Good Kriya for standing on one leg?

[Guest guest]

Hi all - Sat Nam.

OK this may be not the best motive but I go to a hatha yoga class and notice

that I am rubbish at standing on one leg and my ego is not pleased at this

deficiency.

Does anyone know any sites that give a kriya that would help with this?

(Wobbly) Keith.

 

PS. Looking at this from the viewpoint of my Alexander Technique studies our bad

balance involves faulty kinesthetia and over-excited fear (of falling) reflexes.

Improving these should be very good for us - as we spend so much time standing

and walking. I like walking meditation which works on it too I think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

One of the reasons for doing balancing poses is to help to develop focus and

concentration. Practice every day and remember it is the process not the

product. Start small do not go to the full blown pose till you have achieved a

simple version of the pose.. Sat Nam Lily

 

 

 

 

________________________________

Keith Bacon <biftonb

kundaliniyoga

Monday, January 5, 2009 6:36:09 AM

Kundalini Yoga Good Kriya for standing on one leg?

 

 

 

Hi all - Sat Nam.

OK this may be not the best motive but I go to a hatha yoga class and notice

that I am rubbish at standing on one leg and my ego is not pleased at this

deficiency.

Does anyone know any sites that give a kriya that would help with this?

(Wobbly) Keith.

 

PS. Looking at this from the viewpoint of my Alexander Technique studies our bad

balance involves faulty kinesthetia and over-excited fear (of falling) reflexes.

Improving these should be very good for us - as we spend so much time standing

and walking. I like walking meditation which works on it too I think.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Keith. . .

 

How about just practicing tree pose?

Time yourself, see how long you can hold it. Even if you start with one second.

Build up the time. Keep your eyes focused a few feet in front of you on the

floor.

A week of daily practice of this should work wonders.

When you find you are steady, try variations. . .

arms extended over head

gaze shifts to ceiling

eyes closed. This one is hard, but I'm improving with practice.

Also, understand this - if you're unsteady, maybe you just have a dancing tree

for now. Don't think of it as a failure to perform the asana. . . some trees

are steady, some trees pulsate in the wind, and some trees dance. There's

nothing wrong with that.

 

Here's another tip. Try buddhi mudra - pinkies touching thumbs - and see if

that helps you while you're balancing.

 

Good luck

Ardas Singh

[Guest guest]

I know what you mean, that's hard for lots of folks. Kundalini yoga

has strenghthened me up so much that now I have no problem doing 11

minutes of tree pose (a classic hatha pose of balancing on one leg)

for 11 minutes on my weak side in Sahib Parnaam kriya! So probably

what did it was the ole classic Nabhi Kriya. Besides getting your core

in shape in a hurry, it strengthens your whole torso (especially the

last exercise- standing bows, my favorite part). Now I have no problem

with plank either. It really puts steel in the support of your whole

body.

 

Nabhi kriya can be found easily with a web search, but in a nutshell:

 

(CAUTION: Work up to these times; this is an in-your-face kriya that

will make your abs feel like hamburger if you over do it the first

time! Nowadays, I'll just cut the times in half every once in a while

to keep my strength up, plus it feels great once you get the hang of

it- very invigorating.)

 

1) Lying on back, alternate leg lifts for 10 minutes. Remember to push

the foot on the floor into the floor while the other rises. It makes

it easier, more effective, and the moving leg can rise further.

 

2) On back, leg lifts with both legs up and down together. You can put

your hands under your hips to help your lower back, but the goal is to

have the arms and hands straight up from the body, above the heart and

parallel with palms facing each other. Inhale up, exhale down. 5

minutes. When you can do half of that, give yourself a big gold star!

 

3)Hug your knees to your chest and rest, for 5 minutes.

 

4)Wrap arms around one knee; do single leg lifts with the other for

one minute. Change sides. Repeat. This adjusts your hips.

 

5)Stand, feet shoulder width apart, arms overhead. Bend forward to

touch ground, exhaling and pulling locks. Inhale and come back up. 3

minutes. It may be just the ticket for enabling you to stand on one

leg because it does wonders for your torso strength.

 

When you first do some of these different yoga exercises, like frog,

for instance, or standing on one leg, you try to have one part of you

do all the work, but with experience you come to find that it's your

whole self that needs to contribute.

[Guest guest]

--- On Tue, 1/6/09, ramneetfl <ramneetfl wrote:

> Kundalini yoga has strenghthened me up so much that now I have

> no problem doing 11 minutes of tree pose (a classic hatha pose

> of balancing on one leg) for 11 minutes on my weak side in Sahib

> Parnaam kriya!

Thanks I shall do this kriya. Is balance achieved through strength?

In the Alexander technique world they say we are riddled with unnecessary

reflexes. As these go (with yoga or AT) our underlying balance reflexes can

operate without interference. Sounds like a good argument to me - that

quietening in our system results in improved balance.

 

> When you first do some of these different yoga exercises, like

> frog, for instance, or standing on one leg, you try to have one

> part of you do all the work, but with experience you come to find

> that it's your whole self that needs to contribute.

I shall keep this in mind.

Thanks again,

Keith

[Guest guest]

Hi Ardas,

--- On Tue, 1/6/09, Ezekiel Gruen <spikycork wrote:

> How about just practicing tree pose?

I prefer to do it in a kriya. I believe the kriyas a very vlever - the sequence

and the timings gets benefits greater than doing excercises in isolation.

Having said that I can do tree pose in warming up too.

Actually these days I tend to just sit in meditation to loosen up rather than do

warm ups. I think my time is better spent doing a short kriya or meditaiton than

warm up excecises.

 

> Also, understand this - if you're unsteady, maybe you just have

> a dancing tree for now. Don't think of it as a failure...

I like that. I am a tree that hops about bit!

 

All other advice taken on board. Thanks very much,

Keith

[Guest guest]

<Is balance achieved through strength?>

Not just strength, although nabhi kriya certainly makes you strong. It

develops cohesive support in what we westerners call the core, the

spine (especially the lower back) and the torso. It is known for

developing your will, and might make you angry if you've been

suppressing anger (then you can try an anger set!) Just as trees need

wind to develop sturdy trunks, we need torso and core development to

do tree pose so we aren't " floppy " . If you develop that, you may very

well find that your balance is actually fine and improves quickly.

 

(I haven't taken teacher training yet; this was my own experience.)

Nabhi kriya was really hard for me at first (and I thought I had

strong abs), but it sure is a fast, direct way to make huge strides in

your whole practice. You could start by dividing the maximum times by

5 and see how you feel (2 minutes on the first, 1 minute on the

second, etc.), just do what you can the 1st time out; increase the

times after that becomes easier.

 

" Navel power " is fundamental to Kundalini yoga. Guru Rattana has said

YB emphasized developing the lower 3 chakras before the upper ones,

and this will put you well on your way.