This pose is named after an ambitious king who became a sage by a lot of hard work. This pose is a variation of Vasisthasana, who was the sage that king Visvamitra was trying to outdo. The yoga pose reflects the story behind it; Visvamitrasana is a much harder posture than Vasisthasana, better known as Side Plank. This posture incorporates the elements of a standing pose (think Hand to Big Toe Pose), an arm balance (Side Plank), a big side stretch (Gate Pose), a big twist (Revolved Seated Tree) and a major hamstring stretch (Split). Don’t look at that list and get intimidated. It just means that we will work on all of those elements, bit by bit, to get to the final pose. There are also many variations, options for props and entry level versions on the way. We will just take it one step at a time and warm up to the final pose. As we work on Visvamitrasana this month, remember: “It’s nice to have and end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” – Ursula LeGuin.
I can’t wait to get started! I’ll see you in class. Karin