Deepest Garbha Pindasana to date!

It's been just over 1 year since I wrote about my first Utpluthi and finally getting into full Lotus. Since then I have been worked solidly on hip opening. Really taking the time over the Mari sequence, the konasanas, especially baddha konasana and garbha pindasana.

Finally got my knees to the floor and my chin to the floor in baddha konasana. To get the knees down is all about opening using ahwini mudra and mula bandha, then letting these go and holding the hips open with the hip flexors. The forward bend comes again from 'letting go' and leaning into it, lengthening out the spine from the bowl of the pelvic floor, trying to keep distance from the pelvis to the rib cage as long as possible. The opening of the feet 'like a book' actively pushing the outer edges of the feet towards each other seems to help with the lengthening of the adductors to get the knees down.

Upavistha konasana is a different storey altogether - will I ever be able to lay my chest on the floor in this posture?? Any tips would be welcomed :)

I used to HATE garbha pindasana with a passion. I think my teacher Ben could see how much I hated so told me that I had to put more effort into it and my hips would eventually open. So I did.

I spent the next 4 months with constant bruises on my inner arms from trying to squeeze them through, nice!! But I've cracked lotus now - the final deepening of the posture coming from realising that once in lotus I have to then draw the sitting bones together causing an outward and inward rotation which draws the femurs in closer towards each other which then gives the space between the calf and thigh to squeeze the arms through! I love these 'Aha!' moments!

Today they slipped straight through like a knife through butter. I haven't got my face in my hands yet but I have my thumbs touching my chin, I think this will come with relaxing more into it. However, I have to admit that I have produced my own 'magic' water spray (teacher doesn't know) - a mix of 50% water and 50% Sanctuary Body Mist, which has a little oil in it, but it sure saves on the hassle of not enough water and is a lifesaver for stopping the bruising! Smells nice too :)

So what else do I have to tell you - it's been sooo long since I've posted. I bind fully now in Mari D on both sides - again all the konasana work. I even bind fully in baddha padmasana, this has only happened in the past two weeks, so still a revelation for me, but it feels so good having both toes tightly held, a long spine and chin on the floor.

All the hip opening is finally paying off! Hurrah! Thought I'd add Mr Iyenga below :)