How-To

1. The first thing you want to do, is stand in Tadasana. After you’re in perfect position, make your way into Adho Mukha Svanasana. From here, bring your right leg forward so that your toes are between both your hands, making you in a low lunge position. Make sure that right knee is bent at a 90 degree angle, enough for your calf and thigh to be parallel to the floor. Now, you can drop your left knee down, so that your shin to your toes are flat on the floor. You can now shift yourself so that you’re upright with your back straight, and just keep your hands at your side.

2. Next part to this, is to extend your arms straight up into the air. Try to really lift and lengthen your back. From here, you rotate your chest and arms to the right while keeping your hips squared towards the front, and try to get your left elbow to lie on the outer edge of your right knee. Now try to twist your torso to the right so that it’s lifted off of your knee. Pull your right shoulder back to try and help you open up. Now put your two hands into a prayer position, and try to push them together as hard as you can.

3. Now that you’re in this position, squeeze your body toward your midline, and use your strength to slowly push up your left foot to get your left leg straight. Keep your hands in prayer position; it should help you stay balanced. Don’t move too fast, just use your breath to help you get to this position. You should be in a low lunge, with your hands in prayer position and your torso turned to the right. Don’t let your head drop, so it’s best to keep it in line with your spine.

4. To get to the full posture is simple. What you want to do first is reach your left arm down so that it’s straight, and lay your palm flat on the ground to help support you. If you can’t reach the ground, you should use a block to help. Now you can place your right hand on your hip and try to pull it back, to open you up. After doing that, extend your right hand up over your right ear, keeping it straight in line with your left leg. Make sure that your palm is faced toward the ground. If you are steady enough in this position, you can take your gaze up to look toward your right palm. The last thing you can do, although many can’t, is to take your left heel back to the ground. Stay in this position for 30 seconds to one minute.

5. To get out of the posture is easy. What you want to do first is slowly turn back forward, and place both your hands on the ground, on the outer sides of your feet. You should be in a position that looks as though you’re about to start a race. You’re still in a lunge, but your hands are helping to keep you up.

6. Now swing your right leg back and up into the air behind you, and slowly lower it and the rest of your body to a plank position. From here, you can lower yourself to the ground, and maybe work on Bhujangasana before going to a seated position, or stand up back into Tadasana. You've now worked your way into and out of Parivrtta Parsvakonasana.

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