“Without community there is no liberation.” – Audre Lorde
Weekly Focus: Kula (community)
Kula is our community. Surrounding ourselves with a trusting, loving community encourages support and resilience through the seasons of life.
Transitional seasons such as Autumn can sometimes leave us feeling raw, bare or exposed. Emotions may seem erratic; there can be a sense of sadness, withdrawal, or fatigue. Yoga reminds us that building a strong sense of community, or Kula, can help to lift us from these moments of darkness.
Consider the people in your life who lighten your spirit. Who makes you feel at home with yourself? Who makes you feel at ease? Who is able to shift your mood and your mindset just by their very presence? These are the people that we turn to in community when life feels off-kilter. Time alone is important to process our feelings but too much time alone can throw off our balance.
This week we focus on surrounding ourselves with those that make us feel warm, genuine, and inspired. We build a home within our community and invite in the kindness and support of those we love most.
Do you tend towards community or withdrawal when you feel sad? How does the seasonal shift impact your mood or you ability to be in community? What is the impact of sharing quality space and energy with dear friends?
Passive Pose of the Week: Ardha Hanuanasana (half splits)
Ardha Hanumanasana refers to one of the many stories of Hanuman, the Hindu god, from the Ramayana. Hanuman is loyal and devoted; he uses his powers in the service of others. Kula reminds us to receive and offer support to our community.
- Begin in a tabletop position on hands and knees.
- Step your right foot forward to the top of your mat.
- Keep the right foot where it is and begin to straight the right leg, hinging at the hips. Your hips will move back to line up over your back foot.
- Fold forward to any degree trying to keep the hips lined up over the foot.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and switch sides.
Ardha Hanumanasana is a different forward fold from our standard seated forward fold. This posture is a preliminary pose for full splits, hence the separation of the legs. We often see folks drop their hips to the ground here, rather than keeping a stack of the hips over the ankle. That’s OK, but it really becomes a different pose then. With the hips higher, we can focus on driving the front heel down and forward and tractioning with the back knee by energentically pulling it back. This will create some resistance that is more similar to a full splits position and better prepare you to eventually lengthen your stance (if that is your goal!) If you are a habitual “hip-dropper” try keeping your hips lifted with these cues and see what the difference is!
Active Pose of the Week: Trikonasana (triangle pose)
Trikonasana spreads the warms wide, a welcoming and inviting gesture. Welcome the positive energy of your Kula into this pose.
- Begin in a standing Mountain pose (tadasana).
- Step your left foot book 2 – 3 ft like Warrior Two pose. Let the toes of the left foot turn towards the long edge of your yoga mat and keep the right toes pointing forward.
- Bring your arms to a “T” position.
- Inhale and reach the right hand forward towards the front of the room.
- Exhale and drop the right hand down towards the leg, a block or possibly the floor.
- Reach your left arm up to the ceiling. Look forward or possibly up, if that is comfortable for the neck.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and switch sides.
Everyone wants to get their bottom hand to the floor in triangle pose 🙂 Here’s the deal though: not all body proportions will accommodate that position AND capture the essence of the pose. Trikonasana is a lateral hip hinge, a hip opener, and a side stretch. Sometimes when we strive to get to the floor, we end up in more of a forward fold with flexion in the spine and a closing of the hips. While this is neither unsafe or problematic, it doesn’t capture the essence of what we seek in trikonasana. A block under the hand allows us to push down and become more spacious, while manipulating the position of the hips. Your block can go rightin front of the leg, it can go behind the leg, it can go forward slightly and on a diagonal. Play around with the position of the block that allows you to feel the hips opening and getting more spacious!
Join us in class this week to consider your Kula. See the full schedule HERE.
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