Lateral Standing Poses: Warrior 2

By Janine L. Agoglia

This will be the first in a series of posts discussing proper alignment in lateral standing poses (standing poses facing to the side). All of these poses have a similar foundation and use similar alignment principles, so each subsequent post will build on this one. Hopefully you will feel the connections in your yoga practice.

Warrior 2/ Virbhadrasana II

Begin by standing with your feet a little wider than a leg length apart. Rotate your right foot 90 degrees to the right, and rotate your left foot in the same direction, but only about 10-15 degrees. Your right knee should be aiming forward toward your 2nd and 3rd toes. Bend your right knee to stack it over your right ankle. You should be able to see your big toe to the left of your right knee; if you see your small toes on the right side, press your knee to the right until the big toe is visible. This alignment of the knee is most important. If the knee folds in to the left, it will eventually lead to strain, pain and injury. Many people practice this pose with the incorrect assumption that their hips need to face flat to the side. Unfortunately, because as humans we are not built with 180 degree external rotation, we can't do that without having a negative impact on the knee. Give the knee priority by keeping the right shin perpendicular to the floor, then rotate the hips open the the left as far as they will go without disturbing the knee; they will end up facing on a diagonal. Use your Glutes (especially the "outer hip" muscles). Lastly the pelvis should be level with regard to the floor; each hip is the same distance from the floor and the shoulders should stack directly over the hips. The tendency is to lean over your right thigh when you bend the knee; resist that tendency in order to keep the torso vertical. This will also help you distribute the weight evenly between the two feet so that the front leg doesn't have to do all the work.

Now that the lower body is established we can work on the upper body. The arms should be parallel to the floor, level with your shoulders. Think about pressing your arms down to horizontal rather than lifting them up, that way you engage your Latissimus Dorsi (Lats) rather than the Trapezius  (Traps) muscles. To feel your Lats, press your shoulder blades downward toward your waist. To feel your Traps, shrug your shoulders. People tend to hold tension in their Traps in general, and you don't need to encourage that while practicing yoga. The more you drop the shoulder blades downward, the less tension you will feel in your neck. Once you press your shoulder blades downward, try to reach them outward toward your fingertips. It should feel like you have giant wings expanding outward from your upper back.

Gaze over your right 3rd finger and breathe. Then try it to the other side.

Warrior 2 is the foundation pose for Side Angle, Side Crescent (Reverse Warrior) and Triangle pose, as well as Half Moon. Once you understand Warrior 2, all of these other poses will make more sense, both intellectually and physically.

Janine L. Agoglia has been teaching Vinyasa yoga since 1998. Her yoga journey started in 1995 with Iyengar Yoga and she stumbled upon Vinyasa yoga in 1997. The combination of breath with proper body alignment is what fuels Janine's practice and the classes that she teaches. She believes that yoga should be safe as well as challenging, creative and fun. She always emphasizes proper alignment within the flow, as well as focus, breath and humor to help students find the balance between strength and ease. Deepening one’s physical awareness helps one strengthen his/her spiritual awareness and mind-body connection. Janine loves being able to help people deepen their own practices, finding yoga in everyday life, on and off the mat. Her DVD, “Vinyasa Yoga for Regular People” is available for purchase at the front desk at Lumina Mind Body Studios in Wayland, MA.

In addition to being the Director of Yoga and teaching yoga classes at Lumina Mind Body Studios.   Janine is also a Licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist who practices at Integrative Therapeutics in Natick, MA.

To contact Janine, please email acuyogamama@hotmail.com or visit her website, www.acuyogamama.com.

Body Image: What Really Matters

By Janine L. Agoglia

The main "body" of this post was written by Jennifer Houghtaling, a yoga friend and colleague who, like most of us, has struggled with body image through her life. The Media, both social and otherwise, puts a lot of unrealistic pressure on people, especially girls and women, to be something that we are not: to look a certain way, to act a certain way, wear certain clothes, use certain make up, listen to certain types of music, etc. A lot of mental illness, specifically depression and anxiety, stems from trying to fit yourself into someone else's ideals which are out of alignment with who you are. No one is perfect, but we are perfect just as we are. 6 pack abs aren't the definition of strong, as Jennifer says, surviving adolescence, that is strong. Carrying a child and giving birth, that is strong. Surviving not being able to get pregnant, that is strong. Being up all night with a sick child then having to work the next day, that is strong. Getting through your day despite pain, depression, anxiety, chronic illness, whatever it may be, that is strong. True strength comes from within, not without.

Shared with Permission, written by Jennifer Houghtaling:

I belong to a group here on Facebook that encourages dialogue around yoga, movement and teaching. Today a woman posted about her experience as a newer teacher and about her anxiety around “looking a certain way”. She feels strong in her body, but doesn’t “look” strong by the standards that are sold to us by current media outlets. She particularly expressed concern around teaching a “core class” and feeling like her students might not take her seriously because she doesn’t have a six pack.

A few weeks ago, in this same group, someone commented that they found the trend of women posting their yoga to social media outlets while dressed in their bathing suits, to be disturbing and overtly sexual.

Both of the above make me feel sadder than sad. For fuck’s sake. Is it any surprise that so many women hate their bodies in way’s big and small? I don’t know a single woman who hasn’t struggled in some way—I’m too fat, I’m too skinny, I’m too tall, I’m too short. My boobs are too big or small. I can’t get pregnant. I can’t stop getting pregnant. My body hurts so badly when I bleed. I don’t bleed with any regularity. I can’t stop bleeding. My body is my own. My body. Is. My. Own.

There was a time when I would never have put a video of myself out to the world in these shorts and top—and that time was when I was a smaller version of myself, literally. I have always had a belly, since I can remember identifying what a belly was, and that basically, it was “bad” to have one. I still have a belly. I’m also strong and can press up into a handstand and have zero fucks left to give. Deep strength, both physical and otherwise isn’t something you can see or identify from the outside. It’s sneaky that way. Stealthy.

I’ve lived through adolescence (which is a battle field that I think women aren’t given enough credit for), sexual assault, painful periods due to fibroids, difficulty getting pregnant, infertility treatments. Surgery to remove a cyst from an ovary. Pregnancy…..miscarriage and a D & C. Pregnancy (wonderful, healthy, happy and successful!), and a caesarean section birth. Issues related to fibroids and ultimately, this fall, a partial hysterectomy. My body has been cut open from one hip to the other—twice. I’m not dead. If that isn’t enough to make you believe in the power of a woman, then you’re a lost cause.

You don’t like seeing me practice in these short shorts and bra top? Look away. No one is keeping your eyes hostage. I’m not moving or practicing or posting to be “sexy”. It’s July in Massachusetts and I carved out a minute to practice outside. It’s hot. And even if it weren’t…not your concern. It’s for me. It’s not for you……

Women have to embrace each other and love one another so there isn’t so much silence…. and of course just below the surface of that silence—deep shame. Why is it that these experiences are hidden in the darkest corners of our heart? Because we are made to feel ashamed. Enough. I am enjoying an ever evolving celebration with my body. If you feel inspired and have had any experience with the struggles mentioned above…………I got you.

Teaching yoga has been a practice and a privilege for Jennifer for over a decade. She has been a student for twice that long. A life long commitment and appreciation to the study and teaching of Yoga has been a gift, allowing her to feel more at ease, alive and connected with others. Jennifer first tried Yoga as a way to mix up her regular exercise, but found that what she was returning for was the sense of clarity and peace she felt in the aftermath of a class. “I remember there would be times in those early days, when resting in Savasana, that I would just cry and cry, not even knowing what for or from where it was all coming, but experiencing so much relief afterwards. It was virtually the only place I could feel truly present and at peace, and it ultimately made me fall in love with the practice.” Her classes draw from different styles and influences but will always include flow, strength, opportunities to be gentle, invitations to be present and a healthy dose of humor and lightheartedness! Jennifer is most grateful to the students who come to Shanti and roll out their mats in her classes, as they provide her with the opportunity to do the thing that has enriched her life so beautifully—to teach, to relate, and to connect to others in a real and honest way. Jennifer is also grateful to her two primary teachers, Rolf Gates and Shawn Shaw, for their early guidance and continued influence. Jennifer is a devoted mother to her son Tanner, and wife to her husband Alan, and feels blessed to be able to wake up to the incredible journey of life with these two beautiful beings, day after day.