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Health & Fitness

fun pose friday: birds of paradise

TGIF yogis and yoginis!  This week’s fun pose friday post is all about Birds of Paradise.  For me, it’s one of those poses that I know I am either going to get into (or not) within a few minutes into class.  Some times I pop right on up and some days, it’s just not happening.  Does that ever happen to you?

The beautiful and uber talented Krista Block mentioned the other day on her facebook page how “It’s important to remember that a Bird of Paradise is actually a flower…. not a bird. If you approach the asana like a flower lifting from the ground instead of a bird taking off, balance is much easier to find. This one’s all about patience.” 

it’s a flower, not a bird

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With the help of Yoga Journal, let’s talk about how to practice this one.

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A very common way to get into this pose is via Extended Side Angle Pose (or Utthita Parsvakonasana).  Once you are feeling open and your bottom hand is able to comfortably touch the mat inside of your front foot– then and only then should you try to bind the arms.  From there you can try out your Birds of Paradise.

  • Let’s start with the right side:  once you have established your Bound Extended Side Angle with your right leg forward, slowly bring your left foot to meet your right (feet are now parallel, about hip width apart).  
  • Gaze down in between your feet or a little bit ahead and take a moment here to readjust as you start to shift your weight and ground down into your left foot, beginning to lift the right heal off the mat, coming up onto your right tippy toes.  If this pose is very new to you, this might be it for you today.  If you feel stable in your left foot and are able to lift a little more, then…
  • Keeping your bind, and with steadiness and control, continue to lift up, slowly straightening the left leg as you rise to standing up tall.  As you continue to grow your Birds of Paradise, you want to open up the chest/collar bones.

Krista Block looking beautiful & strong

  • If you are balancing just fine here (with your right knee still bent), then you can begin to play with straightening the right leg.  The next step from here would be to gaze over the left shoulder.

Note:  this is definitely one of those poses that requires a lot of steps and also one to build up to (patience).  It takes lost of practice and being very open and warmed up.  Don’t muscle through this one and most importantly have fun experimenting!

See you on the mat!
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