer to the ground.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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  • 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

ARTICULATION OF THE ANKLES

There are also specific joint actions that are necessary at the ankle. One of the ways to practice this is in “Half Virasana Half Cobbler’s Pose.” At the end of the video, Matt shows how to create eversion of the ankle. Having one leg in Cobbler’s Pose gives you a little bit more freedom to articulate this movement. You’ll see a demonstration of eversion of the ankle early on in the clip, but that variation may be less accessible. Why is eversion essential? It takes the stretch away from the outside of the ankle, which may cause injury. With eversion, you are shortening the outer ankle. When coming into any Lotus variation, performing this action can inform where to place your attention, which may be to create more opening at the hip and/or further closure at the knee.   

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

HALF LOTUS FOR LIFE

Words like “resilience” and “fortitude” come to mind when we think about the Lotus flower or posture. In life, these qualities are essential to push through adversity and overcome obstacles. Sometimes working on finding more mobility in the hips can feel like a laborious task, but it’s through adversity, whether on or off the mat, that we truly learn about ourselves. Approaching these Half Lotus variations may take you right into the mud, so to speak, and it may be quite mucky and taxing, but when your experience begins to shift and you start to notice the possibilities, this is when you’ll rise and come into the light of your potential. Achieving Half Lotus may be exciting, but being able to say “Hey, I’m able to do all of the activities I love” is the true reward.

Register for Matt’s March 2023 Immersion Lotus to unleash your potential.

See you on the mat!

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: Hips & Hamstrings Immersion

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

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read more
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read more
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Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
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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.

Fire Log Pose

Fire Log Pose

3 Actions for Increased Hip Mobility

agnistambhasana

FIRE LOG POSE

There’s such a joyous feeling when you’re unwrapping a gift and caught up in the anticipation of finding out what’s inside. This can be similar to the process of exploring a specific yoga posture, and the process of setting up and exploring Fire Log Pose (Agnistambhasana) can provide this kind of excitement. There are quite a few actions to take to prepare for this hip opening posture. Its initial setup reveals much about the state of your hip mobility at the time, which doesn’t mean that’s where you’ll reside forever. In today’s video, Matt shares 3 essential actions you can implement right away. Once you start to include these actions, which target the muscles that surround and facilitate hip opening, you can create a brand-new experience and reveal an entirely new gift of increased hip mobility.

lotus pose online yoga classes

LOTUS

  • Anatomy-informed classes
  • Increase hip mobility and range of motion
  • Balance flexibility and strength
  • Skillful techniques for Lotus variations and many other hip openers
  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Unlock your Lotus Pose
  • Learn the 4 Quadrants of the Hips
  • 8 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$128.00 $108.00

A GREAT PLACE TO START

The key to a great start with Fire Log Pose is in the alignment. Yes, you can probably say this about any posture, but the way in which you set up your body in Agnistambhasana is the difference between getting feedback about your hip mobility or moving away from that awareness. Matt stresses that creating a “stack”—knee over ankle and ankle over knee—is what truly exposes where you are in regard to your own hip mobility. Now, if you’re quite mobile, this will be quite accessible. If the opposite is true, then this setup may seem unachievable. In both scenarios, however, the 3 actions that Matt provides will work to create strength, stability, and flexibility, and therefore increased mobility. In the video, you’ll see how Matt utilizes props in order to allow for the sensational feedback required to unravel what’s happening within.

WATCH THE VIDEO

FIRE LOG POSE:  3 ACTIONS FOR INCREASED HIP MOBILITY

ACTION 1

Part of improving hip mobility is activating the muscles that surround the hip in order to be able to mobilize the thigh bone inside of the hip joint. When it comes to Fire Log Pose, your hips are in an externally rotated position. The first action Matt invites you to take is to ignite the internal rotators. As in the video, if your left leg is on top, you’ll place your open palm on top of your left knee while pushing downward. At the same time, you’ll press your knee diagonally up into the hand, across to the right shoulder. In order to fire up the muscles on the other side, you can place your hands on blocks while pulling your right knee up into the ankle. This demonstrates how important the “stacking” is: It provides a more stable nook to execute this action.

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

ACTION 2

In this next action, you’ll be firing up the external rotators of the hip. Depending on what you’re experiencing, there are a few options you can take. Matt still recommends that you set your hips back and bow forward. Here’s where you can play with different options though: You can use your hands, forearms, or blocks to press your feet into. The next detail is the “micro” tuck of the tailbone, and it makes a significant difference in supporting the movement of external rotation and the activation of those muscles. Even though it is a “micro” movement, it really has a notable impact on the level of awakening you will feel in those muscles. After spending some time here, check in with yourself. Now that you’ve been working on exhausting the muscles, you may notice a difference in your ability to “stack” in Fire Log Pose.

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
  • Business, branding, marketing, and social media skills

ACTION 3

This final action is tied into the previous one, but it may be more up your alley. It could be the better option if you’re still not feeling enough sensation in your hips. Instead of pressing into your feet (as in Option 2), you can place your hands on your knees and press your knees into your hands. This will activate the abductors. Along with the micro tuck of the tailbone, an essential cue to consider here is the action of rotating your upper thigh bones out, externally. An easier way to think about this cue may be to press your knees down and out.

All of these actions facilitate increased hip mobility. Like Lotus, discussed in a previous article, Fire Log Pose is a deep hip opener and should be approached with an understanding that the preliminary work is what actually provides the benefit.

TRUST THE PROCESS

It’s important not to rush the process. When exploring these actions in Fire Log Pose, spend time breathing while holding the position in order to activate the muscles and give your nervous system time to adjust and create new patterns. This is what initiates change and transformation in your experience. The gift is in the groundwork.

Register for Matt’s March 2023 Lotus Immersion to dive deeper into more techniques for improved hip mobility.

See you on the mat!

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: Hips & Hamstrings Immersion

Yoga for Core and Breathwork

BREATH OF FIRE

  • Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
  • Core strengthening & integration
  • Master your breath with pranayama practices
  • Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
  • Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
  • Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
  • Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral 
  • 12 Classes: All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime unlimited access to all
  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose

Dancer Pose The Chromatic WaynatarajasanaDANCER POSE Dancer Pose is the kind of posture that embodies both grace and strength simultaneously.  In order to integrate these two things into your practice of this posture, there are quite a number of pieces of the puzzle...

read more
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana Where to Induce Strengthback line strengthEKA PADA URDHVA DHANURASANA There’s no doubt that back-line strength (more specifically, strength from the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and erector spinae) is a requirement to elevate your hips off...

read more
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B Increase Your Range of MotionFLEXIBILITY BOOSTUTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA B In my previous blog, we looked at how Matt prepares you for Standing Nose to Shin (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A). Although there are multiple similarities...

read more
Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose To Shin

Standing Nose to Shin Variations for a Solid FoundationstrengthSTANDING NOSE TO SHIN Standing Nose to Shin is an exceptional preparatory posture for Hanumanasana, or Splits Pose, but it is an equally profound posture on its own. It also requires thoughtful...

read more
Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

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Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles Incorporate These Drills Into Your Yoga PracticeactivationSTRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTOR MUSCLES The adductor muscles are commonly left as a lower priority when it comes to building strength in your yoga practice. It’s not that there aren’t...

read more
Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

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read more