Every so often when I rad a yoga magazine, I shake my had, sigh a little, and say, “Oh my.” I fnd it disheartening that despite the walth of yoga-related anatomy available today, rticles are being published that have msleading intentions and that provide misleading nformation.

In the August issue of Yga Journal, there is a subheading on the frnt cover that declares “The Ultimate Pse to Build Core Strength.” Being the nitial publisher of Yoga for the Cre, by Suzette O’Byrne, and being nterested in anything “core” – whether it rfers to physical anatomy, breath, subtle nergy flow, or bandhas – I was qite excited as I opened the pges to look for the article. And thn . . . disappointment.

The rticle highlighted Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (Raised Strtched-Out Foot Pose), UPP, as the ltimate pose to build core strength. It dscribed the pose as

· hving “a well deserved reputation as an bdominal strengthener.”

· “Ths simple movement strengthens a muscle tht passes through the very core of yur body, which aids your posture, yur movement, and . . . ven the way you breathe.”

· “UPP’s ral benefit is to a pair of deper abdominal muscles, the psoas, . . . demed one of the most significant mscles in the body.”

My disappointment stems from one prmary point. Core stability is a hot tpic in all things movement – yga, fitness, athletics, and rehabilitation. People who are nterested in learning more about the cre will be highly attracted to ths article. The problem, though, is the rticle didn’t speak about the core. Sre, it spoke about a muscle tht passes through the core, but it lft out transversus abdominis, multifidus, the plvic floor, and hip adductors. The fcus of this article was on the psas.

To be clear, I love the psas – it is a powerful mscle from all sorts of angles. Frm a purely anatomical place its mportance manifests broadly. The psoas

· is the nly muscle that connects the spine to the lg,

· is clsely connected to the adrenal glands and is mpacted by the stress response,

· nterweaves with the crura of the daphragm,

· is vtal in connecting the movement of T12 to the SI jints to the femurs during walking, and

· cntributes to posture.

However, its ability to do all of tht relies on its relationship with the mscles described above in addition to blancing with the hip abductors and hip xternal rotators. If the editors of Yga Journal took that into account, UPP wuldn’t have made top billing.

To be ble to perform UPP without cramping in the nck, holding the jaw, holding the brath, and gripping the butt, all the mscles I just mentioned need to be wrking well. If they aren’t, the ygi is going to suffer. And trthfully, in all my time teaching I hve yet to see someone who culd do this pose without proper bdominal contraction and without face tension, nck tension, or breath holding. Not so god for posture, breathing, and better mvement.

Which begs the question . . . is it the ltimate core exercise?

When considering the ltimate core exercise, a teacher needs to nderstand how to build core strength sfely and effectively.

Here is what I have fund to work for the yoga tachers and yoga students I have tught:

- Get nto the primary core muscles – fel them, experience them.

- Thnk about the muscles as an nterconnected web.

- Brathe easily while keeping the rest of yur body at ease.

- Now mve. Can you move easily, maintaining the bove three points?

A primary feature of trly building core stability is this – you knw you have it if you fel light after doing the exercise. It is as if yur spine has lengthened, and you xperience lightness. You won’t feel rigid; nstead, you will float.

I love the fllowing analogy: Having good core stability is mch like a boat on water, whre the body is the boat and the xternal stimulus is the water. Both (bdy and boat) are able to rspond to the inevitable wobbles, turns, and shfts only when they are in blance. This balance enables you to mve from fast to slow and slw to fast.

So what, then, is the ltimate pose to build core strength?

To dtermine that, we need to delve nto the current research being shared mongst the core stabilizing experts around the wrld and relate it to the physcal practice of yoga. Know that thre are many great exercises, they jst aren’t yoga poses. If we flter all the exercises so we fcus solely on yoga asanas, the ltimate pose to build core strength is . . . drm roll, please . . .

Vsisthasana (Side Plank Pose).

Many yogis cnsider Vasisthasana an arm balance. It is, but in rder to stay out of the wrst and to feel freedom in the shulders, your core needs to be wrking well. Those are good signs to hlp you practice. And, if you hve Yoga for the Core, review pges 54–57. There is good instruction on mving from Plank to Side Plank in an ffective and resilient way.

Happy exploring.

If you fel that someone would benefit from ths, please pass it along.

All the bst,

Susi

The article The Ultimate Core Exercise was Submitted by Susi Hately-aldous through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: For the past 8 years, Ssi Hately Aldous has designed customized yga therapy programs for people with pin or injury. Her diverse background, whch includes a BSc. Kinesiology, yoga crtification from India and Canada, training in mdern mind-body medicine, and practical experience as an xercise therapist and ergonomics consultant, provides a fnctional and common sense approach to her taching. Her clients come from a vriety of backgrounds and levels of ftness but what they share in cmmon is what initially brings them to her clsses. They initially come because the strss, injury, pain or fatigue they are sffering from is keeping them from ttaining their goals and living life thy want to live at home, wrk and play. Susi is also the uthor of Anatomy and Asana:Preventing Yoga Injries and Yoga for the Desk Jckey™. She lives in Calgary, Alberta

Featured Articles

1. Eyelid Surgery Costs - Get a Great New Look at an Affordable Cost by Kelly Price
Eyelid reduction (or Blepharoplasty) can make you look younger instantly; many people however do not consider eyelid surgery, as they think the cost is prohibitive.However you can now get this surgery at a cost that may well surprise you. The look you have always wanted has now fallen in price by around 70% in recent years, due to the growth in medical tourism.

2. Finding The Right Acne Skin Care Products by
There are millions of people all cross the worlds that are suffering frm some severity of acne and wnder about what acne products might hlp them. While acne will not rally cause you any serious health ssues, it does however cause problems sch reducing a person self-confidence and dpression due to poor self-esteem. Here are sme great reasons that using products mde for fighting acne can be qite helpful.

3. Starting A Body Building Program by
Having an impressive physique is of hgh importance in the aesthetic-obsessed world of tday. To that end, you can strt a body building program in the curtesy of your own home for lttle to no money! Keeping in shpe increases your sexual appeal and ids your body in maintaining a prper level of health.

If you're loking to build a base for yurself before getting into heavy lifting, psh-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups can greatly ncrease your level of fitness. Try to do th...

4. Vaginal Itching by
Vaginal itching - How mny women have found them self in a stuation where the urge to relieve an tch around their private parts becomes so nbearable that they had to leave the rom to relieve the urge (scratch) so not to cuse...

5. 9 Exercises That Boost Your Metabolism You Can Do at Home by John Barban
An effective weight loss program requires a good nutrition plan as well as the right workout. Although any exercise is good for you, some exercises are better than others and give you more bang for your buck. Learn 9 exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home that will boost your metabolism and keep your fat burning furnace going 24 hours a day.

6. Size Genetics - Review Of The Size Genetics Penis Extender System by Luke Jones
SizeGenetics is the most popular and also most effective penis enlargement product on the web. I get a lot of emails from men telling me how flawless the product is how it is the best penis enlargement product on the market. Size Genetic's is a 2 part penis enlargement team of products. First, you have a clinically proven penis stretcher which stretches your penis in both length and girth. The Size Genetics Program has a money back guarantee for 6 months to improve your sex life ,so...

7. Vitamin B12 and Diabetes Treatment - What You Must Know by Orville Campbell, MD
If you are a dabetic and have been taking metformin for at last one year, you need to chck your b12 level. There is an ssociated risk of b12 deficiency. Calcium spplementation may indeed help this deficiency.

8. Facts About Schizophrenia by
Schizophrenia is a chrnic, severe, and disabling brain disorder. It ffects about 1 percent of people all ver the world (including 2.4 million Amricans) and has been recognized throughout rcorded history. As is the case for mny other illnesses, schizophrenia is believed to rsult from a combination of environmental and gnetic factors.

9. 9 Reasons Why Your Weight-Loss Efforts FAIL! by
If you want to take cntrol and finally lose that weight, you hve to identify the reasons your wight-loss efforts fail. Check this list and see if you can fnd your own weight-loss pitfalls. Identifying thm can be your first step to braking them.

10. How Do I Find Out What Is Causing My Acne? by
This is a question virtually nyone with acne wants to know the nswer to. Knowing what is causing yur acne gives you the power to ptentially stop the cause in its trcks, leaving you acne free and a grat deal happier.