Asana of the Month

Teaser - A Pilates Movement

by Christina Alon

Teaser is an amazing abdominal strengthening exercise. It is similar to navasana (boat pose) in yoga but with a few slight differences. In boat pose, the balance point is directly on the sitting bones (tailbone) and the spine is straight forming a “V” shape between the legs and back. Whereas in teaser, the abdominals are “scooped,” which creates a slight rounding in the lower back, and the student is balancing slightly behind the sitting bones (tailbone). The greatest benefit of teaser is that it strengthens the abs and hip flexors.

Getting Into The Pose:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent into chest. Extend your arms towards the ceiling.

2. Inhale. Extend the legs at a 45º angle as you roll the head, shoulders and spine sequentially off the mat.

3. Balance just behind the sitting bones with the lower belly scooping in.

4. Reach the arms towards the toes to open the chest.

5. Exhale. Roll down the spine one vertebra at a time. Return to starting position.

Tips:

1. Keep the shoulder blades relaxed away from the ears and the neck elongated to minimize tension in the upper back.

2. Avoid using momentum to carry you through the exercise. Focus on using the abs to lift the legs and upper body.

3. Keep the chin open. Imagine holding a small orange under the chin.

Capitol Hill Yoga provides the asana of the month feature to guide you in a safe and life affirming home practice. Join Christina Sunday mornings for Pilates from 10:45-11:45am.