Utthan Pristhasana
In the realm of "never knew there was a name for that," in comes Utthan Pristhasana, aka Lizard Pose.
I'm pretty sure I've used this pose quite a bit in sequences, but always just described how to get into it without knowing the name for it.
Playing around today, I went into Side Plank, extending the leg with toe lock. Not being 100% adept at this pose (read: not at all adept) I sort of gracefully fell out and landed in Lizard Pose. If you can control your landing and move slowly, it is a glorious transition. As my practice becomes more and more based out of my living room, I find that transitions like this will pop up, along with poses I've never seen in a yoga book or magazine. It's one of the best parts about a home practice: your body teaches you what you already know.
And then you can go online and look up the Sanskrit for it.
(Image from YogaJournal.com)
I'm pretty sure I've used this pose quite a bit in sequences, but always just described how to get into it without knowing the name for it.
Playing around today, I went into Side Plank, extending the leg with toe lock. Not being 100% adept at this pose (read: not at all adept) I sort of gracefully fell out and landed in Lizard Pose. If you can control your landing and move slowly, it is a glorious transition. As my practice becomes more and more based out of my living room, I find that transitions like this will pop up, along with poses I've never seen in a yoga book or magazine. It's one of the best parts about a home practice: your body teaches you what you already know.
And then you can go online and look up the Sanskrit for it.
Utthan Pristhasana
An ode to Lizard Pose. If you do this whole sequence, you'll probably end up walking around like a cowboy. So, maybe not all of the Lizard Pose transitions. Pick some that look like fun, and try those.
- Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
- Seated Sun Breaths (12x)
- Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle)
- Bring torso to one leg, back through middle, to the other
- Baddha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle)
- Gomukhasana (Face of Light Pose)
- Repeat other side
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
- Low lunge
- Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard Pose)
- Yajnasana (Cross Pose)
- Utthan Pristhasana
- Supta Kapotanasana (Reclined Pigeon Pose)
- Repeat steps 8-13 on other side
- Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Plank
- Move between side plank, plank, and side plank on other side, building heat in the body
- Garbasana (Child's Pose)
- Plank
- Vasisthasana (Side Plank). Extend leg towards ceiling with yogi toe lock
- Utthan Pristhasana
- Step back to plank
- Repeat steps 17-22 on other side
- Garbasana
- Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Come to being on your back
- Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand). Hold for one minute
- Halasana (Plow Pose)
- Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
- Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclined Twist). Repeat other side
- Savasana