Extended Side Angle: Utthita Parsvakonasana

Saturday Morning Practice Thompson Park, NJ

Side angle or Utthita Parsvakonasana literally means to rise upward. It is a pose with a deeper meaning representing the changes that occur in life. It is a pose that enters the gateway of transformation by letting go of the old, rigid beliefs and limited perspectives.

In this pose, the bent knee forms a right angle. When the arm and hand are in alignment with the lower leg, a square is formed. This is the yantra for the root chakra, a symbol of Ganesa, the Lord of thresholds who protects the spiritual practitioner from any inner or outer obstacles that may arise.

This pose is an extension of warrior 2, yet requires more concentration to hold the body  in equal awareness. Some key points in this pose to remember are as follows:

1. Make sure the bent knee creates a right angle to the earth, yet the knee doesn't extend past the toes.
2. You can either place the right elbow on the thing for greater extension or bring right palm or fingertips down to the floor, either in front of the bent leg or behind it.
3. Inhale to the back, expanding the breath across the entire back.
4. Exhale and elongate the spine into the front body allowing the spine to rotate and lift the heart.
5. The rotation of the head and neck comes from the base of the torso, as both thighs externally rotate.
6. Stay in the pose as long as the breath is calm.

This pose releases inner and outer intercostal muscles, freeing the breath through the release of the lungs and diaphragm. On a spiritual level, side angle prepares us to live on the earth plane an in the inner dimensional states of consciousness at the same time.

Om!

Mary Jane Fengshui Yoga Girl: www.fengshuiyoganj.com

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