yoga tutorial Archives - Page 15 of 18

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

by Trisha Curling | Aug 24, 2023 | Main Page Display

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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Video Extracted From: Anatomy of the Heart

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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...

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...

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...

Eagle Pose Legs

Eagle Pose Legs Pelvic Articulations to Find the BindgarudasanaEAGLE 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...

Neck Alignment

Neck Alignment Techniques to Find More Ease in HeadstandsirsasanaNECK 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...

Pigeon Pose Possibilities

Pigeon Pose Possibilities Actionable Steps to Refine Your AlignmentkapotasanaPIGEON 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...

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Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

by Trisha Curling | Aug 9, 2023 | Main Page Display

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B

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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Splits Immersion

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Standing Nose To Shin

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Eagle Pose Legs

Neck Alignment

Pigeon Pose Possibilities

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Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

by Trisha Curling | Jul 20, 2023 | Main Page Display

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Anatomy in Motion

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Standing Nose To Shin

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Eagle Pose Legs

Neck Alignment

Pigeon Pose Possibilities

All Videos

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the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
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Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

by Trisha Curling | Jul 13, 2023 | Main Page Display

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.

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ALIGNMENT

JUNE 2023 Immersion

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Alignment and techniques for the most common asana postures
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Alignment Immersion

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Continue Learning

Standing Nose To Shin

Strengthen Your Adductor Muscles

Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog

Eagle Pose Legs

Neck Alignment

Pigeon Pose Possibilities

All Videos

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
exclusive online course discounts
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Neck Alignment

by Trisha Curling | Jun 29, 2023 | Main Page Display

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.

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

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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.

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
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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 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
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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.

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Alignment Immersion