I hear extra candy sighs of reduction after I train yoga sequences that concentrate on side-bends than every other posture class. Facet-bending in poses like Compass Pose releases rigidity within the lats, obliques, and QLs, leaving college students in a momentary state of suspension the place every thing feels higher than it did a second in the past.
Compass Pose is a deep aspect bend that differs from its shut relations, Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana and Parivrtta Upavistha Konasana (poses 14 & 15): The upright, regal nature of the pose requires you to have interaction your core and spinal muscle mass. As a substitute of utilizing gravity and laying your torso down into the pose, it’s important to work just a little tougher to raise up and lengthen your backbone.
To satisfy these elevated calls for, this 16-pose sequence will:
1) Open your hamstrings and adductors.
2) Carry your consciousness to your core and spinal muscle mass.
3) Stretch your side-body, together with your lats, obliques, and quadratus lumborum muscle mass.
Right here’s a better take a look at the logic of my Compass Pose yoga sequence.
Compass Pose Yoga Sequence
Poses 1-3
: These three variations of Down Canine will enable you settle into your apply and start opening your physique for Compass pose. The one-legged variation of Down Canine will intensify the stretch in your backside leg, whereas the one-legged variation with the twist will present your first side-bend of the sequence. Be at liberty to lean again—virtually such as you’re going to “flip your canine”—and indulge the stretch in your side-body. Keep for as many breaths in these 3 poses as you want.
Poses 4-5
: These postures concentrate on retaining your backbone lengthy and stretching your hamstrings. It will put together your physique for the deeper ahead bends and side-bends which come later within the sequence. Maintain every pose for 5-6 breaths.
Poses 6-10
: This sequence of standing poses progressively amplifies the demand in your hamstrings, adductors and side-body. These postures stream collectively properly and change into progressively extra demanding. If Fowl of Paradise is inaccessible, be happy to skip it or just apply the pose and preserve your high knee bent. Take 3-5 breaths in every pose.
Pose 11
: Now that your physique is heat, it’s time to open your side-body extra deeply and approximate the form of Compass. Parighasana is the proper pose for the job. Take a minimum of 5 breaths right here and permit your physique to open up.
Poses 12-13
: These two postures do greater than open your hamstrings and adductors. They put together you for Compass by requiring you to make use of your core and spinal muscle mass to elongate up via your backbone. You’ll want to sit down tall in Compass. These two postures set the tone for Compass’ upright nature completely. Take 3-5 breaths in every pose.
Poses 14-16
: I train this development of side-bends on a regular basis. It looks like a basic mixture of lengthening the backbone, reaching via the aspect physique and releasing deeply held rigidity within the inner-legs and decrease again. The three postures change into progressively extra demanding. In the event you’re physique will not be prepared for Compass, take a step again and content material your self to work with poses 14 and 15. Keep till your coronary heart is content material in every of those poses and breath into your tight spots.
{illustrations by MCKIBILLO}