Be a Firefly for a day – Tittibhasana

This challenging arm balance requires a deep forward bend at the hips, arm strength to support the pose, activation of the legs to facilitate the lift, and lightness to the lower body in order to “take flight”. The ultimate aim is to balance opposing forces where we support ourselves on our hands while lifting the legs like wings, and yet soften into a forward bend off the ground.
tittibhasana
 
Getting into the pose:

  • – Begin by placing the arms under the legs. Evenly distribute the weight on your inner and outer wrists and press your fingers into the floor.
  • – Hug your arms with your legs by strongly engaging your inner thighs and slightly internally rotate hips to grip your arms. Use the quadriceps (vastus intermedius, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis) to straighten the knees and press onto the backs of the arms. 
  • – Plantaflex your toes and shoot your pubic bone back. 
  • – Round your spine, this will contract the erector spinae and quadrates lumborum, while they are stretching.

 
Benefits

  • – Strengthens upper body, arms and wrists
  • – Tones abdominal organs and muscles
  • – Improves concentration and coordination

 
Contradictions:

  • – Carpal tunnel syndrome and similar repetitive stress injuries
  • – Acute sacro-lumbar strain
  • – Hernia
  • – Pregnancy

 
Mabel
200Hr YTT Vinyasa Flow Weekend