Definition of Urdhva Hastasana

Urdhva Hastasana -> Urdhva : raised (or upward) -> Hasta : hand -> Asana : pose 

= Raised Hands Pose

The Upward Hands Pose also known as Urdhva Hastasana is a standing pose that improves posture, strengthens the thighs and opens the shoulders, and consists of starting in Tadasana and stretching the arms above the head.

*Yoga Journal

1.  Stand in Tadasana (aka Mountain Pose).  Turn your arms outward (or laterally) so your palms face away from your torso and thumbs point backward.  With an inhale, sweep your arms out to the sides and up toward the ceiling [making sure to keep the shoulder blades pinned and down the back when arms are vertical].

2.  If you're tighter in the shoulders, stop when your arms are approximately parallel to each other.  But if possible without hunching your shoulder forward, press you palms firmly together by, touching the bases of your palms first, then the palms themselves, and finally the fingers.

3.  Extend your elbows fully and reach up through your pinkies so your thumbs turn slightly down toward the crown of your head [reaching up through the pinkies will help you to firm and round inwards your outer upper arm muscles].  Making sure not to compress the back of your neck, tip your head back slightly and gaze at your thumbs.

4.  Don't let your lower front ribs protrude forward.  Bring your front ribs down (toward your pelvis) and in (toward your spine), and lengthen your tail bone toward the floor.  Then lift your rib cage evenly away from your pelvis to stretch the circumference of your belly.  Hold for a few breaths.

5.  Exhale and, as you sweep your arms out to the sides, tip your torso forward from the hip joints to fold into Uttanasana (aka Standing Forward Bend).

*Note:  with shoulder and neck injuries refrain from raising the arms in this pose.

Upward Hands Pose

The Upward Hands Pose also known as Urdhva Hastasana is a standing pose that improves posture, strengthens the thighs and opens the shoulders, and consists of starting in Tadasana and stretching the arms above the head.

*Yoga Journal

1.  Stand in Tadasana (aka Mountain Pose).  Turn your arms outward (or laterally) so your palms face away from your torso and thumbs point backward.  With an inhale, sweep your arms out to the sides and up toward the ceiling [making sure to keep the shoulder blades pinned and down the back when arms are vertical].

2.  If you're tighter in the shoulders, stop when your arms are approximately parallel to each other.  But if possible without hunching your shoulder forward, press you palms firmly together by, touching the bases of your palms first, then the palms themselves, and finally the fingers.

3.  Extend your elbows fully and reach up through your pinkies so your thumbs turn slightly down toward the crown of your head [reaching up through the pinkies will help you to firm and round inwards your outer upper arm muscles].  Making sure not to compress the back of your neck, tip your head back slightly and gaze at your thumbs.

4.  Don't let your lower front ribs protrude forward.  Bring your front ribs down (toward your pelvis) and in (toward your spine), and lengthen your tail bone toward the floor.  Then lift your rib cage evenly away from your pelvis to stretch the circumference of your belly.  Hold for a few breaths.

5.  Exhale and, as you sweep your arms out to the sides, tip your torso forward from the hip joints to fold into Uttanasana (aka Standing Forward Bend).

*Note:  with shoulder and neck injuries refrain from raising the arms in this pose.

Four-Limbed Staff Pose

Picture from Women's Health

Chaturanga Dandasana is one of the poses in the Sun Salutation sequence coming after the Plank pose and being following by either Cobra pose or Upward-Facing Dog pose.  This pose takes the form of a half push-up, Chaturanga Dandasana occurs when the body is in a push-up like position which is then lowered half way to the ground- this is Chaturanga Dandasana.  This pose is an arm balance pose that strengthens the arms, wrists and abdomen, and is an introduction to more difficult arm balancing poses.

Yoga Journal

1.  Perform Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog pose), then Plank Pose.  Firm your shoulder blades against your back ribs and press your tailbone toward your pubis.

2.  With an exhalation slowly lower your torso and legs to a few inches above and parallel to the floor (so that your arms are parallel to the floor].  There's a tendency in this pose for the lower back to sway toward the floor and the tailbone to poke up toward the ceiling.  Throughout your stay in this position, keep the tailbone firmly in place and the legs very active and turned slightly inward [concentrating that the front of your thighs are being drawn back inward towards the ceiling].  Draw the pubis toward the navel [this will help to keep your mid-section from sinking towards the floor].

3.  Keep the space between the shoulder blades broad.  Don't let the elbows splay out to the sides; hold them in by the sides of the torso and push them back toward the heels.  Press the bases of the index finger firmly to the floor.  Lift the top of the sternum [pushing it forward] and your head to look forward [your eyes should be gazing forward on the floor].

4.  To release, [with an exhalation lower yourself lightly to the floor] or push strongly back up to Downward-Facing Dog pose, lifting through the top thighs and the tailbone.

Definition of Chaturanga Dandasana

Chaturanga Dandasana -> Chatur : four -> anga : limb -> Danda : staff -> Asana : pose = Four-Limbed Staff Pose

Chaturanga Dandasana is pronounced (chaht -tour-ANG-ah  don-DAHS-anna)

Chaturanga Dandasana is one of the poses in the Sun Salutation sequence coming after the Plank pose and being following by either Cobra pose or Upward-Facing Dog pose.  This pose takes the form of a half push-up, Chaturanga Dandasana occurs when the body is in a push-up like position which is then lowered half way to the ground- this is Chaturanga Dandasana.

Yoga Journal

1.  Perform Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog pose), then Plank Pose.  Firm your shoulder blades against your back ribs and press your tailbone toward your pubis.

2.  With an exhalation slowly lower your torso and legs to a few inches above and parallel to the floor (so that your arms are parallel to the floor].  There's a tendency in this pose for the lower back to sway toward the floor and the tailbone to poke up toward the ceiling.  Throughout your stay in this position, keep the tailbone firmly in place and the legs very active and turned slightly inward [concentrating that the front of your thighs are being drawn back inward towards the ceiling].  Draw the pubis toward the navel [this will help to keep your mid-section from sinking towards the floor].

3.  Keep the space between the shoulder blades broad.  Don't let the elbows splay out to the sides; hold them in by the sides of the torso and push them back toward the heels.  Press the bases of the index finger firmly to the floor.  Lift the top of the sternum [pushing it forward] and your head to look forward [your eyes should be gazing forward on the floor].

4.  To release, [with an exhalation lower yourself lightly to the floor] or push strongly back up to Downward-Facing Dog pose, lifting through the top thighs and the tailbone.

Plank Pose

Picture from Live Stress Free

The Plank Pose is one of the positions in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence usually preceding or coming after Down-Ward Facing Dog pose.  This pose strengthens the arms and spine and is an introduction to more difficult arm balance poses.

Yoga Journal

1.  Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog pose).  Then inhale and draw your torso forward until the arms are perpendicular to the floor and the shoulders directly over the wrists, torso parallel to the floor.  [Similar to a push-up position]

2.  Press your outer arms inward and firm the bases of your index fingers into the floor.  Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then spread them away from the spine.  Also spread your collarbones away from the sternum.

3.  Press your front thighs up toward the ceiling, but resist your tailbone toward the floor as you lengthen it toward the heels.  Lift the base of the skull away from the back of the neck and look straight down at the floor, keeping the throat and eyes soft, [your neck should be in line with the spine]

*Note:  When moving back and forth between Down-Ward Facing Dog and Plank pose the distance between your hands and feet should not change.

Hard Tail for Yoga

Yoga is a state of mind and in my belief what you wear to class does matter.  I often wear the same pair of black cut-off sweat pants, sports-bra and black v-neck, and though it's the most comfortable thing I can find to wear to practice, it really doesn't do much for my mood, wearing all black is rarely uplifting.

So I think, very soon, I will try my best to buy some Yoga wear... at Hard Tail Forever, who has a great Yoga wear line.  

View the complete Yoga collection from Hard Tail

Standing Forward Bend pose

Picture from Yoga Journal

Uttanasana is a pose consisting of standing with the feet together, then folding forward from the hips letting the head hang, with palms placed flat on the floor near the feet or as closes to.  This pose provides a complete stretch to the entire back of the body, stretching and lengthening the hamstrings.  Uttanasana can be used as a resting pose between standing poses as well as be practiced individually, stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  *Wiki

*Yoga Journal

1.  Stand in Tadasana, hands on hips.  Exhale and bend forward from the hip joints, not from the waist.  As you descend draw the front torso our of the groins and open the space between the pubis and top sternum.  As in all the forward bends, the emphasis is on lengthening the front torso as you move more fully into the position.

2.  If possible, with your knees straight, bring your palms or finger tips to the floor slightly in front of or beside your feet, or bring your palms to the backs of your ankles.  If this isn't possible, cross you forearms and hold your elbows.  Press the heels firmly into the floor and lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling.  Turn the top thighs slightly inward.

3.  With each inhalation in the pose, lift and lengthen the front torso just slightly; with each exhalation release a little more fully into the forward bend.  In this way the torso oscillates almost imperceptibly with the breath.  Let your head hang from the root of the neck, which is deep in the upper back, between the shoulder blades.

4.  Do not roll the spine to come up.  Instead, bring your hands back onto your hips and reaffirm the length of the front torso.  Then press your tailbone down and into the pelvis and come up on an inhalation with a long front torso.

Definition of Uttanasana

Uttanasana -> Ut : intense -> Tan : stretch / extend -> Asana : pose 

= Standing Forward Bend

Uttanasana is pronounced (OOT - tan - AHS - ahna)

Uttanasana is a pose consisting of standing with the feet together, then folding forward from the hips letting the head hang, with palms placed flat on the floor near the feet or as closes to.  This pose provides a complete stretch to the entire back of the body, stretching and lengthening the hamstrings.  Uttanasana can be used as a resting pose between standing poses as well as be practiced individually, stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  *Wiki

*Yoga Journal

1.  Stand in Tadasana, hands on hips.  Exhale and bend forward from the hip joints, not from the waist.  As you descend draw the front torso our of the groins and open the space between the pubis and top sternum.  As in all the forward bends, the emphasis is on lengthening the front torso as you move more fully into the position.

2.  If possible, with your knees straight, bring your palms or finger tips to the floor slightly in front of or beside your feet, or bring your palms to the backs of your ankles.  If this isn't possible, cross you forearms and hold your elbows.  Press the heels firmly into the floor and lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling.  Turn the top thighs slightly inward.

3.  With each inhalation in the pose, lift and lengthen the front torso just slightly; with each exhalation release a little more fully into the forward bend.  In this way the torso oscillates almost imperceptibly with the breath.  Let your head hang from the root of the neck, which is deep in the upper back, between the shoulder blades.

4.  Do not roll the spine to come up.  Instead, bring your hands back onto your hips and reaffirm the length of the front torso.  Then press your tailbone down and into the pelvis and come up on an inhalation with a long front torso.

Upward-Facing Dog pose

Picture by David Martinez, from Yoga Journal

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana strengthens the arms, wrists and abdomen while also increasing the flexibility of the spine. *About.com

*Yoga Journal

1.  Lie prone on the floor [faced down].  Stretch your legs back, with tops of your feet on the floor [pinky toes also touching the floor].  Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your waist so that your forearms are relatively perpendicular to the floor.

2.  Inhale and press your inner hands firmly into the floor and slightly back, as if you were trying to push yourself forward along the floor.  The straighten your arms and simultaneously lift your torso up and your legs a few inches off the floor on an inhalation.  Keep the thighs firm and slightly turned inward, the arms firm and turned out so the elbow creases face forward.

3.  Press the tailbone toward the pubis and lift the pubis toward the navel.  Narrow the hip points.  Firm but don't harden the buttocks [keeping your pinky floors on the floor will helps with this].

4.  Firm the shoulder blades against the back and puff the side ribs forward.  Lift through the top of the sternum but avoid pushing the front ribs forward, which only hardens the lower back.  Look straight ahead or tip the head back slightly, but take care not to compress the back of the neck and harden the throat.

5.  Release back to the floor or lift into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing dog) with an exhalation.

Definition of Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana -> Urdhva : upward -> Mukha : face -> Svana : dog -> Asana : pose = Upward-Facing Dog

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is pronounced (OORD-vah MOO-kah shvon-AHS-anna)

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is one of the positions in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence, this pose  can also be practiced individually, the pose can be held anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily.  Urdhva Mukha Svanasana strengthens the arms, wrists and abdomen while also increasing the flexibility of the spine. *About.com

*Yoga Journal

1.  Lie prone on the floor [faced down].  Stretch your legs back, with tops of your feet on the floor [pinky toes also touching the floor].  Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your waist so that your forearms are relatively perpendicular to the floor.

2.  Inhale and press your inner hands firmly into the floor and slightly back, as if you were trying to push yourself forward along the floor.  The straighten your arms and simultaneously lift your torso up and your legs a few inches off the floor on an inhalation.  Keep the thighs firm and slightly turned inward, the arms firm and turned out so the elbow creases face forward.

3.  Press the tailbone toward the pubis and lift the pubis toward the navel.  Narrow the hip points.  Firm but don't harden the buttocks [keeping your pinky floors on the floor will helps with this].

4.  Firm the shoulder blades against the back and puff the side ribs forward.  Lift through the top of the sternum but avoid pushing the front ribs forward, which only hardens the lower back.  Look straight ahead or tip the head back slightly, but take care not to compress the back of the neck and harden the throat.

5.  Release back to the floor or lift into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing dog) with an exhalation.

Some days are hard, I know, but don't think too much about it and just go

As I had been sick for a full week I had missed a week's worth of practice.  The following week, Monday, I told myself that I would make it to practice, that Monday I did not make it to practice, the same had happened on Tuesday as well.  

Sometimes, a lot of the time, it can be hard to get back into practice when you had missed such a long period of it.  Finally on Thursday I made it into the studio, it was a gloomy day and it had been raining earlier on, the first rain since Summer, there was a tiredness in the air, a stillness, an uneasiness that I can tell was felt by most, the students were unusually quiet.  I was significantly tired and my usual enthusiasm to be attending practice was not with me this day, it reminded me of my teenage days in high-school, getting up early in the morning to spend all day at an institution that I quite frankly, did not like.

As always, practice started on time and with my first Vinyasa I immediately began to feel better, I remembered why I love Yoga so much, my enthusiasm came back immediately, and I felt... I thought to myself, 'I'm really glad I came today'.

some days are hard, I know, but on these days you just have to go because when you finally get to class and begin your practice you will feel better.

Definition of Bhujangasana

Bhujangasana -> bhujang : serpent (or snake) -> asana : pose = Cobra Pose

Bhujangasana is pronounced (boo - jang - GAHS - anna)

Said to strengthen and stretch the spine, chest, shoulders, abdomen, buttocks and relieve stress and fatigue.  Traditional texts say that Bhujangasana increases body heat, destroys disease and awakens kundalini, a corporeal energy.   *Wiki

*Yoga Journal

Cobra Pose

1.  Lie prone on the floor.  Stretch your legs back, tops of the feet on the floor [pinky toes also touching the floor].  Spread your hands on the floor under your shoulders.  Hug the elbows back into your body.

2.  Press tops of the feet, tops and pubis firmly onto the floor.

3.  Inhale and begin to straighten the arms to lift the chest off the floor, going only to the height at which you can  maintain a connection through your pubis to your legs.  Press tailbone toward the pubis and lift the pubis toward the navel.  Narrow the hip points.  Firm but don't harden the buttocks [keeping your pinky toes on the ground as well as your big toes will help you with this].

4.  Firm the shoulder blades against the back, puffing the side ribs forward.  Lift through the top of the sternum but avoid pushing the front ribs forward, which only hardens the lower back.  Distribute the backbend evenly throughout the entire spine.

5.  Hold the pose anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily.  Release back to the floor slowly with an exhalation.


Some common Cobra Pose errors are over-arching the neck and lower back, recommended to keep the gaze directed down at the floor.  *Wiki

Cobra pose

Picture by Martin Sconduto

Said to strengthen and stretch the spine, chest, shoulders, abdomen, buttocks and relieve stress and fatigue.  Some common Cobra Pose errors are over-arching the neck and lower back, recommended to keep the gaze directed down at the floor.  *Wiki

*Yoga Journal

Cobra Pose

1.  Lie prone on the floor.  Stretch your legs back, tops of the feet on the floor [pinky toes also touching the floor].  Spread your hands on the floor under your shoulders.  Hug the elbows back into your body.

2.  Press tops of the feet, tops and pubis firmly onto the floor.

3.  Inhale and begin to straighten the arms to lift the chest off the floor, going only to the height at which you can  maintain a connection through your pubis to your legs.  Press tailbone toward the pubis and lift the pubis toward the navel.  Narrow the hip points.  Firm but don't harden the buttocks [keeping your pinky toes on the ground as well as your big toes will help you with this].

4.  Firm the shoulder blades against the back, puffing the side ribs forward.  Lift through the top of the sternum but avoid pushing the front ribs forward, which only hardens the lower back.  Distribute the backbend evenly throughout the entire spine.

5.  Hold the pose anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily.  Release back to the floor slowly with an exhalation.

Corpse Pose

Picture from Cheaty Monkey

In Savasana the body is lying on the back with both arms and legs at about 45 degrees, eyes are closed and the breath deep.  The whole body is relaxed with an awareness of the chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath.  Any muscular tension is consciously released when found.  Savasana is the last pose of an Asana Practice which allows the body to recover from the anabolic to the catabolic state. *wiki

*Yoga Journal

Corpse Pose : Savasana

1.  In Savasana it's essential that the body be placed in a neutral position.  Sit on the floor with knees bent, feet on the floor, lean back onto your farearms.  Lift your pelvis slightly off the floor and with your hands push the back of the pelvis toward the tailbone, then return the pelvis to floor.  Inhale and slowly extend the right leg and then the left leg, pushing through the heels.  Release both legs, soften the groins and see that the legs are angled evenly relative to the mid-line of the torso, the feet should be turned out equally.  Narrow the front pelvis and soften (but don't flatten) the lower back.

2.  With your hands lift the base of the skull away from the back of neck and release the back of the neck down towards the tailbone.  Broaden the base of the skull too and lift the crease of the neck diagonally into the center of the head.  Make sure your ears are equidistant from your shoulders.

3.  Reach your arms toward the ceiling, perpendicular to the floor.  Rock slightly from side to side and broaden the back ribs and the shoulder blades away from the spine.  Then release the arms to the floor, angled evenly relative to the mid-line of torso.  Turn the arms outward and stretch them away from the space between the shoulder blades.  Rest the back of the hands on the floor as close as you comfortably can to the index finger knuckles.  Make sure the shoulder blades are resting evenly on the floor.  Imagine the lower tips of the shoulder blades are lifting diagonally into your back toward the top of the sternum.  From here, spread the collarbones.

4.  Quieting the physical body in Savasana is important to pacify the sense organs.  Soften the root of the tongue, the wings of the nose, the channels of the inner ears, the skin of the forehead, around the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows.  Let the eyes sink to the back of the head, then turn them downward to gaze at the heart.  Release your brain to the back of the head.

5.  Stay in this pose for 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of practice.  To exit out of Savasana, roll gently with an exhalation onto one side, preferably the right.  Take 2 or 3 breaths, with another exhalation press your hands against the floor and lift your torso, dragging your head slowly after, the head should always come up last.

Definition of Savasana

Savasana -> Sava : Corpse -> Asana : Pose = Corpse Pose

Savasana is pronounced (sha - VAHS - anna)

In Savasana the body is lying on the back with both arms and legs at about 45 degrees, eyes are closed and the breath deep.  The whole body is relaxed with an awareness of the chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath.  Any muscular tension is consciously released when found.  Savasana is the last pose of an Asana Practice which allows the body to recover from the anabolic to the catabolic state. *wiki

*Yoga Journal

Corpse Pose : Savasana

1.  In Savasana it's essential that the body be placed in a neutral position.  Sit on the floor with knees bent, feet on the floor, lean back onto your farearms.  Lift your pelvis slightly off the floor and with your hands push the back of the pelvis toward the tailbone, then return the pelvis to floor.  Inhale and slowly extend the right leg and then the left leg, pushing through the heels.  Release both legs, soften the groins and see that the legs are angled evenly relative to the mid-line of the torso, the feet should be turned out equally.  Narrow the front pelvis and soften (but don't flatten) the lower back.

2.  With your hands lift the base of the skull away from the back of neck and release the back of the neck down towards the tailbone.  Broaden the base of the skull too and lift the crease of the neck diagonally into the center of the head.  Make sure your ears are equidistant from your shoulders.

3.  Reach your arms toward the ceiling, perpendicular to the floor.  Rock slightly from side to side and broaden the back ribs and the shoulder blades away from the spine.  Then release the arms to the floor, angled evenly relative to the mid-line of torso.  Turn the arms outward and stretch them away from the space between the shoulder blades.  Rest the back of the hands on the floor as close as you comfortably can to the index finger knuckles.  Make sure the shoulder blades are resting evenly on the floor.  Imagine the lower tips of the shoulder blades are lifting diagonally into your back toward the top of the sternum.  From here, spread the collarbones.

4.  Quieting the physical body in Savasana is important to pacify the sense organs.  Soften the root of the tongue, the wings of the nose, the channels of the inner ears, the skin of the forehead, around the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows.  Let the eyes sink to the back of the head, then turn them downward to gaze at the heart.  Release your brain to the back of the head.

5.  Stay in this pose for 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of practice.  To exit out of Savasana, roll gently with an exhalation onto one side, preferably the right.  Take 2 or 3 breaths, with another exhalation press your hands against the floor and lift your torso, dragging your head slowly after, the head should always come up last.