Setting Boundaries to Increase Freedom

If you teach or are formally learning yoga particularly Ashtanga, you would definitely have come across what is referred to as the “8 limbs” which can be thought of as a sequence guiding us from the outer to the inner self, defining our transition towards a meaningful and purposeful life.

I’m not going to go through the entire process here but suffice it to say that the first course of action is to set boundaries (1st limb - yamas) in order to achieve freedom (8th limb - samadhi). This concept of exercising restraint to liberate one’s self may seem contradictory, but certainly makes a whole lot of sense when we apply it to smaller tasks such as practicing a specific asana.

Parsvottanasana is one of those postures that may seem simple but in fact hard to do correctly. In the quest to fold deeper for instance, most people forego correctly levelling the hips and keeping knees straight not realising that squaring the body first (setting limits) will in fact, provide the feet a much steadier foundation that will also allow the upper body more leverage to lengthen forward and down (freedom).

In my Pyramid Split variation here, which is a hybrid between Pyramid Pose and Full Front Split, I adopted a much wider stance to allow my forearms to ground. This modification not only demands more of the legs particularly the inner thighs but also force the pelvic floor muscles and the core to fully activate to prevent collapsing. Make sure to flatten both feet and lift the kneecaps up to also lengthen the shins.

Try it if you haven’t found your Hanumanasa - or even if you already have - to build strength and flexibility on your hips and legs.

Wearing: Rising Lotus Macrame Bra in Grape
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