7 - Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana, Downward Dog: "Exhale as you push the hips up. Lengthen the spine from your sacrum through the top of your head. Press the heels toward the floor and lift the kneecaps. Gaze at your navel. Engage the bandhas and remain here for five deep breaths." David Swenson, Practice Manual

Drishti is a point of gaze or focus, yet it has little to do with our physical sight. The real "looking" is directed internally. Directing the attention...

To complete the sun salutation A, you do Uttasana A and B -8 & 9, Urdhva Vrksasana -10, and Samasthiti  -11. This takes 15 breaths. See what we all can accomplish in 15 breaths. Amazing isn't it?

5 - Chaturanga Dandasana

Chaturanga dandasana/ four-limbed staff pose is still part of the surya namaskars/ sun salutations  in ashtanga yoga. Use your full exhale from uttasana b to come to this pose with ujjayi breathing. You can jump back, walk with small steps, or walk in two big steps, it looks like the push up, but your forearms should not go away from your body, inside the elbows should be towards where your eyes are looking. And ends of each finger should touch the ground firmly.  You are still exhaling by the way. Bring the chest down, dristhi / the gaze is at the nose. If you do not have enough strength in your arms put your knees down when you start this pose, in time you will build enough strength. With the inhale and rolling over the toes you will come into urdhva mukha svanasana/ upward facing dog. Let the breath lead you, if you think or do not follow the breath, you will realize that you become tired much more quickly... So just let the breath lead you, seriously you do not need to do anything else, ah and of course engage your bandhas always and ever. 

Have a good practice all the yogis and yoginis!

3 & 4 - Uttasana A and B

Uttasana A./ standing forward bend. Exhale with ujjayi breathing and the dristhi, in other words the gaze should be at the tip of the nose. And with Uttasana B, look at the horizon,  straighten your back and you are ready for the next pose, chaturanga dandasana/ four limbed staff pose...


Just got to Izmir today. The tatata tititi of my tiny luggage, the airports, the cars, the flight attendances... Letting go is the key for coping nowadays, we do not have any control, none at all...Sigh..