Pose of the Month

In celebration of this month’s theme, “Breaking Through: Anusara Yoga’s^® Transformative Power,” we’ll explore the arm balance, Visvamitrasana. This challenging arm balance is dedicated to the sage, Visvamitra, who, due to the intense power of his austerity, performed over an extended period of time, was able to break through barriers of caste distinction and dharmic responsibilities to elevate himself all the way to the level of Brahmarishi – or great sage and saint of the Brahman caste. Visvamitra had been known as a man of immense and unbearable anger and began his sadhana only because of an intense desire to gain power, so he could kill the sage Vasishta. Because of his dedicated sadhana, he was able to transcend personal desire, conquer his emotions, and ultimately became known for his infinite kindness. Reflecting on Visvamitra’s prolonged and arduous sadhana reminds us of the longevity of the path and inspires us to forgive our own past, acknowledge our own worthiness, strive for our own breakthroughs and offer ourselves fully to the transformative power of the yogic practices.

What it Takes:
Visvamitrasana is a challenging arm balance that requires tenacity, skill, concentration, flexibility and strength, and of course, appropriate warm-up and a proper preceding sequence. Like Visvamitra’s sadhana, Visvamitrasana is a posture that we cultivate over time and learn in stages.

The Benefits:
Like all arm balances, practicing Visvamitrasana will help to do the following:

• Strengthen the arms and upper back
  
• Improve concentration
  
• Increase mental and physical agility
  
• Stretch and strengthen the outer hip, gluteal, hamstring, & adductor muscles
  
• Strengthens and massages the abdominal organs and muscles
  
• Stretches the top side abdominal muscles such as the internal and external obliques
  

Preparation:
To effectively prepare for this pose, you will need to warm up your arms and open your shoulders and upper back, as well as stretch out your hamstring muscles, adductors and outer hips.

Moving in sequence, one might practice basic Sun Salutations, Uttanasana with arms clasped behind the back, and Vasishtasana. Proceed with standing poses, such as Utthita Parsvakonasana with variations, such as arms clasped behind the back and stretched overhead, while the head bows at the front ankle; Utthita Parsvakonasana with the front shoulder underneath the front knee with head bowed at the front ankle or arms clasped underneath the front thigh; Pigeon Pose Preparation and Malasana to release the hips and groins. Utthita Trikonasana, Vasishtasana 2, Runner’s Stretch, Utthita Hasta Padanghustasana 1 & 2, or Svarga Dvijasana (easy bird of paradise pose) could be used to stretch the hamstring muscles and tone and lengthen the sides of the waist. Now you’re ready.

First Principle:
In Anusara Yoga, we always begin with our foremost and guiding principle, which we affectionately and poetically call “Open to Grace.” This opening implies a moment of pause and softening, in which we remember and feel the greater context in which every action, thought, hope, dream, and expression take place. We remember our place in the universe; we soften to feel the pulsation of Grace. We acknowledge our inherent worthiness. We remember that the infinite power of Grace exists all around us, inside us, below us, above us, and as the very form of our own being. Remembering this, we allow ourselves to be filled with this power of the Infinite, whose glory is so immeasurable that it takes the form of the entire universe seen and unseen and whose expressions are limitless. Remembering that this power is on our side, we attempt the unlikely, or even the impossible, with courage and conviction, growing bright on the inside and softening the skin on the outside.

Alignment:
Begin in Adho Mukha Svanasana, Downward Facing Dog. Take a moment to attune to the immeasurable power of Grace that breathes you alive. Allow the inner body to become full on all sides, front, back, right and left. Into that fullness, hug the muscles of the body evenly onto the bones from all sides and draw the strength and energy of muscles of the arms up, from the most peripheral parts of the fingertips up the arms all the way to the core of the heart. Draw the undersides of your arms up and away from the ground such that the arm bones lift to the back plane of your body and you are able to draw the shoulder blades onto the back of the heart in a way that creates stability and connection. From that point of connection in the core of the heart, now, expand the immeasurable light of spirit from inside your heart, first down into the floor and then out through your waist, hips and legs to expand your physical form in all directions. Having established such a balanced Downward Facing Dog pose, you can apply all these alignment principles to the more arduous pose of Visvamitrasana.

From Downward Facing Dog, leave the right hand on the ground, with the right wrist crease parallel to the front of your mat. Press all five finger pads enthusiastically down into the earth so the wrist is supported and the underside of forearm muscles firm. Step the right foot forward to the outside of your right arm, as if you were stepping into Utthita Parsvakonasana with the right arm inside the right foot. Place the right shoulder to the back of the right thigh. Then place the right hand to the floor near the outer ankle. Pause to connect with the source of your strength and inspiration.

Engage strong Muscular Energy in the legs, especially along the inner left thigh up into the pelvic Focal Point. With a widening action, lift the inner thigh up away from the floor to give more strength to the pose and to give more space for the tailbone to tuck under. With strong Outer Spiral action, especially on the right leg, lift the right foot up off the floor, and then take hold of the top of the foot with your left hand. This is stage one of the pose.

Maintaining the lift in the back thigh, scoop the tailbone more, and begin straightening the right leg, by first turning the leg inward. Then scoop the right hip strongly, moving the right sitting bone toward the pubic bone. Twist the belly and chest towards the sky, as you stretch your left hand and right foot further towards the back plane of the body. Soften your skin, wait for the breath. Then, with the breath, extend evenly in all directions from the pelvic Focal Point, back and down through the left leg while extending out through the torso, right leg, and top arm simultaneously. Extend and turn your whole inner body open in all directions in celebration of attaining the impossible, and take your head back, slightly lifting your chin with courage and dedication.

If you’re holding the right foot with the left hand, the extension of the right leg will create intense extension of the left arm as well. If the head of the arm bone is not firmly established in the back plane here, it is easy to irritate the rotator cuff muscles and the deltoid of the left arm, so keep the head of the left arm bone plugged into the back plane of the body. Also, because this pose is an intense stretch for the hamstrings the Muscular Energy of the legs must be steadily engaged the entire time.

To come out of the pose, either slowly release the right foot from the left hand, place the left hand down and swing the right leg around moving back to downward facing dog without the knees touching the ground, or you can take the pose one step further for an even more powerful “breakthrough” into Eka Pada Koundinyasana II.

Variations:
Variations are stepping stones along the way. One could practice any of the warm up postures and/or stage one of the full pose listed in the preparation and alignment sections. Keeping the back leg strong and engaged while taking hold of the outer edge of the right foot with the left hand is a necessary milestone to reach on the path of moving towards the full form of the pose. Lifting the foot off the ground, with the help of the hand and working the muscles in both legs, while working the inner thighs, groins, and sitting bones back and apart, is an excellent second step to practice for a while. Extending the right leg straight would be the next variation to work towards. Only when these variations can be done is it appropriate and safe to attempt to scoop the tailbone and open the pose up. Staying soft with your skin and very open to the flow of your breath is crucial for any step of the way and will also give you important feedback about when it is right to advance and when it is wise to stay in a specific variation.

For an expansion of the pose and an advanced sequence, one can transition from Visvamitrasana into Eka Pada Koundinyasa II to Chaturanga Dandasana, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana to Adho Mukha Svanasana, all without letting the legs touch the floor. For any level of practitioner, this pose provides ample opportunity for challenge and breakthrough.

About Deb Neubauer:
This month’s pose was brought to you by certified Anusara Yoga teacher, Deb Neubauer. Deb has worked personally and in-depth with John Friend since 1993. Based in western Massachusetts, Deb now travels extensively, offering the teachings with a joyful heart. Since receiving her Anusara Yoga certificate in 2000, she has trained hundreds of students and prospective teachers in the Anusara Yoga method. Deb is known for her lively, dynamic, and clear presentation of the principles of Anusara Yoga.