Journey to Pincha Mayurasana

Disclaimer - remember to practice at your own pace and listen to your body. If anything hurts or pinches, come out of the pose safely and rest in balasana (child's pose).

Pincha Mayurasana
pinca = feather
mayura = peacock

Pincha Mayurasana or forearm balance proves for many, to be a fairly elusive asana. It requires strength, core and shoulder stability alongside good balance and courage. But with a strong foundation and (of course) practice it may prove easier than you might think.

We asked CAMYOGA teacher, James Downs to show us how he gets into Pincha.
 

Pincha Mayurasana Step-by-Step

---

1. Set yourself up by coming into Dolphin with a brick or block between the palms. (Dolphin is similar to Downward Facing Dog, but with forearms flat on the floor and parallel to the long sides of the mat).

Squeeze the brick with your palms concentrating on broadening and stabilising the shoulders. Push the forearms firmly into the mat which will enable you to lift the crown of the head away from the floor.

Build strength by taking 5-10 breaths in this posture and then coming back down into child's pose and repeat 2-3 times.

---

2. Flash Prep! Remove the block and then from Dolphin lift the left leg high - keep the shoulders strong and your core engaged.

If you'd like to go further, start walking the opposite hand towards the grounded foot and maybe grab hold of the heel. Breathe deeply for 5-10 breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Try a balance: Right forearm presses firmly into the mat, left arm at a right angle palm pressing down (think chaturanga alignment). See if you can lift the right leg and use the left tricep (upper arm) as a ledge to rest your left knee on - right leg lifting high.

Try a balance!

---

3. Once you've done your conditioning (previous steps). It's time to try the full posture!

Start with your solid dolphin pose, bend one knee and keeping the other leg straight do a couple of bunny hops to get the feeling of going upside down. This may be where you stay, but eventually, you'll feel more comfortable and maybe even get both legs straight!

If you're worried about falling, you can always try this against a wall (palms facing the wall) but be mindful that you're not overarching or banana-ing your back.

Another way to try this against the wall is with dolphin against the wall. Come into dolphin with heels touching the wall. When you feel stable here, place the sole of the left foot onto the wall - your body and leg at a right angle, then bring the right foot up to meet it. Try lifting each leg up and maybe both at the same time!

---

James teaches regularly at CAMYOGA Central and Mitcham's - check out the schedule here.

Follow James
Facebook Yoga with James
Instagram @Jamesldowns
Twitter @Jamesldowns
Huffington Post James Downs

---

We are often told during class how important the breath is in yoga, and will usually practice pranayama exercises during class especially at the beginning and end. But what is pranayama and why do we do it?

During this series of blog posts we will be exploring the most commonly practiced pranayama (breathing) exercises - the ones that are most likely to pop-up in your classes. We will discover how, what and why, contraindications and benefits of these practices.

Prana = Life force/Energy

Yama = Regulate/Lengthen

Prana translates into “life force energy” and Yama translates into “control or mastery of.” Thus, Pranayama is used to control, cultivate, and modify the Prana in the body.

Prana is taken in through the air we breathe, and since the pranayama exercises increase the amount of air we take in, they also increase our intake of Prana.

Look out for the series of blog posts coming soon. Let us know if there is a particular pranayama practice that you’d like us to cover.

Note: When learning new breathing techniques, it is common for people to feel light headed or dizzy. If this happens, stop for a few moments and then resume. After your body becomes accustomed to the change in flow of oxygen, the dizziness will no longer occur.

We are all very fortunate to live in a world where yoga is immensely popular, in fact increasingly so, but to the beginner it's hard to know where to start when there are so many forms, styles and lineages to choose from. Our brand new Focus on: guides are designed to help you to choose the style of yoga that is right for you. We hope you find them both interesting and informative! First up, Yoga Flow...

Yoga Flow (also known as 'vinyasa flow') is an elegant, dynamic style of yoga, derived from Ashtanga Yoga, which emphasises the synchronisation of mind, body and breath. In fact, the Sanskrit word for 'vinyasa' is often translated as "connection". Intelligent and creative sequencing will lead you safely towards a different 'peak' posture every time. Pace varies from teacher to teacher but expect to work hard and get hot, using ujjayi breath ("ocean breathing" - inhaling and exhaling through the nose, creating a rasping sound in the throat) to support your practice.

The term 'vinyasa' is also used to describe the sequence of poses that are performed between Downward Facing Dogs as part of a Sun Salutation sequence.

Yoga Flow classes typically involve repetitions of Sun Salutations, with Downward Facing Dog used as a resting pose throughout the class. Most teachers will offer a variety of levels to suit different bodies and abilities, encouraging those who feel tired or pushed beyond their limits to rest in Child's Pose. Due to the fast pace of most Yoga Flow classes, they aren't recommended for beginners. Make sure that you have a few months of yoga under your belt first, along with a reasonable level of fitness.

Click here to view our class schedule.

GREAT FOR: strength, fitness, weight loss, energising, flexibility