#27 Dandayamna Bharmanasana – Balancing Table Pose

(LONDON) por Paula Tooths

When choosing to take up yoga, it is important to curb your enthusiasm a little and perform the beginners’ poses before rushing head on into the more complicated ones. The beginners’ poses will help condition your body to be able to perform the more complicated ones, thereby reducing any chances of suffering from some serious ligament or muscle tissue damage.

“The soul–which I’m defining as our capacity for these deeply positive human qualities–is something that, in most of us, desperately needs to be developed. Too many of us live in a fractured state, deeply divided against ourselves–often far more so than we are aware of or able to feel. We exist in a self-generated vacuum of moral ambiguity, where everything is relative and our attention is focused mainly on our emotional state. Most of us know a lot more about what really matters than we are willing to live up to. Indeed, we are attracted to that which is beautiful, profound, and meaningful but find ourselves lacking the soul strength to really struggle, to engage in a life-and-death wrestling match with our own division, cynicism, and inertia. The awful truth is that it is just easier for us not to care that much. In order to care that much, we have to be willing to feel a connection with life that is so deep that it hurts. We have to be ready to step onto the field of our own experience in a way that is authentic, unconditional, and deeply committed–to embrace a kind of fearless vulnerability where our transparency is our strength and the living experience of connection is permanent, unbroken, and inescapable.” ∞ Andrew Cohen

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Steps:

1. We start on all four, with the knees directly under the hips and the hands under the shoulders. We spread the fingers and press on the web area between the thumbs and the index fingers to avoid unnecessary pressure on the wrist.

2. Inhale and extend the right leg up parallel to the floor, reaching the toes towards the back wall.

3. Exhale and gently draw the navel in towards the spine, finding stability by looking between your thumbs.

4. On the next inhale, extend the left arm up parallel to the ground. Lengthen from the toes to the finger tips.

5. Hold for 5 breaths, breathing slowly and deeply. Then to come out of the pose, exhale as you bring the left arm on the mat and lower the right knee back down.

– Repeat on the other side.

Come to rest in child’s pose.

Benefits:

  • It benefits the spine, balance, memory and concentration.
  • This pose builds abdominal and lower back strength. It warms the body and brings flexibility to the spine, shoulders, and hips, while gently stretching the torso. Because of the balancing challenge, this pose also helps to improve focus, coordination, and overall physical equilibrium. When you coordinate your movement with your breath, the pose also helps to relieve stress, fatigue, and tension.

Caution:

  • If you have problems with your knees, you might find it difficult to stay in the pose for a few breaths. Try placing a folded blanket or some sort of padding under the knee to reduce pressure.
  • Do not practice this pose if you have a recent or chronic injury to the knees, back, arms, wrists, or shoulders.

Hope you enjoyed!

See you tomorrow!!

Namaste

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