Parivritta Parsvakonasana

Me demonstrating a modification of Parivritta Parsvakonasana

Full posture demonstrated professionally

Sanskrit name: Parivritta Parsvakonasana

Translation/Meaning: Revolved Side Angle Pose

English name: Revolved Side Angle Pose

Critical elements of Parivritta Parsvakonasana:

1. Step back 3-4 feet with your left foot and place your left thigh and top of the foot on the ground (straight forward).
   
2. Keeping your left foot and thigh on the ground, slowly begin to lounge until your right thigh is parallel with the ground. Be sure to keep your knee in line with your second toe. Make sure that your front foot is straight forward as well.
   
3. When you are steady, come up onto your left toe mounds by raising your thigh off the ground, and make your back foot straight. Have a strong back leg; and reach your heel down to the ground.
   
4. Inhale to lengthen and exhale to twist to the right bringing your left hand on the ground next to the outside of your right foot.
   
5. Keep your left arm straight and push your hand into the Earth. Make sure that your back leg is strong and you are engaging your quadriceps.
   
6. Take your right hand and reach it up and over your head (towards the center of the room). Have strong arms and fingers.
   
7. Open up your heart center and open up your shoulders.
   
8. Slowly take your gaze up if you're steady.
9. Take your gaze down and bring your right hand down.
   
10. Exhale to release from the twist and place your hands near the side of your body.
    
11. Engage the quadriceps to step the back leg forward.
12. Repeat steps 1-10 on the other leg.
13. Come back into Tadasana
    

Benefits/Effects of Parivritta Parsvakonasana:

• Parivritta Parsvakonasana has many benefits. It greatly increases the flexibility in the hips and lower back. It also lengthens the leg and back muscles. Parivritta Parsvakonasana is a stabilizing exercise that strengthens your legs and helps to prevent injury. Parivritta Parsvakonasana includes a twist which can greatly benefit you. The twisting motion increases mobility in the vertebral column, massages internal organs, tones your back, and aids in moving material through the digestive system. It also helps to maintain or restore the normal spinal rotation. This twist extends the spine and strengthens the individual muscles and ligaments that connect each vertebra.

Awareness:

• In Parivritta Parsvakonasana, I feel reladed. My heart center feels very open and my back is getting a good stretch. I like the feeling of having an open heart center because all day I'm always slouching. I also feel pretty stable in this pose because my hands are pushing together in prayer position. Also, when I am in prayer position I always feel a sense of calmness. But, when I'm in this pose, I need to focus on my back foot. I need to breathe into it to release my heel down to the ground. The twist in this pose stretches and lengthens my back. It feels like it is releasing the tense feelings there which is nice. My legs are also getting a good stretch because of the lounge. Because of soccer, my legs are normally tight so I really like how this pose gives stretches me.
  

References:

http://www.houseoflucas.com/rob/new%20site/asanas/p_parsvakonasana.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSwl1OBVXHc&feature=PlayList&p=AE7AAF5DBF9A87CF&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=28

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ENPFuuMEM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu9Sq1RvuoA

http://www.vancouveryoga.com/asana_prayertwist.html

http://heart-of-yoga.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html

http://www.yogawiz.com/blog/yoga-benefits/twist-yoga-poses.html