Swan Feather (Pancha Hamshasana)

Practice Swan Feather (Pancha Hamshasana) from Plank/Hover (Caturanga Dandasana) by floating into Hovering Butterfly! Support the body, hugging upper arms (Biceps and Triceps) towards the ribcage by contracting Serratus muscles, under the armpits, and Pectorals muscles of the chest, lift the body by stacking bones, aligning wrists below elbows using Gecko fingers or Starfish hands (Hasta Bandha) to protect the wrists; lifting out of joints by engaging muscles abates arthritis. Squeeze low back muscles (Latissimus Dorsi) and buttox muscles (Gluteaus Maximus, Minimus, and Medius), lengthening legs upward contracting the muscles (Hamstrings and Quadriceps) of the back and front of the legs. Try throat breaths (Ujjayi Pranayama) to engage the parasympathetic, relaxation (Pratyahara) response to hold (santosha) the pose, focus (Dharana) on closing the throat slightly, keep focusing (Dhyana) on the eight limbs of responsibility (ethics, morals), pose (strength, balance, flexibility), breath (counting), relaxation (parasympathetic response/prefrontal cortex engagement), focus (one pointed), meditation (continual focus), perfection (keep practicing/upward spiral)!

Practicing Reverse Plank/Hover (Purvottanasana) helps build strength for perfecting (Samadhi) Panca Hamsasana. Yoga Planks known as Hovers in the Fitness Industry are excellent core strengtheners!  Practicing Hovers prone (caturanga dandasana), supine (Purvottanasana), and to each side (Vasisthasana) create cohesive body strength, balance, and flexibility.  Actively recover in Down Dog Pose (Adhomukha Svanasana) or Child/Wisdom Pose (Balasana) before your next set.  Look for the Plank (Chaturanga Dandasana) video to come!

Yoga As Medicine (Yoga Therapy)

Yoga is a way of using our minds and bodies to feel good (therapeutic effects). Try cow's face (ghomukhasana) arms for shoulder flexibility and care. Use yoga breathing (pranayama) for energy and filtered air. Practice swan-feather pose (pinca-hamsasana) for lumbago and mind/body awareness. Yoga can be anecdotal for anyone; here are a few ways yoga has been medicinal for me.


Once, while snowboarding I fell off a rail and swiped my shoulder going down. My deltoids felt bruised (bleeding from the inside) and battered, of no use; possibly dislocated. Whatever the case, I was in grave pain.
Usually, I can deal and end up feeling fine. This time, was different; I sat on the deck of the lodge contemplating calling an ambulance. I couldn't drive in this state, I was dazed and confused. Where as, I have driven to the emergency room arm raised, while bleeding with no problem.

Anyway, my only reprieve was sitting in gomukhasana (cows face) arms. The arm of my hurt shoulder hugging behind my back reaching towards my cervical spine (neck) and the other arm reaching up past my ear bent at the elbow inching down my neck. I grasped my fingers together and held on despite the raging I felt through my shoulder.

I sat in ghomukhasana imagining an ambulance driving to the rescue while the pose did it's work. Finally, ten to twenty minutes later I released my hands from the pose (asana). Blood gushed (pumped) through my shoulder; range of motion intact.
I didn't ride the rest of the day. I enjoyed the sunshine and the fact I made it through major grief. I felt happy knowing I could survive and continue to ride another day, a different hour; albeit, more cautiously.

I continued to use cow's face arms diligently. Especially, that day and when I felt pain throughout the week and months ahead I'd reach into pose. Saved by the beneficial (therapeutic) effects of yoga.




Ironically I felt protected from smoke while working to put it out as a Wildland firefighter, but had no control over inhaling it as a "civilian". Over the next decade the air was seasonally smoky. During this time, I jogged in the midst of smoke; I recalled yoga breathing, breathing in and out of the nose only. I began using the technique while jogging. Snot poured out my nostrils, I became self-conscious but resolved to naturally filter the air; I was breathing .

Initially, I felt claustrophobic like I wasn't getting a full breath. However, I kept practicing and no longer needed an inhaler for the adult-onset asthma I had experienced. Difficulty breathing was now a non-issue. Simply, because I focused on pranayama (breathing), literally translated as "life force". The human body is truly its own best medicine.




Swan Feather Pose (Pinca-Hamsasana) a third example of yoga therapy came into my life after many months of misery. I awoke from sleep unable to get out of bed. I was paralyzed. I literally couldn't walk. I'd been going through some extreme life changes. My life felt like it was caving in on me and now I had to crawl like a baby.

I moved to Studio 18A. Grateful, for the square footage and beautiful views for private trainings. A Partner Yoga Session was scheduled; my clients entered. I had been crawling to get around and upon their arrival was able to stand, although the pain was debilitating. I greeted these clients with a smile, pretending I was perfectly okay. I sank down into a squat, as I began verbalizing ques. The session was a relative success for I could stand while squatting felt therapeutic. I went to a chiropractor and masseuse to enliven my body and decrease the sacral pain.


That year I attended a four day Yoga Therapy workshop. We breathed, chakra balanced, spoke about subtle energy and used hand symbols (mudras) to align and center along with gems, colors and aromas. We spoke about the process of healing and the importance of mind over matter. However, I was still feeling sacral pain and misalignment.

The final day of the Mind Body Conference we continually worked on asana. I was introduced to pinca-hamsasana. Many teachers chose not to move into the pose, yet I consistently inverted in this prone arm balance. The sacral pain ceased; I felt cured.



The healing process is truly amazing - Yoga can lead the way! Simply use the above yoga practices or better yet, cultivate your own. The examples prove asana and pranayama improve strength, balance and flexibility. As the saying goes, "movement is medicine..."