Poses >> Bharadvajasana II

Teacher Claire Hartley

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Bharadvajasana II (Bharadvaja’s Twist)
  1. Sit in dandasana (Staff Pose) with the legs straight and the front and back torso lifted.
  2. Bend your left knee, placing your left hand on top of the knee, then hook your left fingers into the crease behind the knee. Use your right hand and grab the front of the shin and place it on the floor beside the right hip in ardha virasana (Half Hero’s Pose), then slide your fingers out of the knee crease, creating some space behind the knee. If you tip to the side and are unable to root the left sit bone to the floor, then place a folded blanket underneath the right sit bone to balance the pelvic floor.
  3. Pick the right leg up with the hand in the inner knee and bring the heel up to the belly button while keeping the right hand behind the knee, as you did on the left side. Draw the top of the foot into the hip crease on the left side and then slide the hand out of the back of the knee. If the knee hovers above the floor then support it with a blanket.
  4. Press the left shin and ankle into the floor to ground the pelvis and lift all four sides of the torso up evenly on an inhale.
  5. Exhale and take the right hand around the back, using the left arm to aid the wrap and grab the big toe. Press the back of the left hand into the side of the right thigh. You are now ready to deepen the pose. At any time you feel pain in the right knee, come out of the pose slowly and straighten the legs.
  6. As you turn on each exhale looking over the right shoulder be sure to lengthen both sides of the waist evenly and press the shoulder blades deeply into the back as you lift the front and back body. Stay for 5 to 10 breaths.
  7. To release, turn the hold to look forward and straighten the spine. Release the right knee up to the ceiling and straighten the leg; then take the left knee into the midline of the body and then back to dandansana.

Repeat on the second side.

Video and Text by Featured Yogamates Teacher: Claire Hartley
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