Be a mermaid!

When I started off practicing Yoga, I never knew that there were poses that would make me as someone today pointed out 'bendy'. Some days I used to keep looking people around me climb the walls, turn upside down and do headstands and handstands with ease. Quite a few days, I had to tell myself that I would get there eventually. Not today, not tomorrow but I would. In one such class, I was taught the very graceful Mermaid pose which caught my attention. It surprised me at my ability to do this pose with minimum effort.  

While on the face of it Mermaid Pose looks like a complex practice that is almost impossible, but with a few days of practice, one can perform it. However, like I did, it's very easy to confuse it with One-legged King Pigeon Pose. However, according to YogaOutlet.com, Mermaid Pose is an advanced variation of One-Legged King Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) that deepens the backbend and opens the hips even more. One-legged King Pigeon Pose is an ultimate hip opener.  As you practice the pose, you can imagine that your legs and hips create the tail of a mermaid (or merman), having all of the looseness and fluidity of a sea-swimming creature. 

Mermaid Pose has several benefits, so its practice if performed in correct alignment, creates freedom throughout the entire front torso. It also lifts and opens the heart. This pose also provides a deep stretch to the thighs, groins, shoulders, and chest. It improves mobility in the spine and hips, strengthens the abdominal muscles, and stimulates the organs of the torso. A word of caution this pose should only be performed once you have mastered Pigeon Pose, One-legged King Pigeon Pose and have been practicing Yoga for 6 months or more. You should not perform this in case of any recent injury. 

 

Warm-up is essential when it comes to advanced poses in Yoga. Please ensure you have practiced Surya namaskars and your body is adequately warmed up before you proceed with the below-mentioned instructions.  

Instructions 

1. Begin in Downward-Facing Dog. Spread your fingers, lengthen your spine, lift your hips, and drawdown firmly through your heels.
2.  Bend your right knee and bring it forward between your hands. Place your right ankle on the floor near your left wrist, and your right knee near your right wrist. Extend your left leg behind you, keeping your kneecap and the top of your foot on the floor.
3. Press through your fingertips as you lift your torso away from your thigh, lengthening the front of your body. Release your tailbone back toward your heels. This is One-Legged King Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana).
4. Drawdown through your right leg’s shin and balance your weight evenly between your right and left hips. Pull your thighs slightly inward toward the midline of your body.
5. Use the strength and stability of your legs to help lift and extend your spine even higher.
6. Rest your right hand gently on your right thigh. Bend your left knee. Reach your left hand back and clasp the inner edge of your left foot. Then slowly bring your left foot to the inside of your left forearm. Glide your foot closer toward your body until your foot rests in the crease of your left elbow. Press your foot firmly into your arm to activate your legs.
7. With your spine long and extended, lift your right arm overhead. Bend your right elbow and reach your right forearm behind your head. Clasp your left hand.
8. Square your hips and torso toward the front of your mat as much as possible. Press through your feet and legs to help activate your pelvic core and lift your spine
9. Hold for 5-10 breaths. To release, gently let go of your left leg and extend it along the floor behind your body. Bring your hands to the floor in front of you. Tuck your left toes, and step back into Downward-Facing Dog. Then repeat on the other side for the same length of time.

(courtesy: yogaoutlet.com)

For detailed video step by step instructions, you could check out: 

Namaste!