EKA PADA SIRSASANA AND VARIATIONS

One Leg to Head Pose Variations The "Eka Pada Sirsasana Cycle"
Click Click Click Click here here here here for for for for Upside Down Eka Pada Sirsasana Janu Sirsasana. Dwi Pada Sirsasana. Sirsasana.

Eka Pada Sirsasana Seated Sequence Bhairavasana Buddhasana Chakorasana Durvasasana Kala Bhairavasana Kapilasana Ruchikasana Sirsa Durvasasana Skandasana Urdhva Durvasasana Utthita Eka Pada Sirsasana

The various movements in the Eka Pada Sirsasana Cycle tone up the muscular, nervous, and circulatory systems of the entire body. The spine receives a rich supply of blood, which increases the nervous energy in the chakras (the various nerve plexuses situated in the spine), the fly-wheels in the human body machine. These poses develop the chest and make the breathing fuller and the body firmer; they stop nervous trembling of the body and prevent the diseases which cause it; they also help to eliminate toxins by supplying pure blood to every part of the body and bringing the congested blood back to the heart and lungs for purification. By the practice of these asanas the hemoglobin content of the blood improves, the body and mind become vigorous and the capacity for work increases.
Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika by B.K.S. Iyengar 1966 George Allen & Unwin Publishters, Ltd.; ISBN 0-8052-1031-8

Eka Pada Sirsasana

One Legged Head Pose

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Eka Pada Sirsasana Demonstrated by Jonathan Gordeon, Owner

Brooklyn Yoga 519 Court Street Brooklyn, NY Tel. 718-858-4554

Eka Pada Sirsasana Demonstrated by Matthew Darling

Authorized Ashtanga Teacher

Royal Yoga Loft 108 S. Main Street Royal Oak, MI 48067 Tel. 248-582-YOGA Photographed by Jennifer Everland

Eka Pada Sirsasana Demonstrated by Louise Ellis

Ashtanga Yoga Center Louise Ellis, Owner & Director 1617 N. College Ave. #5 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Tel. (479) 313-5336

Eka Pada Sirsasana

(Foot-behind-the-Head Pose) By John Schumacher Yoga Journal

Try your hand at this pose to increase flexibility in the legs, spine, and hips. Joel Kramer, a well-known yoga teacher from Bolinas, California, once described in Yoga Journal an aspect of his approach to yoga he called "playing the edge." Kramer's ideas have influenced my practice ever since. "Playing the edge," as I understand it, means taking yourself to your limit and, through subtle awareness and refined adjustments, continuing to practice without stepping back from or going over that edge.

To illustrate this concept, let's consider the first stage of Supta Padangustha sana. In this pose, you lie on your back with your legs stretched straight out on the floor. Then you raise your right leg and catch your right foot by either

Supta Padangustha sana Demonstrated by Erich Schiffmann

Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness by Erich Schiffmann; ISBN 0-67153480-7

grasping your big toe with your right hand or by holding a strap around your foot. Keeping your right leg straight, you pull your foot back toward your head. As you move your leg, you are going to feel the stretch in the back of your leg intensify. At some point, the increasingly intense sensation of stretch will begin to turn into pain. Lilias Folan used to refer to the point just before pain as a place of "sweet discomfort." The art of playing the edge is to find and work at that exact point of transition, without losing either the sweetness or the discomfort.

A challenging aspect of practicing this way is that these edges are not at all static. They are in constant flux. Thus, playing the edge skillfully requires unwavering concentration and calm awareness. It transforms your practice into a meditation, and to my mind, is one of the primary differences between practicing yoga asanas and "exercising."

One possible result of playing your edge is that you might find yourself practicing increasingly difficult poses. For example, you may have become flexible in your forward bends to the point where you can rest your torso on your straight legs with ease in Paschimott anasana (Seated Forward Bend). In terms of flexibility, Paschimott anasana no longer brings you to your edge.

Paschimott anasana Demonstrat ed by John Crawford Scott

Certified Ashtanga Teacher

Ashtanga Yoga at Space No. 8 8 Chapel Street Penzance, Cornwall. TR18 4AJ Ashtanga Yoga: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide to Dynamic Yoga by John Crawford Scott 2001 Crown Pub; ISBN: 0609807862

To find your flexibility edge, you might need to practice Kurmasana (Tortoise Pose). Seen in this light, the practice of more advanced poses is not some egogratifying game of oneupmanship or a spiritually materialistic approach to acquiring more and more difficult asanas. (Bumper stickers notwithstan ding, I suspect that when we die, the person with the most poses doesn't win anything in particular.) Instead, if you're committed to playing the edge in your practice, doing advanced poses may simply be a

Kurmasana (Variation) Demonstrat ed by Andr Sidersky

Hatha Yoga by Andr Sidersky of Kiev, Ukraine

natural and appropriate progression.

When you say "advanced yoga pose," one of the poses that may come to mind for many folks is Eka Pada Sirsasana (Footbehind-theHead Pose?not to be confused with the Headstand variation that has the same Sanskrit name). It is difficult for almost everyone and is a real eye-catcher of a pose. I recall that the first time I thumbed through a book of yoga postures, the ones that jumped off the page were Eka Pada Sirsasana and its more advanced cousin, Yoganidras ana (Yogic Sleep

Yoginidras ana Demonstrat ed by Dr. S. N. Omkar

Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher

YOGA MANDIR No.1357 27th Cross, 25th Main Banashankar i - II Stage Bangalore 560070 Tel. (080)26713478

Pose). My reaction was not unlike that of a couple who, some years later, happened to observe me practicing Eka Pada Sirsasana on a remote beach. I was unaware of their attention until I heard the woman exclaim incredulousl y to her partner, "Oh, m'God, Harry! Look at that!"

An Ounce of Preparation
Before you even think about doing Eka Pada Sirsasana, you should maintain a wellrounded practice for many months. This is true even for practitioners who begin yoga with enough flexibility to perform Eka Pada Sirsasana or who may achieve it fairly quickly. Flexibility is necessary, of course, but strength, stability, and integrating your whole body within the pose are just as important. In fact, I often tell my students that it is more difficult to be flexible than to be stiff. An expression that says, "Oh, sure," usually crosses the faces of the stiff ones. All they know is that when they stretch, they are really uncomfortable, and they don't move anywhere nearly as much as their more flexible classmates, who seem to slide into many poses with such ease. Those more flexible (and seemingly more fortunate) students have the difficult task, however, of trying to find balance in their poses without constantly overworking the areas that move so readily. Super-flexibility, without the balance of strength, can result in instability in the joints, which, in time, can lead to pain and injury. I have found over the years that loose, very flexible students seem to have physical problems more often and of a more serious nature than stiffer students. So maintaining a balanced practice for a prolonged period is valuable not only for building up to Eka Pada Sirsasana; it also allows you to practice the pose in a safe way.

Despite all my caveats about the need to balance flexibility with strength, you clearly do need flexibility in your legs and hips to do Eka Pada Sirsasana. It is usually best, therefore, to practice this pose as the culmination of a series of forward bends and hip openers. To avoid overstretching your spine and straining your lower back in any forward bend, it is important to lengthen your hamstrings and fold forward from your hip joints rather than bending at the waist. Eka Pada Sirsasana may not appear to be much of a forward bend since you do not lower your torso forward toward your legs. But all the principles of forward bends apply; you are simply varying the forward-bending process by bringing your leg up toward (and beyond) your torso instead of bending your torso down. You can develop the flexibility required to work productively on Eka Pada Sirsasana by practicing all of the forward-bending poses. The variations of Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose) are particularly helpful, especially the one B.K.S. Iyengar presents as the second variation in Light on Yoga (Schocken Books, 1995). And proficiency in Kurmasana is a prerequisite. Even if you've realized that strength is as important as flexibility for a balanced body, you may be surprised to learn that strength is necessary for Eka Pada Sirsasana. The pressure that the leg exerts is powerful, and needs to be balanced by the strength of the neck and back muscles. Sirsasana (Headstand), Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), are especially helpful in strengthening your neck and back. Akarna Dhanurasana (Archer's Pose) is also a particularly good preparation for Eka Pada Sirsasana, not only because it increases mobility in the hips and legs, but also because it helps build strength in the spinal muscles.

Sirsasana Demonstrated by David Swenson

Authorized Teacher Ashtanga

Sarvangasana Demonstrated by Dr Krishna Raman

medioineau.net.au

Akarna Dhanurasana Demonstrated by Bill Counter

Absolutely Ashtanga can be found at Shanti Yoga 907 Howe Avenue Sacramento, CA 95825

Getting a Leg Up
In order to avoid straining your back muscles and to provide support for your spine, you may find it helpful to begin to work on Eka Pada Sirsasana in a reclining position at first. Lie on your back with your knees bent and resting comfortably near your chest. Allow your left knee to remain in that position and take your right arm inside your right thigh. Wrap your right forearm behind your right calf and catch the outer arch of your foot. Then reach across your body and catch the inner arch of your right foot with your left hand. Your bent left knee should remain comfortably near your chest. Hold your right foot with both hands and raise it until your lower leg is perpendicular to the floor. Keeping your shin perpendicular, draw your right knee down toward the floor. Maximize the opening of the hip by staying centered on your back without rolling toward the right as you bring your right knee toward or, ideally, onto the floor. Then, while you keep your right knee on the floor (or moving in that direction), lengthen the back of your right thigh from the back of your knee toward your buttock and move your buttock and hip away from your abdomen and waist, respectively. As you do this, you should feel your sacrum release toward the floor. Perform the same stretch on the left side and repeat the process on both sides one or more times. You should use this same incremental, repetitive approach as you continue to work toward Eka Pada Sirsasana. Like all forward bends, it is essentially a pose of surrender. Rather than forcing the necessary actions and movements, be patient and wait for any edge of tightness or resistance you encounter to soften and release. Keep your diaphragm relaxed, your belly soft, and your breathing easy throughout. Once you've got your right knee as near the floor as possible without rolling toward the right, continue holding your right foot with your left hand and shift your right hand to your calf. Press your hand into your calf and push your lower leg and foot toward your shoulder enough that you can tuck your shoulder under your leg. (At this point, you might be up against any number of edges: in your right hamstring, hip, back, shoulder?or any combination of these.) Remain with the back of your knee and thigh against your right shoulder for several breaths. If the intensity begins to shift to pain, release the position and repeat on the other side. If and when the intensity begins to abate, go on to the next step. Practice each step this way to bring deep awareness to your edges and expand them safely and effectively. Now with your left hand still in the arch of your right foot, again press your calf with your right hand and lengthen the calf from the knee out through the heel. Draw your

foot toward the floor, gradually bringing your leg toward a more nearly straight position. At the same time, once again lengthen your hamstring from the knee toward the buttock and roll your buttock toward the floor. Stay centered on your back. The stretch this gives your hamstring will help with the movements to come. After exploring your hamstring edge, bring your shin back up to perpendicular and change your grip to hold your outer lower leg with your right hand and your outer ankle with your left hand. Keeping your right shoulder tucked beneath your knee and thigh, externally rotate your right thigh and pull your right ankle toward your ajna chakra (your "third eye" near the center of your forehead, just above your eyebrows). Avoid pulling the little-toe side of your foot toward the floor. If you pull on the foot rather than the leg, you are apt to bend and overstretch your outer ankle. The movement of your leg should come primarily from your hip. Keep externally rotating the thigh and move your right hip away from the right waist as you bring your foot as close to your face as possible. From the leg-over-shoulder position, begin to lift your foot toward your sahasrara chakra (at the crown of your head) until your foot is above your head. Raise your head from the floor and pull your foot behind your head until your ankle is pressing into the back of your head. When you raise your head and move your foot, take care not to grip your abdominal muscles. It is possible to cramp those muscles, which can be a not-so-sweet discomfort. If that happens, lie back and relax for a few minutes until the cramp subsides. Once your ankle is behind your head, take a few breaths. Reconnoiter. Do what you need to do to respect your edges. Don't panic. Don't get greedy. If you can go on, do so; if not, repeat the same actions on the left side. If you're ready to go on, press your head back into your ankle until your knee is no longer pressing your shoulder and, turning your chest to the left for a moment, tuck your right shoulder still farther under the leg. Then press your calf with your right thumb so it rolls backwards out of the way of your shoulder and pull the leg down so that your lower leg just above your ankle is behind your neck. Keep your inner ankle extended so that the inner and outer ankle are balanced. You are likely to need to hold your ankle and lower leg with your hands for a while?seconds, days, weeks?to relieve some of the pressure that the leg exerts on your neck and to keep the leg from slipping from behind your head. As your hips loosen, your hamstrings stretch, your back lengthens, and your neck strengthens over time, you'll be able to slide your leg well into the curve of your neck. Then, if you lift your chin slightly, you will be able to hold the leg with your neck and let go with your hands.

When you can do that, bring your palms together in front of your chest in namaste position

Photo to Follow!

and stretch your left leg straight up toward the ceiling. You'll be in what might be called Supta Eka Pada Sirsasan a (Reclining Footbehindthe-Head Pose) or, perhaps, Urdhva Mukha Eka Pada Sirsasan a (UpwardFacing Footbehindthe-Head Pose).

Fine Tuning
There are several somewhat more subtle actions that can help you refine your preparations and will allow you to be more balanced and open when you attempt the final pose. When your right leg is drawn up to bring your foot behind your head, your right hip usually comes along for the ride. This movement results in congestion in the right hip joint that inhibits its freedom; it also contracts the right side of the spine and can put strain on the vertebral discs and/or the sacroiliac joints. Your left lumbar spine and/or sacroiliac joint may then overstretch to compensate, amplifying (in a potentially problematic manner) the natural tendency toward imbalance inherent in the pose. To move toward a balanced spine with your leg tucked behind your neck, roll your right hip away from the right side of your waist. Your right buttock will shift toward the center line of the body, and you should feel more length come to the right side of your waist and spine. The stretch of the leg and hip joint will also increase, as will the pressure on your neck.

Another thing that usually happens when you put your foot behind your head is that your pelvis draws up toward your belly and your head drops down toward your chest. The result is that the front of your spine compresses and your back muscles overstretch. To reduce this tendency, first draw your right hip away from the waist, and then press your neck back into your leg and lift your chest away from your abdomen, as if you were trying to lean back in a deck chair. As with the previous action, the intensity of the stretch in the leg and hip will increase, as will the pressure on the neck. The back muscles come more into play as you lift your chest, which prepares them for their work in the final pose. You can practice these actions while holding your leg with your hands at first, and then try them without.

Oh, M'God, Harry!

In many ways, the final pose is a lot like what we've called Supta Eka Pada Sirsasana, except that rather than "suptaing" (reclining), you are sitting up. That's a significant difference, though. Now your back will not be supported by the floor, and gravity will not aid you in bringing your leg into position. If you've done the preceding work, however, you will be prepared for these new edges.

Begin Eka Pada Sirsasan by a sitting in Dandasa na (Staff Pose). Press your thighs into the floor and stretch your inner calves and ankles away from you. Bend your right knee, raise your right foot from the floor, and catch the ankle and

Demonstrated by Dona Holleman

WebSite: http://www.donaholle man.com/

Photograph by Bill Reitzell Yoga Journal's Yoga Basics: The Essential Beginner's Guide to Yoga for a Lifetime of Health & Fitness by Mara Carrico; ISBN 08050-4571-6

lower leg with your hands. With your right arm inside your right thigh, lift your right foot to third-eye level . Shift your right hand to your calf, and lifting the leg higher, bring your right knee back and raise your knee and calf over and onto your shoulder. Keep hold of the lower right leg with both hands. Lift your chest upward away from your abdomen and take a couple of breaths.

Now roll your outer right hip toward the floor, externally rotate your right thigh, and lift your leg so your right foot is above your head. Lean forward slightly, duck your head forward a bit, and pull your ankle behind your head. Then raise your head, pressing the back of your head into your ankle so that the weight of the leg on your shoulder is diminished. With your head and hands supporting your leg, turn your chest slightly toward the left and duck your right shoulder still farther under the leg. Keep pressing your head into your ankle; with your right thumb, roll your right calf back out of the

way of your shoulder and pull your ankle behind your neck. As in the reclining preparation, you will probably need to hold your foot and leg with your hands for some time to keep your leg from slipping from behind your neck. Keep your inner ankle extended. As much as you can, try to lift your chest while you hold your leg with your hands. The pressure of the leg on your neck and back may be intense. New edges will appear, perhaps in your hamstring or your hip, or maybe in your back or your neck. Move with patience and awareness. Take your time. Keep your abdomen relaxed and breathe easy. Eventually, when you are able to move from a very hunched-over position to a nearly upright one, lift your chin so that your neck, with the help of your back muscles, is able to hold your leg and keep it from flying over your head. Gradually reduce the support of your hands on your leg, until you can rely solely on your back and neck. At that point, let go of your leg with your hands completely and join the palms in front of your chest in namaste position. Keep your left thigh pressing into the floor and lengthen out through your inner left calf and ankle. Roll your outer right hip toward the floor and lift your chest as you did when you worked on the refinements in the reclining preparation. At first, you probably won't be able to hold Eka Pada Sirsasana for long. Begin with 15 seconds, or whatever is possible, and build up to one minute. To come out of the pose, use your hands to lift your leg and ankle from behind your neck. Lower your right leg onto the floor next to the left leg, place your hands on the floor by your hips, and sit in Dandasana. Then perform Eka Pada Sirsasana with your left leg behind your head. After you have finished the left side and returned to Dandasana, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, comfortably near your buttocks. Rest on your back for a minute or two to release any tension you may feel from Eka Pada Sirsasana. Going on to twists and then backbends will help reduce any tightness you may feel in your back and help balance your practice.

The End (Not!)

Even though you may have played your edges well and are able to do an "advanced" asana, you have hardly reached the end. Although we sometimes use the term "final pose" to describe the shape of a particular asana, there are really no final poses. New edges appear, both within Eka Pada Sirsasana and in the expansion of possibilities of other asanas. For instance, once you have become more accomplished in Eka Pada Sirsasana, there are many challenging poses you can work on that incorporate putting your leg behind your neck.

Furtherm ore, as subtle and difficult as playing the physical edge is when practicing Eka Pada Sirsasan a (or any asana, for that matter), it is complicat ed by the fact that we have lots of different edges: physical, psycholog ical, emotional , intellectua l, energetic, and spiritual. You may seem to be playing your physical edge in your practice quite skillfully and yet be way off base with respect to your appropriat e energetic

Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati (1927-1993) Demonstrating Ekapada Sirsasana in Rishikesh, Himalayas International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers

edge. I see this in some overly ambitious students who push themselve s constantly to do more difficult, demandin g poses?an d more and more repetition s of them. They may be achieving the physical movemen ts of the poses, but at the same time they are irritating their nervous systems and compromi sing their mental and emotional equilibriu m.

I might suggest to such a student that he consider de-emphasizing his physical edge for a while and refocus his attention on the quality of his breath and his state of mind. This would give him a chance to consolidate his practice and find a more subtle internal edge, rather than constantly forcing himself further physically. I find that students sometimes strongly resist such a suggestion, either openly or passively. It is often difficult -- and really quite enlightening -- to realize that playing your edge may occasionally mean not doing advanced poses. This realization can have a

transformative effect on your practice by shifting you away from an acquisitive and perhaps aggressive approach toward a more internally perceptive and holistic attitude. You may become more interested in playing the edges of consciousness than performing wowie-zowie advanced poses. Ironically, advanced poses may then come more readily, like guests who are invited to dinner rather than employees who are ordered to attend. Every spiritual tradition employs the art of playing the edge of consciousness; each has its own methods and disciplines. Whatever techniques you use, bringing yourself to your perceived limits is a way to deepen your understanding of who you are and how you approach the world. And when you rub up against your limits and work to expand them, you can generate a powerful shift in your consciousness. The altered states of consciousness that playing your edges induces can pry you out of stuck places and open up creative energies previously unavailable to you. And they can move you beyond the edges of your small self and bring you into contact with the limitless, edgeless Beyond.

A longtime student of B.K.S. Iyengar and a certified senior Iyengar teacher, John Schumacher directs the Unity Woods Yoga Center in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Skandasana
Skanda is the name of Kartikeya, the God of War. Skanda (Sanskrit) The attacker; a title of Karttikeya, who killed Taraka, the deva-daimon.
Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary 1999 by Theosophical University Press. Top (and this page's index) The Asana Index Home Join the Yoga on the MidAtlantic List

Skandasan a Demonstrat ed by David Swenson

Authorized Ashtanga Teacher

Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual: An Illustrated Guide to Personal Practice by David Swenson Ashtanga Yoga Productions ISBN 1891252089

Skandasana

Demonstrated by Anne Nutio

Authorized Ashtanga Teacher

Yogi Unknown
(eMail me if you know the Yogi's name or can speak French to read the site!) Centre Samasthitti Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

Demonstrated by Mike Byron-McKay

New Zeeland School of Yoga 60 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland New Zeeland Tel. (09) 5245432

Ashtanga Yoga School Helsinginkatu 16 00500 HELSINKI Tel. 09-8702921 This site is in Finnish. We would provide

more information about this yogi, but we can't translate it. Please email us if you can help! This site is in Finnish. I would provide more information about this amazing yogi, but I can't read it. Please visit her!

Tel/Fax: (33) 01 44 07 31 33 or eMail

Bhuddasana
Buddha means enlightened. This asana is a continuation of Skandasana.
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Buddhasana Demonstrate d by B.K.S. Iyengar

Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika by B.K.S. Iyengar 1966 George Allen & Unwin Publishters, Ltd.; ISBN 0-80521031-8

Notice here the raised leg goes underneath the opposite arm, then the bind is taken behind the back?

Kapilasana
Kapila was the name of a great sage. This asana is a continuation of Buddhasana.
Kapila (or Kapila-rishi): A great sage and adept of antiquity who flourished before the middle of the 6th century BC, considered to be the founder of the Sankhya philosophy. These archaic teachers, such as Zoroaster and Hermes, were several in number, it having been a habit in archaic times for the later heads of a school to use the name of the school's founder as their own, the name thus becoming in some cases a title. Kapila is also one of the three secret kumaras who are the progenitors of the true spiritual Self in the physical human being. In many of the old writings Kapila is also symbolic of cosmic spirit, or of the individual spiritual self who represents the highest state reached on earth. Hence the Puranas and the Ramayana relate that Sagara's 60,000 sons were reduced to ashes by a mere glance of Kapila's eye. This allegory symbolizes the personifications of human emotions, both passional and mental, being completely reduced to inactivity by the spiritual wisdom and purity of the sage here the personification of wisdom itself. Kapila is also a primeval sage of the satya yuga who imparted true wisdom to all creatures
Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary 1999 by Theosophical University Press. Top (and this page's index) The Asana Index Home Join the Yoga on the MidAtlantic List

Kapilas ana

Demonstrated by Sharath in 1999.

Bowing forward from the hip crease makes changes this asana from Buddhasana to Kapilasana.

Demonstrated James Bryan

by

Formerly of Cairns, Australia. Evidently he's relocated. If you know how to contact him, email me!)

Bhairavasana
Bhairava means terrible, formidable or gruesome. This is one of the eight aspects of Shiva.
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Bhairavasana Demonstrated by Dena Kingsburg

Certified Teacher Ashtanga

Reclining changes this asana from Eka Pada Sirsasana to Bhairavasana.

Kala Bhairavasana

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Kala Bhairava is Shiva in his terrible or gruesome aspect as Destroyer of the Universe, a personification of the destructive principle as Kali.

Kala Bhaira vasana

Demonstrated Sharath

by

Demonstrated by Louise Ellis

Ashtanga Yoga Center Louise Ellis, Owner & Director 1617 N. College Ave. #5 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Tel. (479) 313-5336

Photograph by Stacy Plath New York City 2000

Chakorasana
A Chakora is a partridge-like bird, which is said to feed on moonbeams.
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Chakorasa na Demonstrat ed by Matthew Darling

Authorized Ashtanga Teacher

Royal Yoga Loft 108 S. Main Street Royal Oak, MI 48067 Tel. 248-582YOGA Photographed by Jennifer Everland

Chakorasa na Demonstrat ed by David Swenson

Authorized Ashtanga Teacher

Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual: An Illustrated Guide to Personal Practice by David Swenson Ashtanga Yoga Productions ISBN 1891252089 Just because it's beautiful...

Durvasasana
Durvasa was the name of a very irascible sage whose anger has become proverbial.
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Durvasasana Demonstrated by Louise Ellis

Ashtanga Yoga Center Louise Ellis, Owner & Director 1617 N. College Ave. #5 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Tel. (479) 313-5336 Durvasa's pose (also called crane pose in a few sources) from East Indian sage, Durvasa, who supposedly assumed this pose during his years of penance) To stand on one foot with the other leg lifted in front and placed behind the neck or shoulders.

Parivrtta Eka Pada Sirsasana

Revolved, One-Leg (behind the) Head Pose
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Parivrtta Eka Pada Sirsasan a Yogi Unknown

(Although I think this is Patrick Broome of Munich, eMail me if you know the Yogi's name!)

Urdhva Durvasasana
Durvasa was the name of a very irascible sage whose anger has become proverbial. Imagine how mad he'd be to find himself upside down, on his head!
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This asana is also known as Sirsa Durvasana or Durva on His Head Pose Pose.

Urdhva Durvasasana Demonstrated by Tiffany Viehmann

Absolutely Ashtanga can be found at Shanti Yoga 907 Howe Avenue Sacramento, CA 95825

Ruchikasana
Ruchika was the name of a sage, the grandfather of Bhagavan Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Visnu.
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Ruchikasana
Demonstrated by B.K.S. Iyengar
Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika by B.K.S. Iyengar 1966 George Allen & Unwin Publishters, Ltd.; ISBN 0-8052-1031-8

Demonstrated by David Life

Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body & Soul by Sharon Gannon & David Life; ISBN 0-34544208-3

Yogi Unknown
(eMail me if you know the Yogi's name!) Federazione Kriya Yoga Brescia - Via F:lli Ugoni 4 - Italy Tel. 0039 - 030294947

Utthita Eka Pada Sirsasana

Lifted One Leg-Behind-the-Head Pose

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Utthita Eka Pada Sirsasana Demonstrated by Mike Nevitt

Photo by Zo Briault Displayed on WebShots.com

Created on ... May 31, 2002 by Yoga Dancer Designs. This page was last updated on Tuesday, 24-Apr-2007 10:06:53 EDT, and today is Wednesday, 28-May-2008 14:49:41 EDT. We've been blessed with visitors since April, 2002.

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