South Okanagan Yoga Academy Yoga Teacher Training Programs

Featured Asana

• Mudras are sacred and symbolic gestures to seal in energy and awareness. We mostly associate mudras with hand gestures, but mudras can be performed with the eyes, with the breath, with the whole body. The shapes taken by the hands or the body represent inner states and will influence certain areas of our brain and of our soul. Feeling the energetic effects of mudras can be a meditative practice all of its own.

  Maha Mudra will open up some energy channels, meridians or nadis and will allow the prana to flow better. Some practices will combine Maha Mudra with Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee pose), but in Maha Mudra the outstretched upper body remains straight allowing the practitioner to engage all three Bandhas while performing Kumbhaka.

  Technique

  • Sitting in Dandasana (Staff pose) with hands flat on the mat on either side of the buttocks, press the hands down while bringing the shoulders back and down opening the chest and reaching the crown of the head up. As you feel the sitz bones rooted to the ground, straighten and engage the legs, toes pointing to the heavens.
  • Taking a deep breath in, bring the right foot up into the inside of the left thigh, exhale the knee down.
  • Next breath, engage Mula Bandha on the exhale. Breathe in deeply and bring your arms up overhead gazing at your straight fingers.
  • As you slowly exhale, roll to the front of your sitz bones, with a straight back bring your arms down and take hold of each side of your foot with your hands while engaging Uddiyana and Jalandhara Bhandas. Perform Bahya Kumbhaka, retaining the breath out.
  • Enjoy all the space you have created in your body, in your mind.
  • When the urge of breathing again becomes strong, let go of the Bandhas, let go of the foot, breathe your arms straight and up again gazing at your fingers, and exhale your arms down on each side.
  • Without moving yet, close your eyes and smile to yourself while taking a long full breath.
  • Extend the right leg out and start again from Dandasana and do the other side.

  Modification

  • If your back feels strained, sit on the edge of a cushion or a folded blanket.
  • Aching knees can be supported by a block, folded blanket or a cushion.
  • A tie can be wrapped around the ball of the foot to help keep the back straight.
  • Weak shoulders will also benefit from the holding of a tie while bringing the arms up and then down to the foot.

  Contraindications

  • Pregnancy
  • Unmedicated high blood pressure
  • Recent abdominal surgery or abdominal inflammation
  • Recent or chronic back injury or inflammation

  Benefits

  • Musculoskeletal: strengthens the lumbar muscles, shoulder and upper back muscles. Tones and strengthens buttocks, thighs and legs. Strengthens abdominal muscles.
  • Organs and Glands: irrigates the kidneys , tones uterus and ovaries, or prostate gland. Tones digestive and elimination system. Revitalizes the endocrine system, specially the adrenals, the pancreas, thyroid and gonads.
  • Systemic: recharges the nervous system. Strengthens the immune system. Energizes the entire body.
  • Psychological: builds self-confidence and the power of concentration.

  Gratefully acknowledging: Kripalu teacher’s training, Soya’s teacher’s training, Gertrud Hirschi “Mudras”, Bernie Clark’s “Yin Sights”, BKS Iyengar “Light on Yoga”.

  Pierrette lives and teaches in Picton Ontario six months of the year. Then Mugs and I are blessed because she lives Melaque the rest of the year, and we get to take her classes in her new studio on the roof of her house.
  Would you like to submit an asana description for the next enews?  If so, send it in to info@soyayoga.com to share with others!