September 2019: Camatkarasana
Camatkarasana
(Wild Thing)
Anne was taught this pose by Shiva Rea, who calls it “sacred body pose” with one hand over your heart (also known as “wild thing”). Anne’s favorite version is with hand over heart.
Steps:
First, from a dancing downward dog, bend the upper knee and open the hip, it’s a modified flip dog.
Shave the back of the knee with the top foot. Land the pose on the ball of your back foot.
Draw the hips to the sky, it is a heart opener so we pull bellybutton to heart and heart to hand.
The bottom leg is strong on in its edge like a side plank. The standing arm has a micro bend at the elbow to protect the shoulder..allow the head to hang off the body.
Drishti (gaze/focus) is to the back wall. It’s not about the shoulders holding you up, it’s about the legs and Bandhas (Mula and Uddiyana)
Smile and breathe!
To come out of the pose look down the energized standing arm and draw the upper knee back into high push-up. Move to child’s pose or flow through vinyasa.
You can also enter the pose from seat, with one leg straight and other knee bent. Backstroke the arm (on the bent knee side) press down through the bent leg and up through the hips. All the same actions apply once the pose is elevated.
Yogis should avoid this pose if recovering from a rotator cuff injury or are in the final trimester of pregnancy.