Along with being a TRX Master Instructor, TRX Training Club Yoga Instructor, and owner of SWEAT Power Yoga, Krystal Say is one of the passionate creators of TRX for Yoga. She is here to explain how the Suspension Trainer can be the ultimate support tool for some of those more challenging yoga poses.

TRX Yoga is a style of vinyasa yoga.  In its basic form, the idea is to leverage the TRX Suspension Trainer by pressing your hands or feet into the cradles to receive feedback.  It’s almost like receiving constant assistance in yoga class, and who doesn’t love an assist?! The Suspension Trainer both challenges and creates accessibility in one’s yoga practice.  It sounds contradictory, I know, and this is when I say, you’ve got to try it to feel it for yourself!

The nature of using the straps as an outside stimulus gives you the opportunity to slow things down and truly feel the alignment of the pose.  Let’s take a look at a few of what might be considered complex yoga poses and explore how the straps can assist you in building a strong foundation and accessing the pose.

TRX CROW

Crow packs a punch.  By definition, it is an inversion and arm balance all packed into one fiery yoga pose.  Any time I teach someone to get upside down the first thing we work on is total body integration to brace the muscles of the core and maintain a long neutral spine all while breathing deep and rhythmically.  As an arm balance, we want to assure stability and strength in the upper body as one transition into the pose.  This is most important along the journey of trusting yourself.  Once in crow, your centre of gravity is just right so that you truly are balancing on your hands and minimal strength is necessary.

HOW TO

Adjustment: Mid Calf

Position: Ground facing away from the anchor point

Start:  Begin on your hands and knees, with your feet in cradles directly under the anchor point.  Shoulders stack over hands, hips over knees.

Movement: Press into a plank position.  Simultaneously, bend your knees to connect with the back of your arms above the elbow and you bend the elbows making a shield for your knees to rest on.  Rock the weight of your body toward your fingers and continue to press the top of your feet into the cradles to help brace the core.  RETURN: Set the knees back on the ground and release the feet from the cradles.

TRX HEADSTAND

Traditional headstand, as shown here is an incredible feat of the human body, with so many health-boosting benefits.  When first starting this inversion practice, I remember having so much trouble finding my balance upside down, not knowing if my hips were stacked over my shoulders or what to do with my flailing legs.  The TRX Suspension Trainer changed everything!  The nature of pressing the lower leg into the nylon strap allowed me to create the same sensation in my upper leg creating a confidence and sense of assurance when being upside down.  The position of the TRX Suspension Trainer during headstand practice is also key as it helps minimize the fear of falling over.  You can slow down and feel the alignment of the pose.  You will expose where there needs to be stability and flexibility in order to get into position.

HOW TO

Adjustment: Mid Calf

Position: Ground facing away from the anchor point

Start: On hands and knees, place your right foot into both of the cradles. Place elbows shoulder-width apart on the mat and interlace hands.

Movement: Place the back of the crown of your head in the palms of your hands. Root down into elbows to minimize pressure on the head.  Press right foot into foot cradles and bring knees off the mat (legs straight) to plank position. Press right foot into straps and hop left foot toward body stacking hips over shoulders (think pike). Float left foot to ceiling, keep pressing right foot into the cradles. Work to stack your joints.

Return: Bring the upper leg to the floor and return to hands and knees.

 

TRX FLYING SPLIT

Flying split is one of those poses I used to look at and say ‘yeah right’.  It is true, full core integration and a fair amount of flexibility is required.  The good news, these are all things TRX Yoga supports you with during your practice.  During the TRX Yoga Signature Flow (taught in the TRX Yoga Flow Course) we constantly move in and out of poses that target the development of stability, mobility and flexibility required to explore your flying split practice.

HOW TO

Adjustment: Mid Calf

Position: Ground facing away from the anchor point

Start:  In a plank position, with your left foot in both cradles

MOVEMENT: Lift your right leg off the ground and bring your right knee to the right shoulder, bending the elbows as you do. Set the knee on the back of the arm and hold. Continue to press the left foot into the cradles. If your flexibility and the strap length allow, you can extend through the right leg.

Return: Return to the plank position, release the knees to the ground and carefully remove the foot from the foot cradles.

I can’t wait to see you on your mat,

-Krysta

The key is to break down the complex movement into foundational movements.  Explore where mobility, stability and flexibility may be lacking and work on the different elements.  Have fun enhancing these different qualities through the different TRX Yoga poses to feel the difference on the straps, off the straps and in your life!