Bharadvajasana 1 Pose of the Month

BHARADVAJASANA

A seated pose dedicated to one of the great seven sages or rishis (accomplished or enlightened beings) from the epic story of the Mahabharata.

Stage 1

Let’s start with a textbook pose:

Sit with back erect and legs straight out in front of you as in DANDASANA bend both knees so they point to the right while taking the feet to the left. Scoop up the left ankle with the sole of the right foot as shown.

Raise the left arm up, exhale and twist the trunk to the right, bring down the left-hand palm to the floor.

Take the right hand behind you to clasp the left arm and look over the left shoulder.

Maintain the pose, breathe normally and consider the ‘balance’ in the pose

On an inhalation return to the first position and repeat to the left side.

Stage 2 Bharadvajasana

Now let’s strip it back a bit:

Sit with your right side about 50cm from a wall. Now find and ground both sit bones, therefore take a block and/or blanket and ensure both buttocks have contact with the support particularly the left one.

Next see that you can really lift the spine from so it feels erect and turn on the left sit bonelike a spinning top, taking both hands to the wall.

Lengthening the diaphragm up from the belly, open up both sides of the waist and expand the chest.

Ensure the shoulders stay down away from the ears as you do this.