Sacral Chakra Posture: Upavishtha Konasana

Chakra based yoga attempts to establish alignment from the inside, by feeling the flow of prana within the body and discovering the best route to improve it through the core and the chakras. After you access the temple of your body, and secure your ground in the first chakra, the subsequent step is to align it by the central axis that flows through your core, the Sushumna. Alignment is how you set up the movement of energy between where you are and where you want to go. The first chakra, Muladhara, represents a singular point, your ground, a place your body occupies. When you go to the second chakra, Svadhisthana, you go from singleness to duality, from point one to two.

Upavishta Konasana: Open-Leg Foward Fold

Before starting this pose, warm up your lower body with deep stretches. Flexibility, as shown in the picture, takes time, so start slowly and carefully.

How to execute:

1. Straighten your legs and open each side according to your level of flexibility (use a booster if needed). With your spine erect, press your hands to the floor and raise your torso.

2. Slightly turn your inner thighs downwards, producing more space in the hips sockets. Firm your legs by sending energy from the center of each leg to your heels, flexing your feet, and hugging your thigh muscles towards your bones. Keeping your muscles engaged in this way will help prevent injury and allow you to move deeper into the posture.

3. Extend your tailbone towards your back and shift your pelvis to accentuate the curve of your sacrum. Align your spine, creating a straight line between your crown chakra and your root chakra.

4. With your chest out, roll your shoulders back. Inhale.

5. Maintaining your spine elongated, press your hands on the floor, and walk with them as long as you can. Grow in the posture, until you can touch your elbows on the floor, as shown in the photo.
   

Benefits:

• profound stretch to the inner thighs and groin region;

• strengthens the lower back;

• stimulates metabolism;

• massage lower organs;

• good for deficient sacral chakra.

Avoid: or have extra caution if you have hip injuries or replacements, hamstring injuries, low back injuries or, with you are pregnant.

You can learn more about the Second Chakra in this post or taking this yoga class focused on Svadhisthana:

Source: Chakra Yoga - Anoeda Judith