Focus Forward Friday: Rabbit Pose

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Photo above via the Bikram Yoga Women's Retreat on Facebook. 
Photo below by yours truly!

Focus Forward Friday: 
A weekly ritual for deepening your practice.

Today's focus: rabbit pose. Anyone out there love this asana? It's the deepest forward fold in the Bikram series, and a great compression posture that comes pretty late in the floor series. 

I find that I have a love-hate relationship with this posture, mostly because of my tight cervical spine. I have to be really careful not to overdo it or go too far... yet at the same time, on days when my neck needs it, Rabbit can be the best medicine! It's one of the most healing postures I've found in Bikram.

My advice for those new to rabbit? Really put a lot of weight into your hands. Pull harder than you think you need to. And do use a towel over your heels. I know some studios teach against this, but that's disappointing to me. You don't want the chance of slipping and throwing your neck out of whack. 

Whatever your studio's dialogue style, be sure to take it slow in this posture, and don't expect results overnight. It can take a long time to feel the stretch move from your neck down your spine, but once you do it's totally worth it!


Another tip: introduce your belly to your spine and really suck your tummy in. By clearing this space in your abdomen, you'll be able to stretch farther and with more ease. Like in Standing Head to Knee, this is a critical first step for this posture. And a reason not to eat much before class!

Rabbit is also great if you've got a cold or have thyroid problems (it's supposed to aid immunity and balance hormones). Score!

To read more about rabbit pose from Bikram headquarters, click here.

Photo via Bikram's site.


Finally, a little explanation about this series. I realized the other day it's not exactly clear what Focus Forward Friday really is, or why I started it. So I wanted to give you all the whole story :)

Photo via Threading in the Choirs.

Focus Forward Friday is a weekly reminder here on the blog. Its main purpose is to remind you of your own strength and that you have the choice to place your focus where you want it to be -- and that goes for when you're in yoga class or not on the mat!

Wherever you are, you have the power to focus forward. To focus on the present moment. To see yourself in the mirror, doing your yoga -- or see your true self, living your life -- wherever you are right now.

But only if you want to.

The series is also a weekly exploration of where a dedicated yogi should place his or her focus. Each topic I choose is meant to inspire you to think more deeply about how you use your yoga both on and off the mat.

You can think of Focus Forward Friday as a little party every week on the blog. Photo via Max Wanger.

The bottom line behind the series is to get you thinking creatively about how to live your yoga one week at a time. I hope it helps! 

If you have any feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Or chime in with a topic you'd love to see me post on next Friday! I'd love to hear from you.

Have a happy weekend, all. Enjoy spring time floating in the air! Get some time with your loved ones and go for a bike ride or have a picnic. I'll be enjoying some time in the hot room, and with my cousins from North Carolina.

Namaste.

Photo via Sloan Photography.