Underrated Yoga Poses - Part I

What yoga poses do you feel are sadly underrated?

For me, Constructive Rest is right up there. Also known as Semi Supine pose, my teacher Norman Blair sometimes calls it Advanced Professional Napping. I couldn’t agree more! More often than not, it’s how I start my own practice as I find it instantly helps me to begin to release and let go physically, emotionally and mentally.

This version, with a blanket under the lungs, is a particular favourite of mine, especially during the Autumn and Winter months. I find the use of the blanket helps to release some of the tightness and tension not just around the mid to lower back but also around those difficult to reach parts of the upper back area. And, for me, its gentle support under the lungs encourages slower, deeper and softer breathing.

Give it a try next time your upper back feels like it’s full of knots of tension. I place the blanket under the shoulder blades so that the upper tips of the shoulders blades fall off the blanket and I tend to have my feet a little wider than hip distance with my knees falling in together (but you can keep feet and knees parallel or have yours wider apart if you prefer).

After staying for maybe 5 to 10 minutes, I like to practise the pose without the blanket (or with the blanket under my head instead) and stay for a few minutes more.