Saturday, November 24, 2007

Delicious Sequence

Last weekend I took part in a weekend yoga workshop with the wonderful Jo Zukovich. Oh my, she was spectacular! My body moved and twisted and opened up in the most wonderfully progressive and insightful ways. It has been a whole week and I am still feeling the positive effects of the time I spent with her and her wonderful teaching style.

My favorite part of the weekend was spent seated on the floor experiencing many seated poses and I was introduced to a sequence that my body has craved everyday since. I am very partial to seated poses, they help to calm me and slow me down - especially the forward folding poses.

I pulled out my Light on Yoga book to find those poses I experienced and see what Mr. Iyengar had to say about them. That is when I realized that they are part of a sequence:

Janu Sirsasana
Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottansana
Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottansana
Marichyasana I
Paschimottanasana

The first four poses, Iyengar writes, "...are preparatory poses for the correct Paschimottanasana. It is difficult to many to get a good grip on the feet in Paschimottansana even after several attempts. These four asanas give one sufficient elasticity in the back and legs so that one gradually achieves the correct Paschimottanasana."

While it is wonderful to "get a good grip on the feet" it is even more wonderful how my body feels as it experiences each of these poses along the way and then the final Paschimottansana is delicious.

Have you experienced this sequence? I would love to hear your thoughts.

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