“Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached.” 

Y.S. 2.47Just when you thought your Triangle Pose was looking pretty good, here comes Bound Triangle; which is Triangle on steroids.

As one of my philosophy teachers used to say: “In an ever expanding universe, there is always more.”

Four Stages to Bound Triangle

1. Elongating the Torso

2. Shoulders are part of you back, not part of your neck.

3. Lengthening the Hamstrings

4. Binding – When the Effort becomes Effortless

This week we will work on Elongating the Torso

It is important to have good hip and shoulder mobility so that we move at the big joints first. If our hips or shoulders are restricted, then our spines will be forced to compensate. Yoga is primarily about learning to extend the spine, creating space between the vertebrae.So much of our life is spent shortening our spine as we hunch over steering wheels, smart phones and computers. Life can also be difficult so we further round our shoulders in a posture of protection. We often live in fear: of being taken advantage of, of looking foolish, of not being prepared. It is no wonder that we often can’t sit up straight and throw our shoulders back.We will work on this in class with a shoulder harness on. I have been doing this for the last week or so. It is a good stretch and warm up for any pose, but it is a particularly good body blueprint for binds which often cause us to shorten our spines.Next week:Shoulders are part of your back, not your neck