As with any other yoga pose, the best way to sequence your yoga class or personal practice around Bird Of Paradise is to build up into it slowly. You have to gradually open the parts of your body that need to be stretched out and strengthen the parts that need to hold the shape.
You will need to stretch your hamstrings and hips. Also, open up your chest, shoulders, and shoulders. Strengthen your quadriceps and spine, as well as develop a strong focus and a strong sense of balance.
Tips and Modifications
Don’t get discouraged if you are having trouble connecting your hands in Bird of Paradise. Secure a loose yoga strap around your waist, with the tail hanging behind you. You will have a handle to use to bind as you move on to Bird Of Paradise.
This shape isn’t about grasping your hand but about opening up your frontal body the best you can. You can do this safely and securely with your strap.
Start your flow by breathing alternately in and out of each nostril to increase your concentration and awareness and focus on your body. This will also oxygenate all your soft tissues so that you can stretch them.
Find Strength and Heat
Fold forward for a few breaths, keeping your knees bent. Repeat for a couple more breaths while holding your toes or legs with your knees straight.
As you stand up, gently bend your back to open the front of your body – quadriceps and hips. Also, chest, stomach, and tummy. While you straighten your back, lift your arms and stand on your toes. Look up and pull your ribs to create length and test your balance. Hold for three smooth breathings, collecting your focus and intention.
Stretch your hamstrings by stepping back into Warrior II and holding it for 3 to 5 breaths. Then, move into a pyramid pose.
As you come into Warrior III, lift your back leg to warm up the hips while igniting the core.
Repeat steps 3-4 and flow through Vinyasa on the other side.
Get Deep into the Hips
Three-Legged Dog: Walk into Down Dog, and then lift your right leg straight and long. Bring your knee to your elbow on the right side and hold this position while raising your knee as high as possible towards your shoulder.
For Scorpion Dog, stack your left hip on top of your right for Three-Legged Dog. Hold your dog here with the arching of your back, or flip it if you’re warm enough.
Triangle will strengthen your hamstrings, hips, and thighs. Then, end with Side Angle and take three deep breaths.
Tip: To get the deepest side angle, straighten your lower arm towards the floor. Half-bind your upper arm to the strap that is around your waist or hip.
Use a strap to help you go a little deeper while maintaining the alignment of your Side Angle (chest spins upward, hips press forward, legs strong, and torso ignited). You can use a strap to go deeper and maintain the alignment of the Side Angle (chest spinning upwards, hips pressing forward, legs strong, torso igniting). Release back into Down Dog, and repeat the other side.
Open your Front Plane
Plank Pose and three rounds of Sphinx (or Cobra), Seal, Up Dog, or Danurasana, the Bow Pose, are performed while lowering yourself to your belly. Use any combination of these heart-opening variants, but build intensity.
Back to Down Dog, and then into a deep, long, forward fold.
Prepare your arms and shoulders.
Twisted Front Fold- Begin in a soft fold forward, placing your right arm under your nose and bending your right leg. Straighten your left foot. Raise your left hand with your fingers spread up into the air. Hold for three breaths.
Try threading your right arm through your legs and around your left arm. This will increase your shoulder and chest range of motion. Wrap your left elbow around your leg as if you were trying to grab the butt cheek. You can bind your straps, your thigh, or your other hand.
Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, firmly rooted into your feet. This will help you strengthen your hips and ignite your hamstrings. Repeat the same on the other side, and then continue your Vinyasa.
Getting Into Bird Of Paradise
Lift the leg that is bound and twisted off the floor. Straighten it out.
Focus your gaze forward and push your hips and ribs into your body. Raise your chest and pull your shoulders behind you.
Hold for five breaths. You can either keep your knee bent or straighten the leg and open the toes to the sky. Hold for five deep breaths. Do this on both sides, with a vinyasa between.
Stretch Out and Release
In a seated tree pose, twist your head and look at the shoulder of the knee that matches the seated Ragdoll.
Bring yourself back to the center by gently undoing that twist. Wild Thing Pose: Place the opposite hand on the mat and raise your hips.
Finish with a relaxed Butterfly position, folding forward softly over your lap. Spend a few moments here connecting to the concentration, focus, and intention you used when you came into Bird Of Paradise. Then, try to maintain this quality off your mat.
You have just learned a tasty way to build up safely into a challenging and complex posture. There are many variations to this pose, and no one way is definitive or the only way to enter and practice it.
Try not to force an angle or pose. Instead, slowly integrate this sequence and variations into your flow.
