Hen Canine Pose (Parsva Balasana) is probably not one in every of yoga’s hottest poses, however this humble asana confers a shocking variety of advantages. Simply guessing, however its English identify means that it was added to the asana canon someday throughout Britain’s occupation of India. It’s been a worthy addition. A number of years in the past, throughout my asana follow, I developed a vinyasa-type move that begins with Hen Canine Pose. As the muse of a Hen Canine Stream, Parsva Balasana’s prospects are nearly limitless.

On this submit, I’ll embrace photographs and temporary descriptions of every pose. There are already posts describing the primary two poses within the Hugger Mugger weblog. I’ll add hyperlinks to provide you extra element. There are normal directions for the final three poses. However first, a reminder of the advantages of Hen Canine Pose.

Hen Canine Advantages

Right here’s why Hen Canine Pose must be part of your common asana routine:

• strengthens and stabilizes the core.
• stabilizes the low again.
• challenges, and due to this fact will increase, your means to stability.
• could promote stability between the best and left lobes of your mind via the contralateral relationships between the legs and arms.
• a core strengthener that’s simpler in your again than crunches or sit-ups.

How one can Follow Hen Canine Stream

• Start on palms and knees in Tabletop Pose (Bharmanasana) on a Yoga Mat. You may need to place a folded Yoga Blanket underneath your knees. In Hen Canine Stream, you’ll be spending quite a lot of time on one knee!
• Take just a few breaths to settle into the pose.

Hen Canine Pose (Photograph at Prime)

• Stretch your left leg again behind you.
• In case your stability feels secure, stretch your proper arm ahead.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.

Hen Canine Variation

• Bend your left knee and attain your proper hand again towards your left foot.
• Both grab your left foot, or in case your hand doesn’t attain, merely prolong your proper hand and left foot towards each other.
• Take 3 to five breaths.

Aspect Plank Variation (Parsva Phalakasana)

• Launch the maintain of your left foot and return to Hen Canine Pose.
• Supported by your proper knee on the ground, rotate your physique to the best so that you simply’re dealing with straight forward, inserting your proper hand on the ground. Now you’re supported by your proper hand and proper knee.
• Lengthen your left arm out together with your higher arm near your ear.
• Attain your left foot down into the ground to stretch your complete left facet.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.

Aspect Plank with Leg Carry

• Now elevate your left leg up in order that it’s roughly parallel to the ground.
• Proceed to stretch your left arm out as you stretch your leg in the other way.
• In case your stability feels shaky, flip your proper toes underneath. That may create a bit extra stability.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.

Add a Backbend to Aspect Plank Pose

• Bend your left knee.
• Attain your left hand again and grab the left foot.
• Press your left foot into your hand to stretch the entrance of the shoulder and chest.
• Take 3 to five breaths right here.
• Return to Tabletop Pose.
• Calm down for just a few breaths in Baby’s Pose (Balasana) earlier than practising Hen Canine Stream on the opposite facet.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Follow and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third e book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and people sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards.