Yoga Melbourne

Perhaps I just have a vivid imagination but I like to try to embody or emulate the postures which I’m working with.

Bakasana – The Crow, my hands become bird feet , my legs tucked into my body – a splendid set of wings, and my toes – delicate feathers. That exhilarating feeling of stepping out of the limitations of our human body and hovering off the ground like the grand old crow. In this way asana practice may be seen as an exercise in shapeshifting.

Its quite interesting that most of the arm-balance asanas in yoga are named after birds or sages. Perhaps they speak to our inner most desires of defying gravity and flying. This could be why they can be so addictive.

From a structural perspective, the arm-balance may be seen as one of the most wholistic types of asanas. There is no separation. Like a meticulously engineered bridge or skyscraper, every block must be in its right place so as to support the block above it. In the same way, an arm balance is constructed by the alignment of bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissue, all simultaneously working as a whole to support the body in space. Hence, the key to an ‘uplifting’ arm-balance is getting the physics right. To practice them safely, arm-balances demand mental focus. If your head is all over the place, an arm balance early on in your practice may, ironically, make you feel more…. grounded.

Often brushed aside as ‘showy’ or ‘fancy’, the arm-balance asana can be extremely valuable in developing structure and stability, both in the body and mind. The development of these qualities enables the practitioner to move seamlessly and gracefully in dynamic yoga asana practices such as Ashtanga or Somachi that require moving efficiently to and from a point of balance. Grace in one’s practice invites a more subtle approach to movement and hence a deeper sense of the body in space.

Vlad will be conduction a 2 hour workshop, to further your practice of arm balances.

WHEN: 29 May
TIME: 1.30 PM TO 3.30 PM
PRICE: $49 (20% DISCOUNT FOR ALL AUTO RENEW CLIENTS)

Book your place online

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