I think it's about time that we talk about Bird of Paradise, or Svarga Dvijasana. It's one of my favorite poses (but only on my right side, ya know?!) and I got a reader request for a video on it (shout-out Alanna!). The thing about BoP is this: it's a really hard pose for about 90% of people. Why? Because you're not only balancing on one leg, but you're also binding, wrapping your body up like a pretzel, opening one of your hips in a CRAZY way, and then in the final stages, you're supposed to straighten your leg (hello, hamstrings!). There's a lot to open up before you work on this pose. That being said, please don't attempt this pose without being super warmed up. I've demonstrated it many a time when I was not as warmed up as I should have been, and I've tweaked my back more than once when doing so. But I don't want to scare you--if you're warmed up, this is a great pose to work with! And when you come into the final stages of the asana, it feels really amazing and powerful. Give it a try! Oh, and please note that it's totally normal to only be able to come into this pose on one side, or to be much more open on one side than on the other. You'll see in the video that I can do the full pose on one side, and on the other (the side I start with), it's a little more...er...crunchy. Have fun playing with BoP! You can watch here or on my YouTube Channel.
Beth
7/17/2014 12:37:33 am
Thank you! Very helpful! I am a BoP lover, but only on one side, and only on some days. It's a tricky little pose, so easy and powerful sometimes, absolutely impossible other times!
Mary Catherine
7/18/2014 03:39:16 am
Haha, I am totally with you, Beth! "Only on one side, only on some days." Love it!
Linnea
7/17/2014 11:14:07 pm
I love love love love your blog and your youtube channel! You have such a beautiful message in all of what you do and I am affected by it in the best way. Thank you for all of the work you do here and please don't stop! You're my "go to blog" everyday.
Mary Catherine
7/18/2014 03:40:21 am
Awww, thanks SO much for this sweet feedback and for reading from Sweden, Linnea! So glad you enjoy my blog and channel--that's why I do it! Stay in touch! xoxo Comments are closed.
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HELLO!I'm Mary Catherine, a Cape Cod-based yoga teacher, painter, designer, writer, mom, and list-maker extraordinaire. My goal is to inspire you to start living a more creative, simple, joyful, + purposeful life.
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