Yoga Pose of Month – Bharadvajasana
Article by Chrisandra Fox Photography by Faern Works
Pose dedicated to the sage, Bharadvaja
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others”. ~Cicero
In this month’s pose, ground yourself in the greatness of gratitude. Gratitude is that quality or feeling of appreciation and thankfulness for what we have. But what is great about gratitude is that it is available at any moment – arising spontaneously and sometimes conjured up with practice – to ground us in the power of awareness of the gift of the present moment.
However, as a mindful practice, we can cultivate gratitude for the abundance of life’s treasures – easy and difficult, sweet and bitter, ecstatic and mundane – to ground our awareness in an enduring inner state of peace that allows us to be more receptive to that which is impermanent.
In yoga practice, gratitude can help you acknowledge the larger context of practice, and guide you to an inner abode of humility and possibility for peace with where you are. From here, the asana practice unfolds not as a gainful attempt to get anywhere, but as a continuity of awareness and creative expression of skillfully harmonizing your individual life’s energy with the cosmic energies of the universe.
Twists help integrate the solar and lunar energies of the body and balance the nervous system. These equalizing poses strengthen the shoulders, hips and spine, and purify the digestive system by stoking the fires of agni, which improves metabolism of food, emotion, and experience, and provides heat for assimilation and transformation.
In twists, we compress and “wring out” the organs of the belly, pushing out the stagnant blood and stoking agni, our metabolic fires of transformation. When we release the twist, the organs are supplied with a fresh flow of blood and prana, and the digestive process is quickened, thus leading to purification. The heat of agni aids in our ability to “let go” of what is no longer needed, physically, emotionally and mentally and assimilate the absorption of nutrients, emotional clarity and change in perspective.
A practice involving twists like the beginner-level, open-belly Bharadvajasana, can leave you feeling calm, light, and more balanced, with ease of heart and peace of mind that inspires a natural flow of grace and an outpouring of gratitude.
The Pose
Sit in a cross-legged position. Bring your hands together in prayer at the heart for Anjali Mudra. Take a moment to connect with your breath and the presence of your heart space. Contemplate 3 things for which you are grateful. Name each one and take a moment to feel the energy of emotion connected with your gratitude to these parts of your life.
