Burmese Sitting Position

[chicanobudista]

Quick query.

Anyone know a good video in the internet to teach how to exercise the legs (yoga, etc.) to loosen up the muscles for Burmese sitting position?
:?:

[Jinyu]

Re: Burmese Sitting Position

Hi!
Quick answer... I just know this ( https://<div class="videocontainer w... </a> </div> ) video on the lotus posture... but they point some nice tips on postures... maybe it helps :roll:

gassho

edit: they also made a well known video about zazen called "approaching zazen" https://<div class="videocontainer w... </a> </div>

[Stephanie]

Re: Burmese Sitting Position

The Yoga Garden videos are great, I found them a while back and was disappointed when they stopped posting them. They offer some of the clearest, no-nonsense yoga instruction I've encountered. Doesn't hurt that the guy who makes them is easy on the eyes!

Anyway, off the top of my head, in terms of useful yoga poses for sitting:

Standing Forward Bend is a great stretch for loosening up the hamstrings. Hamstrings tend to be or get 'tight' and can prevent ease, cause pain, and reduce flexibility in sitting postures. The great thing about Standing Forward Bend is that it's a simple pose you can do at any flexibility level. Just stretch as far forward/downward as you can, until you start feeling the stretch happen.

Royal Pigeon Pose is my favorite hip opening pose. Inflexible hips are frequently the source of problems when trying to maintain seated postures. (I like to take the pose depicted on the linked page and then lower myself down so that I am laying over my front leg with my head touching the floor. The further down you go, the more you feel the stretch in your hips. The full expression of the pose also includes grabbing your back leg like this, which is a great quad stretch but may be difficult if you're not already flexible in the hips and legs, which is the point of doing this pose in the first place :wink: .)

Seated Forward Bend is a good stretch for hamstrings also.

Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend is another good hip opener, and a good general stretch for the groin / inner thigh area.

Eagle Pose is the best shoulder and upper back stretch I know, I usually just do the upper body part, but it's an overall good part to stretch arms/legs and develop balance.

Janu Sirsasana is another good stretch for hips and hamstrings, a great one to start with if you have low flexibility as it may be easier to ease into a bit at a time.

Downward Facing Dog is perhaps the best overall yoga pose. It stretches your hamstrings, calves, back, and arms.

Be careful doing these poses at home, it's surprisingly easy to injure yourself doing yoga. Best to learn them first in a class with a teacher present!

And I know these aren't videos, but I'm sure you can search for and find multiple videos depicting the above postures.

[chicanobudista]

Re: Burmese Sitting Position

Luis. Steph. Thanks.

I just need to work on my legs.
They feel like wood pegs that won't bend one centimeter.
:cry: