Astavakrasana

(Eight bends of the body)

(h-AS-tah vak-ra-AHS-anna)

asta = eight
vakra = bend
asana = pose/seat

The body bends in 8 places in this arm balance: the wrists, elbows, hips and ankles.

Photo by Anja

In yoga circles, it's fairly common to regard having goals as a no-no. Perhaps that's because we've watched people sacrifice the deeper values of community, environment, and meaningful livelihood for the more ephemeral goals of comfort and material success. Some of us may even have done a bit of that ourselves, getting stressed-out trying to achieve goals that, even when attained, don't bring happiness or fulfillment. Astavakrasana is an asana which is the epitome of those qualities.

Astavakra was a saintly boy who was deformed at birth. The village disregarded him due to his disfigurement. However, this did not stop him from stepping into his greatness, and soon the village recognized him for his exceptional genius. This pose honors him and his crookedness, and shows that everyone has enough greatness to fulfill him or herself.

Benefits
Strengthens arms and wrists. Strengthens the abdominal muscles. Improves balance and increases mental focus.

One tool I have found to be invaluable is a sense of playfulness. In yogic terminology, this is called lila (pronounced LEE-lah). By this, I don't mean being casual or careless. Being serious about your practice is extremely important. After all, this yoga stuff is very serious business, connecting us with the most profound and fundamental questions about our existence and purpose. But serious and grin are not synonymous. You can be serious about yoga and enjoy your practice, too. A challenging goal—learning Astavakrasana, for example—can provide an excellent opportunity to practice blending seriousness and playfulness. Most students find the arm balances difficult and demanding. Strength, flexibility, concentration, balance, perseverance—all are essential for performing these poses.