Bird Dog Flow: Core, Balance and More

Hen Canine Pose (Parsva Balasana) will not be one among yoga’s hottest poses, however this humble asana confers a shocking variety of advantages. Simply guessing, however its English title means that it was added to the asana canon someday throughout Britain’s occupation of India. It’s been a worthy addition. A number of years in the past, throughout my asana observe, I developed a vinyasa-type move that begins with Hen Canine Pose. As the inspiration of a Hen Canine Stream, Parsva Balasana’s potentialities are nearly limitless.

On this put up, I’ll embrace pictures and temporary descriptions of every pose. There are already posts describing the primary two poses within the Hugger Mugger weblog. I’ll add hyperlinks to offer you extra element. There are common directions for the final three poses. However first, a reminder of the advantages of Hen Canine Pose.

Hen Canine Advantages

Right here’s why Hen Canine Pose needs to be part of your common asana routine:

• strengthens and stabilizes the core.
• stabilizes the low again.
• challenges, and due to this fact will increase, your capability to steadiness.
• might promote steadiness between the suitable and left lobes of your mind by means of the contralateral relationships between the legs and arms.
• a core strengthener that’s simpler in your again than crunches or sit-ups.

Methods to Apply Hen Canine Stream

• Start on fingers and knees in Tabletop Pose (Bharmanasana) on a Yoga Mat. You may wish to place a folded Yoga Blanket below your knees. In Hen Canine Stream, you’ll be spending loads of time on one knee!
• Take a number of breaths to settle into the pose.

Hen Canine Pose (Photograph at Prime)

• Stretch your left leg again behind you.
• In case your steadiness feels secure, stretch your proper arm ahead.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.

Hen Canine Variation

• Bend your left knee and attain your proper hand again towards your left foot.
• Both snatch your left foot, or in case your hand doesn’t attain, merely lengthen your proper hand and left foot towards each other.
• Take 3 to five breaths.

Facet Plank Variation (Parsva Phalakasana)

• Launch the maintain of your left foot and return to Hen Canine Pose.
• Supported by your proper knee on the ground, rotate your physique to the suitable so that you just’re going through straight forward, inserting your proper hand on the ground. Now you’re supported by your proper hand and proper knee.
• Lengthen your left arm out together with your higher arm near your ear.
• Attain your left foot down into the ground to stretch your total left aspect.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.

Facet Plank with Leg Elevate

• Now carry your left leg up in order that it’s roughly parallel to the ground.
• Proceed to stretch your left arm out as you stretch your leg in the wrong way.
• In case your steadiness feels shaky, flip your proper toes below. That may create a bit extra stability.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.

Add a Backbend to Facet Plank Pose

• Bend your left knee.
• Attain your left hand again and snatch the left foot.
• Press your left foot into your hand to stretch the entrance of the shoulder and chest.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.
• Return to Tabletop Pose.
• Loosen up for a number of breaths in Youngster’s Pose (Balasana) earlier than practising Hen Canine Stream on the opposite aspect.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started educating in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third guide is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Purple Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards.