Pose of the Week: Gomukhasana

 

Cow Face Pose-- a deep juicy pose in place of a juicy burger this Labor Day

     This morning's bike ride and this weekend's trip to Stone House Farms inspired my pose choice this week--go mooo kasana! We went on a beautiful Labor Day bike ride this morning (along with hundreds of other people) on the Lakeshore trail and during long rides I really begin to feel it in my hips and quads. This pose is always super intense for me on the outside of my hips, maybe it's from cycling or maybe it is old junk all tied up in there (partially caused by the hundreds of people on the trail that dangerously swerve into you or run out in front of you).

Although deep and juicy, some variation of this pose is accessible to everyone via a prop or modification. No, you do not have to be rocking a thong like cartoon yogi above, but maybe while you sit uncomfortably in this pose and try to focus on your breath you will relax a little or laugh when you think of doing the pose in that thong.

Gomukasana is a deep hip and shoulder stretch and really requires me to relax into the pose and focus my mind on my breath.

To Prepare:  gentle hip and shoulder openers

• ardha matsyendrasana- half lord of the fish pose 
• Marichyasana C
• Parivrtta Janu Sirsanana- wide legged seated stradle, gentle twist and side stretch reaching for the toes of one foot while opening the chest to the ceiling.
• Poschimottanasana- seated forward fold
• Virasana- hero's pose
• Haddha Konasana- seated bound angle (think butterfly)
• Dandasana- staff pose (seated with legs extended in front of you, reach through your heels to activate the backs of your legs and sit up straight while engaging the core)
• Janu Sirsana- one leg seated forward fold. 
• Uttanasana- standing forward fold

Counter Pose:

• Upavista Konansana- wide legged seated forward fold
• Adho Mukha Scanasana- Downward facing Dog
• Baddha Konasana 

Props and Modifications:

• break the pose down and do either just the arms or just the legs to start off, both feel great on their own
• if the shoulders are not opening enough for you to hook your fingers together grab a strap and drape it over your shoulder, slowly grab onto the strap with both hands and as the shoulders open walk the hands towards one another on the strap
• to allow both sits bones to root down into the ground bring a bolster or block under your seat if they do not reach the earth on their own.
• an easy way to enter this pose is to come into table top, extend the right leg behind you, cross the right leg over the left and place the r knee on the other side of the left knee so that the legs are crossed, slowly begin to sit your hips back between your feet, walk the feet out as wide as feels good (the more open the hips the wider the feet will be) you want your knees stacked on top of each other.)

This pose and I have a love hate relationship:: it hurts so good. I know I need it because I can't stand it but after surrendering and relaxing into the pose for a good number of breaths it begins to become less irritating. 





And as my fellow yogi and teacher Ben informed me: No guy ever likes gomukasana because there is just to much stuff in the way--so feel free to try different ways of coming into this pose and adjust as necessary.