eight-angle pose / astavakrasana
an arm balancing pose with a lateral twist. promoting pragmatism. asta:eight vakra:curved asana:pose
how to:
sit on mat, legs in front, right knee bent with the sole of the right foot on the floor close to the groin
pick up your right leg, laterally rotate your knee to the edge of the mat with the help of both arms to be parallel with the floor, cradle the shin and calf
reach for the outer edge of your right foot with your right hand, pull back the right foot as though you are trying to string a bow, or use your foot as a telephone (ring ring)
strap your right leg over your right shoulder or bicep, bend your right arm to make a shelf for your leg, place your right palm on the floor diagonally in front and outside of your right thigh
lean forward heart first, gaze out ahead of you
cross your left ankle above your right ankle, squeeze your legs around your right bicep
bend your arms to a 90 degree angle, like chaturanga dandasana, in order to angle your chest parallel to the floor, balance weight in your fingertips with an emphasis of pressure in your thumb and pointer fingers, lift your hips
repeat on the other side, and practice often to access a graceful astavakrasana vinyasa
Illustration from, “Yoga Anatomy, Second Edition” by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews
physical benefits: strengthens core, inner thighs, biceps, opens the hips
origin: Astavakra was a Vedic sage, and Guru to the enlightened King Janaka. Astavakra was deformed in eight places, hence his name (asta:eight, vakra:bent), however he did not let his physical ailments hinder his mental abilities. Astavakra’s wisdom came very early, in the womb actually. Astavakra’s father was reciting vedas by his pregnant wife, and after mispronouncing the vedas, he heard Astavakra chuckle and correct him, from the womb! The father, so embarrassed, cursed his unborn baby to be deformed in eight places. Despite his deformities Astavakra grew up to be very bright, and traveled very far to go see King Janaka and his court of wise men. Upon arrival Astavakra faced ridicule from the court, but he didn’t let that stop him from speaking wisdom, particularly on self realization, and becoming a guru which led to King Janaka’s enlightenment.
This pose looks intense. It forces you to break things down, be real with your body, and be pragmatic. Any asana takes practice. This one requires a lot of prep work before entering, and understanding. This pose requires mental strength, knowing that you may not get there today, but you can work towards it, and gaining perspective on your body. Can I bend this arm more to create a shelf for my leg? If I gaze forward, and perhaps a little bit in the opposite direction as my legs, will that help find my balance? If I engage my inner thigh, and flex my foot, will I find more support? There are several points of contact in this pose, and the more points of contact, the more stability and support you can find. When teaching this pose I like to sequence a warm up vinyasa that slowly works toward deepening poses, and additional sequences that include getting into asanas from different stance points (ext. side angle > triangle > reverse triangle > peaceful warrior > warrior II > wide leg forward fold > warrior II > peaceful warrior > reverse triangle > triangle > ext. side angle). This helps your body warm up, work towards a goal, and gain perspective on entering poses from different places and the effects on the body.
One of Astavakra’s most known quotes from the Ashtavakra Gita is “If one thinks of oneself as free, one is free, and if one thinks of oneself as bound, one is bound.” This is all about perspective, and mental strength. Spend time to think about how you want your life to unfold, from a daily basis, yearly, ten years, and so forth. Hold that vision, that goal, that dream, with you wherever you go, and treat each conversation, choice, obstacle with this vision. See the life you want for yourself, and make it your reality.