How you can Do Little Thunderbolt Pose (Laghu Vajrasana)

Ashtanga Intermediate Series (Second Series / Nadi Shodhana).
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Greta Kent-Stoll practicing deep backbends. Check us out ay www.iyavl.com

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This video will help you to set up a sound foundation in the Little Thunderbolt posture or Laghu Vajrasana. Understanding how to ground and stabilize the hips and legs helps you to make best use of the position to enjoy the meditative Immovable Spot and to build strength in your core, buttocks and legs. Working according to the instructions in this video will also bring flexibility to your spine and strengthen the erector spinae muscles that run along either side of the spine..
The word Laghu means little but also lovely or beautiful implying that loveliness often comes in small packages, this a particularly dear theme to me considering I am blessed to be surrounded by small and beautiful beings—my partner Joy and two tiny burmese kitties— and that is what you will find as you work with this lowly, ‘in between’ asana that often gets over shadowed by the distinctly huge Kapotasana..
David Garrigues is one of the few teachers in the US certified to teach Ashtanga Yoga by the late world renowned yoga master Sri K Pattahbi Jois. As an Ashtanga Ambassador, he bases his teachings on the idea that ‘Anyone can take practice,’ a core idea in the teachings of Sri K Pattahbi Jois..
David’s mission is to help others flourish within the contemporary lineage of Ashtanga Yoga. While staying true to the traditional teachings of Ashtanga, David is adept at adapting the practice to suit all levels of practitioner and make it accessible to everyone..
David is the creator of the Asana Kitchen Series (SUBSCRIBE for up-to-date videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/davidgarrigues) as well as additional resources for Ashtanga practitioners including led DVDs and his pranayama book, Vayu Siddhi, available for purchase on his website http://www.davidgarrigues.com..
This Asana Kitchen was filmed at David’s home studio in Philadelphia, the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia http://www.aysphiladelphia.com. David teaches a Primary Series and Second Series intensive there each year during the spring and fall..
The Asana Kitchen series is created to answer common questions or address concerns about the practice. To submit questions for the Asana Kitchen series, you can attend David’s workshops OR email him at the [email protected]
Keywords/Tags: David Garrigues, Yoga, Asana Kitchen, Laghuvajrasana, Second Series, Backbends, Little Thunderbolt, posture, pose, asana, Strength, Power, Hatha, Vinyasa, Backbending, Back, Core, Legs, Ashtanga Yoga, Ashtanga, Intermediate Series, Nadi Shodana, back flexibility, Philadelphia, Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia

Laghu Vajrasana The little/light Thunderbolt/lightning bolt ⚡️.
The first “Gatekeeper” of the Intermediate Series. If a student is lacking strength, awareness (doesn’t know how to use the legs) and/or flexibility/mobility in the quads and hip flexors it will show up here. So this is a place to hold a student and make them develop those areas before moving on to Kapotasana. Laghu which means little or light should feel light! Here’s how: 1️⃣ Use your quads by ‘kicking’ your feet into the floor it’s the same action developed in Dhanurasana and Bhekasana. This activates the quads but since your feet can’t go anywhere what will move up is the hips. Activating the glutes by driving the hips forward will also do this. 2️⃣Control the going down phase and keep that action during the 5 breaths at the bottom so you can explode up. 3️⃣Keep the arms straight and press the hands down (into the shins) and forward (without actually moving them) because they are stuck what will move is the chest upwards..
4️⃣As a progression work from different heights I’ve used steps but you can use blocks. Make sure you can control each stage before moving on to the lower step/block..
5️⃣ The best strength and mobility drill is to do it without hands. First with the toes tucked under. Second with the feet flat. When doing this you can also work with steps or blocks. There is no escaping in this drill! You will be forced to use your legs! To progress in the Series these movements are fundamental and essential otherwise pain and injury are coming. Make sure to address any flexibility issues as well with the Everyday Essentials. Tomorrow everyone’s favourite: Kapotasana ��

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SANTA FE RETREAT.
AUGUST 11-17, 2019.
In this video you will learn four exercises for how to work on gaining the leg, hip and back strength to control your transition into and out of the Little Thunderbolt Pose. The control and muscular development comes from making a move or a gesture that involves playing with the rhythm and speed of your transition. You go back as far as you are able in a single, purposive move and then reverse the process by coming up slowly and smoothly consciously creating work—muscular effort—in your legs, hips and back. With time and repetition you will develop the strength and coordination to go back and come up with certainty, at a single steady speed. If you can’t lower yourself all the way to the ground yet, this video also shows you how to properly work while supporting your head on a block..
KEYWORDS: ASHTANGA YOGA ASANA KITCHEN DAVID GARRIGUES INTERMEDIATE SERIES NADI SHODHANA SECOND SERIES IYENGAR STRENGTH BACKBENDS DROP BACK IYENGAR VINYASA YOGA POSE POSTURE HATHA YOGA JIVAMUKTI VINYASA YOGA ASHTANGA VINYASA POWER YOGA ALIGNMENT ASANA KITCHEN

Stretches intercostal muscles, strengthens the determination.

http://www.davidgarrigues.com.
There are 4 strategies for minimizing knee pain in the Little Thunderbolt Pose. The two easiest strategies are:
1) support your head on a block.
2) shorten your stay in the pose.
3) when entering, exiting and staying in the pose remain positioned forward and as directly vertical over your leg, hip foundation as possible. Continue to track the thighs and knees..
4) execute your transitions into and out of the pose dynamically—this means to anticipate the gesture of going back and then perform a confident move that will take you down and back to touch your head. To come up pre strategize the move that will bring you up and forward, then put a move into play, commit to maintaining your spinal arch, trust your foundation by shifting your weight forward so that you feel your spine supported by your legs beneath you. Work to feel that these transitions convey control, rhythm and awareness of tempo..
David Garrigues is one of the few teachers in the US certified to teach Ashtanga Yoga by the late world renowned yoga master Sri K Pattahbi Jois. As an Ashtanga Ambassador, he bases his teachings on the idea that ‘Anyone can take practice,’ a core idea in the teachings of Sri K Pattahbi Jois..
David’s mission is to help others flourish within the contemporary lineage of Ashtanga Yoga. While staying true to the traditional teachings of Ashtanga, David is adept at adapting the practice to suit all levels of practitioner and make it accessible to everyone..
David is the creator of the Asana Kitchen Series (SUBSCRIBE for up-to-date videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/davidgarrigues) as well as additional resources for Ashtanga practitioners including led DVDs and his pranayama book, Vayu Siddhi, available for purchase on his website http://www.davidgarrigues.com..
This Asana Kitchen was filmed at David’s home studio in Philadelphia, the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia http://www.aysphiladelphia.com. David teaches a Primary Series and Second Series intensive there each year during the spring and fall..
The Asana Kitchen series is created to answer common questions or address concerns about the practice. To submit questions for the Asana Kitchen series, you can attend David’s workshops OR email him at the [email protected]
Keywords/Tags: David Garrigues, Yoga, Asana Kitchen, Laghuvajrasana, Second Series, Backbends, Little Thunderbolt, posture, pose, asana, Strength, Power, Hatha, Vinyasa, Backbending, Back, Core, Legs, Ashtanga Yoga, Ashtanga, Intermediate Series, Nadi Shodana, back flexibility, Philadelphia, Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia, knee pain, knees