Your Monthly Yoga Pose
Utthita Parivrtta Anjaneyasana
“Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down.” – Will Smith as Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Life has changed. The life we knew in January 2020 is far different from the life we live now. Life has turned and placed us into a new posture. For this month’s yoga pose, I chose waterwheel or extended revolved high crescent lunge, also known as utthita parivrtta anjaneyasana. To be frank, I am not quite sure what the exact name is; yoga postures have various names or even differing regional names. I have always known it as waterwheel, but when I google “waterwheel yoga pose,” I get a hodgepodge of poses, some similar, some different. For the purpose of continuity, I’ll call it waterwheel in this article.
This is a twisting posture that still requires strength and a degree of balance. I feel the time we are living right now requires all those aspects from us. Life is twisting us and seeing what is squeezed out. We need to stay strong and balanced to continue to breathe in the current posture life has placed us in.
I also chose this posture because I’d like to highlight some of the beauty that has resulted from being home and being under quarantine. The photo was taken by Kelly Rodriguez before gyms were closed and before life was flipped-turned upside down.
Kelly, being the talented photographer that she is, held socially-distant, family porch photos and asked for the participants to donate toward the Ronald McDonald house in Lake Nona. She raised over $2,000 by photographing more than 50 families. Kelly turned this “upside down” situation and brought joy to my porch when she brought her kids and took photos of my family.
We were the first family to be photographed early on during quarantine, and when I asked her why, she just said it was something that would bring good to the world. She shared her talent and brought good to the world; there is nothing more “yoga” than that. Thank you, Kelly!
Regardless of whether you can fully do this posture, half this posture, none of it, whatever your talent is, share it and continue to bring the good. Turn your face toward the light, the sun, the good, and smile. Share it with the world.
- Begin standing at the top of the mat.
- Take a large step back with the left foot coming into a high lunge.
- Lift your arms and press your toes back so your left toes are under your left heel.
- Make sure your right knee is bent about 90 degrees and your knee is over your ankle.
- Open your arms and twist your torso toward the right side.
- Allow your arms to reach in opposite directions while you gaze over your right thumb.
- Stay in this posture for five breaths.
- Return to standing position in one step.
- Repeat the steps for the opposite side.
Namaste.
Photo by Kelly Rodriguez
