pose Archives - Mindfully Written

Yoga Pose for the Hips: Pigeon Pose (eka pada rajakapotasana)

Pigeon pose (eka pada rajakapotasana = one legged king pigeon pose) is one of my favorites. It’s a great yoga pose for the hips, working deep into the connective tissues in the pelvic region, stretching the glutes, psoas, butt and into the hamstrings and quadriceps. It also creates a strong external rotation in the hip socket of the forward leg, helping lubricate the joint, increasing range of motion and working into often-ignored areas. While some poses target a specific area, pigeon pose works a whole region, from belly button to knees, targeting the general hip area on both legs. This makes it highly time-effective, covering a lot of ground with one pose.

Getting Into Pigeon Pose

To get into Pigeon pose, start on all-fours, or your hands and knees. Lift your right knee off the ground and place it on the mat directly behind your right wrist. You might need to scoot your right foot in front of your left knee to get it placed. Allow your foot to land where it does – do not use your hand to move your foot. For some, the lower right leg will be parallel with the top of the mat. For others, the heel will be near the hip. Either are correct and it will depend on your flexibility where you are.

Once your right leg is placed, slide your left leg down the mat until it is straight. Look over your shoulder to make sure your leg is parallel with the side of your mat. To get deeper, tuck your left toes and reach your left heel back to create a deeper stretch. Repeat as necessary and then untuck your toes so the top of your foot is resting on the mat. Make sure your hips are square.

Bring your hands to the floor, keeping your torso lifted to start. Take a couple deep breaths to settle into the pose and think about keeping your weight centered and balanced over your hips.

If your flexibility allows, consider lowering your torso toward the floor. Start by lengthening through the spine, then lowering down. You don’t want a rounded spine here. Start by coming to your elbows and if that’s comfortable, stacking your hands and resting your head (like in the picture above). The final step is to bring your forehead to the mat, arms stretched out overhead. This is a deep position, so only go there if your flexibility allows. If it’s too deep, back out into one of the other variations. You could also use a bolster or block to rest your head on, but be sure to protect your neck.

Holding Pigeon Pose

Once you get into the pose, put your awareness on your breath and how it moves through your body. Notice the areas where you feel the most sensation – maybe it’s both legs or just one, maybe it’s tingly and perhaps you’re clenching your butt or other muscles as a way to resist going into the full stretch. Take note of all of this and attempt to breathe into those areas or sensations, seeing if you can relax and settle into the pose. It won’t be easy and it might be very uncomfortable, but if you use your breath, you can work through that.

Note: If ever you have pain, carefully back out of the pose, using a blanket under the right buttocks if necessary, coming up onto your elbows or coming out of the pose completely. Pain never belongs in yoga. Sensations, yes, discomfort, absolutely, but pain, never. You might need to being to discern whether you are in pain or just uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s a very fine line.

Attempt to hold this pose for a while. At first, take it easy – maybe only 1-3 minutes. As you learn to discern and tap into the power of the breath, play around with longer holds – up to 15 minutes per side. It’s hard, but can bring physical and mental changes (progress perhaps).

Getting Through the Mental Challenges

Outside of the physical challenge of holding this pose, you will have strong mental challenges. Many people find that they begin telling themselves stories like ‘I can’t do this,’ ‘I’m weak,’ or they bail out completely, not trusting in their own abilities. These themes carry over into our lives, so it can be fun to pay attention to them and think about where else these themes appear and how they limit you in life.

At some point in pigeon pose, you will want to shift or fidget. Attempt to resist this urge and stay still, finding a way to commit to stillness and remain patient when your mind is jabbering and you’re struggling to stay calm. Watch your thoughts, watch your sensations and use your breath to get through. Sometimes I will think about breathing in through one side of my body and exhaling the other, or creating space in the hip with the most discomfort and exhaling sinking deeper. Anything to focus your mind will help.

Coming Out of Pigeon Pose

Getting out of the pose is just as important as getting into it. Do not rush this. The longer you stay in the pose, the longer it will take you to get out of it. The general goal is to backtrack from how you entered. So if you’re in the full outstretched position, first find your way to your elbows. Take a breath there. Then push into your hands to lift your upper body off the floor. Open your eyes and take a breath there. Finally, roll onto your right hip and slowly bring your left leg toward. This might be really challenging and you must take it really slowly to protect those connective tissues you just targeted. Take as much time as you need. Most people kind of sit there for a bit before bringing the left leg up or straightening the right. Move in a way that feels natural, but do it with the utmost care and caution.

As a counter-pose, I like coming into a modified up dog, keeping my feet, knees, thighs and hips on the floor, put pushing through the palms to lift the chest. This stretches the front of the body. You can also take a down dog or child’s pose as recovery. I also like to move a little, either between up dog and child’s pose or just rotating my hips in table to get any hitches out before taking the other side. After a long pose, you will need to move a little to ease the discomfort (the discomfort will persist for a few seconds or minutes).

Then, as if this wasn’t enough, come back onto hands and knees and retrace the steps on the other side, this time bring the left knee behind the left wrist and stretching out through the right leg.

For those unable to do pigeon, either because of knee or ankle issues, do the pose on your back, keeping the left leg straight and pulling the right leg in toward your chest. The relationship to gravity is different so it’s hard to get deep into the pose, but it still helps.

What do you think? Try pigeon pose and let me know how it was for you.

5 Yoga Lessons to Apply to Your Job Hunt

by Amber Erickson

Note: This post first appeared on Brazen Life, a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. See the original post on Brazen Life.

When you’re in the deep trenches of job seeking, the last thing you’re likely thinking about is yoga. You probably have more pressing issues to deal with. Perhaps you’re worried about how to pay next month’s rent or can’t shake that the dreadful feeling you’ll never find employment again.

Yoga can help these worries and job-hunting related stressors in more ways than one. It’s a great way to break away from the job hunting boards to refresh your mind and body. And, it provides some powerful lessons along the way:

1. Flexibility is key

While you don’t have to be flexible to do yoga, it helps. The more you practice, the more flexible you become.

Job seeking is similar. Being flexible in your search and related activities will help you see open doors where you may not be looking. Sticking to a rigid job seeking routine takes impressive determination, but it could also be limiting your potential.

The universe works in strange ways. That person you didn’t stop to talk to because you had a routine to follow could’ve been a door you chose not to walk through. These proverbial doors can be anywhere.

Be open to the possibilities, be flexible in your day and remain curious about where opportunities may be hiding. Consider applying for jobs outside of your field, brainstorm how you could create your own dream job, take your search beyond the traditional job boards (Twitter, anyone?) and get out there and network.

2. Embrace the journey

This may be the hardest of all. We’re always focused on the end goal. Looking for a job is time consuming, tedious and frustrating. Embracing the journey seems impossible, but at least entertain the idea of enjoying each step of the process.

Can you find any benefits to being unemployed? Or if you hate your job and are looking for a new one, maybe there’s a reason to hold on for a bit longer. Stay open to finding the message or important life lesson in the job hunting experience.

Think about what you’ve applied for, the people you’ve met and what you can see yourself doing next. Take it one day at a time. One application after the other. Take each rejection or milestone as they come.

One potentially disastrous outcome of letting desperation rule your search for employment is that you could end up in the wrong job. Attempting to embrace the journey will allow you to stay focused on letting the process unfold as it will and taking the opportunity that is right for you.

3. Breathe through the difficult periods

In a challenging yoga pose, as in much of life, we forget to breathe. Yes, breathing is an involuntary action, but in yoga, the goal is to do it consciously.

The poses become easier if you anchor your breathing. If you get into a tight pose, breathe into your low belly or into the spot of discomfort. Where your attention goes, your energy will follow.

In stressful situations, such as job seeking, remembering to breathe into the discomfort can help you relax, feel better and reduce tension-related illnesses (such as tension headaches).

If job seeking gets to be too much, go for a walk or do something you enjoy to clear your head and reconnect with your mission. Sometimes taking a moment to breathe is all that’s needed.

4. Have faith in your abilities

Sometimes yoga students need an experienced teacher to guide them into more challenging poses. They may think they can’t do it, but with some guidance and faith in themselves, crazy things are possible.

We often don’t give ourselves enough credit in our abilities. It’s not easy to suddenly believe you’re awesome (p.s. you are!), but luckily, you can fake it to start. The human brain doesn’t distinguish between a real smile and a fake smile. Similarly, just telling yourself how awesome you are can make you believe it.

Take a little time each day, or throughout the day, to remind yourself of your awesomeness. Take stock of what you’re capable of, what you have to offer employers and what obstacles you’ve overcome to get to this place. And beyond just believing in yourself, practice applying for jobs and interviewing with confidence.

5. Beware of your mind playing tricks on you

We all think the mind is so great and powerful, and it is! We have the ability to learn and create and do all these wonderful things—but the mind is not always an ally.

It tries to tell us we’re not good enough, pretty enough, young enough or smart enough. Applying for jobs with that mentality is destructive.

For whatever job or career you aspire to, take steps every day to get there and notice what your mind is doing. Just being aware of destructive thoughts or habits is enough (you don’t have to try to ignore them or actively change them). Recognize them as your mind trying to hold you back. As Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

The hardest part of yoga is dealing with the mind. It’s as if the mind’s job is to distract us from our goals and lead us off our path. Notice when your mind is playing these tricks on you and don’t give in.

Repeat after me: “I am enough, I have enough, I do enough. I will find a job I love.” And breathe.

Amber Erickson Gabbey, MA, is a freelance writer, holistic health expert and yoga instructor. She blogs at Mindfully Written with the goal of inspiring and empowering others to be their healthiest selves.

Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work. Be Brazen!

One Simple Yoga Pose to Relax and Restore

by Amber Erickson

Rather than the sweaty, muscular yoga that is so popular here in the West, let’s talk about a whole different thing. Restorative Yoga. It’s like a yoga nap for adults and leaves you feeling refreshed, relaxed and ready to take on the world. Perhaps a little sleepy too, I should add.

I am a huge fan of restorative and teach it from time to time. There aren’t many poses and each one is held for a long time – 10 or more minutes. The goal is to allow your nervous system to settle down and allow you to really rest. No wandering mind, no to-do lists, no planning or stressing or preparing, just resting, in totally comfortable, supported poses and breathing.

The recent restorative class I taught, a 75-minute class, one student mentioned afterward that it took up until the last pose (an hour in) for her to really calm down. She left feeling amazing, relaxed and without the strain of the stress she came in with. Pretty powerful stuff.

Here are all the details for my absolute favorite restorative pose, reclined bound angle pose, or Supta Baddha Konasana. It’s a gentle heart opener, gentle backbend and super relaxing if you get the props just right.

Supta = reclined

Baddha = bound

Kona = angle

Asana = pose

Before you Begin

Just like most poses, there are many ways to do this pose and the use of props can make it slightly different feeling. I’ll walk you through my favorite version, and one that is easy to do at home (with minimal supplies).

What you’ll need:

Yoga Mat (or soft carpeted area free from distractions)
Eye Pillow or Scarf
At Least Three Blankets (at least two the same or similar size/thickness)
One Bolster or Cushion (or you can use a thick blanket or two stacked in a rectangular shape)

Before you get started, prepare your props. If you don’t have a bolster, fold blankets to make a cushion long enough to support your body from sacrum to head or use cushions or pillows from your couch or bedroom (see the photo to help get an idea of what to use). Fold a blanket 4+ times to make a small pillow. Make sure your eye pillow is within reach once you recline. Fold two more blankets into small squares, attempting to keep them relatively even (you’ll use one to support each leg). If you get chilly, have another blanket handy to cover yourself. Place the bolster (or folded blankets) with pillow parallel to the sides of your yoga mat, with one end of the bolster directly behind you.

Doing the Pose

Start seated with your legs out straight (Dandasana), with the bolster touching your sacrum/lower back
Bring the soles of your feet together (into a butterfly position) with your knees bent out to the side
Find the right spacing for your feet. Avoid putting them too close to avoid strain on the muscles.
Prop yourself up to make sure you’re sitting on your sitting bones, without rounding your pelvis (tucking) or forcibly arching your low back (tilting). This will create a neutral spine to start with.
Find your two evenly sized blankets and place one under each knee to support the weight of your legs and limit the stretch through your groin. Resist the urge to feel a deep stretch, that isn’t what this is about. The goal is support, ease and comfort. Play around with where the blanket is placed (closer to the midline of your body or further away) depending on how flexible you are.
Then lower yourself down onto your bolster/blankets, allowing your low back to slightly arch. If this arch is too much, lower your cushion.
Make sure your pillow is in the right place. You don’t want your chin to be too close to your chest, as this negatively impacts the curve of the cervical spine (neck), so make sure you adjust the height so your neck is long and stable and comfortable enough to relax.
If you are likely to get cold, use your extra blanket to cover your whole body for warmth.
Find your eye pillow and place it over your eyes so it’s dark enough for you to turn inward. If you don’t have an eye pillow, you could use a scarf of other lightweight material that isn’t see-through.
Finally tuck your shoulder blades down your back, keeping relaxed shoulders.
Allow your arms to fall down toward your sides and out away from your body as far as is comfortable. Turn your palms toward the sky.

Take your time getting set and then allow yourself a couple moments to find the sweet spot. Wiggle around if you need. Rock your head side to side. Find a comfortable position and then find stillness. Begin to focus on your breathing, attempting to fill your torso with air on every inhale, without strain or striving. Allow the breath to move effortlessly and smoothly.

Stay in this position for as long as you’d like. There is no maximum. Some suggest it takes 15 minutes for our bodies to settle down and relax completely, so play around with times.

To come out of the pose, roll onto your right side, being mindful that you’re raised off the ground and rest there for a few moments, mentally preparing yourself for movement again. Come to seated, open your eyes and either move through a home practice, move into seated meditation or get up off your mat, rested and restored.

Try it out and let me know how it goes. Any questions or feedback? Post them in the comments!

Because Standing is Not Always Easy: How to do Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

by Amber Erickson

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class and did sun salutations – or came to standing at all – you were doing Tadasana, or mountain pose. You just stand there right?! Wrong. Well, that’s maybe what you and most of the class were doing, but there is so much more depth to this pose when it’s broken down into pieces.

Just like every yoga pose, if you take the time to carefully learn and practice all the actions of the pose, you come to see just how complex and thought-out this practice is and how powerful the poses can be in their full expression.

Let’s get to it. We’ll start at the feet and work upward.

Note: This is detailed, complex stuff, so don’t stress about remembering every piece or perfecting the pose, just try it out and see how it feels. You might remember one of these pieces in your next class, and that is a success in my mind. Also, if something doesn’t make sense, just move on. What matters most is your safety, comfort and the feeling of the pose.

Feet

Come to standing at the top of your mat. Look at your feet. Make sure they are hip-width distance apart – this doesn’t mean the outer skin on the hips, but where your upper leg bone (femur) connects into the socket. The goal is to have the legs straight down from that socket, not too narrow or wide. Next, look at your feet. Are you rolling onto the inner or outer edge? Is your weight balanced on your toes or heel? Take a couple moments to pay attention as this is probably your default reaction. Attempt to find balance on your feet, with the weight spread evenly toes to heel and inner arch to outer edge. Also make sure the feet are parallel to each other.

Lastly, press firmly into the ball mount of the big toe. This will help you feel grounded and firm in your footing.

Legs

The legs start with the feet. If you press into that big toe ball mount and lift your toes off the mat, you may feel your quadriceps (or the muscles of the upper leg, above the knee) engage. This muscular engagement lifts the kneecaps slightly, protecting the knee and keeping the legs stable and grounded. Be careful not to hyperextend the knee – if you are prone to hyperextension, think about bending your knees ever so slightly. It’ll feel like they are bent (because you are used to them being hyperextended), but really they will be at neutral.

Lastly with the legs, think about your inner thighs rolling toward the wall behind you, giving a slightly internally rotated hip. If this makes no sense to you, skip it.

Pelvis

I don’t want to talk about the hips, because anatomically, when we talk about hips, we are really not – make sense? The hip is the joint, the area around the hip joint is more accurately the pelvis (when speaking about bones). Most of us ignore our pelvis all together even though it’s a relatively large (not to mention important) area. If you haven’t before, take a moment to find your pelvis. You can feel the upper ridge if you push into the meaty area on the sides of your waist and the boney protrusion you can feel when sitting on a hard surface is the bottom of the pelvis. The base of the spine ends up here and there are tons of muscles and connective tissues holding stuff together.

In Tadasana, we want a neutral pelvis. This means you aren’t sticking out your tailbone and you’re aren’t bringing your bellybutton to your pubic bone. Think about pointing your tailbone straight down to the floor and simultaneously engaging your lower abdomen. Make sure your “hips” are balanced – more accurately, make sure your pelvis isn’t tipping to one side or the other. Many of us have uneven leg length or spinal problems that lead to a naturally unbalanced pelvis, but visualizing a stable, balanced pelvis will help in this pose.

Chest

Stacking onto the neutral pelvis, you want to create a neutral spine by visually stacking each vertebra on top of the other, reflecting the natural curve of the spine. Make sure you aren’t leaning forward, back or to the side. You want to make sure your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and ears are in a straight line if viewed from the side.

Allow your heart to lift slightly, thinking about shining your sternum (or chest) up and out. This isn’t an arch of the back or a muscular effort, but more of a straightening of your posture. We want to avoid a rounded spine, with is like protecting the heart. Let your beautiful heart shine!

Head

Adding again onto the stacked spine, make sure your head is on straight. Keep your ears over your shoulders, avoiding the forward head position we’ve become accustomed to. Lift your chin slightly to ensure you are looking straight ahead.

Arms

Holding everything else still, relax your shoulders, allowing your shoulder blades to slide down your back toward your bum. You want your shoulders to be as far away from your ears as is comfortable. Let your arms come straight down at your sides, noticing if the are in front of your behind the center line from ear to ankle. Teachings vary, but I prefer facing your palms toward each other (rather than toward the top of the mat). Keep your hands engaged and fingers actively reaching toward the floor.

Finally, close your eyes and attempt to hold all these actions at the same time. Challenging stuff!

Recap

To give you a bullet-point list, here are all the actions of Tadasana:

Balance your weight evenly on your feet
Press through ball mount of big toes
Lift your kneecaps (by engaging quads)
Roll thighs inward (toward one another)
Point tailbone to the floor
Engage lower abdominals
Lift your heart
Make sure ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and ears are in alignment
Reach the top of your head toward the ceiling
Relax your shoulderblades
Reach your fingertips toward the floor, palms facing your thighs
Look straight ahead

Finally, let go. You’ll notice when you actively do all these actions, you feel (and look) a bit like a tin soldier. Rigid, conformed, stiff. Instead, we want to keep all the actions, but release the tension or gripping or need to get it perfectly. Maybe a slight smile will cross your lips or you might sigh audibly, but attempt to surrender into the pose. See how that feels and notice how this feels so much differently than just standing haphazardly (not better or worse, just different).

Stay in this pose for 5-10 breaths and visualize yourself as being open, aware and ready to go out into the world. Notice how you can be strong, tall and powerful, yet patient, kind and attentive.

Try this pose and let me know what you think. How did it feel? Did you notice anything important?