quote-of-the-day ::: there is no good or bad – just better. -markultra

there is no good or bad – just better. -markultra

poem-of-the-day :: Please Call Me by My True Names -Thich Nhat Hanh

Please Call Me by My True Names
Don't say that I will depart tomorrow -- even today I am still arriving. Look deeply: every second I am arriving to be a bud on a Spring branch, to be a tiny bird, with still-fragile wings, learning to sing in my new nest, to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower, to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone. I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry, to fear and to hope. The rhythm of my heart is the birth and death of all that is alive. I am the mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river. And I am the bird that swoops down to swallow the mayfly. I am the frog swimming happily in the clear water of a pond. And I am the grass-snake that silently feeds itself on the frog. I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones, my legs as thin as bamboo sticks. And I am the arms merchant, selling deadly weapons to Uganda. I am the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat, who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate. And I am the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and loving. I am a member of the politburo, with plenty of power in my hands. And I am the man who has to pay his "debt of blood" to my people dying slowly in a forced-labor camp. My joy is like Spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom all over the Earth. My pain is like a river of tears, so vast it fills the four oceans. Please call me by my true names, so I can hear all my cries and my laughter at once, so I can see that my joy and pain are one. Please call me by my true names, so I can wake up, and so the door of my heart can be left open, the door of compassion. 1989

-Thich Nhat Hanh

word-of-the-day :: savvy

Main Entry: ¹sav·vy
Pronunciation: 'sa-vE
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): sav·vied; sav·vy·ing
Etymology: alteration of sabi know (in English-based creoles and pidgins), from Portuguese sabe he knows, from saber to know, from Latin sapere to be wise -- more at SAGE
Date: 1785
:UNDERSTAND

merriam-webster.com 

quote-of-the-day :: It is not enough to understand, or to see clearly. The future will be shaped in the arena of human activity, by those willing to commit their minds and their bodies to the task. -Robert Kennedy

It is not enough to understand, or to see clearly. The future will be shaped in the arena of human activity, by those willing to commit their minds and their bodies to the task.

-Robert Kennedy

quote-of-the-day :: We gain freedom when we have paid the full price. - Rabindranath Tagore

We gain freedom when we have paid the full price. -Rabindranath Tagore

quote-of-the-day ::: follow your own rhythm, listen to your own drum. - stella fuentes

follow your own rhythm, listen to your own drum. - stella fuentes

quote-of-the-day ::: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate...-Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.  -Marianne Williamson

quote-of-the-day ::: i only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, i found, was really going in. - john muir

i only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, i found, was really going in. -john muir

image-of-the-day :: form follows function

The Transversus abdominis, Rectus abdominis, and Pyramidalis.

thought-for-the-day :: I am the decisive element....-Goethe

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element.  It is my personal approach that creates the climate.  It is my daily mood that makes the weather.

I possess tremendous power to make a life miserable or joyous.  I can be a tool of torture, or an instrument of inspiration.

I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.

In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de–escalated, and a person humanized or dehumanized.

If we treat people as they are, we make them worse.  If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.

-Goethe 

quote-of-the-day ::: if you have time to breathe you have time to meditate. -ajahn chah

if you have time to breathe you have time to meditate. -ajahn chah

quoteof-the-day :: We all live downstream. -David Suzuki

We all live downstream. 

-David Suzuki

Walking in Beauty :: Excerpt from the Navajo Night Way Ceremony

In beauty, may I walk.
All day long, may I walk.
Through the returning seasons, may I walk.

Beautifully I will possess again.
Beautifully birds…
Beautifully joyful birds…

On the trail marked with pollen, may I walk.
With grasshoppers about my feet, may I walk.
With dew about my feet, may I walk.

With beauty, may I walk.
With beauty before me, may I walk.
With beauty behind me, may I walk.
With beauty above me, may I walk.
With beauty all around me, may I walk.

In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty,
lively, may I walk.
In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty,
living again, may I walk.

It is finished in beauty.
It is finished in beauty.

- Excerpt from the Navajo Night Way Ceremony

Tao :: The Lake Above, The Lake Below

I Ching:  58. Tui / The Joyous, Lake

58. Tui / The Joyous, Lake
	above TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE below TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
This hexagram, like sun, is one of the eight formed by doubling of a trigram. The trigram Tui denotes the youngest daughter; it is symbolized by the smiling lake, and its attribute is joyousness. Contrary to appearances, it is not the yielding quality of the top line that accounts for joy here. The attribute of the yielding or dark principle is not joy but melancholy. However, joy is indicated by the fact that there are two strong lines within, expressing themselves through the medium of gentleness. True joy, therefore, rests on firmness and strength within, manifesting itself outwardly as yielding and gentle. THE JUDGMENT THE IMAGE THE JOYOUS. Success. Perseverance is favorable. The joyous mood is infectious and therefore brings success. But joy must be based on steadfastness if it is not to degenerate into uncontrolled mirth. Truth and strength must dwell in the heart, while gentleness reveals itself in social intercourse. In this way one assumes the right attitude toward God and man and achieves something. Under certain conditions, intimidation without gentleness may achieve something momentarily, but not for all time. When, on the other hand, the hearts of men are won by friendliness, they are led to take all hardships upon themselves willingly, and if need be will not shun death itself, so great is the power of joy over men. Lakes resting one on the other: The image of THE JOYOUS. Thus the superior man joins with his friends For discussion and practice. A lake evaporates upward and thus gradually dries up; but when two lakes are joined they do not dry up so readily, for one replenishes the other. It is the same in the field of knowledge. Knowledge should be a refreshing and vitalizing force. It becomes so only through stimulating intercourse with congenial friends with whom one holds discussion and practices application of the truths of life. In this way learning becomes many-sided and takes on a cheerful lightness, whereas there is always something ponderous and one- sided about the learning of the self-taught. Moving Lines This Hexagram This Hexagram + Moving Lines 6 -- x -- 6 5 ---o--- 9 4 ---o--- 9 3 --   -- 8 2 ---o--- 9 1 ------- 7 58. Tui / The Joyous, Lake 27. I / Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment)   Present Potential THE LINES Nine at the beginning means: Contented joyousness. Good fortune. A quiet, wordless, self-contained joy, desiring nothing from without and resting content with everything, remains free of all egotistic likes and dislikes. In this freedom lies good fortune, because it harbors the quiet security of a heart fortified within itself. Nine in the second place means: Sincere joyousness. Good fortune. Remorse disappears. We often find ourselves associating with inferior people in whose company we are tempted by pleasures that are inappropriate for the superior man. To participate in such pleasures would certainly bring remorse, for a superior man can find no real satisfaction in low pleasures. When, recognizing this, a man does not permit his will to swerve, so that he does not find such ways agreeable, not even dubious companions will venture to proffer any base pleasures, because he would not enjoy them. Thus every cause for regret is removed. Six in the third place means: Coming joyousness. Misfortune. True joy must spring from within. But if one is empty within and wholly given over to the world, idle pleasures come streaming in from without. This is what many people welcome as diversion. Those who lack inner stability and therefore need amusement, will always find opportunity of indulgence. They attract external pleasures by the emptiness of their natures. Thus they lose themselves more and more, which of course has bad results. Nine in the fourth place means: Joyousness that is weighed is not at peace. After ridding himself of mistakes a man has joy. Often a man finds himself weighing the choice between various kinds of pleasures, and so long as he has not decided which kind he will choose, the higher or the lower, he has no inner peace. Only when he clearly recognizes that passion brings suffering, can he make up his mind to turn away from the lower pleasures and to strive for the higher. Once this decision is sealed, he finds true joy and peace, and inner conflict is overcome. Nine in the fifth place means: Sincerity toward disintegrating influences is dangerous. Dangerous elements approach even the far best of men. If a man permits himself to have anything to do with them, their disintegrating influence acts slowly but surely, and inevitable brings dangers in its train. But if he recognizes the situation and can comprehend the danger, he knows how to protect himself and remains unharmed. Six at the top means: Seductive joyousness. A vain nature invites diverting pleasures and must suffer accordingly (cf. the six in the third place). If a man is unstable within, the pleasures of the world that he does not shun have so powerful an influence that he is swept along by them. Here it is no longer a question of danger, of good fortune or misfortune. He has given up direction of his own life, and what becomes of him depends upon chance and external influences. Also see: James Legge Yî King #58 I Ching Plus Hexagram Notes #58 Chinese Text for #58

quote-of-the-day ::: He who grasps loses. - Tao de Ching

DIY / 'auto' (self) repair :: Iliopsoas ;) - the body metaphor

foam roller exercises and text quoted from the body window for the iliopsoas:

"Meditate on the Meaning of (the Iliopsoas Muscle) in Your Life" aka

The body metaphor 

(See Developing Intuition by Using Your Body ) for the action of this muscle, is about moving forward in life, or taking steps forward or the fear of moving forward. It involves big, powerful steps and is about support and maintenance of the body’s posture. The iliopsoas is deep inside the hip and lower back. Chronic tension in these muscles are due to issues deep in the core of your being, deep in your soul. When you do these foam roller exercises for the iliopsoas, meditate on what this muscle area may represent in your life.The iliopsoas muscle is that muscle group with which I personally have the most issues. As I create my second life and move towards my new passion, I want to power myself forward too hard. So my hips and lower back are constantly aching. This is especially true on the right side. Since the left-brain controls the right side of the body, it is my left brain that is trying to power me forward too fast. The left-brain is the thinking, detail-oriented part of the brain, or the ‘masculine’ brain. (If you want to learn more about left-brain vs right brain functioning go to Improving Your Body Balance is Improving Your Life Balance ).
I have to constantly remind myself while doing my foam roller exercises for the iliopsoas muscle, to slow down. I meditate on balance, and going with the flow of life, as I work this muscle".

as quoted from the body window

-m 

sanskritization of the west :: yoga :: योग

 योग -Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents [hide] 1 Sanskrit 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Noun 1.2.1 Declension 1.3 References

[edit] Sanskrit

[edit] Etymology

From the verbal root √yuj (“to yoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *yewg- (“to yoke, harness, join”), whence also Proto-Indo-European noun *yugóm that gave Sanskrit युग (yugá).

[edit] Noun

योग (yóga) m.

1. the act of yoking, joining, attaching, harnessing, putting to (of horses)  [quotations ▼]
   • RV 10.39.12c
     

     आ तेन यातं मनसो जवीयसा रथं यं वां रभवश्चक्रुरश्विना |

     यस्य योगे दुहिता जायते दिव उभे अहनीसुदिने विवस्वतः ||

     ā tena yātaṃ manaso javīyasā rathaṃ yaṃ vāṃ ṛbhavaścakruraśvinā |

     yasya yoghe duhitā jāyate diva ubhe ahanīsudine vivasvataḥ ||

     Come on that Chariot which the Rbhus wrought for you, the Chariot, Asvins, that is speedier than thought,

     At harnessing whereof Heaven's Daughter springs to birth, and from Vivasvan come auspicious Night and Day.

2. a yoke, team, vehicle, conveyance
3. employment, use, application, performance
4. equipping or arraying (of an army)
5. fixing (of an arrow on the bow-string)
6. putting on (of armour)
7. a remedy, cure
8. a means, expedient, device, way, manner, method
9. a supernatural means, charm, incantation, magical art
10. a trick, stratagem, fraud, deceit (compare yoga-nanda)
11. undertaking, business, work
12. acquisition, gain, profit, wealth, property
13. occasion, opportunity
14. any junction, union, combination, contact with (+instrumental with or without सह (sahá), or compound)
    

    योगम् (yogam) √i — to agree, consent, acquiesce in anything



15. mixing of various materials, mixture


16. partaking of, possessing (instrumental or compound)



17. connection, relation (योगात् (yogāt), योगेन (yógena) and योगतस् (yóga-tas) at the end of a compound: in consequence of, on account of, by reason of, according to, through)





18. putting together, arrangement, disposition, regular succession





19. fitting together, fitness, propriety, suitability
    

    योगेन (yógena) and योगतस् (yóga-tas) — suitably, fitly, duly, in the right manner






20. exertion, endeavour, zeal, diligence, industry, care, attention  [quotations ▼]
    • 
      

      योगतस् (yóga-tas) — strenuously, assiduously

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    पूर्णेन योगेन (pūrṇena yogena) — with all one's powers, with overflowing zeal





21. yoga: application or concentration of the thoughts, abstract contemplation, meditation, (especially) self-concentration, abstract meditation and mental abstraction practised as a system





22. any simple act or rite conducive to yoga or abstract meditation





23. Yoga personified (as the son of Dharma and Kriya)





24. a follower of the yoga system





25. (in samkhya) the union of soul with matter (one of the 10 मूलिकअर्था (mūlika-arthā)s or radical facts)





26. (with पाशुपत (pāśupata)s) the union of the individual soul with the universal soul





27. (with पाञ्चरात्र (pāñcarātra)s) devotion, pious seeking after God





28. (with जैन (jaina)s) contact or mixing with the outer world





29. (astronomy) conjunction, lucky conjuncture





30. (astronomy) a constellation, fasterism (these, with the moon, are called चान्द्रयोगाः (cāndra-yogāḥ) and are 13 in number; without the moon they are called खयोगाः (kha-yogāḥ), or नाभसयोगाः (nābhasa-yogāḥ))





31. (astronomy) the leading or principal star of a lunar asterism





32. (astronomy) name of a variable division of time (during which the joint motion in longitude of the sun and moon amounts to 13 degrees 20 minutes; there are 27 such yogas beginning with विष्कम्भ (viṣkambha) and ending with वैधृति (vaidhṛti))





33. (arithmetic) addition, sum, total





34. (grammar) the connection of words together, syntactical dependence of a word, construction (at the end of a compound = dependent on, ruled by)





35. (grammar) a combined or concentrated grammatical rule or aphorism





36. the connection of a word with its root, original or etymological meaning (as opposed to रूढि (rūḍhi))





37. a violator of confidence, spy





38. name of a scholiast or commentator on the परमार्थसार (paramārthasāra)

[edit] Declension

[hide ▲]    Masculine a-stem declension of योग

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	योगः (yogaḥ)	योगौ (yogau)	योगाः (yogāḥ)
Vocative	योग (yoga)	योगौ (yogau)	योगाः (yogāḥ)
Accusative	योगम् (yogam)	योगौ (yogau)	योगान् (yogān)
Instrumental	योगेन (yogena)	योगाभ्याम् (yogābhyām)	योगैः (yogaiḥ)
Dative	योगाय (yogāya)	योगाभ्याम् (yogābhyām)	योगेभ्यः (yogebhyaḥ)
Ablative	योगात् (yogāt)	योगाभ्याम् (yogābhyām)	योगेभ्यः (yogebhyaḥ)
Genitive	योगस्य (yogasya)	योगयोः (yogayoḥ)	योगानाम् (yogānām)
Locative	योगे (yoge)	योगयोः (yogayoḥ)	योगेषु (yogeṣu)

[edit] References

• Sir Monier Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English dictionary etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to cognate Indo-European languages, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1898, page 0856

 

May Śiva bless those who take delight in the language of the gods ::

 

from wikipedia:

May Śiva bless those who take delight in the language of the gods

Shiva-Samhita :: innumerable cups full of water...

As innumerable cups full of water, many reflections of the sun are seen, but the sun is the same; similarly individuals, like cups, are unumerable, but spirit, like the sun, is one" - The Shiva-samhita 1.35 II.42-43

Light on Yoga :: There are many different paths...

There are many different paths (margas)
by which a man travels to his Maker.

The active man finds realization
through Karma Marga, in which
a man realises his own divinity
through work and duty. The emotional man
finds it through Bhakti Marga,
where there is realisation
through devotion to and love of a personal God.
The intellectual man pursues Jnana Marga,
where realisation comes through knowledge.
The meditative or reflective man
follows Yoga Marga, and realises
his own divinity through
control of the mind.

Light on yoga, p.22

reviewing your story-of-the-day :: simplify

If we could discard knowledge and wisdom
Then people would profit a hundredfold;
If we could discard duty and justice
Then harmonious relationships would form;
If we could discard artifice and profit
Then waste and theft would disappear.

Yet such remedies treat only symptoms
And so they are inadequate.

People need personal remedies:
Reveal your naked self and embrace your original nature;
Bind your self-interest and control your ambition;
Forget your habits and simplify your affairs.

tao te ching - 19

quote-of-the-day ::: I am not my hair. -India Arie

I am not my hair. 
-India Arie

2nd poem-of-the-day :: Your joy is your sorrow unmasked... - Kahlil Gibran

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

poem-of-the-day :: Thirst - Mary Oliver

Thirst
By Mary Oliver
Another morning and I wake up with thirst
for the goodness I do not have. I walk
out to the pond and all the way God has
given us such beautiful lessons. Oh Lord, I
was never  a quick scholar but sulked
and hunched over my books past the
hour and the bell; grant me, in your
mercy, a little more time. Love for the
earth and love for you are having such a
long conversation in my heart. Who
knows what will finally happen or
where I will be sent, yet already I have
given a great many things away, expect-
ing to be told to pack nothing, except the
prayers which, with this thirst, I am
slowly learning.

another quote-of-the-day :: “We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.” - Goethe

“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.” -Goethe

quote-of-the-day :: Dignity does not consist in a silk dress.

dignity does not consist in a silk dress -wise saying from the Orient / Good Earth tea tag quote

Excerpt from the poem-of-the-day :: Let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure... (Self-Knowledge) - Kahlil Gibran

Self-Knowledge (from The Prophet), by Kahlil Gibran And a man said, Speak to us of Self-Knowledge. And he answered saying: Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights. But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge. You would know in words that which you have always known in thought. You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. And it is well you should. The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea; And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes. But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure; And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line. For self is a sea boundless and measureless. Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth." Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path." For the soul walks upon all paths. The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals. from Poetry Chaikhana

quote-of-the-day :: Celebrate what you want to see more of. ~ Thomas J. Peters

Celebrate what you want to see more of.
~Thomas J. Peters

The Heart Sutra - Mahaprajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra

from The Chant Room at Dzogchen Center:

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, practicing deep prajna paramita, clearly saw that all five skandhas are empty, transforming all suffering and distress. Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form. Form is exactly emptiness, emptiness exactly form. Sensation, thought, impulse, consciousness are also like this. Shariputra, all things are marked by emptiness - not born, not destroyed, not stained, not pure, without gain, without loss. Therefore in emptiness there is no form, no sensation, thought, impulse, consciousness. No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind. No color, sound, smell, taste, touch, object of thought. No realm of sight to no realm of thought. No ignorance and also no ending of ignorance to no old age and death and also no ending of old age and death. No suffering, and also no source of suffering, no annihilation, no path. No wisdom, also no attainment. Having nothing to attain, Bodhisattvas live prajna paramita with no hindrance in the mind. No hindrance, thus no fear. Far beyond delusive thinking, they attain complete Nirvana. All Buddhas past, present and future live prajna paramita and thus attain anuttara samyak sambodhi. Therefore, know that prajna paramita is the great mantra, the wisdom mantra, the unsurpassed mantra, the supreme mantra, which completely removes all suffering. This is truth, not deception. Therefore set forth the prajna paramita mantra, set forth this mantra and say: GATÉ GATÉ PARAGATÉ PARASAMGATÉ BODHI SVAHA [Beyond, beyond, totally beyond, perfectly beyond: Awakening ....Yes!] Listen to this Chant in RealAudio @ http://www.dzogchen.org/chant/heartsutra.htm

quote-of-the-day ::: "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." - buddhist proverb

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

-buddhist proverb

quote-of-the-day ::: "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought". - Basho

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought".
- Basho

quote-of-the-day ::: To say my fate is not tied to your fate is like saying, “Your end of the boat is sinking.” - Hugh Downs

To say my fate is not tied to your fate is like saying, “Your end of the boat is sinking.” - Hugh Downs

quote-of-the-day ::: "The infinite vibratory levels, the dimensions of interconnectedness are without end. There is nothing independent. All beings and things are residents in your awareness.” -Alex Grey

The infinite vibratory levels, the dimensions of interconnectedness are without end. There is nothing independent. All beings and things are residents in your awareness. -Alex Grey

quote-of-the-day :: We gain freedom when we have paid full price. -Rabindranath Tagore

We gain freedom when we have paid full price. 
-Rabindranath Tagore

pose-of-the-day ::: ananda balasana

from Yoga Journal:

Happy Baby Pose

Ananda Balasana

Step by Step
Lie on your back. With an exhale, bend your knees into your belly.
Inhale, grip the outsides of your feet with your hands (if you have difficulty holding the feet directly with your hands, hold onto a belt looped over each sole.) Open your knees slightly wider than your torso, then bring them up toward your armpits.
Position each ankle directly over the knee, so your shins are perpendicular to the floor. Flex through the heels. Gently push your feet up into your hands (or the belts) as you pull your hands down to create a resistance.
Coax the thighs in toward your torso and down toward the floor as you lengthen the spine—release your tail bone toward the floor and lengthen the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.
Hold the pose steadily for 30 seconds to one minute. Then release the feet back to the floor with an exhale and rest for a few breaths.

Anatomical Focus

• Hips

Benefits

Gently stretches the inner groins and the back spine
Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue

Contraindications and Cautions

Pregnancy
Knee injury
Neck injury, support head on a thickly folded blanket

Beginner's Tip

If you can't easily hold your feet with your hands, try holding each foot with a yoga strap looped around the middle arch.

Preparatory Poses

Balasana (Child's Pose)
Virasana (Hero Pose)

Follow-Up Poses

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)

Return to http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2497

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2497?print=1