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Apana Vayu Sequence

Episode 5

Virabhadrasana I & II, Prasarita Padottanasana, Adho Mukha Vrksasana
Utthita Trikonasana, Uttana Pada Malasana , Eka Pada Kaundinyasana B

This sequence is all about finding the ground in various parts of our body.

The first asana we root into is Virabhadrasana I. Pausing here for a moment, we widen the feet and the toes softly and powerfully to the earth. When these roots are firmly built, we begin to transition the upper body from Virabhadrasana I into Virabhadrasana II by exhaling and extending the arms wide over the legs. Here, we begin to feel the downward energy from inside the armpits trickling down the inside of the arm into the palms of the hands as we push down into Virabhadrasana II with the arms, tapping into Apana Vayu (the grounding energy downwards) through the whole of the arms.

As we transition to Prasarita Padottanasana, we clasp the hands behind the butt and feel the downward force through the feet, knuckles of the fingers and the back of the head before folding forward and shifting the sensation of Apana Vayu into the crown of the head connecting to the earth. Any variations with the arms are great here as long as the rooting is maintained.

You can just stay here, or place the hands under the shoulders and begin to transition all of the downward force into the wide finger tips. This might float into a full expression of Adho Mukha Vrksasana, but the feeling Apana Vayu through the finger tips with the feet still on the floor is plenty of action.

From here we transition into Utthita Trikonasana. Having already accessed this sensation of Apana Vayu through the feet and the arms, here the focus is to feel Apana Vayu through the side of the body closest to the earth. By draping the upper arm around the lower back, we can use the hand in the hip crease to facilitate the softening of the side body parallel and downwards to the earth.

From here we take that downward energy from the side of the body and transition it into the back of the leg with Uttana Pada Malasana. If there is a bind available, it can be a nice way to not only make space through the torso, but by pulling the hands together and down, we also feel more of the rooting through the back of the extended leg.

From here, it’s playtime again. Coming through a lunge, we shimmy our shoulder underneath the back of the knee. If Apana Vayu has been activated through all the parts of the body, we can feel the downward force of Apana Vayu equally through the whole front of the body. When this downward force is evenly distributed and the fingers are wide and strong, the body may float into Eka Pada Kaundinyasana B.

To finish, we come back through downward dog, set the knees down, soften the belly towards the earth by arching up through the heart. And finally we wash it all out by rippling Apana Vayu through the body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes: a wave of the body from Balasana through Ashtangasana, Urdva Mukha Svanasana and back into Adho Mukha Svanasana.

 

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Kevin Yee-ChanApana Vayu Sequence

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