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Adarsh Williams

阿大 Ashtanga Yoga [Breath | Movement | Meditation]

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Posted on January 8, 2020January 8, 2020 by admin

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Previous PostPrevious Ashtanga Yoga: Strength Mobility Skill

adarshw

Yoga
Movement
Meditation

A spiritual name is like a mantra that other peopl

A spiritual name is like a mantra that other people say to you, enabling you to become that quality.

When I was a young man living in the ashram in south India, it was common that the residents would receive a spiritual name. By far the most common name in the ashram was/is “Santosha.”

A beautiful name, actually, and an important aspect of yoga philosophy that you might recognize as one of the Niyamas, or personal restraints. Santosha means “contentment.”

What struck me is how frequently I would hear the name. It’s as though the guru was helping the disciples cultivate an attitude of happiness with the way things are, and to overcome the discontent that probably brought us to the ashram in the first place.🙃

Of course, we are entrained to be upwardly mobile, to strive, to seek and to grow, and I’m no exception. Some of this is modern culture and some is just the human condition. We humans are funny animals. Disconnected from our instinct, we overcompensate by attempting to dominate the world around us.

To cultivate a sense of contentment, it is important to take inventory of the positive aspects of your life. This is where gratitude meditation is essential. This means that we focus on what we have rather than what we lack.

Try this: sit for a moment and make a mental list of the good things in your life. Start with the easy stuff: special people and pets, accomplishments and possessions, health and well-being, then expand into more subtle categories of nature, beauty, sunrise, and let your imagination flow.

By focusing on what you are grateful for, you begin to override the biological program of focusing on perceived “threat” from the environment.

Look, we all know the world has a lot of shit to be discontent with, that’s obvious, but what would happen if you were to take a moment to shift your focus? Run the experiment and see what happens 😌

Deep squats require full ROM of the ankles, knees,

Deep squats require full ROM of the ankles, knees, and hips. If any of those are missing, you’ll fall backwards. And forget about adding the “squat and reach” to your move set.😕

Typical solutions include elevating the heels, turning the feet out or holding onto something. Let’s try something new.

The heavy band gives you something to push into while squatting. In fact, your tendency to fall backwards might even help you! Let’s turn that weakness into a strength!

▪️Place band under the shoulder blades, then step back to load tension into the band. More is better.

▪️Keep tight, engage your glutes and hamstrings to actively squat down.

▪️To loosen up, perform a set of 10 squats before you commit to staying.

▪️When comfortable in the deep squat, place left hand on top of left foot. Reach your right arm straight up, then add a little rotation to look up to your hand. Enjoy! Then do the other side.

▪️Even if your squat game is strong, the heavy band will add an interesting new stimulus for your position.

▪️Pro-tip, banded squats with your morning coffee will take your wake up ritual to the next level.

The best twisted dog you’ll ever experience is s

The best twisted dog you’ll ever experience is supported with a monster band.

Why? Because you can gradually walk your hand out long, getting the side body and the rotation.

Dude, it’s legit! Ole BKS developed something like this called the “spine rejuvenation” sequence.

That sounds like it’s good for ya, right?

Try it, you’ll like it!

Block Party 🎉 Especially on those days that p

Block Party 🎉

Especially on those days that practice seems like a chore. Get you a couple of blocks and go to town!

Everyone knows that blocks make the jump through easier, but did you know that everything feels better when your arms are a little bit longer.

Here, you’ll catch me loving the upward dog (much more back bend) and the down dog (heels on the ground ✅).

It feels good to sit in the brick for extra leverage in seated poses and great for self adjusting poses like kurmasana/supta kurmasana.

#blockparty try it, you’ll like it!

If you don’t have a wall nearby, just lean again

If you don’t have a wall nearby, just lean against a tall building for support in your handstand! #protip

Bias the upper back and shoulders in your thoracic

Bias the upper back and shoulders in your thoracic bridge and your low back will thank you.

For you home-yogis, practicing your thoracic bridge off the edge of the bed is an excellent way to get that feeling.

Step 1: Make your bed. Seriously, you can’t be a real adult and not make your bed every morning.

Step 2: Take it slow. Just ease off the bed, spending time with your arms overhead. Heck, this is enough for the non-yoga crowd.

Step 3: Make sure that you have a solid foundation under your hands and feet. If you have a waterbed, you might want to skip this one.

Step 4: Once you achieve lift off, work with your breathing, “inhale-rock into your feet, exhale- stretch into your chest.”

Step 5: Exit with control. Just come down, roll to the side and take it easy. Don’t be trying to do a back flip, somersault, or any other crazy stuff.

Bonus: Try the same bridge on the floor. This ain’t stretching. Instead, think of integrating a new pattern in the body.

Stacking the shoulders over the hands solves that

Stacking the shoulders over the hands solves that compressed feeling that you might experience in backbends.

If you don’t have the full ROM in your shoulders, the solution is to elevate the feet as shown.

When I don’t have the luxury of the stall bars, I just walk my feet up the wall. (Also the way we teach this in the yoga studio.)

The best is to set up near the wall and walk the feet progressively up and down the wall.

What if you are a stiff dude and can’t press into the bridge? I feel ya, my brother. Set up about one legs-length away from the wall and kick up into a handstand and work on your spine extension from there.

Elevated feet will become habit forming. Once you feel the freedom of stacking your shoulders, you’ll never want to struggle again!

Any doubt? Hit me up!

Special thanks to my boy @carmel.realtor for shooting this video in Monterey. Sending love California 💚

Hey you with the stiff hamstrings. If you want to

Hey you with the stiff hamstrings. If you want to see some real gainz in your flexibility, give up on “stretching” and let’s strengthen that posterior.

Seriously! You can check PubMed for the research, but I’ll tell ya from experience, resistance training will make you stronger and more flexible.

In the yoga community, we’ve entered an exciting time in which the hardcore yogis are embracing a cross-modality approach to improving Asana and a balanced body.

In this vid, I’m doubling up on my resistance by using a heavy band in conjunction with my kettlebell.

Probably best that you start with just the band before adding the weight.

Hit me up if ya have any questions or doubts. Let’s get 🍑

Handstand is called “Downward Facing Tree” in

Handstand is called “Downward Facing Tree” in yoga-speak.

To improve your balance in the inversion, go back and forth between regular tree and handstand tree.

Pay attention to the mutual tensions that create the “alignment” in the position. For example, notice how pressing the foot against the inner thigh creates a mutual support (similar to pressing the hands together in namaste).

It’s the weekend, I hope you have time for an extra long yoga practice in the sunshine!

Floating tension in action. Certain yoga poses, li

Floating tension in action. Certain yoga poses, like this Banded Firefly, are perfect Tensegrity structures. While we could argue that there is some “alignment” necessary, it’s actually the dynamic interplay of tensions that create the position.

Alignment is boring, always stacking your body parts. On the other hand, Tensegrity-thinking is fun, dynamic, and always engaging. We can more easily recognize the interplay of opposites, both hard and soft, push and pull, inhale and exhale, and so on.

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#yoga #ashtangayoga #vinyasa #vinyasayoga #teamvinyasa #hathayoga #armbalance #handbalance #inversion #handstand #firefly #tittibhasana #tensegrity #tension #alignment #howto #tutorial #opposites

Empathy goes both ways. When I feel u Naturally,

Empathy goes both ways.

When I feel u

Naturally, u feel me.

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#youfeelme #ifeelyou #empathy #nature #truth #dharma #connection #communication #listen #feel #bigpicture #goodvibes #yoga #community #unity #onelove #together #cometogether

Alignment is a flawed descriptor when it comes to

Alignment is a flawed descriptor when it comes to yoga postures.

You see, "alignment" brings to mind the idea of “stacking” our body-parts, one on top of the other in a line, much like a building. The problem with this model is that it’s compressional. And in yoga postures, compression is usually what we try to avoid. Like, a compressed disc, or compressed nerve.

A better way to describe the ideal alignment in the yoga posture is “Tensegrity” or more precisely, Bio-Tensegrity which describes the body as a system of floating-tension. That is bones, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and connective tissues all creating mutual support throughout the system.

Visvamitrasana ties these principles together nicely. When practicing, notice how dynamic tension is required throughout. In Tensegrity terms, we would say there is a balance between push and pull that helps maintain the pose. Yoga Sage Patanjali described this as the interplay of stability & ease.

Do a quick google search for cool images of Tensegrity structures. And, while you are researching, note that our friends in the Rolfing/body-work world have been leading the thinking on this subject for many decades now.

Have fun, and let me know what you think!

Yoga-on my friend!

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#yoga #ashtangayoga #vinyasa #teamvinyasa #armbalance #yogatrick #yogatip #philosophy #alignment #tensegrity #principles

The shoulder is tricky, and finding stability is m

The shoulder is tricky, and finding stability is mysterious.

The banded plank position is a great way to activate/strengthen the rotator cuff & gives you a really good FEEL for the stable position.
Collect about 20 reps of “screwing your shoulders into the floor.” Between sides, take a moment to sense the difference. *Animal workout partner optional .
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#mobility #stretch #shoulders #strength #flexibility #fitness #fit #plank #plankchallenge #yoga #yogi #physio #bodywork #selfcare #bandworkout

In addition to morning yoga, I enjoy doing some st

In addition to morning yoga, I enjoy doing some strength training in the afternoon. It’s a great way for me to decompress and have some fun.
Here, I’m following a basic chest, back and abs series with dumbbells, monster band, and my trusty couch.

Although the time lapse doesn’t quite capture, I did 8 sets of 8 reps with some Active Stretching and skill work mixed in. .
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#strength #strengthtraining #fitness #fitnessmotivation #homegym #chestworkout #backworkout #absworkout #plank #lsit #gymnastics #bodyweightworkout #band #bandworkout #mobility #active #stretch #smartstretch

Sunday 2nd. #makingeverybreathcount . . . . #ashto

Sunday 2nd. #makingeverybreathcount .
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#ashtonkutcher #ashtanga #ashtangayoga #ashtangachallenge #mysore #mysorestyle #selfpractice #vinyasa #inversion #inversionaddict #backbend #backbends #breathe

Developing control in your Jump Through is a basic

Developing control in your Jump Through is a basic hand balance that becomes the foundation of many inversions.
Join my Ashtanga Yoga Video Workshop:
+ 75 minute Ashtanga Practice
+ Bodyweight Strength Training
+ Mobility specific to yoga
+ Self Myofascia Release
+ Tons of Actionable Takeaways to immediately implement in your teaching and practice. ⚡️link in bio⚡️ •
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#yoga #ashtangayoga #yogapractice #primaryseries #mysore #mysorestyle #selfpractice #homepractice #mobility #flexibility #skills #tutorial #howto #adarshyoga #smartstretch

Who else enjoys yoga-ing in the morning sun? . . .

Who else enjoys yoga-ing in the morning sun? .
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#morning #morningmotivation #morningsun #morningpractice #yoga #yogapractice #ashtangayoga #ashtanga #vinyasa #riseabove #fromabove #timelapse

Warming up in Northern Europe. I even broke out my

Warming up in Northern Europe. I even broke out my speedo today! 👙 .
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#yoga #ashtangayoga #vinyasa #hotyoga #yogadude #selfpractice #meditation #movement #move #breathe #speedo #timelapse

How many cats do you need before calling it a zoo?

How many cats do you need before calling it a zoo?
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#yoga #yogapractice #ashtanga #ashtangayoga #primaryseries #immunityflow #immunesupport #immunesystem #sunnyday #sunshine #positivevibes
#tigerking #catranch #catsofinstagram

Who says there’s no pulling in yoga? Well, every

Who says there’s no pulling in yoga? Well, everyone I guess, but that’s not the point.

If you want to add some pull to your practice, use a band.

Here, you’ll see a quick demo of the Ashtanga Intermediate Series using a band to enhance and strengthen positions.

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