Camatkarasana
Your Monthly Yoga Pose
“Without rain, nothing grows.”
The rain has come, and the wildflowers have begun to grow. They are sprouting and flourishing after the short but cool, dormant winter. They are embracing the warmth and longer stretches of sun.
The posture wild thing, also commonly known as flip dog or rockstar, is a posture of a growing heart. It’s the opposite of what we do in our day-to-day life of sitting and guarding or protecting our emotions. Wild thing is a posture that encourages loving with all of our heart and soul. It is a posture that opens the heart toward the sky and reaches in all directions. This posture is one of joy and liberation.
Wild thing, or camatkarasana, is easily done for most children. Children live in the carefree, giving, and loving world. You may notice children “pop” into a backbend and get up without an ache. Adults, however, need a bit more preparation. Before attempting this posture, thoroughly warm up the back and shoulders. A degree of strength and flexibility is needed to perform the pose wild thing.
There are a couple variations when entering the posture. You may begin from the down dog pose and then “flip” the dog. However, I find that it is gentler to enter the posture from a plank posture.
- Warm up the back and shoulders.
- Come into a plank posture with a slight bend in the elbows.
- Lift the right leg and bend at the knee. The foot should look as though it is going to step on the ceiling.
- Keeping the left elbow slightly bent, begin to allow the right leg to fall over to the left side. Be mindful and cautious of the left shoulder as it begins to rotate and open.
- When the right foot finds the floor behind the body, allow the right arm to extend away.
- The right foot can come in or out to adjust for the back body.
Once the wild thing pose is achieved, a counter pose is necessary. Come into a down dog or child’s pose to counter the effects of the heart opening.
Enjoy the warmth of the sun on your heart and let your heart be a free, wild thing!
Namaste.
