Monday, November 12, 2007

Revolved, not shaken

Some time ago, my local yoga teacher asked the class to name their favorite pose, the one pose we would do if we could do only one yoga pose.

Many people named Downward Facing Dog as the one.



It’s a great pose, so I can understand. The shoulders open. The spine lengthens. The head and neck point down, bringing some of the same benefits as an inversion like headstand.

It’s certainly on my top ten list. Maybe even my top five.

But my “one pose,” the one I couldn’t do without, is Parivrtta Trikonasana: Revolved Triangle Pose.

I love twists. This is a twist. They lengthen and massage the spine. I love that. But it’s also a standing twist, and so requires some attention to balance. Standing poses are foundational, creating a sense of stability. Twists do their lovely work of opening and massaging. Stability and opening. Attention and concentration. That’s what I can’t do without.

Plus I kind of like the sound of it. Parivrtta. Trikonasana. Especially the "vrtta" part.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hate that pose. Really can't stand it at all. It kicks my butt every time. If I was actually writing on my blog, I'd write a post and put it at the top of my most hated yoga poses. instead, i drop in your post and disagree with you. :)

dhawhee said...

oh, yes, i love that pose! if there were such a thing as twisted downward dog, i would do that too.