Advanced Level Practice
Courtesy of:
September 2017
Sequence created & modeled by: Aretha McKinney Blevins, Intermediate Junior III CIYT, Nashville, TN Photography: Cassie O’Sullivan, Introductory I/II CIYT, Nashville, TN Aretha McKinney Blevins is a certified Intermediate Junior III Iyengar Yoga teacher. Aretha studies and attends workshops and teacher trainings with Patricia Walden, her mentoring teacher, along with taking workshops with other senior teachers in the Iyengar tradition when possible. She will be making her 6th trip to India for studies at RIMYI this coming December. Aretha has been the owner and director of the Iyengar Yoga Center in Nashville since 2006 where she teaches general classes for all levels. After assisting with Jan Campbell and Patricia Walden’s teacher training programs, Aretha started her first Iyengar Yoga Teacher Training program in 2017. In addition to her Iyengar certification, Aretha holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Classical Studies from Vanderbilt University.
Sequence for Parsva Bakasana All the standing poses should be held for a few breaths and repeated several times to warm the body. You can use bricks, the wall, or chair support according to your abilities and needs. Approximate time: Depending on repetitions, this sequence should take 1-1.5 hrs.
Tadasana
Spread the feet well. From the top buttock, stretch downward to the heels. Tighten the knees to extend the legs fully. Press the inner heels down and spread from the inner heel to the outer heel. Observe how the press of the inner heels down helps establish the grip of the outer thighs and hips in. Cut the outer calves slightly in and suck the inner knees and thighs up to help lift the pelvis and extend the lower spine. Observe how these small grips bring lightness and space to the spine. Keep the buttocks down and lift the side waist upward to open the lower spine further. Extend the arms, tighten the elbows, and suck the shoulder blades in to further lift the side waist and spread the chest. Although these are basic instructions and Tadasana is a well-known pose, it is useful to spend time going through Tadasana as it sets the stage for every pose to come.
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