I see this a lot during my classes, legs just lying there on the floor, looking unanimated lol! The rest of the body is focused on a specific action and the mind has forgotten all about the legs.
I was guilty about that myself when I first started practicing yoga. I was so focused on trying to "get" a pose, that I was loosing track of; #1 my breath #2 my body moving as a whole.
There's so much to talk about! But today, let's focus on the importance of using your legs correctly during yoga *asanas. Did you know that engaging your legs in the right way will allow you to fold deeper into poses, connects to your core, stabilises your pelvis/hips, helps to lengthen your spine and allows the energy flow to draw in and up the body? It certainly does, and so much more!
In this short video you'll see what I mean:) As yoga teachers, you'll sometimes hear us say "no dead legs in yoga". That's what we mean. We mean, keep in mind that you are one and that every inch of your body needs to be engaged and active in every yoga asana.
Please note that "engaged and active" doesn't mean contracted or stiff. Visualize the wind when it hits the trees; the trees remain strong at the base but are also very flexible when the wind embraces them. Let the wind represent your breath, and the trees represent your body (legs in this case). A beautiful combination of strength and grace.
Enjoy the video and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments or feedback:)
Namaste,
Chantal
*Asanas: sanskrit name for poses in english.
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