Pose of the Week: Sugarcane Pose

Sugarcane Pose

ARDHA CHANDRA CHAPASANA

Benefits of the pose:

• Improves balance
• Strengthens and stretches abdomen and legs
• Opens hips
• Lengthens and stretches spine

Asana breakdown:

There are a variety of ways to get into this posture, as it is a very dynamic pose. To begin, we’ll take this approach: Start off in Trikonasana (Triangle), take your hand facing the air and bring it behind your back to the opposite hip (i.e. if your right hand is in the air you would bring it behind your left hip). Take your gaze forward, move the hand that is on the ground forward a couple of inches, and being to gracefully transition forward by bending the front leg. Next, straighten the front or standing leg and bend the other so that the hand by your hip can grab your foot. Then, begin to extend your foot up towards the sky like an archer’s bow. Find a drishti or gazing point and breathe here. ❤

Pointers:

• Keep a micro bend in the front knee so that you don’t hyper-extend.
• If you have ankle issues, keep the ankle on your floating leg flexed.
• Place a block under your hand that’s reaching for the ground if it is a stretch to get there right away.
• If you can’t reach your foot, you can use a strap.