MAN ON THE MAT with Ravi Dixit
Compass Pose (Surya Yantrasana)
Benefits
- Releases tension in the body and boosts energy.
- Stretches the shoulders, chest and hips.
- Improves overall posture, balance and coordination.
- Increases spinal flexibility
- Boosts the digestive system.
- Deepens coordination between body and mind.
Mistakes
It’s a common mistake to try to straighten your leg immediately. This will cause you to round your spine and misalign the body. Before you straighten the leg, make sure to shift your weight to one side (the side of the buttock that stays on the floor), keep your spine straight, open your chest and then slowly stretch the leg out as far as feels comfortable. Do not force yourself into the pose. Make sure you’re properly warmed up and practice other poses like Heron Pose first to work on hamstring flexibility.
Tips
- If you can’t stretch out the leg comfortably, keep your knee bent or use a belt or strap around your foot to help stretch out the leg slowly and safely. Try to avoid rolling your weight backwards to your tailbone, as this will cause the spine to round forward.
- It’s not necessary to stretch the arm out as you see in this photo, you can keep your hand on the floor to help with balance.
Awareness
- Remember to breathe, deep exhales will help you twist easier.
Please don’t practice this pose if you’re suffering from a shoulder or groin injury, slipped disc or sciatica.
Follow Ravi Dixit on Instagram: @raviyoga_goa
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