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3 Ways To Stretch & Strengthen Your Neck

by Trisha Curling | Nov 2, 2023 | Main Page Display

3 Ways to Stretch and Strengthen Your Neck

Home In on the Awareness of Your Posture

NECK MOBILITY

STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN YOUR NECK

A common postural tendency or pattern for so many is slouching, which includes forward head posture due to the amount of time spent at a work desk or on a variety of digital devices. Functioning in this way may seem unavoidable due to work/life responsibilities, but welcoming in a level of awareness and actions you can take to shift this pattern will ultimately contribute to greater wellness.

If you’re holding tension in your neck and upper back, the techniques Matt offers in today’s video will help stretch and strengthen the appropriate muscles in your neck. It also means that you’ll find more freedom of movement, which may also lead to less tension. The key component is the awareness that you’ll nurture throughout the process. There isn’t any “fix” without awareness. This part of the equation must also be implemented.

THE POWER OF BLISS

November 2023 Immersion

Moderately paced Power Yoga classes
Perfect blend of movement, alignment, and technique
Inspirationally themed to give meaning and power to each practice
Tantrik philosophy: The 5 Powers of Consciousness
Teachings of the Yoga Sutras
12 classes included
Livestream optional! All classes available on demand after livestream's complete

Registration now open!

✋ SIGN UP HERE

SVADHYAYA AND AWARENESS

If you want to transform your experience, you must first be aware of your state of being. In my previous blog, Take Action in Flying Pigeon, we touched on the area of understanding the 5 Powers of Consciousness, which Matt explores further in his immersion The Power of Bliss and delves into in greater detail in his 300 Hr. Teacher Training. In Chromatic Yoga, Matt draws on the original teachings of the Yoga Sutras and beyond. He stresses that the key aspect is self-inquiry, Svadhyaya in the Yoga Sutras. This relates back to the first power in the 5 Powers of Consciousness from the Tantik perspective, which is Cit Śakti (the power of awareness itself). The power of awareness leads to the journey of Svadhyaya and therefore the discernment you need to take the right actions.

WATCH THE VIDEO

3 WAYS TO STRETCH & STRENGTHEN YOUR NECK: HONE IN ON THE AWARENESS OF YOUR NECK

TECHNIQUES FOR THE NECK

When you’re experiencing neck tension, it can be quite challenging to shift your awareness from discomfort or pain to the possibility of ease. Part of the formula to create ease is to stretch and strengthen your neck. This is important because the muscles of the neck can become shortened, weak, and tight from constant poor positioning such as forward head posture. Pulling your chin in and your head back and up, without puffing your chest out, can help to stretch the sternocleidomastoid muscle. On each side of the neck, this muscle attaches to both the sternum and the clavicle and then to the mastoid process towards the rear side of your skull.

Adding in rotation can also promote strength and flexibility in your neck. These may be “simple” actions, but it’s imperative to be aware of the execution of these techniques within a given posture.

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3 POSTURES FOR THE NECK

It can be easy to remain on autopilot in any given yoga posture, especially if you’ve executed the posture many times before. Matt outlines how to stretch and strengthen your neck in 3 “basic” yoga postures.

In Warrior II, you’ll see how Matt pulls his head up and back before initiating the next step, the rotation. When the rotation is added, along with the awareness to shorten one side and lengthen the other, what you achieve is an engagement of the sternocleidomastoid on the front side and a lengthening on the back side. What’s even more effective is the self-adjustment of pressing your head into your hand in order to get more in touch with the positioning and sensation. When exploring Pyramid Pose and High Lunge, the experience in both of these postures is changed by adding the same techniques (without the rotation).

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MAKE THE SHIFT

If you shift your awareness within a yoga posture, you’ll transform your awareness in your everyday posture. Once you have incorporated these techniques on the mat, how many times can you incorporate them into your everyday life? This is part of Svadhyaya, the practice of self-inquiry, on the physical level. Of course Svadhyaya goes beyond this aspect only.

Matt emphasizes that it’s not about staying in this position all the time but about training yourself to stretch and strengthen your neck muscles more often. Like anything else, these repetitive actions will stimulate the muscles to respond and ultimately make the shift to more freedom.

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Article by Trish Curling

Videos Extracted From: Chromatic Yoga 15-Hour Immersion

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ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

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

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Bound Ardha Chandrasana

Bound Ardha Chandrasana Technique, Accessibility, and ExpressionBOUND HALF MOONBOUND ARDHA CHANDRASANA As Matt shares the 5 Powers of Consciousness from Tantrik yoga philosophy in his current immersion, The Power of Bliss, he reminds us that they are powers that exist...

10 Sun Salutation Skill Sets

10 Sun Salutation Skill Sets Polish Your Technique for Masterful ActionPOWER YOGASUN SALUTATION SKILL SETS The feeling you get from flowing on your mat to the rhythm of your breath can feel like paradise. There’s a freedom involved in seamlessly flowing from one yoga...

3 Ways To Stretch & Strengthen Your Neck

3 Ways to Stretch and Strengthen Your Neck Home In on the Awareness of Your PostureNECK MOBILITYSTRETCH AND STRENGTHEN YOUR NECK A common postural tendency or pattern for so many is slouching, which includes forward head posture due to the amount of time spent at a...

Take Action In Flying Pigeon

Take Action in Flying Pigeon Asana and the 5 Powers of ConsciousnessEKA PADA GALAVASANATAKE ACTION IN FLYING PIGEON Interesting about seeking and incorporating a yoga practice is that the entry point is quite different for everyone. There are many reasons you may be...

Inversion Drills

Inversion Drills Conquer Fear Through TechniqueSIRSASANAINVERSION DRILLS Are you the type of person who avoids inversions altogether, or do you eagerly await the option in your yoga classes? Matt infuses Chromatic yoga with the philosophies of ancient Tantric yoga to...

Ignite Your Core

Ignite Your Core Add These 7 Postures for Strength and StretchingSPINAL FLEXIONIGNITE YOUR CORE It’s no secret that you go to your yoga mat for a purpose, whatever that may be on a given day. It’s important, however, to marry that purpose with intention. When it comes...

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Take Action In Flying Pigeon

by Trisha Curling | Oct 26, 2023 | Main Page Display

Take Action in Flying Pigeon

Asana and the 5 Powers of Consciousness

EKA PADA GALAVASANA

TAKE ACTION IN FLYING PIGEON

Interesting about seeking and incorporating a yoga practice is that the entry point is quite different for everyone. There are many reasons you may be drawn to certain aspects of the practice, and they may satisfy you for some time. What usually happens though is an unfolding you don’t expect. The purpose or reason you went to your yoga practice shifts the more you delve into what it has to offer. It’s not uncommon to be drawn to the physical (the asana) first, but as you continue to have the desire to learn and the willingness to take action, your relationship with your yoga practice will change and deepen.

In today’s video, Matt demonstrates how to take action in Flying Pigeon, but when you examine it through the lens of the 5 Powers of Consciousness, your perspective opens up.

THE POWER OF BLISS

November 2023 Immersion

Moderately paced Power Yoga classes
Perfect blend of movement, alignment, and technique
Inspirationally themed to give meaning and power to each practice
Tantrik philosophy: The 5 Powers of Consciousness
Teachings of the Yoga Sutras
12 classes included
Livestream optional! All classes available on demand after livestream's complete

Registration now open!

✋ SIGN UP HERE

WHAT ARE THE 5 POWERS OF CONSCIOUSNESS?

If you study with Matt in any of his yoga teacher trainings or immersions, you’ll gain access to these teachings, which come from ancient Tantrik Yoga philosophy.

Christopher Wallis, author of Tantra Illuminated, outlines the 5 powers of consciousness:

Consciousness/Awareness: Cit-Śakti
Bliss: Ānanda-Śakti
Will: Icchā-Śakti
Knowledge: Jñāna-Śakti
Action: Kriyā-Śakti
Freedom (encompasses all 5): Svātantrya-Śakti

Each on their own have profound meaning, but it’s important to understand that they all exist within each other.

For today, we’ll look at Flying Pigeon primarily through the lens of Action (Kriyā-Śakti), but there is no action without the discussion of Will (Icchā-Śakti) and Knowledge (Jñāna-Śakti). It’s not that the others are not present, but we can start to gain some insight into the system as they apply to what it means to take action in Flying Pigeon Pose.

WATCH THE VIDEO

TAKE ACTION IN FLYING PIGEON: ASANA AND THE 5 POWERS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

FLYING PIGEON PREPARATION

Hip opening is one of the key components of Flying Pigeon, and this is what Matt demonstrates in today’s video. Matt guides you through the Chromatic Yoga process by layering postures that will prepare your hips and facilitate your ability to “take action in Flying Pigeon.”

Keep in mind, however, that the action takes place throughout the entire process. The fact that you have the will to do it, that you take the time to learn more about how to do it, and then actually show up to practice—these are all part of taking action. Looking at it through the lens of the 5 powers of consciousness, you might become more aware of your reasons for wanting to do the pose and of how you respond to the process.

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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
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SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

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THE 3 STEPS TO FLYING PIGEON

In the first step, Matt starts you off by practicing a hip opener at the wall, and he begins to pattern your ability to evert your ankle. This knowledge can change your experience of Flying Pigeon altogether. When you add in the aspect of balance, it can be challenging to open your hip to the required degree without your foot wanting to naturally invert as a result, which may cause it to slip off your upper arm.

Without balancing, you still begin to position yourself similarly to the peak posture. For example, you get to practice just how close you need to bring your shin to your armpit, along with leaving space between your foot and tricep.

The third step is the “preparatory peak pose.” Here, Matt offers the option of practicing Flying Pigeon in a shape similar to Boat Pose. This again helps with patterning.

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MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL

Within this system, the understanding is that in order to take action, there is an awareness that there is some desire (will) present to pursue a particular action. If will is present, the acquisition of knowledge must follow. What’s intriguing about understanding all of this is that the pursuit of a particular asana is done with the removal of the part of the ego that wants to prove, for external validation, that it can be done.

Bliss, as discussed in Tantra Illuminated, helps you be simply appreciative of the exploration, no matter the outcome of achieving the posture. Being conscious of this experience is also Bliss.

Making sense of it all requires much more than barely skimming the surface. Matt’s next immersion, Power of Bliss, will take you on the journey of understanding.

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

Videos Extracted From: Chromatic Yoga 15-Hour Immersion

← See Previous Story See Next Story →

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

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

TELL ME MORE!

Continue Learning

Bound Ardha Chandrasana

10 Sun Salutation Skill Sets

3 Ways To Stretch & Strengthen Your Neck

Take Action In Flying Pigeon

Inversion Drills

Ignite Your Core

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
exclusive blogs and videos

Inversion Drills

by Trisha Curling | Oct 18, 2023 | Main Page Display

Inversion Drills

Conquer Fear Through Technique

SIRSASANA

INVERSION DRILLS

Are you the type of person who avoids inversions altogether, or do you eagerly await the option in your yoga classes?

Matt infuses Chromatic yoga with the philosophies of ancient Tantric yoga to help you acquire a more in-depth understanding of your own thought processes, decision-making, and patterns. One of the ways you can more closely connect to the reason for either a fear (resistance) or an attachment (attraction) regarding inversions is through the conditioning (samskaras) you have about your ability to achieve inversions. This is why the Chromatic approach is always systematic—you’re encouraged to take incremental steps towards your desired actions and new patterning. Utilizing the inversion drills from today’s video is a step towards understanding your relationship with fear and learning about how technique can quiet your resistance towards them.

CHROMATIC YOGA

OCTOBER 2023 15Hr. Immersion

12 Chromatic Yoga practices with founder Matt Giordano
Full-spectrum immersion covering all posture categories
Improve your body awareness and advance your practice
Technique, biomechanics, and alignment at the forefront
Life-enhancing and inspirational Chromatic philosophy woven through each class
15 Continuing Education hours with Yoga Alliance
15 Accredited Hours with the Chromatic School of Yoga
Step-by-step instruction for increased accessibility
Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
Appropriate variations and modifications for all levels

~~$168.00~~ $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

✋ SIGN ME UP

IS FEAR WORKING FOR YOU OR AGAINST YOU?

Feling fear about inversions or even inversion drills doesn’t mean that something is wrong with you. You’re not required to change your feelings about them just to work them into your asana practice. That’s not what understanding your relationship to fear means. Fear may be what protects you. You may have an injury or condition that may amplify if you don’t use your good judgment and stay away from inversions. In the full class, Matt discusses how fear is a kind of protective mechanism. It can help you to sort through whether or not the fear is valid. The thing is, it’s up to you to decide if working beyond it will create positive transformation, like confidence and strength, or if it might be more damaging. It’s quite alright to fear something and make a decision not to engage in that particular thing.

THE 5 KLESHAS

How does this relate to the Yoga Sutras? In Tantra of the Yoga Sutras, author Alan Finger states the following:

“The five kleshas are what cause the mind to become engrossed in the belief patterns that create mental disequilibrium and psychological distress.”

Here are the 5 kleshas:

Avidya: Ignorance
Asmita: Ego
Raga: Attachment
Dvesha: Aversion
Abhinivesha: Fear of Death

Finger, Alan. Tantra of the Yoga Sutras. Pg. 42 (Yoga Sutra 2.3)

In this particular class, Matt points to raga and dvesha in relation to inversions and inversion drills. Raga here means that you are keen to practice inversions because, for example, they are familiar, or you already feel confident practicing them. Dvesha, being the opposite, may come from your fear or lack of confidence in your ability.

WATCH THE VIDEO

INVERSION DRILLS: CONQUER THE FEAR THROUGH TECHNIQUE

HEADSTAND DRILLS

Once you look at inversions through the lens of raga and dvesha, Matt explains that there are 2 next steps to follow:

Become aware of what you avoid and attach to.
Practice taking action in the direction of what is appropriate for you.

In headstands, there may already be aspects you are comfortable with. If it’s appropriate for you to move forward, Matt offers techniques that will strengthen your confidence.

First, he makes a connection to Handstand by pointing out that whether you are practicing on your head or your hands, the same principle applies: lean and resist. You lean forward to go upright, but then you must resist to prevent yourself from falling. There are muscle engagements that will help you to find your balance. In the headstand inversion drills, pressing your head back into your hands while pressing your fists and forearms into the ground will allow your neck muscles to become your brakes.

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
SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

LEARN MORE!

HANDSTAND DRILLS

In handstands, one of the prominent activations comes from the forearms; this is done by gripping the ground. As in the inversion drills for Headstand, you can make use of other props to find better access to “lean and resist.” Keep in mind that it’s not all about strength. Hamstring flexibility supports your ability to go upright. In these inversion drills, Matt makes great use of blocks and a chair as a way to minimize the amount of hamstring flexibility that is required.

These tools play a role in the incremental steps he’s talking about. The props are used as a way to mitigate fear. You also become deeply immersed in technique, which creates a rise in ability and confidence. In the video, you’ll see the attention placed on things like the articulation of your feet, your pelvis, and even your distance from the wall. These are important specifics that will transform your experience.

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
SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

LEARN MORE!

LISTEN TO THE FEAR

Fear has a loud voice. What you do with it will determine your path. That voice can push you away from something magical that’s waiting for you, or it can provide you with better connection to your own discernment. If the message is to take action, to conquer that fear, then reverse engineer your steps. In your yoga practice, lock into the techniques that quiet the voice of fear and strengthen your ability. If your focus and awareness are placed on those actions rather than the fear, you’ve already conquered it. The better choice may be to not engage, and this is also a powerful option. Either way, you are more confident in your decision-making and your ability to select what’s right for you. Take action to find the right path by registering for Matt’s 15-Hour Chromatic Yoga 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

Videos Extracted From: Chromatic Yoga 15-Hour Immersion

← See Previous Story See Next Story →

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

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

TELL ME MORE!

Continue Learning

Bound Ardha Chandrasana

10 Sun Salutation Skill Sets

3 Ways To Stretch & Strengthen Your Neck

Take Action In Flying Pigeon

Inversion Drills

Ignite Your Core

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
exclusive blogs and videos

Dragonfly Pose

by Trisha Curling | Oct 5, 2023 | Main Page Display

Dragonfly Pose

Techniques for Hips and for Arm Balances

parsva bhuja dandasana

DRAGONFLY POSE

Recently, I was listening to a podcast where the founder and CEO of Spotify, Daniel Ek, mentioned the quote “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” He didn’t say it in exactly those words, but it was enough to see how well it applied to Chromatic yoga. Explaining what Chromatic yoga is in the first class of this month’s immersion (Chromatic Yoga), Matt says that instead of “achieving” a posture, you learn more about your body by understanding how to utilize it. You do this by executing the appropriate actions that inevitably make a posture accessible. How does this apply to Dragonfly Pose? Well, when broken down, the posture is a hip opener and an arm balance that also includes spinal rotation. Matt’s approach is about developing and strengthening the necessary actions within your body through practice and repetition.

CHROMATIC YOGA

OCTOBER 2023 15Hr. Immersion

12 Chromatic Yoga practices with founder Matt Giordano
Full-spectrum immersion covering all posture categories
Improve your body awareness and advance your practice
Technique, biomechanics, and alignment at the forefront
Life-enhancing and inspirational Chromatic philosophy woven through each class
15 Continuing Education hours with Yoga Alliance
15 Accredited Hours with the Chromatic School of Yoga
Step-by-step instruction for increased accessibility
Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
Appropriate variations and modifications for all levels

~~$168.00~~ $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

✋ SIGN ME UP

APPROACHING DRAGONFLY POSE

Breaking it down into little pieces is the key to making this intricate and challenging pose less intimidating. If your body is not “ready/prepared/able” to combine the hip opening, spinal rotation, and arm balance all at once, you can explore the many variations Matt offers in today’s video. Exploring these variations is the perfect opportunity to kinesthetically learn and integrate the patterns for the pose in your body. With each step, more than just making the shape, you are strengthening the appropriate muscle groups in order to eventually find a more equal balance of both ease and flexibility in Dragonfly. In the full class from which this video is extracted, Matt reminds you that it’s not about making the pose easy, it’s about creating integrity during the execution. For example, if you are extremely flexible and/or hypermobile, you can make Dragonfly more sturdy with the right muscular activations.

WATCH THE VIDEO

DRAGONFLY POSE: TECHNIQUES FOR HIPS & ARM BALANCES

TAKE IT DOWN

Creating these activations requires a generous level of exertion, making it effortful rather than easy.

In the first variation that Matt demonstrates, he removes the arm balance and takes you all the way down onto your mat. After creating the initial shape, he then introduces the use of a yoga block to assist in strengthening your adductors and hip flexors. While practicing the steps to develop strength, you acquire a deeper connection to and understanding of your body. You’ll find out where you already feel strong versus where you may need to spend more time building strength.

There are also a number of “tiny” actions that you can practice without the intensity of the arm balance component. The flexion and direction of your feet, for example, can greatly affect your ability to maintain the positioning of the top leg in Dragonfly Pose.

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
SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

LEARN MORE!

STANDING VERSUS SEATED DRAGONFLY POSE

What’s incredible here is the variety of options Matt offers in standing and seated Dragonfly.

Standing Dragonfly

In the first option, he layers the spinal rotation element on top of the hip opening. You also begin to introduce more of a balance component since you are standing on one leg in a “Figure 4” position.

The final standing variation is done at the wall, through which a certain degree of balance is dialed back; however, the connection to the arm balance can begin here.

Seated Dragonfly

While seated in a chair, you again create the Figure 4 position, along with the spinal rotation. When you’re ready to progress to the arm balance, Matt demonstrates how to use the edge of a chair. Your chair plays a vital role in that the height must be just right so as not to place too much pressure on your hip.

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
SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

LEARN MORE!

BEGIN AT THE END

Part of Chromatic yoga is looking at the “end point” (in this case Dragonfly Pose) so that you can work backwards by analyzing all of the necessary pieces to work through and explore. It’s the “shooting for the moon,” if you will. What ultimately happens as you explore and prepare your body is that you discover a great deal about your physical and mental self. You end up “landing among the stars.” You find out how you react/respond once you are faced with a physical challenge while exploring a posture. Do you work through it, or is your instinct to run? You also discover what physical actions you need to take to break through and achieve your fullest potential.

Register for Matt’s Chromatic Yoga Immersion to transform your relationship to your yoga practice so that you open the door to new possibilities.

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

Videos Extracted From: Flow & Fly Immersion

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The Teachers' Toolkit

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Continue Learning

Bound Ardha Chandrasana

10 Sun Salutation Skill Sets

3 Ways To Stretch & Strengthen Your Neck

Take Action In Flying Pigeon

Inversion Drills

Ignite Your Core

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
exclusive blogs and videos

Bound Side Angle

by Trisha Curling | Sep 27, 2023 | Main Page Display

Bound Side Angle

2 Variations To Open Up Your Shoulders

expand

BOUND SIDE ANGLE

You might either approach Bound Side Angle with excitement or with a sense of fear. If you adopt a certain perspective, it’s possible for the word “bound” to evoke a sense of freedom in the context of yoga. In postures like Bound Side Angle, openness is required not just in the shoulders but also in the hips. While on one hand, yes, the posture can seem limiting and closed (especially if there are constrictions due to pain or injury); on the other hand, through the use of props and specific articulations, there are ways to access increased shoulder mobility. In today’s video, Matt offers very explicit actions you can take to acquire more flexibility and strength. What you’ll also find is that the connection you gain to the rest of your body ultimately creates a positive influence on your ability to find more opening.

CHROMATIC YOGA

OCTOBER 2023 15Hr. Immersion

12 Chromatic Yoga practices with founder Matt Giordano
Full-spectrum immersion covering all posture categories
Improve your body awareness and advance your practice
Technique, biomechanics, and alignment at the forefront
Life-enhancing and inspirational Chromatic philosophy woven through each class
15 Continuing Education hours with Yoga Alliance
15 Accredited Hours with the Chromatic School of Yoga
Step-by-step instruction for increased accessibility
Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
Appropriate variations and modifications for all levels

~~$168.00~~ $138.00

MORE INFORMATION

✋ SIGN ME UP

MUCH MORE THAN YOUR SHOULDERS

It’s easy to prioritize the amount of mobility required in your shoulders for this posture, which is necessary, but there is more that requires your attention. Once you learn about what Chromatic Yoga is all about, you come into a more expansive awareness of your whole self—body and mind. Within your practice, this awareness is expressed as an informed exploration. This means that you begin to learn that certain movements or actions will alter your access and experience in a posture.

Let’s examine what’s involved with the hips. There is a generous amount of abduction required, demanding a high degree of flexibility and strength in the adductor muscles. The wider the stance, the “easier” it will be to access the bind. In the video and discussion below, you’ll see how this supports your ability to find more shoulder mobility.

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BOUND SIDE ANGLE: 2 VARIATIONS TO OPEN UP YOUR SHOULDERS

BOUND SIDE ANGLE TECHNIQUES WITH A BLOCK

When setting up Bound Side Angle, some of the first cues Matt offers in the video are “hips back, groins back.” Emphasis on the positioning of your hips is addressed quite early. Taking these actions can immediately make way for increased space for you to drop your torso as low as possible. If the attempt to lower your upper body to a greater degree feels too ambitious, Matt suggests placing a block underneath your front foot. You can see how this elevation brings your inner knee closer to the back of your shoulder, which can allow more freedom for your arm to go underneath your inner thigh.

That being said, it is also the articulation of the shoulder joint that impacts your ability to wrap around for the bind. More protraction of the scapulae and internal rotation of the shoulders will assist you in getting your arm behind you.

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BOUND SIDE ANGLE WITH A STRAP

In both variations, once you have the security of the clasp, of your hands or with a strap, you can begin to lift. There are still actions that need to take place before you invite in the shoulder articulations for expansion. Creating a posterior tilt in your pelvis will set off the action of pulling your shoulders back, therefore lifting the chest up.

Practicing all of this with a strap may at first appear to be less arduous than without one. Matt notes that it may actually be more challenging in the sense that it provides increased range of motion in the shoulders. For this reason, it’s important to be aware of the muscle activations that will create an underpinning of strength to support the flexibility. Activating muscles like the rear deltoids and the erector spinae (for spinal support), along with the glutes and adductors, will substantially bolster the integrity of this posture.

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THE ENTIRE SCOPE

As the saying goes, “You can throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks,” or in terms of yoga, you can arm yourself with education to gain more distinct results. The beauty of Chromatic yoga is that Matt articulates the alignment and biomechanics of each posture with absolute precision. This allows you to make informed choices regarding your practice: At any given time, you’ll have multiple opportunities to select which variations and modifications are appropriate for you. Through practice and repetition, you’ll experience a transformation within your physical body. What you’ll also learn is how to adopt and integrate the philosophical teachings of yoga into multiple areas of your life. Bound Side Angle pose may be a physical posture, but when you are open to the entire scope of what’s available to you within it, your potential is limitless.

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Article by Trish Curling

Videos Extracted From: Shoulder Revelation Immersion