Take a bigger Perspective....Outer Sprial

 

I have been reading The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. In this great book Singer keeps repeating the same idea over and over again. You have to choose happiness and choose a larger perspective on reality instead of narrowly focusing on problems. You have to allow everything in life to take place and be a part of life but not get hung up on things and let them clog your heart center.  Singer writes a lot about the voice that is always talking to us inside our head. “You’re ready to grow when you finally realize that the ‘I’ who is always talking inside will never be content…It always has a problem with something. Honestly, when was the last time you really had nothing bothering you? Before you had your current problem, there was a different problem. And if you’re wise, you will realize that after this one’s gone, there will be another one.” You can see that if you live in this narrow mind set focusing on your problems you will always be sad because there will always be a problem. However broaden your perspective take in ALLL THE GOOD in your life BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH! And with this broad perspective those little problems will seem just that little. In this bigger perspective both can exist. You can have your problems, and they can suck. But at the same time you can still be grateful and aware that your problems are not your life.

This reminds me of my physical yoga practice. There will always be refinements (especially in Anusara Yoga). There will always be a principle that I need to improve on. However if I focus on how this one aspect of my practice “isn’t god enough” I will be disappointed and sad. If on the other hand I choose a larger perspective and I observe my whole practice, or the whole pose I will experience so many things that feel so right and I will feel very happy and content.

I had two questions come up in class last week addressing the front leg in asymmetrical poses. One question was about experiencing a pain or a binding feeling in the front hip. The other was about experiencing sciatic nerve pain. I know both of these students practices well. I have observed that both of the students have established good muscle energy in their back leg, good thighs up and good inner spiral. However both have their front hip sticking out to the side with a deep crease in their front leg hip. This explains both the bond up painful feeling in the hip flexors. Establishing outer spiral wrapping the hip back in and down will lift the belly and create space and stability around the front hip flexors which will stop the bound up feeling. When it comes to sciatic pain, A back collapsed leg is normally the cause. However since I know this student has great alignment on her back leg the next place to look at is the front leg. Lack of outer spiral on the front leg can also create sciatic nerve pain in the front leg. Outer spiral helps root the femur bone into the back plane of the body which is one of the main alignment principles to stabilize sacrum and reduce sciatica pain. So no outer spiral in front leg pulls femur bone toward the front plane of the body which narrows the space between the sacrum and the ilium (scaro-illiac joint). In that space is the sciatic nerve which is the size of your pinky finger! If that space narrows to much the nerve will get impinged. Strong outer spiral on the front leg will ground femur bone back, create space in front and back of the hip and create stability to hold that space.  In the sequence bellow the main focus is going to be on understanding the action of outer spiral, however in order to perform outer spiral well several alignment actions need to be applied first.

Principles of Emphasis:

Open To Grace: create the optimal starting point for the body by lining up the feet so that they are straight ahead, from the middle knee to the middle of the ankles to the 2nd toe mound.
Muscle Energy: Drawing toward the midline is one of the three aspects of Muscle Energy. Pushing into the feet and isometrically drawing them toward each other will engage both the outer shin muscles (the peroneals) and the inner thighs (adductor muscles) we need all these muscles engaged well in order to perform the next alignment actions.
Inner Spiral: takes the inner thighs in, back and wide. This widening opens space in the hips and lower back. More inner spiral needs to be created on the back leg in asymmetrical poses
Outer Spiral: Outer Spiral flows from the waistline down to the outer edges of the feet. Outer Spiral takes the outer seams of the legs back and toward the midline. More outer spiral in front leg in asymmetrical poses which will laterally broader the front knee away from the midline and over the second toe if the knee collapsed medially after inner spiral.
Organic Energy: From the focal point, extend energy down to the earth and back up through the extremities.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Sequence

 

Table cat cow variation to feel Inner and Outer Spiral
DD
High runners lunge
Uttanasana-Utkatasana prep hands on knees (Make sure the feet are lined up parallel, and that the knees are lined up over second toe. Lift and spread your toes to get the legs energized. Hug the legs to the midline, and support this action with your hands pressing in to the midline, without letting the knees knock in. Keep that alignment strong as you turn the inner thighs in, back, and wide. You’ll feel some space open up in the lower back. Now anchor the tailbone down and stretch into the full pose.)
Parsvotanasana [2 blocks]
Uttanasana-Utkatasana prep hands on knees (Make sure the feet are lined up parallel, and that the knees are lined up over second toe. Lift and spread your toes to get the legs energized. Hug the legs to the midline, and support this action with your hands pressing in to the midline, without letting the knees knock in. Keep that alignment strong as you turn the inner thighs in, back, and wide. You’ll feel some space open up in the lower back. Now anchor the tailbone down and stretch into the full pose.)
DD-vinyasa
Lunge
Pigeon
Pigeon quad stretch (with strong inner thighs inner spiral the back leg widening the pelvis and balancing the sacrum. This will help release a tight back. Often when the hips get squared in this pose (and in all asymmetrical poses) we will dump in the front hip so squeeze front glute and toward the tail bone which will continue to square the hips off bringing the front thigh bone back then root from the front hip into the floor for outer spiral and organic energy)
Tree
Standing figure 4- standing baby cradle
Mod parsvakonasana (look at front knee notice that it probably collapses medically after performing inner spiral and work on holding the widening you created in your back hip while scoping your front hip down and under so the knee moves laterally and tracks over the second toe)
Trikonasana (engage the muscles of your legs by drawing the feet isometrically toward each other. Make sure your knees are not hyper extending. Then broaden your thighs mainly your back thigh in back and wide. Look at your front knee and notice if the knee is collapsing toward the midline. In parsvakonasana the previous pose the whole knee will often lean to the midline which is easier to see in trikonasana it's normally the knee cap is rotated slightly toward the midline. Remember we want to knee in line with the second toe so bend the knee slightly squeeze your front leg glute toward your tail bone to broaden the knee over the second to, then extend from the hips through the feet and from the hips through the spine and arms)
Trikonasana [block] (same alignment as above) -> [block] ardha chandrasana (just like in trikonasana the knee will often collapse and rotate so it’s not in line with the second toe. Put a little bend in the front knee with the leg engaged do outer spiral tacking the front hip back and under so the knee points over the second toe and then press from the hip down into the foot and straighten the leg)
Ardha Chandra chapasana [block]
[at wall]
Handstand "L"
Virasana [block] wrist stretches
Bridge
Urdhva danurasana hands on [wall]
Upavista konasana
Prasarita upavistha konasana