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.

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ALIGNMENT

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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.

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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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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.

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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
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  • Sequences are anatomically informed and carefully crafted
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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.

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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.

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300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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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

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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
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  • Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

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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
  • 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

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

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

“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

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

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

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To TitibhasanaKurmasanaTURTLE POSE TO TITIBHASANA Turtle Pose is not tiny by any means.  There is a great deal that goes into its preparation.  At the same time, it’s also an excellent preparatory posture for Titibhasana.  The journey between these two...

read more
Full Wheel

Full Wheel

Full WheelUrdhva DhanurasanaFULL WHEEL Teaching an intentional class becomes inevitable when following the Chromatic system that Matt created .  In Chromatic, we’re following a system that sets up the body for maximum execution within our fullest potential.  When it...

read more
Mastering Bakasana

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Mastering BakasanaCrow PoseMASTERING BAKASANA We may never truly master a posture, but as we go on a journey of exploration towards our greatest potential within our asana practice, we most definitely become masters of our own awareness—cultivating the ability to...

read more
Tuck Jumps

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read more
Counter Rotations

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Counter RotationsStabilityCOUNTER ROTATIONS The isolation of specific articulations in a yoga posture can be tricky to implement when we’re still learning how our bodies move. When we begin to explore counter rotations, this layer might feel confusing or even...

read more
Bird Of Paradise

Bird Of Paradise

Bird of ParadiseSvarga DvijasanaBIRD OF PARADISE In Bird of Paradise, we’re balancing while binding, which can be quite an undertaking. Preparation for this posture requires shoulder mobility, hip mobility, and a tremendous amount of strength. What we also need to be...

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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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

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

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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

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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

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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

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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

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To TitibhasanaKurmasanaTURTLE POSE TO TITIBHASANA Turtle Pose is not tiny by any means.  There is a great deal that goes into its preparation.  At the same time, it’s also an excellent preparatory posture for Titibhasana.  The journey between these two...

read more
Full Wheel

Full Wheel

Full WheelUrdhva DhanurasanaFULL WHEEL Teaching an intentional class becomes inevitable when following the Chromatic system that Matt created .  In Chromatic, we’re following a system that sets up the body for maximum execution within our fullest potential.  When it...

read more
Mastering Bakasana

Mastering Bakasana

Mastering BakasanaCrow PoseMASTERING BAKASANA We may never truly master a posture, but as we go on a journey of exploration towards our greatest potential within our asana practice, we most definitely become masters of our own awareness—cultivating the ability to...

read more
Tuck Jumps

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Tuck JumpsHandstandTUCK JUMPS Tuck jumps can be a confidence booster when it comes to preparing for handstands. They're not the first step in the course of preparation, but they're definitely a way of identifying where strength and proprioception require attention.  ...

read more
Counter Rotations

Counter Rotations

Counter RotationsStabilityCOUNTER ROTATIONS The isolation of specific articulations in a yoga posture can be tricky to implement when we’re still learning how our bodies move. When we begin to explore counter rotations, this layer might feel confusing or even...

read more
Bird Of Paradise

Bird Of Paradise

Bird of ParadiseSvarga DvijasanaBIRD OF PARADISE In Bird of Paradise, we’re balancing while binding, which can be quite an undertaking. Preparation for this posture requires shoulder mobility, hip mobility, and a tremendous amount of strength. What we also need to be...

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.

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