POSE OF THE WEEK LORD VISHNUS COUCH

Lord Vishnus Couch

Anantasana

Pronounced: Anan – TARS – anna

Sanskrit Meaning:

• Ananta = Infinite /Without end/Eternal
• Asana = Posture/Pose/Position

The myth is that Lord Vishnu reclined upon a couch that was infact the body of the serpent Ananta.

The story of Ananta is that of enernity the concept of infinity that which supports the timeless Universe.

Lord Vishnu is the mythological ‘Preserver’ and slumbers or sleeps unpon the coils of Ananta. The ideology is that Vishnu takes form on earth while life continues on then takes rest every 700 years or thereabouts upon the timeless coils of Ananta.

As yogi the idea is linked to the slumbering state or recline we all live in until our safety is threatened when we stir and rise up from our slumber.

Physically this is the link between the mind the spine and the parasympathetic nervous system. This pose facilitates the resting in peace that we need to consciously experience and from which our intuitive self is nourished and communed with, so knowing is profound. This is a place of inner and outer stillness and is restorative so we may be wholly nourished for the time we need to rise up off our couch in life.

To Move Into The Pose

Balance on your right side.. Lengthen through the right side of your body, from the hip crease to the armpit. Rest the right armpit into the floor.

Bend the right elbow. Support the right side of the head.

Stretch through the right leg extending the energy through the heel. Allow the right side to engage and open into the floor (earth).

Place the left leg on top of the right keeping it more relaxed.

Breathing into the sacrum on the exhalation draw the sacrum (tail bone) in. This is working into the core and engaging the lower diaphragm.

The Dristhi (or gaze point) is straight ahead at eye level.

Pause and breathe. Exhale to your tailbone. As you breathe in expand through skull and down the spine to the sit bones. See the breath as entering and exiting through the crown chakra and when your inhalation is complete imagine the area around the body is alight with this energy.

Bend the right knee.

Externally rotate the right leg from the hip socket and lift the left foot so you can catch the big toe. If you can not catch the leg where you can most comfortably.

Keep the top shoulder in line – stacked with the lower shoulder.

Exhale and straighten the left leg, while holding where you can – the toe if possible

Relax and allow the body to settle. As you breathe practice the sinuous movement of the breath from the tail bone (sacrum) through the vertebrae of the spine (as you have practiced in the pelvic tilt with abdominal breathing). The breath nourishes the spine and the earth supports the body.

With the breath in stretch, then as you exhale soften and settle and finally after 3-5 or more deep relaxing breaths come to a place of mental, emotional and physical stillness.

Experience unity or oneness with the Ananta, abiding peace, calm, infinite, eternal and unchanging.

Repeat on other side.

This pose is one to savour, not to rush!

Anatomy of Pose

This is an asymmetrical pose – considered one of the only true ‘side lying’ postures.

The upper leg:

Passively lengthening are the calf, hamstring and inner thigh muscles, active are the hip and core (soleus, gastrocnemius, gracilis, semimembranosus, semitendonsus, adductor magnus, psoas major, illiacus)

The lower leg:

Active are the quadriceps and gluts, Passive are the hamstrings (adductor longus, gracilis, pectinus, gluteus medius gluteus minimus, hamstrings).

The upper side:

Active are the abdominal wall, spinal extensors (internal obliques, quadrates lumborum)

The lower side:

Active are the abdominal wall, spinal extensors, core (external oblique, quadratus lumborum).

Physiology of the Pose

In this position the dome of the lower side of the diaphragm moves upwards towards the head and the upper side of the diaphragm moves towards the pelvis.

The lower side lung is supported and is more relaxed and responsive passively to the movement of the diaphragm with the breath.

The upper side is contracted thereby wringing the lung of stale air.

The pose relaxes the parasympathetic nervous system and facilitates cleansing of the lungs. It is reputed to assist in changing sleeping habits if one has a tendency to lie on one side more than the other.

 

	Aphorism 46. Posture is that which is firm and pleasant. – Translation of Patanjali Sutra by Yoganada

Bibliography:

Leslie Kaminoff – Yoga Anatomy

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-mythology-behind-anantasana-vishnus-couch

http://www.yogajournal.com/article/practice-section/vishnu-s-repose/

http://www.yogananda.com.au/patanjali/yoga_sutras02.html#two

Asana Practice

POSE OF THE WEEK

 MUDRA INVERSION

Viparita Karani

Pronounced: Vip-par-ee-tar car-ARN-ee

Sanskrit Meaning:

• Viparita = turned, reversed, inverted
• Karani = does, s/he who does

The name comes from the Sanskrit words viparita meaning “inverted” or “reversed”, and karani meaning “doing” or “making” and asana (आसन; āsana) meaning “posture” or “seat”(1)

Viparita Karani is the practice in which the pose is upside down. In Hatha Yoga viparita karani is also known as a mudra this means its purpose is for reversing the natural gravitational downward flow of energy upwards within the body. It revitalizes and expands the awareness. This pose assists in balancing the flow of breath equally through the nostrils & nadi and balances the energies of each chakra. This use of the pose differs from an asana which are used in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika to create stretching, settling, softness and steadiness for the purposes of coming into a meditative stillness.

The myth about Viparita Karani starts with a female child named ‘Ganga’who dwelt in the heavens with her family. She was naturally unruly, restless by nature with a tempestuous spirit.

The legend goes that upon the arrival of a great and illustrious Sage in her family home a wind arose that whipped around him, leaving him naked as his robes flew far with the tumultuous winds…. Ganga was highly amused by this and laughed outright at the Great and now naked Sage… The Great Sage was less amused with Ganga than the wind and as a reprimand for her mirth banished her to live life upon the earth. Although she did not understand it this was Ganga’s Dharma – her purpose. In this it is opportune and is the way each of us is given ‘strife’ to know change for the greater good.

In a fit of passionate temper Ganga began to throw herself upon the earth as the beautiful waterway known as Mother Ganga or the Ganges.

The Sage knowing Ganga’s temperament realised that the force with which she was pouring herself upon the earth would cause harm, and so bound her energy in the turban he wore; gradually slowing her fall from a passionate rush to the gently falling waters from heaven. Entering through the soles, you feel her energy in this mudra Viparita Karani first on the soles of your feet where she is now flowing gently. Cooled in herself and calming in her touch. She swirls her energy down around the feet and ankles purifying as she goes – her passion replaced with the balm of gentle purificative energy, swirling and massaging down the legs. She lingers cooling and cleansing and purifying through the thighs, hips, pelvis and belly her essence calming everywhere it touches. Swirling now around the chest the spine the shoulders and arms and hands, eddying through the neck and around the spine, bathing and massaging around each vertebrae and then to the heart and finally the head where the mind is cleansed, calmed and cooled. Pooling into the third eye. She is now a deep abiding nourishing and supportive ‘Mother’. You are completely bathed in Ganga’s water energy in Viprita Karani.Flowing through you from feet to crown.

Physically this is the link between the buy-ness of life Shiva and the calmness we need Shakti to ‘live in abundance’. The imagery and the change created by reversing the energy flow enhances the body’s ability to balance itself. If you are to physically enter the Ganges you do it ‘feet’ first.

To Move Into The Pose

Lie on the back.

Legs and feet together

Hands and palms beside the body face down.

Relax the whole body.

Bend knees and lift feet off the floor.

Gently swing the legs over the torso and head.

Push down, bracing the pose with the arms.

Using the abs, roll the spine up from the tailbone off the floor and support it with the hands, elbows bent.

The weight of the body rests on the upper thoracic region of the torso.

The chin is relaxed not tucked tightly.

Close the eyes.

Like Lord Vishnu’s Couch this pose is one to savor, not to rush!

There are variations & modifications for this pose

Anatomy of the Pose

This is a symmetrical pose – it can be an asana or a mudra.

The legs:

Contracting are the knee extensors, hamstrings, glutes and adductors (vastii,gluteus maximus, adductor magnus, gracillis, semitendonosus, semimembranosus, biceps femorus).

The back:

Active spinal extensors (internal obliques, quadrates lumborum).

The abdomen/pelvis:

Active are the abdominal wall and core ( rectus abdominus, obliques, transverse abdominus, psoas major and minor ).

Shoulders and upper body:

Shoulder joint group, upper arm and elbow and forearm. (rhomboids, levator scapulae, rotator cuff group, triceps brachii, teres major, posterior deltoid, biceps brachii, brachialis, wrist flexors).

Physiology of the Pose

Aphorism 46. Posture is that which is firm and pleasant. – Translation of Patanjali Sutra by Yoganada

In this pose the weight of the legs creates extension of the spine, bringing blood flow to the spine. The abs. are active with the inversion affecting the abdominal organs which assists in cleansing and elimination. The compression of the lungs for some practitioners will limit the length of time they can maintain the pose. As the pose is practiced the musculature provides more support enabling breathing to become easier.

Bibliography:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viparita_Karani
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K51Q7QNdnE8
3. APMB, (2013) Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Yoga Publications Trust, Mungar, Bihar, India
4. Leslie Kaminoff – Yoga Anatomy

Copyright © 2016 Susan Pryor The Red Thread & Mala Media Publishing