9 Months Of Progress In Standing Bow

Standing Bow, Nov 2013

Standing Bow, Aug 2014

Standing Bow is one of the staple postures in the Ghosh lineage. It is part of Bikram's beginning class and it is also one of the required postures in competition. It is very challenging for the whole body - splits and a backbend all while balancing on one foot. 

I took a picture of my best Standing Bow last November right before going to study with Tony Sanchez. That picture is the top one on the left. 

I took another picture about a week ago (lower picture) and it is interesting to notice the differences.

The first thing I notice is that the posture doesn't look much different. The depth of the splits is about the same, and the general shape of the posture is about the same. 

Upon closer examination I notice a few significant differences.

1) My standing leg has more integrity and stability in the newer picture. Last November my knee was hyper-extended, which allows for a deeper looking split and a deeper forward bend without actually demanding a deeper stretch in the hips. My current posture isn't hyper-extended, but my split is just as deep but with better alignment. This will be much better for my knees and hips in the long run.

2) My hip alignment is better now. The kicking hip is nice and even in the newer picture. Last November my kicking hip was cheating up and causing a tilt in my whole posture. 

3) In November my body charged forward nicely and my chin was on my shoulder - very Bikram. My current posture has less forward motion and more of an even backbend, which means my chin is not down and forward.

Most of all, my current posture looks a lot more effortless. It looks stable and graceful, even if the powerful forward energy is less.