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Yoga For Mind and Body
Part 14
The fourteenth in a series of columns offering yoga postures for men, women, and children to practice at home, school, on the road or in the office. With special thanks to Ross Pottinger of Wink Photo Design in Brisbane, Australia for the photos and the support in this project. And many thanks to Louisa Dick for taking part in the project. Do check with your health care practitioner before beginning a yoga practice. Many postures are not suitable for pregnant women, people with joint replacements, those with hypertension or other medical conditions. If you have a posture that you would like to see in this column, I welcome your suggestions. Namaste, H.
The Frog/Indian Cooking Position
 To Begin: Stand with feet a little wider than hip width apart, toes turned out 45 degrees. Warm up the thigh and hip muscles by slowly half squatting a few times, allowing the knees to follow the line of the toes as you sink down halfway into a squat, and then slowly return to start position. When the body is warm and ready for the pose, slowly squat all the way down, allowing your hips to meet the back of calves and heels.
The Pose: Sitting in the squat position, tuck the backs of the arms in the inner thigh, stretching as low as you can to draw the armpits towards the knees. Press the hands together at the heart, and focus on lengthening through the spine, and relaxing into the position.
To Intensify: Lift one heel at a time and tuck your upper arm under your thigh. Place the hands behind the feet, and slowly sink down to rest on the tops of the upper arm. If you can hold this pose comfortably, begin to sink the hips down, until you can lift your feet off the ground. Either extend legs upwards, or bring legs in front of the body to cross ankles.
 Breathing: Breathing deeply in this pose greatly benefits the digestive organs
To Modify: If you find your heels lifting off the ground, roll up your mat a few times, or use a small block or pad to rest your heels on.
Focus: Keep the spine aligned at all times, keep the knees in line with the toes, and keep the belly soft and supple.
Cautions: If you have an acute or chronic knee condition that limits your ability to flex the knees, this may not be an appropriate posture for you.
Benefits: An important pose for maintaining and improving the health of the digestive and elimination organs. This pose is also very helpful for alleviating menstrual cramps and preparing the body for an easy labour.
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