Yogasana - Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

Ashwa sanchalanasana or famous called equestrian pose is an asymmetric posture that involves keeping the spine long and your chest open, integrates the alternate stretching of the legs and mobilizes the pelvis and sacroiliac joint. The asana name comes from sanskrit words ashwa meaning horse, sanchalana meaning stepping movement or marching. 

Steps:

1. From Uttanasana, place your palms next to your feet, all fingers in line (bend your knees if you need to)
2. Keep the hands fixed on the mat and do not move it during the rest of suryanamaskar.
3. Take a big step back with your right foot
4. Rest your right knee on the mat.
5. Lengthen the spine, open the chest, and look forward.

Benefits:

1. It lengthens the spine or extends the column
2. It helps in stretching quadriceps of the rear leg.
3. The psoas is lengthened.
4. The gluteus maximus of the front leg is stretched.
5. It's dynamic practice provides agility to our body movement and develops asymmetric coordination of legs and hips.

Yogasana - Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

This position teaches the basic mechanics of bending forward from the hips. It can be constructed with feet together or open feet hip width.

Standing Forward Bend is not about touching your toes, contrary to popular assumption. It's also not about squeezing as much length as you can from your fingertips." Many newcomers are astonished (and a little suspicious) to hear that Uttanasana isn't about the link between the fingers and toes. It's almost all of the things that happen in between.

The Sanskrit word uttanasana consists of the words "ut," which means "intense," "powerful," or "deliberate," and "tan," which means "stretch" or "lengthen." Uttanasana is a deliberate extension of the entire back body, which includes the area between the soles of the feet and the backs of the knees.

Steps:

1. Start with Tadasana  pose and continue onto to Urdhva hastasana posture.

2. Staying in urdhva hastasana position, while exhaling, flex the trunk forward while keeping your chest open and directing the hands toward the feet

3. Place your hands on either side of the feet ( if they don’t reach the ankles or shins , or use a tape )

4. Keeping your legs active, rotate your ischia toward the ceiling

5. With the grip of your hands exert a strong attraction of the chest towards the legs  and opening the elbows laterally outwards.

6. Keep your neck relaxed

7. If you feel pressure or back pain, flex your knees slightly.

When you discover the link between all of these activities, it's no longer about the stance, but rather about how I'm relating to the sensation of being in the pose.

Benefits:

• This pose will relieves the spine and pelvis muscles.

• It stimulates the legs and ankles

• Straightens your back muscles of the legs

• Develop balance

• All organs of the abdomen are massaged and stimulated

• Mobilizes the intestines and abdominal fat

• Promotes internalization and calms the nervous system.