Eight Angle Pose
Astavakrasana
STEPS
Begin in staff pose with legs extended, hands by the hips. Bend the right leg and thread the right upper arm underneath the thigh. Lift the hips and left leg off the floor as in Elephant’s trunk pose. Cross the left ankle over the right and bend the elbows, bringing the chest forward and parallel to the floor. Stretch both legs to the right side. To come out of the pose, uncross the ankles and lower to staff pose. Repeat the other side.
TEACHER QUEUES
VISUALIZATION COMMENTS
In this pose, the limbs are bent, twisted or crossed in eight places at both wrists, elbows, knees and ankle joints. Each of the twists acts as a counter balance to the other similar to a mobile or kinetic sculpture. Talk them through it with phrases such as the crossed feet help the legs swing sideways. The bent wrists and elbows on the other hand, make a shelf for the chest to move forward. This action is a counter balance to keep the hips and legs up.
TECHNICAL COMMENTS
Inhale to lift the hips and legs up. Exhale to swing them up and out. Bring the left leg across the body to cross the ankles. Bend the elbows to 90 degrees to bring the chest forward. The hips and head should be level and parallel to the floor. The chin should be parallel to the floor, the eye gaze steady and straight ahead.
BENEFIT COMMENTS
- Strengthens wrists, arms, shoulders
- Strengthens back and core muscles
- Tones thighs and hips
- Improves balance and coordination
- Develops control of the nervous system
WATCH OUT FOR
- Tipping the head to the ground(head, chest and hips are parallel to floor)
- Hips and legs are grounded (use bricks under hands to help lift up)
- Wrists and elbows collapse (keep hips on ground)
CONTRAINDICATIONS
- Heart conditions
- High blood pressure
- Back injuries
MODIFICATIONS
- From elephant trunk pose, lower the hips down to the ground. Now cross left leg over right and squeeze the legs up and out, toes pointing towards the sky
- Place three blocks under the hips and one brick under each hand to help lift up
- Place two or three blocks in front of the hands to act as a crash pad for head
VARIATIONS
- Six twists (the ankles are side by side – not crossed)
- From elephant trunk pose, lower the hips down to the ground. Now cross left leg over right and squeeze the legs up and out, toes pointing towards the sky
- Dynamic style: move from elephants pose to variation to full eight-twists pose and back again
YOGA COUNTER POSES
- Forward bend (paschimottanasana)
- Head-to-knee (janu sirasana)
- Pigeon pose (eka pada rajakapotasana)
- Corpse pose (Savasana)
- Reverse Corpse pose (advasana)
Written By: Brenda Hamlet
Brenda Hamlet, is teacher and journalist in Oxford, England. More information about Brenda can be found at www.pret-a-yoga.com
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