Featured Sequence: Challenging Balance Practice

by Baxter

Last May I offered up an Easy Balance Practice for you to play with in your home practice. Since then, I have continued to study the subject of balance and have come across a recurring theme in non-yoga fields, such as sports medicine and biomechanics, which is the importance of variability. It seems that it is very important for maintaining and improving balance to change up the way you do balance activities as a way to keep your brain and body in sync. Changing up the way you do balance activities can come in the form of extending the time you hold a balance pose or in changing your body position a bit from the typical way you might do a pose. I was so intrigued by the concept of variability, I decided to try and invent a new balance pose each week of 2015: so far, 3 new balance poses! I will share those with you in a future post!

However, for today, I’d like to simply take a step forward from Easy Balance Sequence. In this Challenging Balance Practice, I will stick to some tried and true yoga asana, but I will occasionally suggest slight variations that will increase the challenge of the pose. So let’s dive in.

Challenging Balance Practice

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana) to Arms Overhead Pose (Urdva Hastasana), with heels lifted

Start in Mountain Pose with a block between your thighs, on its narrow or middle width, depending on which one allows your feet to be about hips-distance apart. Squeeze the block with your inner leg muscles and become more aware of the soles of your feet on the floor, getting the right amount of squeeze to bring a sense of evenness to the inner and outer edges of your feet. Maintain the pose for about 16 breaths.

Then, grab a second block and place that between your hands, leaving the first block to use between your thighs. Now, with the first block between your thighs and a second block between your hands, come back into a strong Mountain pose. Then, on an inhalation, take your arms overhead into Arms Overhead pose with the block firmly held between your hands. Now the fun begins. Keeping your weight evenly across the balls of both feet, lift your heels 2-3 inches off the floor and maintain that position while breathing appropriately. Keep your gaze forward and slight ly down, fixing it on something that will not move. See how long you can stay up before you lose your balance, fatigue your legs muscles, or feel too wobbly in your ankles. Then come down, bringing your arms down as well. Repeat one more time, seeing if you can match the amount of time you achieved the first time. Over the course of several weeks, try to hold the pose a bit longer each practice.

2. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

In the Easy Balance Practice, I had you practice with a wall just behind your back so you could lean back against it if you started to lose your balance. Today, I want you to start working further away from the wall or in the center of the room. When you do come up into the Tree pose, start with your arms out to your sides, as in Warrior 2 pose. Once you get steady there, take your arms directly overhead. See how long you can remain relatively steady before coming down with a sense of control. Repeat on the second side.

To add a challenge, try Tree pose with a block between your hands and take your arms up and overhead. Also, gradually advance the amount of time you spend in the pose as you get better at it.

3. Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

In the Easy Balance Practice, I had you do Triangle pose. The standing poses have a definite balancing component to them, even though both feet are on the ground. Today, let’s try a version of the Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana) where you are depending on just two limbs, your legs, to keep you balanced, instead of there. For the basic instructions on Extended Side Angle pose, see http://yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot.com/2014/11/featured-pose-extended-side-angle.html.

For this practice, instead of bringing your bottom hand to a block or the floor, place your bottom elbow on the top of your front leg thigh near the knee. Press down lightly with that arm into the leg, and let your legs do most of the work keeping you in the pose. See how long you can stay before your muscles begin to fatigue or your balance becomes wobbly and then exit as smoothly as you can. Repeat to the second side, noticing if one side is easy on your balance than the other. Do a short Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) after the second side, maybe 30 seconds, as a counter pose to side angle.  

4. Warrior 3 (Virabradrasana 3)

As a quick review, in our last sequence, I had you working on Warrior 3 at the Wall . To take it to the next step, I’d like you to work towards Warrior 3 away from the wall, starting with arms by yours sides reaching towards your lifted foot.

Once that version gets easy, advance to taking your arms out to your sides.

Finally, you can work toward the full pose, reaching forward with your arms.

Usually each variation becomes a bit more challenging for the balance. For all the details, see (Featured Pose: Warrior 3 ).

After you have tried this pose on each side, take a short Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) as a nice counter-pose. Then, from the forward bend, bend your knees, drop your hips into a brief squat, and then sit down on your mat.  

5. Full Boat Pose (Navasana)

Start by sitting with your legs extended straight in front of you. Then, as you did in the Easy Balance Sequence, move into Full Boat Pose by quickly cycling through variations 1, 2, and 3 to the place where you are balancing on your lower sacrum and buttocks muscles, your arms are reaching forward and your legs floating with the shins parallel with the floor.

To take it to the next level, begin to straighten your legs, with your big toes lined up in front of or just higher than the level of your eyes.

Maintain the full pose for 6-10 breaths or longer. Then come out of the pose, rest for a moment, and repeat one more time. To challenge yourself, vary the position of your arms, gradually bringing them up overhead as in Warrior 1 pose.

6. Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana)

We have written a bit about the use of Side Angle Pose recently as it pertains to scoliosis (see Side Plank Pose (Vasithasana) ) So, follow Nina’s fine instructions on getting into Side Plank Plank pose by starting in Downward Facing Dog, swinging forward into High Plank pose, and then shifting into Side Plank pose.

However, for this sequence, instead of lifting or lowering your ribs or hips, make your body one long line from your feet to the crown of your head. Try it initially with your feet one in front of the other, and work towards the more challenging variation where your feet are stacked one on top of the other. Because this requires a lot of upper body strength in addition to balance, initially stay for shorter periods of time, maybe just a few breaths, and gradually work your way to longer holds. Try it on each side twice. 

7. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Take a well-deserved rest in Child’s Pose for up to 2 minutes, and move your fingers and wrists around to release any excess tension there.

8. Relaxation Pose (Savasana)

As you rest in Savasana, ideally for 5 to 10 minutes, pay attention to feeling the more subtle balance of your body lying on the floor, establishing an even balance between your shoulder blades, the back of your pelvis, the backs of your legs and arms, and the back of your head. Notice the areas of the body where you can still feel the residual effects of the poses you worked on today. Finally, let go of whatever judgments around success or failure may have come up with the challenge of balancing poses, and instead let your attention follow the easy movement of your breath for several minutes. 

I hope you enjoy this sequence. Regular practice will help you maintain and improve your balance.

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Featured Sequence: Easy Balance Practice

by Baxter

As we have talked about many times here at YFHA, balance is one of the key physical skills to cultivate as we age. As Shari said in Nina's interview with her about aging and balance:

“ …if we can’t balance, we fall and break bones or hurt ourselves in different ways. Twenty percent of all Americans have balance issues, and falls are a public health catastrophe. They send people to hospitals and may require costly surgeries and months of pain, suffering, and hard work to try to regain prior levels of functional independence. 

In addition, if we are afraid to move because we fear falling, this fear affects every aspect of our lives and starts the spiral of further decline and illness. People who fall are afraid of exercise and movement because of the anticipation of future falls. But if you don’t use your physical body the decline is unrelenting.”

The good news it that balance is a skill you can practice and improve if you do a home practice regularly. The following sequence is the first of two that I will share with you to help you on your way to better balance. If you have poor balance already or have recently taken a fall secondary to losing your balance, I recommend working close to a wall that is behind your back. That way you can easily lean back against the wall if you feel like you are losing your balance.

Easy Balance Sequence

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana): You might say, “Hey, this is not very balancey.” But Mountain pose is the foundation of all standing pose work, so it is good place to begin. Start with Mountain pose with a block on its narrowest side between your thighs and your feet set so you feel a nice squeeze of your inner leg muscles against the block. Stand for 60-90 seconds with your legs actively squeezing the block. This will strengthen your inner thigh muscles in addition to working all of the standing muscles in your legs. Then repeat the pose without the block. When working without the block, try to feel evenly balanced on the ball and heel of the foot, the inner and outer edges of the foot.

2. Mountain Pose with Arms Overhead and Heels Lifted (Urdhva Hastasana): Starting in Mountain pose, bring your arms slowly out to the sides and up until your arms are overhead alongside your ears.

To make it more of a balance pose, try coming up onto to the balls of your feet, lifting your heels just a few inches off the floor. Try to stay as even side-to-side on the balls of your feet as you can for a few seconds, and then lower your arms and heels back to the earth. Repeat one or two more times, focusing on getting steadier each time. If you are feeling particularly off balance, try facing the wall with your feet just a few inches from the wall and rest your fingertips on the wall overhead as you lift you heels.

3. Hunting Dog Pose: Come down to hands and knees, trying to keep your body very steady going into the pose. Follow the instructions at Featured Pose: Hunting Dog Pose. If you feel too wobbly in the pose, keep the toes of your straight leg lightly on the floor. Stay for at least 30 seconds, but work up to 90 seconds gradually over time. As you come out of the pose, try to keep your body very steady. 

4. Warrior 1 Pose (Virbradhrasana 1): This post Featured Pose: Warrior 1 will give you the basic idea of how to do Warrior 1, but for this practice, pay close attention to the transitions into and out of the pose, making them as smooth and stable as possible. 

5. Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana): As I had you do in our Lower Body Strength Sequence, you may want to start by coming in and out Triangle pose dynamically a few times. This can really challenge your balance, so feel free to set up with your mat parallel to and up against a wall, and look toward your front hand has you go in and out of the pose, not up at the ceiling. Start with your legs apart and feet aligned as usual for Triangle pose. Inhale your arms parallel with the floor, and then exhale into Triangle pose. Inhale back up with your arms out to sides, and then exhale your arms down to your sides. Repeat six times. Then hold full Triangle for six breaths, and work on increasing your time in the pose. Repeat on second side, with the dynamic sequence as a warm up for the full static hold.

6. Tree Pose (Vkrsasana), Easy Version: If your balance is wobbly, stand with the wall just behind your back. Start in Mountain Pose with your feet a bit closer together than usual. Shift your weight onto your left leg and bend your right knee a bit, coming onto the big toe of your right foot. Swing your right knee out to the right about 45 degrees. Then slide your right foot up against the inside of your left ankle, placing your right heel just above your left ankle bone but keeping your right big toe on the ground. Press your right heel firmly into your left ankle. See if you can then take your arms out to your sides parallel with the floor. Keep your gaze relaxed and on the horizon in front of you. If you are still feeling steady, try taking your arms overhead as in Arms Overhead pose. Whichever version you do, keep your legs steady and still, and try to stay for six breaths or so, gradually working your way up to 60-90 second holds. Repeat on second side. 

For those already experienced with practicing the full version of Tree pose, feel free to do any version of the pose that you’re comfortable with. 

7. Warrior 3 Pose (Virabadhrasana 3), Easy Version: Start at the wall, coming into Half Downward-Facing Dog Pose at the Wall, as described here. As your press your hands into the wall, lift your left leg up behind you as close to parallel to the floor as you can manage while still keeping your hips relatively square. While you’re in the pose, try to lighten the touch of your finger on the wall, as you continue to keep your hips square with the floor beneath you, your bottom foot squarely on the floor, and your lifted leg strongly reaching back behind you. Try to stay for six breaths or so, gradually working up to 60-90 second holds. Repeat on second side. See Featured Pose: Warrior 3 (Wall Version) for detailed instructions on this pose.

For those already experienced with practicing the full version of Warrior 3, feel free to do any version of the pose that you’re comfortable with. 

8. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana): Come back into Mountain pose and savor having both feet back on the ground! Place your hands on your hips and, on an exhalation, begin to bend forward from your hip joints. When your pelvis won’t rotate over your upper leg bones any more, allow your spine to round gently into a full forward bend, as you release your arms toward the floor. If your hands easily make it to the floor, great. But if they fall shy of the floor, don’t force them down; instead place your hands on opposite elbows. Feel free to bend your knees a little bit if your lower back or hips feel strain or pain. Stay for 30-60 seconds. 

9. Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana): Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the floor in front of you. Hold onto the backs of your knees and rock back to balance on your buttocks with your feet just off the floor. See how long you can stay before your front thighs begin to tire. If Version 1 is easy, try Version 2, bringing your shins parallel to the floor and holding there. If Version 2 is easy, try Version 3, letting go of your knees and stretching your arms forward. Finally, if Version 3 isn’t challenging enough, try Version 4, straightening your knees so your upper and lower body forms a “V” shape. Start with six breaths and work up from there.

10. Reclining Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana): Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Keeping your knees bent, bring your legs and feet close together, and stretch your arms on the floor out to your sides in a T position. Now let both knees drop easily to your right, as close to the ground as they will go. Allow your head to turn gently to the left. Rest in this position for a minute or so, noticing any tension or fear that might have crept into your body from the challenge of your balancing poses. As you exhale, imagine releasing as much of that emotion and feeling as you can. Come back to center and repeat on the second side.

11. Relaxation Pose (Savasana): Focus today on feeling the security, stability, and safety of your entire body resting on the floor. Use any props that would make your body more comfortable (see Corpse Pose Variations). Ideally, set a timer for 10 minutes, and let your mind stay focused on the gentle flow of your relaxed inhalation and exhalation, and enjoy your relaxation pose! 

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