BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Yoga can you name this pose?

I've been trying to find the name of this pose forever and was hoping you could help me.

You start from extended side angle pose with right hand placed by the inside of the right foot. Then you prop you right inner thigh onto the back of your right upper arm (almost your armpit) reach for the outside of the right foot with your left hand and extend the leg so you end up in a side plank split looking thing. It almost looks like side plank but the top leg is reaching in the opposite direction of your supporting leg.

I did it once but can't seem to find any guides on it anywhere. Can you think of what it's called?

I went ahead and performed the asana you describe and I'm a little confused by it. You mentioned side angle pose so it's a standing pose. If this is a modification on the the side angle, it's not one I'm familiar with. If you give me any info as to what you're trying to accomplish - a specific stretch or working internal muscles for certain organs, I may be able to help you more. I'm wondering if someone did this for themselves and that's why you can't find info. Where did you learn it?

Nancy

All the most advanced yogis at the studio where I used to practice could do this pose so it's definitely something many have been able to master. I guess it's more of an arm balance then a standing pose.

Sorry my description kind of stinks. I found a video of this crazy yoga pose but still don't know what it's called.

I read there are 8.4 million poses so I guess it would be impossible to know all of the names : )

BTW, my reason for wanting to do this is that we've been doing a lot of split leg inversions in aerial class, sometimes supporting with only hand and one leg.

It's challenging so being able to practice this on a stable surface would be really helpful. In class the trapeze is moving constantly so it's hard to coordinate and stabilize plus you have to worry about your grip giving out too.

I need the name to be able to look up tips for this pose.

All right. I still can't name that one exactly. Sorry. (the number is eighty-four million actually!) But, I can give you the ones that came to mind when I was going through this.

The one I like myself: Extended Side Angle Pose If you click through to the Bird of Paradise you'll see why I love this one!

I think you'll really benefit from these two though:

Side Crane Pose

8-Angle Pose

I"ll keep going through my material and ask some friends too. I don't practice that particular asana. But maybe someone I know does.

Good luck with the aerial classes!

Nancy

I found the name. It's called Vishwamitrasana and it's exactly what yoga is all about.

BTW, I though it was 84 million postures that correspond to the pattern of sitting of different species, 8.4 million actual asanas, 84 are important and then from that every style of yoga has their own idea of how many are essential (seems to vary a lot).

Funny how yoga wasn't about achieving poses but it's kind of gone that direction. It's like we're going about it backwards. I think you would enjoy this article: the meaning and purpose of yoga

I especially loved this part "The most important teaching of yoga has to do with our nature as human beings. It states that our "true nature" goes far beyond the limits of the human mind and personality--that instead, our human potential is infinite and transcends our individual minds and our sense of self."

As a yoga teacher myself, I too think it's funny that people seem to seek yoga as a means of exercise, when yoga has such a more expansive purpose and rich history. I've just come to peace that if people seek it, for whatever purpose, I'm in no place to judge, I can just appreciate that they have a wish to learn. Also, I have experienced with some of my students that have sought yoga to lose weight or something, in many cases those students become increasingly eager to learn more about the true meaning, history, and spirituality behind the asanas. I'm glad you found the name of the pose, it's a favorite of mine but I too had forgotten the name.

I disagree that Yoga is going the way of a reach-this-way only kind of modality. Actually, I get more and more people who are interested in the peace and stress-reduction it brings.

It's a wonderful modality that indeed helps many athletes to enhance their performance, but to choose only one of the Eight Limbs and focus on the entirely is very wrong. Students would be missing the whole point.

I'm happy you found the name of your pose.

Nancy

I didn't mean to imply that yoga is going in that direction, simply that some people may seem to be "missing the whole point", but that I have found that even through that, my students have seemed to come around to wanting to seek more about the rest.

Yes, MysticEyesSoaringHawk, I agree. Helping students to learn that Yoga brings mental and spiritual strength to them as well as physical fitness, may perhaps be the most rewarding aspect of teaching anyone about Yoga.

Absolutely Nancy.