Hen Canine Circulation: Core, Stability and Extra

Hen Canine Pose (Parsva Balasana) might not be one in all yoga’s hottest poses, however this humble asana confers a shocking variety of advantages. Simply guessing, however its English title means that it was added to the asana canon someday throughout Britain’s occupation of India. It’s been a worthy addition. A number of years in the past, throughout my asana follow, I developed a vinyasa-type circulation that begins with Hen Canine Pose. As the muse of a Hen Canine Circulation, Parsva Balasana’s potentialities are nearly infinite.

On this put up, I’ll embrace pictures and transient descriptions of every pose. There are already posts describing the primary two poses within the Hugger Mugger weblog. I’ll add hyperlinks to offer you extra element. There are normal directions for the final three poses. However first, a reminder of the advantages of Hen Canine Pose.

Hen Canine Advantages

Right here’s why Hen Canine Pose needs to be part of your common asana routine:

• strengthens and stabilizes the core.
• stabilizes the low again.
• challenges, and subsequently will increase, your capability to steadiness.
• could promote steadiness between the proper and left lobes of your mind by the contralateral relationships between the legs and arms.
• a core strengthener that’s simpler in your again than crunches or sit-ups.

How you can Follow Hen Canine Circulation

• Start on fingers and knees in Tabletop Pose (Bharmanasana) on a Yoga Mat. You would possibly need to place a folded Yoga Blanket beneath your knees. In Hen Canine Circulation, you’ll be spending plenty of time on one knee!
• Take just a few breaths to settle into the pose.

Hen Canine Pose (Photograph at Prime)

• Stretch your left leg again behind you.
• In case your steadiness feels secure, stretch your proper arm ahead.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.

Hen Canine Variation

• Bend your left knee and attain your proper hand again towards your left foot.
• Both grasp your left foot, or in case your hand doesn’t attain, merely lengthen your proper hand and left foot towards each other.
• Take 3 to five breaths.

Aspect Plank Variation (Parsva Phalakasana)

• Launch the maintain of your left foot and return to Hen Canine Pose.
• Supported by your proper knee on the ground, rotate your physique to the proper so that you simply’re dealing with straight forward, putting your proper hand on the ground. Now you’re supported by your proper hand and proper knee.
• Lengthen your left arm out along with your higher arm near your ear.
• Attain your left foot down into the ground to stretch your complete left aspect.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.

Aspect Plank with Leg Elevate

• Now carry your left leg up in order that it’s roughly parallel to the ground.
• Proceed to stretch your left arm out as you stretch your leg in the other way.
• In case your steadiness feels shaky, flip your proper toes beneath. That may create a bit extra stability.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.

Add a Backbend to Aspect Plank Pose

• Bend your left knee.
• Attain your left hand again and grasp the left foot.
• Press your left foot into your hand to stretch the entrance of the shoulder and chest.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.
• Return to Tabletop Pose.
• Calm down for just a few breaths in Baby’s Pose (Balasana) earlier than working towards Hen Canine Circulation on the opposite aspect.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started educating in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third ebook is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Crimson Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards.