Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies

Introduction

1. Adho Mukha Shvasana
2. Ardha Matsyendrasana
3. Balasana
4. Bhujangasana
5. Chandrasana
6. Dandasana
7. Dhanurasana
8. Garudasana
9. Janushirasana
10. Jathara Parivartanasana
11. Matsyasana
12. Padahastasana
13. Parvatasana
14. Paschimotanasana
15. Salabhasana
16. Sarvangasana
17. Sasamgasana
18. Savasana
19. Setu Banghasana
20. Siddhasana
21. Standing Backward Bend
22. Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)
23. Tadasana
24. Trikonasana
25. Ustrasana
26. Utkatasana
27. Vajrasana
28. Viparita Karani
29. Virabhadrasana
30. Vrikasana

Janushirasana
The Head-to-the-Knee Pose

Here’s another asana in which the abdomen gets in the way. A partial solution is to practice the variation with legs wide apart. One still has to turn the torso before bending over the knee, so some compression is inevitable. It’s easier than the standard, legforward version, however.

A word of warning: if the student is very large, the displaced abdomen could pull the back out of alignment, so that a slight turn of the back (seen as the outside shoulder dropping) occurs. This can be solved by making sure that the student turns the torso while still fully upright, and that the student adjusts his/her belly until it is squarely on top of the thigh over which the bend is to occur (see me above).

One simply has to be vigilant to make sure the student stays in alignment and backs off if needed.