Posts In: asana

Triangles are considered to be one of the strongest shapes. They can withstand pressure and weight without changing shape, and are used in many of the most iconic architectural masterpieces – think the Great Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Pyramid.

We also create strong, stable triangle shapes in Trikonasana (Triangle pose). Trikonasana is a standing asana, strengthening the legs and opening the side body. Vibrant and spacious, strong yet cooling.

When you practice Trikonasana in Pitta season, the focus is on being grounded in the shape, which means focusing on connecting to the earth through your feet. Pressing down evenly through your feet creates two strong foundation angles to allow for stillness, expansion and calmness, in both your inner and outer experience.

Creating your own iconic, unique and beautiful triangle masterpiece 🥰

Constantly flowing through day and night, breath moves in and out of the body without us even thinking about it.

Physically breath replenishes oxygen in the body and removes wastes, as well as stabilising the nervous system when we breathe consciously in pranayama practices.

There’s a more subtle aspect of breath as well, an energetic aspect called prana. There are five aspects of prana – pran, udana, vyana, samana and apana – that all have a distinct role in the body.

At times it might feel right to move focus of practice to the function of prana called udana, “the upward moving air”. Udana is our main positive energy, it governs speech and self-expression and assists in developing our consciousness.

Udana is stimulated in the body through backbends, and one asana that can cultivate this energy is Eka Pada Bhekasana (one legged frog pose) 🐸

Physically Eka Pada Bhekasana is about blending strength and flexibility in the body. Creating a shape that is your unique expression of this asana, the heart is open and courageous.

Energetically uplifting, Eka Pada Bhekasana helps to raise the body’s vibration to create lightness, creativity and inspiration ❤️

Our invitation to you is to explore this asana in practice and notice – how does this feel inside? How does my breath feel? Can I observe the upward movement of energy in your body?

In this way you can use your asana and pranayama practice as a tool to access the more subtle aspects of yoga 🙏

Life’s fluctuations can make us feel a little off-centre at times. Disconnected from ourselves and loved ones, feeling a little flat or using our precious energy in places that are not really that important.

Yoga is one of those practices you can return to time and again to reconnect with centre, that place of inner knowing and intuition. Turning inwards to quieten the noise of the outside world so you can hear your own inner wisdom speaking with clarity and truth again.

Asana is an amazing tool to consciously move the body from one plane to another, exploring the movements away from and towards centre. Parighasana, or gate pose, is a beautiful, deep side body stretch, helping to improve spine mobility, breath capacity and bring lightness to your being.

The experience of Parighasana is about coming back to centre – moving the body forward, back and side to side, and then returning to equilibrium to experience stillness within and your expansive, three-dimensional breath in the body.

And if you have Pitta dominant dosha, or a practicing within Pitta season (summer), lateral movements can also help to disperse the internal heat that has built up, helping create calm and a deep sense of centeredness mentally and physically 😌