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Stay Steady with Plank Pose and Have Fun with Lion’s Breath

written by Emily Garrettfor Venus Rising Magazine

Capricorn 06 Issue

When balanced, a Capricorn feels steady and grounded in her body. From this grounded place, she can participate actively in the world. Capricorns maintain this structure for others as well and make decisions clearly and logically when no one else can. It is this stability that allows a Capricorn to have patience with others because she knows that she will find a way to get things done no matter what obstacles she encounters. Even when everything around her is in flux, she remains centered and calm. 

PLANK

Plank posture mirrors the stability that a balanced Capricorn embodies. It’s a great pose to practice alignment as it lines up the bones and strengthens the muscles that help hold us together. A challenging posture, plank requires that we remain steady and strong even when the sensation gets intense.

Come into a table top position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Spread your fingers wide and tuck your toes under. Scan your awareness through your spine and feel even length through both the front and the back of the body.  The sitting bones reach back toward the wall behind you, and the crown of the head reaches forward. Draw the front lower ribs into the body, and soften the space between the shoulder blades toward the floor. While maintaining the structure of the back, extend one leg at a time until the whole body is parallel to the floor. Gently squeeze the creases of the elbows towards each other and continue to soften the space between the shoulder blades toward the floor. Now, engage the legs. Reach firmly through the heels, and lift the inner thighs toward the ceiling. Draw your navel into your spine, and move your tailbone toward your heels. As the heels reach back, lengthen the base of the skull away from the shoulder blades, and gaze to the floor just between your hands. Hold for three to five breaths, and feel the structure of the pose.

When unbalanced, a Capricorn tends to be overly serious and she forgets entirely to play. She is apt to feel threatened by anything that jeopardizes her sense of stability and therefore sets strict rules in an effort to maintain the seemingly unsteady structure of her environment. When this happens, one of the best things a Capricorn can do is let it all go and discover that it will be okay. She will not fall from this earth in pieces, and she might even enjoy herself. Lion’s Breath is one of my favorite yogic techniques for loosening up a mind that has become too rigid. It helps to relax the jaw, which relaxes the mind, and its playful nature can make us laugh. The silly nature of the pose reminds us that life can be enjoyable too. 

LION’S BREATH

Sit in a kneeling position with your hips on your heels. If this is uncomfortable for your knees, place a folded blanket or a pillow between your hips and your heels. Place your hands on your knees. Straighten your arms and spread your fingers wide. Take a deep breath in through the nose, and when you exhale open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue and roll your eyes into the top corners of their sockets. Now, depending on how serious you are feeling, you may be offended by the mere idea of doing this pose. My advice is to do it anyway. Do about three to five breaths. If you still feel serious afterwards, ask a friend to join you, and do the pose facing each other. Most likely, one of you will start laughing before the pose is finished. Enjoy.

Avoid injury! When practicing yoga, listen to your body and take responsibility for your safety. Always move gently into poses, and do not push too hard.

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