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Adho Muka Virasana, Beginning Child’s Pose , Child’s Fold with Acupressure Release – Image
Tips for Mind Body Power: Child’s Fold is a gentle, safe way to perform Child’s Pose, adding additional release to the calming nature of the pose through the use of acupressure. I would recommend you try this methodology of performance for your first practice. The acupressure release is worth it!
Technique: From the arced upper back position of Sphinx, use your arms to lift your body upright to sit down upon your shin bones for Beginning Child’s Pose, Child’s Fold.
Seated on your shin bones, spread the legs, knees slightly apart, toes touching. This position allows a comfortable way to bend forward without placing pressure on your lower back.
Bend your upper body forward, lifting the tail bone slightly to keep the lumbar spine in the normal curvature, and put your weight on your elbows on the floor in front of you, forearms across your mat with your hands lightly clasping each elbow. Pressing the shoulders down away from the ears, allow your head to fold forward. Breathe.
Tips for Mind Body Power: This is a wonderful release to the head/neck area of the body. As you relax therein, you will find peace in your breathing. Breath becomes slower, deeper. With the head down, suspended, the throat relaxes, not interfering with nor controlling your breath. Your belly moves easily, which feels good. Relax for as long as you like in this folded position.
When you are ready, add the acupressure to the pose.
Child’s Fold Acupressure Routine: – Image
From the position in Child’s Fold, seated on slightly spread legs, tail bone lifted, head folded down, weight placed on elbows/forearms, lift your forearms from the floor, directing them upwards towards your head so that you may use your hands for acupressure. Place pressure on your face, as follows:
Eyes: Image – Use your palms to cradle your eye sockets, placing pressure on the bones above and below the eyes without touching or pushing into the eyeball itself. This eases the muscles there, rests the eyes, and is good for vision.
Cheekbones: Image – Use your palms to press up underneath your cheekbones, holding your weight on your palms. Pressing into your lower palms, turn your palms from side to side, moving from your inner face to outer face, massaging and releasing the muscles along the cheekbone. This feels good and will help you with your sinuses.
Jawbone: Image – Next move the palms of your hands to the jawbone, and press into the jaw socket, extending the fingers upwards to gently touch the area of your temples. The release to the jaw when these muscles are tightened is incredible and the gentle touching of the tender temple area is comforting.
When you have completed this sequence: palming the eye, palming the cheek, palming the jaw, use your hands to bring your body to an upright seated position. Spend a moment to enjoy the relaxation you feel in the areas of your face, your head and your neck.
If you have no issues with your back, you perform the full pose as follows:
Adho Muka Virasana, Child’s Pose, full posture, arms forward: – Image
Technique: Separate the bent knees wide apart, keeping the big toes touching (forming a v shape of the legs). Lean the upper body forwards, stretching between your legs, placing your forehead on the floor. The pelvis moves forward, the tail bone comes up, to protect the lower back. Reach the arms forward to extend beside the head.
Tips for Mind Body Power: This position gives the back of the body a comfortable stretch and is extremely relaxing. Rest in this position, breathing, letting go. Breath is easy here, plus there is a sense of peace to this pose that you will enjoy. This pose relaxes the nervous system. Forward bends, especially supported ones, are very beneficial to letting go of upper body mental and emotional distress.
Come out of Child’s Pose by using the hands to walk your body back into an upright position. Sit again on the shin bones, on the feet, to do the final stretch, Virasana Twist.
Virasana Twist – Image
Technique: Begin Virasana Twist by sitting down on your feet, your shins, in a pose called Virasana.
On an inhalation, lift, meaning extend, the torso away from the legs.
On an exhalation, slowly turn the body towards the right. Reach across the knees with the left arm, placing the back of the left hand on the outer right thigh. Extend the right arm down, slightly behind the right buttock. The head turns to the right, looking over the right shoulder.
Repeat the twist, going towards the left: right hand reaching across, left hand reaching back, head turning to look over the left shoulder.
Gem/Synergy, Virasana Twist:
Virasana Twist helps us in many ways. The seated nature of the posture is very grounding. Begin there in your focus. Before you start the movement of the twist, in your mind’s eye place your focus into your navel area. Watch the navel rise with your inhalation, fall with your exhalation. Sitting, breathing, focused in the navel, ground your energy into the earth. Image the earth beneath you, the foundation you have, the connection which sustains your physical life.
In any seated twist the first movement is to lift the torso, lengthening the spine. As you lift your torso upwards, in your mind’s eye see the energy of the heart traveling through the bridge of the neck to reach the crown. Open your crown to receive the energy of the heavens.
Grounded in the earth, reaching to the heavens, this is the essence in this pose. The twist that you make allows you to move through, alter, and release any blockage you have created within the pathway between these two powerful life forces.
Close of Sequence – you are now ready for Savasana.