Weekly Class Theme: Eka Pada Koundinyasana 1

"Eka Pada Koundinyasana I, or One-Legged Sage Pose, is a beautiful arm balance that weaves strength, flexibility, and focus into one empowering shape. This pose asks us to trust ourselves-to play at the edge of our balance and truly feel into the body. But we don't just leap into this peak pose. We prepare. We soften. We open the hips, twist the spine, engage the core, and connect breath to movement with mindfulness."

"Balasana (Child's Pose): Settle into the earth. Let the breath deepen, tuning in to sensation and the space within. Uttana Pristhasana (Lizard Pose): Opening the hips, we begin to explore the mobility needed for deeper lunges and arm balances. Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Leg Forward Fold): Stretching the hamstrings and inner thighs prepares the legs for movement and balance. Skandasana (Side Lunge): Moving side-to-side, we awaken the adductors and create dynamic hip opening."

"Twists and standing poses begin to activate the obliques and build the foundation for Koundinyasana. Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half Moon): A balancing twist that ignites core stability while challenging focus. Baddha Virabhadrasana (Devotional Warrior): A moment of surrender within strength, stretching the shoulders and grounding the legs. Utthita Parshvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose): Integrating strength and length, this posture deepens the side-body stretch. Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle): One of the key twists in this flow. It challenges balance and flexibility-essential components for Koundinyasana."

Eka Pada Koundinyasana I requires coordinated hip opening, spinal twisting, core engagement, upper-body strength, balance, and breath awareness. Preparatory floor poses—Balasana, Uttana Pristhasana, Prasarita Padottanasana, and Skandasana—create hip mobility, hamstring length, and sensory grounding. Standing twists and balances—Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana, Baddha Virabhadrasana, Utthita Parshvakonasana, and Parivrtta Trikonasana—activate obliques, challenge stability, and refine alignment. Each posture acts as a progression toward the arm balance by sequencing openness, strength, and coordination while maintaining mindful breath-to-movement connection to support safe entry into Eka Pada Koundinyasana I.

Read at YogaRenew