hurdler pose or flying splits / eka pada koundinyasana II
a hovering arm balancing pose - splits on an arm shelf, promoting energy, and faith in oneself. - we’ll call it EPKII for short. eka:one pada:foot koundinya:sage asana:pose
how to: prep with wrist flexibility and strengthening (interlace fingers and roll wrists, cat cow with fingers pointing towards knees, chaturanga), core strength (planks, knee to nose), shoulder articulation (eagle, cobra), hip openers (lizard, mālāsana, skandasana), stretch the hamstrings (forward folds, pyramid, runners stretch, standing split)
starting in downward dog, lift your right leg to downward dog splits
while rolling forward to high plank, bend your right knee towards your right shoulder, hitch knee on shoulder
lower your arms to 90 degrees, or chaturanga, pull elbows in towards the midline, left arm can act as a kickstand until you build enough strength
gaze forward, shift your weight forward, and lift your left leg once you’ve found your balance
straighten your right leg and breathe
repeat to the other side
physical benefits: strengthens biceps, triceps, shoulders, core, and legs, opens the hips and hamstrings
origin/resonance: Koundinya, a sage, was part of the royal court of Suddhodana. Koundinya predicted that Suddhodana’s son, Siddhartha Gautama, would become the enlightened Buddha. Siddhartha left a luxurious life to study as an ascetic with the Samanas and Koundinya in the forest. An ascetic is someone who practices intense self-deprivation, avoiding all forms of indulgence. Siddartha was not happy as an ascetic, so he left the forest. Siddartha wanted to learn about love, and did so through Kamala. Kamala wouldn’t take Siddartha as a student/lover until he was a proper gentleman. Siddartha gets hooked up with Kamaswami, who teaches him about business and economics. Siddartha becomes a rich, gambling, businessman, and lover of Kamala, and eventually realizes that this is not happiness. It’s back to the forest for Siddartha, who philosophizes about “The Middle Way.” The Middle Way is a balance between indulgence and self-mortification, spiritualism and materialism, finding moderation between extremes. Koundinya had faith in Siddartha, and his own prediction, and listened to and shared the teachings of the Middle Way. This pose requires faith in yourself as it is a balancing pose, and requires you to test and find leverage to help you rise above.
I can’t remember the first time I learned EPKII, but I remember the first time I learned scorpion, and I have always gone into scorpion the same way, through EPKII, to chin stand, to scorpion (thank you to Renée at NYSC, who inspired me to take a deep dive into yoga, and helped me believe I could try backbends and inversions). I also remember the first time I learned to flow from astavakrasana to EPKII, which is so challenging and so fun once you get it (thank you Woom Center for teaching me, you must go to this studio). To me, EPKII is a transitional pose that helps me gain leverage to more advanced poses, and complex sequences. It’s not alway about hitting the peak pose, it’s about understanding and finding joy in the journey.
I’ve been thinking a lot about transitions lately; partially because I turned 30 last month, but more importantly because I feel so much closer to my true self. I consider “purpose” and “direction” as my biggest hurdles in life. It was never obvious to me what I should be pursuing, and how can you have drive if you have no direction, and meeting people in NYC when you’re not proud, passionate, and confident about the work you do - good luck my friends! This plagued my confidence terribly. I felt surrounded by doubt. I felt very alone. I had to make a change. A couple years ago I left a job that kept me financially happy and able, to pursue what I love, yoga. I expected life changes to happen seamlessly and quickly, but you have to endure the highs and lows on a journey in order to gain perspective and appreciation. It is never easy to leave something, nor is it easy to start over, but it’s easier to try on something new in the present, than it is to reflect on all the “coulda, woulda, shouldas.” Have faith in yourself to pursue changes that need to happen in your life, find grace and fortitude in the transition, and revel in the limelight of your accomplishments.
Random fun fact: I sing out loud while biking. It’s excellent pranayama.