
TUTORIAL: Compass Pose
TUTORIAL
Compass Pose
Kiana Ng Yoga
Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana
One of my favourite poses! There’s something elegant, beautiful and freeing about this pose… Maybe because it represents guidance & direction.
Alignment Principles
- Start in Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
- Lift your right shin into your chest for Baby Cradle position
- Take your right hand to the inside of the leg to hold the back of the right heel & take your left hand around the top of the foot to hold the pinky edge of the foot
- Start to lift the leg/knee as high up the right shoulder as it will go
- Once you have the leg up there, reach your right finger tips out to the right on to your mat
- Keep your right shoulder plugging back, elbow straight
- Exhale to start to straighten the right leg towards the sky with the left hand helping you pull the leg straight
- NOTE: You can keep both sit bones grounded so that the right leg kicks out on a diagonal, or the right hip can lift so that the right leg kicks straight up in a vertical line
- As the left arm pulls over your head and the right leg straightens, pop your head through the window between the left arm and right leg to turn the gaze up & to the left
- Revolve your torso open towards the left
Prep. Poses:
- Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)
- Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)
- Monkey Pose / Splits (Hanumanasana)
- Bound Standing Forward Fold (Baddha Uttanasana)
- Pigeon (Rajakapotasana)
- Revolved Head to Knee Pose (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana)
Modifications/Variations:
- Use a strap around the foot