Day 38 : Purva tanasana (anterior stretch) and Vashitasana (after the sage) subroutine practice notes from Vinyasa Krama On one leg sequence

VIDEO LINK

These postures make excellent counter postures to the long pashimottanasana, kurmasana and konasana subroutines from the seated sequence.

Stay in each purvatanasana  for three breaths but vashitasana for three to six breaths,

The challenge is to raise the hip(s) a little further on each exhalation.

As well as exercising the full range of the motion of the hip (along with the forward bending postures subroutines above) these postures are excellent for exercising the front back and side muscles of the legs that cross the knee joint. Exercising these muscles will give more support to the knee in the On one leg subroutines but also to advanced postures in which the knees are heavily involved.

VASHITASANA SEQUENCE
Towards the end of Ramaswami's Complete book of Vinyasa yoga there is a chapter tittled Visesha Vinyasa Kramas, the sun salutation sequence with mantras is found here along with some other dynamic sequences. One of these sequence based on Vashitasana incorporates purvotanasana and vashitasana above but also the ardha-baddha padma vasitasana or Kashyapasana from Asymmetric. I thought it might be interesting to look at the full sequence here and especially at the last eight postures that pass back and forth between purvatanasana and vashitasana, it's a mini sequence I like to practice after the above postures.

Here's a link to a video of the short vasishtasana sequence http://youtu.be/fA4FHPTxSlg

And here's the full sequence. We are encouraged to stay at each stage for three breaths, it's a tapas sequence that I find makes a nice short evening practice to burn off a few of the days rajas before settling down to some pranayama and meditation.

VIDEO LINK

NB: These are practice notes that will be tidied up and put into the new edition of my Vinyasa Yoga Practice Book along with the current sequences and subroutines. The book can be freely downloaded HERE. There is a page on Facebook HERE with all the latest sheets and updates. This book is in no way a substitute for Ramaswami's Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga.