Basic Yoga Poses
Including Counterposes In Your Basic Yoga Pose Practice

An important idea for any basic yoga practice is the idea of balance via counterposing.

What does that mean?

Generally it can mean countering forward bending poses with back bending poses and vice versa. But that's a bit too general to be useful.

Talking about counterposing forward bends with backwards bends and vice versa (and twisting, or side bending for that matter), it helps to specify which part of the body is doing the bending or twisting.

Basic Spine Movements

Focusing on the spine, if you do a pose in which the spine is bending forwards then for balance do a pose in which the spine is bend backwards. It goes without saying that if you bend or twist it to the right then also do the same bend or twist to the left.

And as a side note, bending the spine and twisting it are not mutually exclusive. You can bend the spine as you twist it.

If you were really anal (or really intelligent) you could break down the spine even further and so in any basic yoga pose practice include back and forward bends for the lumbar spine, thoracic spine and cervical spine. Likewise with side-bends and twists for each section of the spine.

Basic Hip Movements

Focusing on the hip joints, a balanced basic yoga pose routine for the hips would include internal and external rotation of the hip joints.

Bound angle poses can be classed as an external rotated thigh position. The previously mentioned hero pose with the shin folded to the outside of the thigh is an internally rotated thigh position pose.

Another possible contender for internal thigh rotation is hurdlers stretch. This "basic" yoga pose does tend to get a bad name for itself. I like it as a challenge. I'd leave it out though if you have knee problems, or if you do choose to do it, then, like any other pose, move into it and out of it mindfully.

A balanced basic yoga pose routine for the hips would also include back bends for the hip to counter pose forward bends.

An example of a backwards bend for the hip is pigeon pose, particularly when done with the torso upright. The leg that gets the backward bend for the hip is the rearmost leg in this basic yoga pose.

And it would include adduction (moving the leg inwards relative to the pelvis) to counter-pose abduction (moving the leg outwards.)

One way to adduct the hips is to cross the legs with knees straight while standing. Another is to push the hips to the side in a standing side bend.

One way to abduct the thighs, and stretch the adductors is with the half side split adductor stretch.

Whether the knee is straight or bend can affect the hip, particularly the hamstrings, and so for forward bends of the hip you might want to include forward bends with the knee bent (easier). Forward bends with the knee straight can act as a hamstrings stretch.

On the other hand, stretching the hip flexors with the knee straight tends to be easier since the quadriceps are out of the equation. When you bend the knee, hip flexor stretching becomes a little bit less pleasant.

Bending the knee to stretch the quadriceps can be done with the hip bent forwards, which tends to be easier. Bending rearwards at the hips makes quadriceps stretching a lot less fun and can be used to stretch the hip flexors and quadriceps together.

Balanced Basic Shoulder Actions

In terms of the shoulders, protraction of the shoulder blades can be balanced with retraction, elevation with depression.

And if you do a basic yoga pose where you stretch or move the arms in an up and back direction, as in downward facing dog, then you should also include a basic pose where you stretch the arms in a down and back direction say in table top.

Likewise if stretching the shoulders in an up and back direction say with puppy dog shoulder stretch, then balance it a stretch like rack pose.

The idea of counterposing is to make sure you aren't messing up the body. But it can also be used to make sure that you feel good that you unwind from each pose, and to that end some experimentation can be useful.

If you find a certain combination or sequencing of poses doesn't work (for me it used to be wheel pose followed by Shoulder Stand shoulder stand or plough pose), then don't do them or use some intermediary poses to better prepare you.

So for example, I could have included some sort of forward bend for the neck to transition to shoulder-stand like rabbit pose.

Generally for inversions where your weight is on your arms or your head you could hang upside down from your waist in a standing forward bend.

If doing handstands, then I tend to finish my handstand classes of with a standing forward bend and/or a side bend, followed maybe by bridge (depending on whether or not I've done back bends for the hips) or or dead dog (on the back with legs and arms up) or dead dog reach (same pose but with hips and upper back and head lifted.)

Relaxing at the End

At the end of any yoga practice the usual practice is to rest in corpse pose (shivasana.) If I've done dead dog or dead dog reach, I might hug knees first then move into corpse pose. You could simply slowly your arms and legs from dead dog reach into corpse pose. An option for corpse pose is to rest with your hands on your heart. You could do this with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor also.

Flexibility and Strength

If basic yoga postures are difficult due to a lack of strength or flexibility then you may find it helpful to work on your strength and flexibility in isolation.