The Ashtanga Roll

Midway through the Ashtanga Week at Manasa, Manoj reminds students to concentrate on vinyasa (breath linked movements) and drishti (steady gaze) while in practice. He also shares some points on the right (and safe) way of attempting backrolls!

Urdhva mukha svana asana (updog)

Approaching the asana

Lie  on your stomach with the forehead down on the floor (pronation ) with the hands underneath your shoulders for beginners, or besides your chest for intermediates, and eventually by the sides of your waist
Draw the front top of your upper arms and the outer collar bones strongly upward away from the floor [...]

Virabhadrasana (Warrior 1)

Practice

Step your feet out to a nice, wide stance.
Turn your right foot out to the right, so that it is parallel to the outer edge of your mat.
Turn the left foot in as much as you have to, so that you feel the left hip in line with the right hip.  Awareness of the position [...]

Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)

Entering the pose

Step out to the right, hands shoulder height, toes pointing straightforward. Check that the hips are totally square, in one line with the front of the body. (Like the first movement of Trikonasana.)
Turn the left foot slightly inwards.  Then, with awareness, turn the right foot out parallel to the edge of  the [...]

Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III)

Becoming the warrior step by step:
From Warrior I to Warrior III

Step your feet out to a wide stance. Turn your left foot slightly in and right foot completely out, with its outer edge parallel to the edge of the mat.
Become aware of the hips and focus on squaring them – drawing your right hip [...]

Vrksasana (Tree Pose)

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Ground evenly through the four corners of each foot.
Now draw the inner legs upward strongly towards the groins while simultaneously lengthening down through the outer legs.
Keep the shoulder blades firmly drawn into the back ribs.
Keeping your hands by the hips, look down to see the line of the [...]

Uttanasan

Feet hip-width, and pointing straight forward.
Clasp the elbows, stretch up and exhaling, fold down from the hips, with the knees slightly bent.
Look at the feet; spread the toes open. Be aware of the four corners of each foot; evenly grounded on earth.

THINK – When you bend over, what is happening? We are all born of [...]

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

Doing the downward facing dog, step by step:

Come to your hands and knees; wrists under the shoulders, with their creases parallel. Spread the fingers wide and ground the fingers, palms and the heels of the hands, into the mat.
With the feet hip-width, take the knees back 2 short steps, curl the toes, and lift [...]