Baddha Konasana for Beginners | Restorative Yoga with Props

Transcript

Hi, my name is an and welcome to wellness Wednesday. Today we are going to do a yoga pose called sa barakanasana and in English that is reclined bound angle pose. Basically it's this pose but lying down with some support using bolsters and blankets and blocks and a strap. And if you're at a studio or you're a teacher you have access to these things. This is a great thing to do with students or in a studio space. But if you're at home and you don't have access, be creative. You can use pillows and books and blankets, anything that supports you in a similar way. So, starting with the blocks, one block comes up high and one lower. And then this can be a precarious situation putting the bolster on there. So, check to make sure it's secure. You can even kind of tilt the block behind if that helps. You may want to make it a little lower. It depends how much you want to recline back and then coming in front of this so that your hips are right on the floor in front and your low back will come back onto it. The blankets are really good to support the knees because a lot of people when they come into botakanasana into this pose, it starts to ache at the hip. I know it does for me if I stay here too long in the joint, which is not good. So, using this support can help somebody be able to stay this for stay in this for longer. And the blankets are good because you can roll them up. You can quickly scrunch them to make them the height that works for the person. And then the bolsters here for the arms. You could even use blankets. this under the head and then trial and error. So, making sure it's sturdy and coming back and finding the place that's right for you. And this may mean adjusting. You could even allow this to be more relaxing by putting some weights, maybe some sandbags on your inner thighs to help you surrender into this. Or I have one more idea if you'd like to take it a little further if you have a strap. So if you have a strap, you can take it and make a big loop with it. Bring it through both loops. Come back around through the other loop. And we're basically going to tie ourselves up, but we will untie ourselves at the end. And then put the loop on like a shirt and bring the strap around the feet. Adjust it so that it's tight, but not too tight because when you lie back, it will tighten. The back of the loop will be against your sacrum, that flat part of the low back. And then coming back. And here you're going to feel stretching on your inner thighs. We are working our short adductors, which are the muscles that attach on the inner thighs. We're stretching those and all around the groin. So feeling that but making sure that there's no intense pain. If there is, you can adjust by putting more blankets, a little bit more height here. And then once you find a place that's right for you, close your eyes and notice your breath. Feeling a sense of openness yet being supported. Openness in the chest and shoulders as you breathe, in the belly, and in the hips. Even feeling space and openness in your breath. and staying here as long as you'd like. You can continue your breathing practice, just some deep breaths, noticing, or just relax here for a little while. I will see you next week on Wellness Wednesday. Thank you.