Ardha Chandrasana

Ardha (adj.) = Half
Chandra (n.) = Moon
Asana (n.) = Pose



Ardha Chandrasana

 

I am still a novice in this Asana, though the picture was shot in Mar, 2008. Hence I would group it with the "incorrect Asana" tag.

Critique
1) the neck is still not flexible enough to have the chin aligned with the hand. ( I am able to do the Parshva Konasana with the chin is alinged with the arm now)

2) The knee is still not facing forward, it's facing downward.

3) the raised leg is still not in one straight line with the trunk of the body.

Trikonasana

Trikonasana

Tri (n.) = Three
Kona (n.) = Angle
Trikona (n.) = Triangle
Asana (n.) = Posture

It is said that the beginner and the intermediate Asanas are the toughest asanas. Because they are the toughest to overcome when the body is just about getting used to the way of Yoga.

I firmly second that. For the last two years I have been practising the Tirkonasana, and I am yet to do it well. It is so tough since it calls for alignment of the chin in the line of the shoulder.

 

I am kind of doing the Trikonasana well when when I am required to align my chin with my left shoulder (as in the above photograph). But, still there's a lot to achieve.

 

But I am yet to achieve the alignment in for the right shoulder (as in the above photograph). Hence, the above is an incorrect posture.

To note: when the straightline alignment between the shoulder and chin is achieved, the alignment between the chest and the legs/ground are achieved at the same time. The chest then normal/perpendicular to the ground as if if you draw a straight line from one shoulder to the other, the line would be perpendicular to the ground, and not inclined at an acute/obtuse angle. This imparts the posture a yogic beauty. this beauty is somewhat achieved in the first photograph. However, it is not there in the second photograph.

Perfection, how true it is, is not easily reached. I have seen a lot of yoga instructures too did not achieve the perfection an intermediate Asana (trikonansana is a typical case) demands.

Vasishthasana - incorrect posture

The incorrect posture

 

The more correct (better) posture



The 2nd posture is better only as far as the hip is concerned. As it is, I see a lot of minor flaw here too. And who does not know that minor flaws take far greater time to correct? hehe!!

When I published the Vasishthasana day before yesterday, I was talking of the challenges of it. Main challenge that I faced was to counter the pull at the hip to the ground. It's not really a gravitational pull, but a because of a countering force when the hand pulls the raised leg.

If much force is applied by the hand to the raised leg to pull, it is countered and balanced by the hip sagging to the ground.

To prevent the hip sagging to the ground, the arm that holds the raised ought not use force. and to achieve that feat, one needs to make the hip joint so supple as the leg can execute an acute angle with the torso without much difficulty. Hence I published the Uttanpadasana - that's one way to make the leg execute an acute angle with the torso.


Hence, the basic idea is: make the acute angle acuter. My next target in uttanpadasana - touch the raised leg to the ground by my head. It will take me about two-three years. But I am going to be there, one day.