March Yoga Practice

march yoga practice

Yogic Spring Cleaning: Letting Go in Lotus Pose

Spring is almost here! And with it comes the chance for a little Spring Cleaning. No, I'm not talking about binge watching Marie Kondo on Netflix and then donating a couple shirts. I'm talking about a much deeper clean. It's a brand new season, and we have the opportunity to start it with a total cleanse of our spirits and energy. As magical as winter can be, it can often leave our spirits feeling heavy and sluggish. Our hips tend to hold most of that, and it can weigh us down. But as the weather starts to warm up, it's time to let those pent up emotions melt away like the snow on the ground, leaving us with a sense of joy and renewal to start Spring.

In this month's sequence, we'll warm our way up to Lotus Pose, or Padmasana. The lotus flower is symbolic of purity in the face of adversity. It grows in the murkiest of waters, and still blossoms uncontaminated. Likewise, no matter what challenges we faced this past winter, if we release the feelings we built up from them, we can allow ourselves to open up to a pure, fresh start.

The Prana

Ujjayi Breath (ooh-JAH-yee)

Come to Easy Seated Pose. Clear your mind of all distractions. Breathe in slowly through the nose, taking in as much air as you can. Breathing out, contract the muscles at the back of your throat to create an ocean-like sound. (Think about the exhale you take when fogging up a mirror. Use those same muscles, but send the breath out of the nose.) Repeat 5-10 full rounds.

The Practice:

Head to Knee Pose

From seated, draw the sole of your right foot to the inside of your left thigh. Allow your right knee to fall to the mat. Breathe in as you lift your arms up overhead, creating space through out the entire spine. Exhaling, hinge from your hips and fold forward, reaching for the left foot. Feel your shoulders reaching toward the back of your mat as your heart reaches forward. Flexing the left foot, keep pressing the left heel away from you. Fold forward. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths, and slowly rise back up on an inhale.

more from the march publication

Seated Figure 4

Lift the right knee to face upward as you bring the sole of the right foot back to the mat. Start to softly bend through the left knee, but keep the leg mostly extended. Breathing in, draw your right knee in towards your chest, then cross the right ankle on top over the left knee. Gently press your right knee away from you. Start to walk your left foot in towards you more, keeping the right knee reaching toward the front of the mat. Gently walk your hands slightly behind you to prop yourself up, but remember to keep your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed. Hold for 5-7 breaths.

Bound Angle Pose

Repeat Head to Knee and Seated Figure 4 on the opposite side, then bend the knees and bring the soles of the feet together. Allow your knees to fall open towards the mat. Lengthen the spine on an inhale and fold forward on your breath out. Relax for 5 breaths.

Lizard Pose

Come to Table and step right foot forward. Bend your knee and stack it over your ankle. As you do so, lift your left heel off the mat and pivot your toes to face the right. Square hips and shoulders over the right knee, and lower the left knee and the top of the foot to rest on the mat. Drop palms of hands to the mat on the inside of the right foot, then shuffle the foot to the right side, facing toes out 45 degrees. Lift up to the outer edge of the foot, making sure to keep your knee in line with your ankle. Keep the right hip pulling back, then lower down to your forearms. Relax the hips and hold for 5-10 breaths. Repeat on the opposite side.

Garland Pose

From Table, tuck your toes under and walk your hands toward your knees. Keeping your hands on the mat for balance, lift your knees off the mat and sink your hips down. Bring your biceps to the inside of your knees, connecting the palms of your hands together in the center. Use your elbows as leverage to open your knees further, and lengthen the spine. Stay here for 5-10 deep breaths. Slowly lower down to Easy Seated Pose.

Fire Log Pose

From Easy Seat, hug your right knee into your chest and extend your left leg out in front of you. Cross the right ankle over the left knee, keeping the right foot flexed. Bend the left knee, stacking right knee on top of the left ankle. Flex the left foot back as well. If your right knee can't quite rest on your left ankle, place a small, folded towel in between the knee and ankle. Pause here for a couple of breaths, then fold forward. Hold for 5 - 7 deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Lotus Pose

Hugging your right knee back into your chest, cradle your leg in your arms. Flex through the right foot and place the heel as close in towards the middle of the left hip as you can. Walk your left heel in close to your right leg, then using your hands for assistance, gently slide the left foot on top of the right calf muscle. Stay here 5 breaths, then repeat on the other side. Lie back on your mat for Savasana, then return to seated, bringing hands to heart center.

The Parting Words:

Let each breath in create space for new life. Let it fill your entire being with hope, and joy, and peace.
Let each breath out further push away that which doesn't serve you. Honor the emotional space you once held, then let it go and begin again. Namaste.