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Each morning I get up, slip on my boots, and stroll down the identical avenue to the identical neighborhood espresso store the place the identical baristas know my order earlier than I say it. If I wouldn’t present up for just a few days, they’d fear about me. However one morning earlier this 12 months, feeling caught and stagnant in my life, I spontaneously determined to stroll in the other way. I discovered a bit cafe I’d by no means seen the place they supplied me a drink I’d by no means heard of earlier than and proceeded to spell my title fallacious on the cup. Enchanted, I spent some time sitting there and having a dialog with a whole stranger.
On the stroll again, I felt area in my thoughts that I hadn’t skilled in awhile. And within the days that adopted, I felt creatively revived from simply that small shift.
In yoga, we often discover ourselves visiting the identical locations each day—Down Canine, Facet Angle, Pigeon Pose. We go to these postures so often that it’s simple to seek out ourselves shifting on autopilot. However what if we approached these shapes in a brand new method? How may we see them and ourselves anew by some artistic yoga transitions?
Radical thought: For those who’re craving a shift of some type in your life however don’t know the place to start, begin small.
5 Unusual Yoga Transitions Into Frequent Poses
Coming into any pose the place can turn into ordinary fairly rapidly. Some artistic entries can deter that from taking place. Strive these surprising methods to origami your method into acquainted poses on the mat and see whether or not you additionally expertise a shift off the mat.
1. Down Canine to Seated Ahead Bend
Shout out to yoga and meditation instructor Zach Beach for this surprising—and exhilarating—yoga transition that appears and feels so intuitive you might surprise why it’s no more widespread.
Methods to: Inhale in Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) as you prolong your proper leg upward in Three-Legged Canine. Exhale as you shift your weight ahead over your wrists, bend your proper knee, and draw it towards your left elbow. Straighten your proper leg and attain it towards the left aspect of the mat as should you have been coming into Fallen Triangle after which decrease your self to the mat together with your legs straight. Flip your chest to face the again of the mat, fold ahead in Wide-Angled Seated Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana), and breathe right here.
2. Standing Ahead Bend to Head to Knee Pose
I like to consider this yoga transition as swinging by to sitting.
Methods to: From Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana), inhale as you half-lift with a flat again, after which exhale as you convey extra weight into your left foot. Plant your proper hand a few foot inside your left foot as you pivot your left foot towards the again of the mat. Convey your whole weight into your left foot and permit your proper knee to bend as you swing it by the area between your proper hand and left foot as you come to a seat going through the again of the mat. Hold your proper leg straight and convey your left foot towards your proper leg, making contact with the thigh. Breathe out and in, folding ahead out of your hips in Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana). Don’t overlook to repeat on the opposite aspect.
3. Down Canine to Pigeon Pose
As you come into your most popular model of Pigeon Pose from a Determine-4 Down Canine, it helps to contemplate it “Touchdown Pigeon.”
Methods to: Begin in a Downward-Dealing with Canine and shift into Determine-4 Down Canine by bringing your proper ankle to your left thigh simply above your knee. Inhale after which as you exhale, draw your shoulders ahead over your wrists as should you have been coming into Plank. Convey your proper knee simply outdoors your proper wrist and permit your left leg to increase behind you and decrease to the mat. Make any changes wanted together with your entrance shin. Stay upright or fold ahead into Sleeping Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana).
4. Standing Ahead Bend to Facet-Angle Pose
Right here’s easy methods to construct your Facet Angle “from the basement to the roof.”
Methods to: Start in a Large-Legged Standing Ahead Bend. As you exhale, angle your proper toes towards the entrance of the mat and bend your proper knee. Permit your left foot to shift so your toes level angle towards the entrance fringe of the mat in a Warrior place. Convey your proper forearm to your proper thigh and interact your core as you prolong your left arm over your proper ear and lengthen by your aspect physique. Breathe right here. Repeat on the alternative aspect.
5. Boat Pose to Down Canine
The problem is to maintain your arms straight all the time so that you’re shifting from a “canine overboard” form to a standard Down Canine.
Methods to: Start seated in your mat within the Boat Pose (Navasana) of your alternative, legs straight or knees bent, stretching your fingers towards your ft. Convey your arms alongside your ears and switch your palms to face the ceiling. You’re in the very same V-shape as Downward-Dealing with Canine however going through the ceiling reasonably than the mat. From there, cross your ankles and maintain your arms straight as you convey your weight ahead, plant your arms and knees on the mat, uncross your shins, and flip your boat to land in Down Canine. Regulate your foot placement as wanted.
Photographs taken at Brooklyn Flow Yoga in Park Slope.
